Kevin Clemens, who wrote yesterday’s story on nickel mining in Minnesota and Michigan, is also a bit of a gearhead.

Clemens, an engineer and writer, has also been building an electric motorcycle in his garage in Lake Elmo, Minnesota, with which he recently set a national land speed record at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah.

A caveat – the bike set a record in its weight class, which is under 150 kg. While some streamliner motorcycles can top 300 mph on the flats, Clemens was able to put his Honda in the books with an average speed of only 61 mph.

Still, that’s pretty fast for what is essentially a giant battery on wheels. But is Clemens satisfied?

“I’m already trying to figure out how to go back next year and go faster. 100 mph has a nice sound to it.”

Helmet-cam footage of the record run below.

YouTube video

Ken is the director of the Energy News Network at Fresh Energy and is a founding editor of both Midwest Energy News and Southeast Energy News. Prior to joining Fresh Energy, he was the managing editor for online news at Minnesota Public Radio. He started his journalism career in 2002 as a copy editor for the Duluth News Tribune before spending five years at the Spokesman-Review in Spokane, Washington, where he worked as a copy editor, online producer, features editor and night city editor. A Nebraska native, Ken has a bachelor's degree from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and a master's degree from the University of Oregon. He is a member of the Society of Professional Journalists and Investigative Reporters and Editors.

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