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Aug 16

Delfast Dnepr Electric Motorcycle Sets Record at Bonneville Speed Week 2021

By General Posts

by Cristian Curmei from https://www.autoevolution.com

The current electric movement is extending further than anyone may have previously imagined. One company pushing electric speed limits is Delfast with their most recent speed record setting action at Bonneville Speed Week 2021.

If you haven’t heard of Delfast yet, it’s time to catch up as this team is breaking all kinds of barriers. Since the Ukrainian-based manufacturer of e-bikes set a Guinness World Record for “Longest Range” back in 2017, the company has fallen under the attention of many a circle, even providing their EVs to police forces around the world.

Their most recent achievement, and one worth the attention, is their newest speed record achievement at Bonneville. Now, they did go out there with an e-bike, but alongside said e-bike, with an electric motorcycle based on a previous Bonneville visitor, the “Dnepr Electric” motorcycle from back in 2018. This bike set the record at 104.78 mph (168.62 kph) in the “A” Omega category.

The rider of the vehicle back in 2018 was Serhii Malyk, a Ukrainian racer and multiple title champion that just so happens to love hanging out at Bonneville and kicking up salt on just about anything that’s fast.

Ever heard of Dnepr? Well, this Soviet-ran manufacturer’s history began before WWII. However, it wasn’t until 1952 that the company ran full steam ahead. With a design focused primarily on military use, these puppies are still found today, some still sporting the sidecars of their time.

What really brought fame to this brand was their attempt in copying an existing motorcycle design, the BMW R-71. Without any apparent documentation, Soviet engineers decided to copy the BMW model. With a 22 hp engine, four speeds, and shaft drive, the Soviet’s named it the M-72.

Well, a most recent acquisition of the Dnepr trademark and all intellectual property rights by Delfast has granted the Ukrainian manufacturer the ability to step into the electric motorcycle game. After all, how else are you going to “grow” a business?

With this eye on the EV revolution, Delfast has taken the previous Dnepr Electric motorcycle, and upgraded the version to include an updated controller, and most importantly, a synchro motor inclusive of permanent magnets. Overall, it’s cranking out a top 100 kW of juice, the equivalent to 134 horsepower. However, Delfast states a top 136 horsepower output in their press release.

Honestly, at this point, it doesn’t even matter. Why? Because they did it! They set a new record speed of 107.2 mph (172.52 kph), near 3 mph (4.82 kph) faster than the record. Sure, it may not seem like much, but those extra two-something miles are proof that the work and tech this team is developing is on the right track. For this ride, Serhii was the choice pilot once again. After all, he seems to have the most experience with this bike.

What does all this mean for Delfast and Dnepr? Well, for Delfast it means a new era of electric research, one that falls into an existing category of vehicles, motorcycles, allowing them to really accelerate their growth, and for Dnepr it means the brand continues to live on. Win-win if you ask me. From here, there’s only one way to go; back to Bonneville next year, with a bigger, better, stronger, faster machine. Can’t wait to see what electric motorcycle they’ll be showcasing for road use.

Jun 23

WMC Electric Motorcycle Aims At New Speed Record

By General Posts

by Daniel Patrascu from https://www.autoevolution.com

WMC Electric Motorcycle Has Big Hole in It, Only Way to Set New Speed Record.

There’s a good chance the name White Motorcycle Concepts (WMC) doesn’t ring any bells. Don’t worry, that will probably change as soon as next year, provided the company achieves its goal of setting a land speed record for electric motorcycles.

WMC is a British engineering company set up not long ago by British Formula One engineer Rob White. Its goal is to advance the adoption of electric drivetrains in the motorcycle industry not by coming up with some incredible battery or electric motor but by devising new aerodynamic tech that should better use the available power.

The tech in question, called V-Air, was inspired by the cars taking part in Formula 1 or Le Mans. It consists of a large duct at the center of the bike, in essence, a big hole running through it, designed to force air through the two-wheeler and not around it. This, says WMC, reduces aerodynamic resistance by as much as 70 percent compared to an unnamed “market-leading high performance road bike.”

V-Air is backed in the demonstrator motorcycle, called WMC250EV and unveiled on Wednesday, June 23, by a motor driving the front wheel and coupled to a regenerative braking system. There’s an additional final drive system on the bike, one that, according to the company, will not only boost power and enhance efficiency but could also be easily adapted for existing motorcycles.

The demonstrator will be put through its paces starting later this year, with White himself planning to mount the bike and race it around. The highpoint in the development of the V-Air is a run planned for next year on the Salar de Uyuni salt flats in Bolivia, the largest of its kind in the world.

White believes his run should set the Motorcycle Electric Semi Streamliner British Record by taking the WMC250EV to over 250 mph (402 kph), which would be well above the 228 mph (367 kph) set by Max Biaggi on the Voxan Wattman last year.

Jun 04

Customised Royal Enfield 650 Interceptor sets speed record

By General Posts

by Phil West from https://www.motorcyclenews.com

Who said Royal Enfields weren’t fast? Not Mid-Life Cycles, the dealer behind this special Interceptor 650 which recently posted a record 132mph at the Australian equivalent of Bonneville Speed Week.

Called the Sabre, the machine is based on a 2019 Interceptor 650 but puts out around 70bhp (up from 47bhp) and has been built to show the bike’s potential and as a test bed for parts and accessories to be offered to the public.

Created to conform to the ‘M-F 650’ class, an unfaired, production-based formula, the intention was to compete at 2020’s Speed Week at Lake Gairdner in South Australia, a salt lake similar to Bonneville in Utah, USA.

The pandemic scuppered those plans – until now, as rider Charlie Hallam posted a class record of 121.78mph first time out before gradually setting a new standard of 132.05mph. Not bad for an air-cooled, OHC parallel twin displacing just 648cc.

The engine has, of course, been heavily reworked, by specialists HRA Geelong. Although capacity is unchanged, as per the rules, the crank has been balanced, rods shot-peened and new pistons added to help raise compression to a heady 11:1 requiring 98 RON fuel.

Head and ports have been modified to flow as much fuel as possible and there are special custom valves while the single camshaft is now HRA’s ‘Competition Profile 1286 Racing Camshaft’. Open race pipes exit each side, the transmission’s gears were recut to reduce friction and special sprockets were made.

Although the frame is stock, the swingarm has been lengthened to the maximum permissible, suspension replaced by Öhlins front and rear, wheels are lighter, wider alloys, and ultra low clip-on bars and a more aerodynamically efficient front mudguard were fitted. Now the plan is for Mid-Life to offer performance and big-bore kits for the road.

“The 650 really lends itself to performance mods,” said Mid-Life Cycles CEO Michael Catchpole. “So we set out to build a Salt Racer using the standard Interceptor frame, as dictated by M-F-650 rules, but with a modified engine.

“We’ve kept the 648cc capacity but used various turning parts including a special cam developed by Hallam Racing. We’re also developing performance kits for the Interceptor and GT 650 road bikes based on using this cam, in Stage One, Stage Two, and Stage Three versions.”

Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 breaks 4-year-old speed record at over 212 km/h
by https://www.financialexpress.com

The Mid Life Cycles’ Interceptor was entered in Class M-F 650, for 650cc un-streamlined motorcycles running commercial unleaded fuel. The old record of 191.93 km/h was set at Lake Gairdner in 2016.

Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 has broken a long-standing speed record in Australia. Mid Life Cycles’ Interceptor 650 Salt Racer has set the class record at the annual Speed Week run at Lake Gairdner, South Australia. The Interceptor 650 Twin broke the four-year-old class record on each of its runs, leaving the new mark at 212.514 km/h. The Mid Life Cycles’ Interceptor was entered in Class M-F 650, for 650cc un-streamlined motorcycles running commercial unleaded fuel. The old record of 191.93 km/h was set at Lake Gairdner in 2016.

The remarkable record was broken by Charlie Hallam on day one of Speed Week (Monday 8 March 2021), with his first run at 194.85 km/h. He backed that up with a 197.76 km/h pass, for a provisional record of 196.3 km/h.

On the morning of day two of the Speed Week, the Interceptor 650 clocked 206.29 km/h and 208.32 km/h for a new provisional record of 207.31 km/h. Charlie believed there was a little more to come.

That afternoon, the Interceptor ran 208.59 km/h and was then impounded overnight until it could do a back-up run the next morning. This run, under increasingly stormy skies, saw a stunning 214.04 km/h top speed, for a new record of 211.28 km/h.

The traditional twin-loop steel frame was carried over from the road bike to the racer, with minimal modifications allowed under the class rules.

This is the second time that we have established a remarkable feat with the Twins, in 2018, the Bonneville Racer recorded an impressive top speed of over 159 mph at Bonneville Salt Flats and this speed record is yet another remarkable feat for us. This recognition validates the tremendous progress we continue to make in our journey and we hope this will inspire many more motorcyclists to push their boundaries and achieve the pursuit of excellence, Vinod Dasari, CEO, Royal Enfield, said.

Apr 26

British engineers will try to break the 376.3mph motorcycle record in a 30-ft-long vehicle

By General Posts

by Ian Randall from https://www.dailymail.co.uk

Guy Martin will attempt to break the 376.3 mph motorcycle speed record in a 30-ft-long vehicle incorporating a Rolls Royce engine used in helicopters

  • British engineer and ex-bike racer Alex Macfadzean, 77, and his team designed the new ‘streamliner’ bike
  • Racer turned TV presenter Guy Martin will make the record-breaking attempt in Bolivia next year
  • Britain last held the motorcycle land-speed record in 1937 after Eric Fernihough broke 169.72 mph
  • But Italy’s Piero Taruffi took the title by an extra 3.31mph in the October of 1937 and the title has changed hands amongst Germans, Italians and Americans since

A 30ft-long vehicle sporting a Rolls Royce engine normally used in helicopters will attempt to reclaim the motorcycle land speed record for Britain.

Engineer and ex-racer Alex Macfadzean, 77, and his team designed the ‘streamliner’ bike which will make its record attempt next year at the Uyuni Salt Flat in Bolivia.

Behind the wheel will be motorcycle racer turned TV presenter Guy Martin, who will attempt to beat the current record of 376.3mph and cross the 400mph threshold.

To try to advance the record, Mr Martin will run the new streamliner on a mile-long course twice in opposite directions, as per official land-speed record rules.

The bike’s 1,200 shaft horsepower Rolls Royce engine is the same found within the Westland Lynx helicopter once employed by the British Army and the Royal Navy.

The first official motorcycle land-speed record was set in 1920 by the American racer Gene Walker 103.5mph, building on unofficial efforts dating back to 1903.

Britain last held the record for six months in 1937 after Eric Fernihough broke 169.72mph on his Brough Superior-JAP.

But Italy’s Piero Taruffi took the title by an extra 3.31mph in the October of 1937.

The title has changed hands amongst Germans, Italians and Americans ever since.

At present, the motorcycle land-speed record is held by American racer Rocky Robinson, who claimed his title at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah in 2010.

‘It is a great target and just one of those things I have to do,’ Mr Macfadzean told the Telegraph.

‘I was asked recently where the line was between commitment and obsession.

‘I laughed, because I couldn’t say.

‘I guess I have always been too obsessed to have noticed.’

Mr Macfadzean has worked with engine builders for Formula One and Moto GP racing, and designed the vehicle that broke the 200 mph threshold in the British motorcycle land-speed record back in 1991.

A decade later, he also aided US driver Don Vesco who set a four-wheeled speed record of 458.4mph in the ‘Turbinator’ — a car which, like Mr Macfadzean’s streamliner bike, was also equipped with a helicopter engine under the hood.

For their streamliner — which began construction in 2008, and is still being refined — Mr Macfadzean acquired a Westland Lynx engine from military surplus.

Before Mr Martin takes his shot at breaking the motorcycle land-speed record, the new streamliner will first be assessed both on the road and in a wind tunnel in order to refine its aerodynamic design, which was inspired by RAF Tornado aircraft.

Following this, the bike will undergo relatively ‘low-speed’ tests at 200mph on a former RAF airfield.

Mr Martin is no stranger to record-breaking rides.

In 2016, he reached 274.2 mph on a specially-designed Triumph — the highest speed ever achieved by the British motorcycle manufacturer.