On 25 May, the first electric racing team of the University of Twente, Electric Superbike Twente, revealed their brand new motorcycle: the Liion-GP. The design is fully based on the team's own taste and specifications. The Liion-GP demonstrates how fast electric transportation can be.
Prior to the presentation, a film on the design and building process was shown. In only nine months, fifteen students produced the designs, tested parts, and built a complete motorcycle. In the next couple of weeks extensive tests will be conducted in preparation for the races in the MotoE competition in England and the Netherlands.
The integration of the electric motor in the frame is a technical masterpiece. The designs of the electric motor as well as the frame and the swing arm are completely original. Integration of the electric motor in the frame has made the frame more rigid. It also saves space, which makes the addition of more battery capacity possible. “A fun fact is that our electric motorcycle was designed to be able to keep up with a 600cc motorcycle on the Assen race track!” says Powertrain Manager Jeroen Goudswaard.
In addition to all in-house developments on the technical side, including frame, battery, and electronics, the bodywork was also completely built by the team. Bram Norp, responsible for the design: “We took the required air cooling and the ergonomics into consideration. We also wanted to create a motorcycle that would appeal to motorcycle fans. I think we have succeeded in coming up with a great design.”
Team Manager Tim Veldhuis savours the success: “It is amazing how much the team has achieved in such a short time! It feels great to show the world what is possible with the present state of technology. We are proud of the design, and our pride will only increase when we take part in the races this summer.” The first race will be held in the United Kingdom on 8 July. Here and also during the other races the motorcycle will race round the track at a speed of 250 km/h.
Image material is available at superbiketwente.nl/media. A video of the presentation can be found on the YouTube channel. For questions, interviews or a visit to the Future Factory: Tim Veldhuis (Team Manager) t.veldhuis@superbiketwente.nl or +31(0)6-534 536 97.
