Spotlight
Spotlight on Azhar Hussain - TTXGP CEO
15 April 2011
Today's Spotlight is with TTXGP mastermind and CEO, Azhar
Hussain. Azhar founded the Electric Bike Race Championship, TTXGP,
back in 2008. The first TTXGP Electric Bike race took place at the
2009 Isle of Man TT. TTXGP then became an international race series
in 2010 and crowned it's first world champion in 2010 and Azhar
hasn't looked back. Read more about Azhar, the plans for TTXGP and
more.
Spotlight's on Azhar Hussain!
Any thoughts on the new format for the bike riding test
introduced last year? Is the test becoming too hard/complex? Or is
this a good move?
Safety is never up for negotiation. Having well
qualified motorcyclist benefits everybody. The tests do seem
to be excessive though. Seems to have been designed and
sanctioned by those who may not know very much about motorcycling.
It's particularly disappointing that the UK tests are beyond what
is required to meet EU standards. We seem to have become
totally fixated by the combined forces of health and safety and no
win no fee.
Did you pass your test first time?
No. I dropped my foot on the turning circle test. Passed
second time though.
What is your all time favourite bike route?
Straight line from San Francisco through Sacramento to
Lake Tahoe, USA. On a brand new BMW R1200...or perhaps The Jabel
Hafeet Road, just outside of Dubai. The closest you would ever come
to a race track in public, both are amazing roads for bike
journeys…
As a bonus: A two-up ride for 3 laps at Virginia International
Raceway with AMA-PRO ride Chris Ulrich on his race prep Monster
Suzuki. An unforgettable blast.
What is your favourite biking or biker tune?
Michael "you were only supposed to blow the bloody doors
off" Caine with the fab song from Italian job "Get a
Bloomin' Move On"
How and when did you realise your love for all things
bikes?
Tried it once then never looked back. Nothing like taking
a long, fast sweeping corner on a motorcycle to help you find your
religion.
If you got stranded on a desert island - an island with
long roads with great surfaces - what 3 items would you pack in
your sidebag?
ipod; can't live without music
Camera: want to save the memories for my
dotage
And a portable solar panel to charge my motorcycle.
Who are your heroes - biking or otherwise?
Have too many to list... here's a sample in no
order:
Akio Morita
Henry Walton "Indiana" Jones, Jr
My dad.
If you had to spend eternity riding on one particular
road, anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?
Wouldn't matter as long as I had the perfect
companion. Maybe the Pacific Coast Highway. Gives you
sea, mountains, deserts and forest all on a single trek. As a
bonus, time it right and you can stay in summer all year round.
If you had to move away from the UK, where would you
choose to live?
I love England, but this is the generation of Asia
rising, so somewhere over there. My kids are 3 and are learning
Mandarin.
If I had to move then somewhere on the Asia Pac rim would be
brill.
What one tip would you pass on to aspiring TTXGP
racers?
Run your own race.
What is your all time favourite racing moment?
The winners enclosure at the Isle of Man TTXGP
2009. It was our first race. There was an incredible
amount of scepticism about the electric racing from the TT
organisers, the crowds, the main petrol paddock, just about
everybody except for a few dedicated electric race teams and a few
politicians. The Indian High Commissioner had flown in for
the day. You could just feel that the day was going to be
special.
There was a moment when you could feel the mood change.
Usually the significance of an event is appreciated in time, but at
that moment, I could feel that nothing would be the same
afterwards. At least for me, against the huge cheers and
glorious sunshine, there was a moment of silent introspection as
the gasoline bikes aged in an instance.
That will stay with me till end of my days.
If you could have any 3 bike personalities to dinner
(past or present), who would you invite and why?
Sochiro Honda: His ethic, his vision and his drive to
connect motorsport with innovation are aspirational qualities that
have sadly been lost in the age of the corporation. A
phenomenal man who left the world a phenomenal legacy. Would
have loved to have met him.
Either one of the Wright Brothers. They were bike
builders who went from 2 wheels to no wheels. More importantly they
had the vision to break new ideas. They would also get on with
Honda.
Valentino Rossi: if only to watch him debate Honda on bike
vs rider.
What is your favourite bike-related website?
Have several.. notables are:
www.hellforleathermagazine.com
www.motorcyclenews.com
www.visordown.com
Do you think TTXGP has revolutionised bike racing as we
know it?
TTXGP has had a real impact on motorsport in
general. TTXGP was the first zero carbon sanctioned race in
the world. It really dropped the flag on zero carbon
motorsports beyond just two wheels.
The current crop of electric car championships are using TTXGP
as a case study.
We have innovated in the way rules are developed and refined
using the wiki (wiki.egrandprix.com) to crowd source ideas from
across the world. This was a first for any world championship.
I wouldn't say TTXGP revolutionised motorcycle racing per se,
but I would say that motorsport with TTXGP has show a
transformational vision that lead to the kind of changes we will
see on the road.
What does the future hold for TTXGP?
As we enter our 3rd year, we are now in 4 continents and are
growing furiously. The challenge is to grow sustainably and
aggressively. Our motto is "Be Part of It" so we have a
number of ideas to keep that idea alive as more than a punch
line.
The biggest thing this year for us is LEO
(Learn.egrandprix.org). A 5 day course where you learn to
build your own electric bike. At TTXGP, we have found lack of
knowledge to be a big barrier to engagement with the next
generation of motorsport, so this will address that.
Have lots more on but you can follow us on Twitter (@TTXGP) or
on our facebook page (/TTXGP) for all the latest info.
Female rider Jenny Tinmouth won the inaugural TTXGP
championship last season.
Do you think TTXGP is more female friendly than conventional
motorcycle racing? And is this a deliberate stance TTXGP have
taken?
TTXGP is a very inclusive brand, we work hard not to be
marginalised as in the real world transport technology affect us
all. As entertainment, TTXGP has broad appeal, the lack of
dirt, ear splitting noise and smell may deter the more
traditionalist motorsport fan, however, TTXGP has amassed a legion
of technology savvy people, race fans as well as those with
environmental concerns, people who enjoy futuristic lifestyle
products and yes women… being superfast as well as clean, green and
lean has it plus's!
Jenny is amazing talent and genuinely lovely person, but being a
woman was not a factor in her success. She won the Green
Insurance fastest lap award almost consistently and that was all
talent.
How is TTXGP being received by motorcycle race
fans?
Changing habits and preferences doesn't happen over
night, but overall we have been warmly welcomed by most. Most
people until they actually see the bikes and witness the
performance; have differing levels of curiosity cynicism and
disbelief… however the proof of TTXGP's influence is in the
research…
We had an outside company, Clarity Research LLC present at TTXGP
North America 2010 race where we ran with the American national
superbike series AMA-Pro. They found TTXGP sparks strong
interest in electric motorcycle ownership: Having experienced
a TTXGP event, at least 10% of AMA-Pro race day attendees would
give strong consideration to purchasing an electric powered
motorcycle and over 40% would now at least consider it.
You can't really say fairer than that for the first year of our
world championship and an industry in its infancy within a fan base
that is very biased toward the petroleum world!
What are you most looking forward to this season?
I have to say, I love my job because I get to enjoy it
all, of course the TTXGP FINAL is automatically the one you want to
be at to see that years champion crowned but I really look forward
to the opening rounds of our regional championships because this is
where you will see all the machines the teams have been hard at
work building specifically for TTXGP races for the very first time.
From the budget driven enthusiast to the fanciful and awe
inspiring innovations; the first time they meet is at the opening
round and it really is exciting. The TTXGP European Championship
2011 starts at Silverstone on June 18th/19th
before continuing on to Assen, Donnington, Sweden, SPA and Le
Mans.
Do you think electric bikes will overtake sales of
conventional/traditional motorcycles?
Yes. Quicker and faster than anybody can believe. Once we
cross the tipping point, the growth will be phenomenal. Looking
around at the political, economic, environmental and technical
landscape, one has to accept that the tipping point or something
awfully alot like it is here.
Any final words for TTXGP fans and our Express
followers?
Express Insurance were crucial supporters of TTXGP in our
first year. We can only do what we do with motivated
partners, fans and teams. This is the next generation of motorsport
and we welcome you all to be part of it. There are a number
of different ways to get involved, but right now it's the ground
level and you can help shape how things develop and your own
success within it.
Look forward to seeing you at the races.
Image Credit - Alex Tang