iris123 20,988 Posted September 5, 2021 (edited) All seemed to go quiet after Egon Müllers failed attempt to get e-speedway going Now it seems Denmark might be the first country to have an e-Speedway league ? From a worldwide firm with a base in Denmark https://www.boosted.dk/bliver-danmark-foerste-land-i-verden-koerer-speedway-paa-stroem/ https://switchmotorcycles.com/about/ Edited September 5, 2021 by iris123 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bluebee 199 Posted September 5, 2021 How do they simulate the methanol smell? I can see that they can have the sounds of GMs and Jawas played over the tannoy as they go round but what about the smell.? Can't see it catching on watching silent scooters go round and round with only the odour of overdone burgers and fries wafting through the air. Or am I missing something here? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ray Stadia 1,071 Posted September 5, 2021 43 minutes ago, bluebee said: How do they simulate the methanol smell? I can see that they can have the sounds of GMs and Jawas played over the tannoy as they go round but what about the smell.? Can't see it catching on watching silent scooters go round and round with only the odour of overdone burgers and fries wafting through the air. Or am I missing something here? The smell is from the castor oil, not much smell from methanol. However, many are using synthetic oil, so the smell is disappearing. Funnily enough, burger vans, smell a bit like burning castor oil! 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bluebee 199 Posted September 5, 2021 (edited) Well Ray that's what's wrong with modern speedway - the smell has gone! There's a thread about reinventing speedway and the solution is staring us in the face - or wafting up our noses. Or rather not wafting. Bring back castor oil, take it from mothers' spoons. A good dose of castor oil made many of us what we are today and would reinvigorate the younger generation and speedway. Edited September 5, 2021 by bluebee 2 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
iainb 5,017 Posted September 6, 2021 Will it mean half hour breaks between each race as we wait for the bikes to re-charge? And bikes running out of charge after 3-laps, rider range anxiety 1 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mikebv 10,278 Posted September 6, 2021 (edited) 26 minutes ago, iainb said: Will it mean half hour breaks between each race as we wait for the bikes to re-charge? And bikes running out of charge after 3-laps, rider range anxiety Every meeting will have to be at Plymouth... Edit. Just thought the BSPL will no doubt have a cunning plan to ensure the large tracks can also host electric Speedway... They will attach a huge extension lead to each bike and plug them in.... (Only using official extension leads endorsed by a former World Champion obviously).... Edited September 6, 2021 by mikebv 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rusky 113 Posted September 6, 2021 Some of my friends in Sweden have recently been to a moto cross meeting that was entirely on electric bikes, and were very impressed. I specifically asked them about the lack of noise and they said that initially you missed it, but as the race developed it became less noticeable. The racing was equally as good as it was with IC bikes, and they feel that particular sport has a strong future. Could it be the same for speedway ? 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
OveFundinFan 4,142 Posted September 6, 2021 (edited) Of course, most of us love the sound of a speedway bike, but local residents do not, and by extension that involves the councils, who give permits. On that basis it’s got to be seriously considered as the future for any noisy sport. F1 is very aware of noise and I sure if they are then others need to take note, after all, F1 would love to race city centres to gain even more prestige. Is it the way to go? Apart from less noise, it would probably be less money to purchase and maintain the machines. Edited September 6, 2021 by OveFundinFan 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ray Stadia 1,071 Posted September 6, 2021 1 hour ago, OveFundinFan said: Of course, most of us love the sound of a speedway bike, but local residents do not, and by extension that involves the councils, who give permits. On that basis it’s got to be seriously considered as the future for any noisy sport. F1 is very aware of noise and I sure if they are then others need to take note, after all, F1 would love to race city centres to gain even more prestige. Is it the way to go? Apart from less noise, it would probably be less money to purchase and maintain the machines. Formula E (battery racing cars) happened in London a couple of weekends ago. The track was part indoor and outdoor, using the ExCel centre. I watched a bit, but soon tired of it, but then, I can't watch formula one these days. Interestingly, Custom House is nearby, which was the home of West Ham Speedway. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
iainb 5,017 Posted September 6, 2021 If the lack of noise is an excuse for track presenters to prattle on about nothing for even longer it's a resounding no from me! 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SPEEDY69 1,260 Posted September 6, 2021 E-speedway, no thanks. Battery vehicles will soon disappear anyway once people realise that the batteries are much more environmentally bad than they'd have you believe at present. Hydrogen engines may be one possibility for vehicles but piles of batteries dumped at sea/in the third world does not fill me with hope for e-vehicles. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
OveFundinFan 4,142 Posted September 6, 2021 It may well be in another 10-15 years time, if there is any speedway left in the uk, that it will have to be very much less quieter and less pollution. That’s the way the world is going. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Humphrey Appleby 13,957 Posted September 6, 2021 3 hours ago, OveFundinFan said: Of course, most of us love the sound of a speedway bike, but local residents do not, and by extension that involves the councils, who give permits. On that basis it’s got to be seriously considered as the future for any noisy sport. F1 is very aware of noise and I sure if they are then others need to take note, after all, F1 would love to race city centres to gain even more prestige. Is it the way to go? Apart from less noise, it would probably be less money to purchase and maintain the machines. The Dutch F1 GP was nearly prevented from happening because of a legal challenge on environmental grounds, and this sort of thing is only going to increase as the world moves to electric vehicles. Whether traditionalists like it or not, speedway is going to have to move to electric if it's still around in 10 years time, and possibly even before. I'd have thought speedway with its short races would be well suited to electric propulsion, and might even bring down the costs of engines and expensive tuners. 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
martinmauger 584 Posted September 6, 2021 4 hours ago, SPEEDY69 said: E-speedway, no thanks. Battery vehicles will soon disappear anyway once people realise that the batteries are much more environmentally bad than they'd have you believe at present. Hydrogen engines may be one possibility for vehicles but piles of batteries dumped at sea/in the third world does not fill me with hope for e-vehicles. This ^^. I offered the same argument / viewpoint on a car forum and was 'shouted down'. EVs, or electric vehicles, may, just may, be a future option in the mid to far future, but not 'the now'. Ironically EVs could well be an option worth looking into for a 'formula' of speedway, 'E-Speedway' if you like, but as for common or garden EVs, no, not yet.... 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites