Shipped up and on its way to the Isle of Man, we can finally now see more than test shots of the Mugen Shinden Ni and get its basic racing specifications. The electric superbike that John McGuinness will ride in the 2013 TT Zero race at the Isle of Man TT, the Mugen Shinden Ni represents that evolution of the Japanese firm’s design, having now a TT race under its belt.

Like its main competitor MotoCzysz, Team Mugen is eyeing a 110 mph lap around the Mountain Course, which would be a pretty remarkable one-year advancement for either team. With Mr. McPint at the helm, and seemingly brimming with on-board energy, Mugen is a serious contender for the top stop on the podium. It should make for some good racing in a few weeks’ time.

Looking at the finalized design, it is clear that Mugen has made some minor modifications to the shape of the front fairing (check our up-close photos of the 2012 machine here), which shows a more pronounced snout than the original Mugen Shinden. The tail section has seen more noticeable improvements over the first design, and now has rearward facing vents, presumably to facilitate some kind of cooling.

The same gorgeous carbon fiber twin-spar frame stands out on the Shinden Ni, and there are subtle changes to how the bodywork comes together, for instance with the pieces that connect to the rearsets, the mudguard, and front fender.

While the outward changes seem to be minor and most for improved aerodynamics, we expect what is underneath the fairings to be where Mugen expects to make the most gains with its lap-times. Forty-four pounds lighter than its predecessor (apparently all in battery weight), the Mugen Shinden Ni should be a more manageable machine for McGuinness, and the team should have a better plan of attack in regard to its energy usage.

It will be interesting to see if Mugen has anymore on-board energy than last year with such a massive weightloss occurring on the electric superbike. As we are fond of saying, only time will tell. The Isle of Man TT kicks off in just 15 days.

Technical Specifications of the Mugen Shinden Ni (?? ?):

Length / Width / Height: 2,125mm /680mm / 1,130mm

Wheelbase: 1,485mm

Ground Clearance: 130mm

Seat Height: 840mm

Curb Weight: 240kg / 529lbs

Tire (Front): 120/70ZR17M/C(58W)

Tire (Rear): 200/55ZR17M/C(78W)

Frame: CFRP Twin-Spar-Type

Motor Type: Three Phase Brushless DC motors

Horsepower: 90kW / 120hp

Torque: 220Nm / 162 lbs•ft

Battery: Lithium-ion

Battery Output: 370V or more

2013 Mugen Shinden Ni:

2012 Mugen Shinden:

Source: Mugen; Photos: © 2012 Jensen Beeler / Asphalt & Rubber – Creative Commons – Attribution 3.0