Start with a vintage Norton featherbed frame, build it into a blazing fast electric motorcycle in a sheep barn in rural Virginia, and then to top it off, embed an iPad into the gas tank and plan to take on the Isle of Man TT race next year. Sound intriguing?

The folks behind one of the up-and-coming electric motorcycles in the world of racing are trying out yet another innovation – using an iPad-based instrument console for both monitoring the bike’s performance and for communicating during pit stops.

The Moto-Electra team built a version of their electric motorbike that can monitor and present realtime performance info (such as speed, lap times, 0-60 MPH acceleration time) and display electric charging station locations, as well as provide the sound effects of a gas-powered motorcycle for safety, via an iPad right in front of the rider. In addition, the Moto-Electra configuration uses IceWarp’s instant messaging services to turn the iPad into a communications console for sending and receiving text messages, emails, and chat messages during technical and pit stops.

And while many of us may not get the chance to own or race a version of the Moto-Electra bike, the deployment of the IceWarp messaging system may be the start of a whole new way of monitoring electric motorcycle performance, as well as communicating, right from the saddle.

The Moto-Electra bike will be a part of the upcoming Isle of Man Clean Tech Road Show, described as “an opportunity to learn more about the benefits of establishing a clean tech business in the Isle of Man, the latest electric vehicle technology advancements and an overview of clean tech/sustainability.”

Let’s hope this doesn’t lead to a rash of “texting while racing” accidents.