Ready with a mission that could redefine the influence and future of zero-emission vehicles, Ghost Electric is surging onto the University campus with a purpose.
In an engineering landscape where collegiate electric motorcycle racing is only beginning to emerge, Ghost is placing its bets on environmentally positive vehicle engineering.
This new RSO is pushing ahead at full throttle, aiming to design, build and race a 300-volt, 170-horsepower machine in just two years. Behind that drive is the small, determined team that sparked the project into existence.
Leading the charge is Paul Klapperich, senior in Engineering and Ghost’s president and co-founder. Founded in January 2024, the club originated from Klapperich’s interest in motorcycles, bringing awareness to EV technology and promoting alternatives to gasoline internal combustion engines.
Out of that drive grew what would become Ghost Electric.
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“It’s kind of funny, there’s no super deep meaning to the name of the club, we just thought it sounded cool,” Klapperich said. “What we tell people is that electric vehicles are quiet like ghosts.”
That sense of quiet silence is exactly what the team channels as they work to bring their electric motorcycle to life.
There are four divisions in Ghost: mechanical, electrical, business and software.
Each subteam is also broken up into groups where members collaborate on a certain aspect of building the motorcycle.
Adam Johnson, senior in Engineering, is part of the mechanical subteam and the lead of the drivetrain subdivision.
“My responsibilities are mainly just pushing the development of the drivetrain, making sure that it’s designed and able to be made,” Johnson said. “It’s the first electric drivetrain for a motorcycle being built here at UIUC. A big problem we are currently tackling is designing a secondary shaft.”
All the work for the motorcycle is going toward participating in AHRMA’s Formula Lightning Varsity Challenge, a race between collegiate teams and their custom electric motorcycles, where teams can win scholarship cash and bragging rights.
This ambitious goal of racing the finished bike has ignited new members to jump in by helping shape the bike from the ground up. Students from all years and levels of expertise contribute their skills and knowledge, learning from one another.
Roman Zainetdinov, freshman in Engineering, is a member of the drivetrain subdivision and joined Ghost after gaining interest during Quad Day. What sparked that interest was the frame of the electric race bike.
“I saw an opportunity to bring something to the table as it was all in its prototype stage,” Zainetdinov said. “There are better organization methods at Ghost; we handle projects simultaneously and have strict deadlines. I hope it gets bigger than it is now.”
As the team organizes and refines its work, external support has been crucial, with sponsors and industry experts stepping in to guide the club through complex design challenges.
The club has gotten help from sponsors such as Red Bull, Altair, Illinois Green Fund, Wagner Machine Company and others. Another sponsor, Harley-Davidson Motor Company, has assisted through design reviews conducted by professional engineers. Through these reviews, Ghost discovered why a secondary shaft was necessary for the motorcycle.
This combination of external guidance and internal teamwork allows Ghost Electric to tackle pioneering electric motorcycle development on a collegiate level.
Collaboration is at the core of Ghost Electric. Every component, from the high-capacity battery pack to the drivetrain’s secondary shaft, reflects careful, precise engineering and teamwork. For Ghost, the process of building is as important as the finished product, providing a hands-on laboratory for innovation, problem-solving and leadership that prepares students for careers in engineering.
Fueled by a hard-working community, Ghost embraces anyone curious about electric vehicles. Hughson Wong, senior in Engineering, is a member of the drivetrain subdivision. Wong joined the team last year and felt welcomed the moment he was able to get involved in the work despite not knowing a thing about motorcycles.
“The Ghost community is super warm and inviting,” Wong said. “If you’re willing to put in the work, you could get a lot out of the experience.”
As Ghost continues to refine and add improvements to its bike, the team aims for completion this coming summer. The finished bike will demonstrate that their work has paid off, sparking legitimacy for the electric motorcycle.
