FREE Bargain bad boy - Cycle Torque

12 - SEPTEMBER 2010
NEWS torquE
aussie eleCTriC suPerBiKe ProjeCT
SYDNEY firm Intercad has joined forces
with Triple Eight Race Engineering to
design and build an electric superbike
style motorcycle.
Intercad is calling on designers and
engineers to become involved in the
project which will be auctioned off when
completed to raise funds for Red Dust
Role Models, a charity for disadvantaged
youth in remote areas.
Triple Eight race driver Craig Lowndes has
put his name behind the project, and will
be the official test rider.
Some frame designs have already been
entered by fledgling designers.
“It’s not often people have the opportunity
to step outside their usual realm of
expertise and be part of a larger project
which challenges and extends their skills,”
said Intercad CEO Max Piper. “The Electric
Superbike initiative is being managed by
experienced Intercad engineers to ensure
the bike is structurally sound, road tested
and can be registered. The end result will
actually be something tangible to which
those involved can attach their names.”
Lowndes says the project is a great
opportunity for designers and engineers
in Australia and New Zealand.
“When I heard about the concept of
the Electric Superbike I was definitely
excited,” he said. “This is the bike of the
future and I’m really interested to ride the
winning design. It’s certainly going to be
THE MotoGP paddock will be two-stroke free in 2012. It was only
a matter of time before the smallest class would become the
domain of four-strokes, especially after the 250cc two-strokes
were replaced by the Moto2 class this year.
The Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM) released
details of the 2012 rules which say the engine should be a 250cc
four-stroke single with a maximum bore size of 81mm. It goes on
to say engines must last a minimum of three races and cost no
more than €10,000. Also each manufacturer should be able to
supply at least 15 riders with these little hand grenades.
Even though the rules don’t mention anything about chassis
design we have to guess the motorcycles will be a full prototype.
We expect you will also see a number of chassis designers being
supplied by engine manufacturers. n
australia out of
world mx
YOUTHSTREAM, FIM and all of the major motocross team
managers have agreed to the basis of the calendar for the
2011 World Motocross Season, with Australia’s planned
round being canned until at least 2012.
For 2011 there will be 15 rounds on the world tour that will
feature two overseas events, one in the USA and Brazil while in
2012 there will be three overseas events and in 2013 there will
be four overseas events.
Japan and Australia are targeted as key rounds earmarked for
something different and it will be great
to see the end result of a creation that
could potentially change the future of
motorcycles.”
Entries are now open, with part one of the
design phase, the frame design, kicking
off the project. Entrants can submit a
design in SolidWorks for any of the parts
of the motorcycle – the frame, mechanics,
electronics and batteries, fairing and
styling, and accessories – or a complete
design. To ensure safety in design,
contestants are required to download
a file with the structural parameters to
create their own design.
If you are up to the challenge go to www.
theelectricsuperbike.com.au. n
moto3 to replace 125s in 2012
the future of the world motocross scene but it was agreed that
the FIM Motocross World Championship will start and finish in
Europe. The traditional FIM Motocross of Nations will always be
staged after the last event of the World Championship.
– Darren Smart
NEWS torquE
Go yellow for sx
IT MAY may be a good idea to be riding an RMZ250 or RMZ450 in
the 2010 SuperX season with Suzuki Australia offering their Suzuki
Support Riders (SSR) a contingency program.
At each Australasian Supercross round Suzuki Support Riders will be
eligible for the following contingency payments:
• Highest placed SSR Privateer (Within overall Top 20) $500
Inclusive of GST
• Second highest placed SSR Privateer (Within
overall Top 20) $250 Inclusive of GST
• Third highest placed SSR Privateer
(Within overall Top 20) $125 Inclusive of
GST
Suzuki Support Riders are also
eligible for race price discount on
ONE Industries race wear as worn
by Team Rockstar Motul Suzuki.
Registration to the Suzuki Support
Rider program is free, with forms
available at Suzuki dealers or
online at: www.suzukimotorcycles.
com.au/racing/suzuki-supportedrider.
– Darren Smart
searle and anstie Back To mxGP
AFTER two seasons racing in the AMA
Championships, Tommy Searle and
Max Anstie have been lured back to
the World Motocross Championship
by Team CLS Kawasaki Pro Circuit
to compete for the 2011 World MX2
Championship.
With their current rider Steven
Frossard forced to move to the MX1
class next year due to the age limit
rule the CLS team not only wanted to
replace Frossard but to also expand
their rider line up and with Searle
being the runner-up in the 2007 and
2008 MX2 World Championship he
became the obvious choice.
Searle will have the unique
opportunity to race the
AMA`Supercross and the World
MX2 Championships in 2011. “I’m
very excited and happy about
this opportunity to join Team CLS
Kawasaki and Pro Circuit, they have
proved on both continents how
competitive they are. They offered
me the possibility to race the US
Supercross on the West Coast and
then compete again in the MX2
World Championship next year;
that’s a fantastic program that I will
prepare closely with the team this
winter.”
Max Anstie, another of the best
young British motocrossers will
focus on the GP scene in 2011
and 2012 after signing a two year
contract with the CLS Kawasaki Pro
Circuit team.
Team owner Jean Jacques Luisetti
has this to say. “Our venture with
Pro Circuit has further upped our
status in the World Championship;
it’s exciting to have such a great
connection with Mitch Payton. We
are proud to see Tommy racing for
us next season on both sides of the
Atlantic, and with Max we will have
one of the fastest kids on our bikes;
I’m convinced that they will come to
the GPs even stronger after racing
two years in the US, and the team
is ready for this great challenge
in the World and French MX2
championships.”
Owner of Pro Circuit Mitch Payton is
confident for next season. “I am very
excited to have Tommy in the team,
and I think we have a good chance
to win the world title with him. It
is great to see how we are working
together with the CLS people in
Europe to make this project work.
During our first year of cooperation
we have already got great results,
and for sure we’ll be even stronger
in the future.”
– Darren Smart
SEPTEMBER 2010 - 13