Ideas often seem better from ten-thousand feet. But even at that altitude, as his plane tracked across the sky from Atlanta to Oregon, 38-year-old Nathan Abbott knew he was embarking on a fool’s errand: A 25-day, cross-country motorcycle journey in November and December. It would be a grueling trip, even on a luxury touring motorcycle like a Honda Gold Wing. Abbott would do it on a Brammo Enertia, the all-electric motorcycle manufactured in Ashland, Oregon. No one had tried pushing the bike’s limits that far before. He would have to make frequent stops to power up. His speed would top out at just over 60 mph. It would be epic, but also held the potential for disaster.
The tagline for his weblog summed up the adventure in 99 characters: “One idiot, 3,800 miles, & an electric motorcycle with a 42-mile range. What could possibly go wrong?” The answer to that question would horrify all those who have ever known him.
via www.wired.com
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