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Catching Up with Kenyon Kluge

28th July 2012

TTXGP press office

When the season started out and the eSuperstock award was announced no-one could have foreseen the impact production bikes would have on the grid and the championship table. We catch up with the main protagonist this weekend on the effect racing stock production bikes has had on his season.

The racer and team manager currently topping the championship table on points is none other than Kenyon Kluge from K2 racing a TTXGP regular and lead engineer for Zero Motorcycles. We had a chance to speak with yesterday just after his first practice at Laguna Seca….

Kenyon, you must be pretty happy sitting at the top of the table with such competitors in the race series; how does it feel to go into this weekend knowing you are currently in the lead for points?
“Actually, it feels pretty good. Riding stock bikes that are safe and totally refined and built to run thousands of miles makes them not only fun to ride but also proves that sometimes slow but steady wins the race."

What has been the response from the people to the Zeros in the field?
“I am so happy with how people have taken to this; we really have demonstrated how eRacing is emerging and becoming stronger. That we can race production bikes by doing essentially nothing to them other than adding race tyres is really something. We now have had 7 different riders on them not including myself and every single one for them has gotten of saying how much fun they had and how great the bikes are to ride. Putting people that have never ridden electric on one of our bikes and having them get off the bike believing this is really the future is always great. In fact this season has reconfirmed my own belief.”

Really, you had doubts?
“Not doubts, no…put it this way; I always had both gas bikes and electric but this year I haven’t even bothered putting my gas bike back together again as I am having so much fun on the electrics. It has strengthened my belief. Seeing that production bikes are run on the race track without many modifications tells me it wont be long till electrics will see seen at least along side gas bikes and that time will come a lot faster than anyone thought it was going to be possible. Its exciting. “

How have your customers reacted to your race efforts?
“We have seen a lot more enthusiasm for the race effort from our customer base than we have seen in previous years. In fact I know of one that has been totally inspired and has taken his zero to rider school and learnt how to race on it so he can join the grid next season… he is doing the whole race effort from start to finish on a Zero. Its awesome that is even possible.”

What next?
“Our goal is to finish the season being as consistent as we have been and hopefully we would have paved the way for more people to be out here on stock bikes in 2013.”

Our Thanks to Kenyon.

Dont forget to email in your questions to press"at" egrandprix.com for any of the team engineers or racers over the weekend and we will do our best to make sure we print an answer for you.