Electric speedway the future??

[iainb 5,017]

As @piepower said this seems perfect for junior level Speedway with riders progressing onto 500cc meths. Buy a standard piece of kit that you can "turn up" as you progress. The authorities have the power at the moment to dictate technical rules regarding the addition of "trick" parts, so if they don't do it at the moment there's nothing to suggest they'd stop riders adding trick parts to these electric bikes if they were to be used as replacements for the 500's.

There's also the sound issue, for me that is a massive part of Speedway, often if it doesn't sound fast... it doesn't look fast. Look at F1, since they've moved from the V10 & V8 screamers to the low revving hybrids... it just doesn't sound fast anymore, and they know it!

For me I'd be happier watching the seniors on something more like the 250cc machines the SGP3 riders were using, sounded fast, looked fast and the riders seemed to be approaching the limits of their machines so there was more emphasis on the riding skills of the riders to make the difference.

[traged 2]

https://www.motolbc.cz/2022/10/ecka-v-chaba/?fbclid=IwAR1dC07-8W2CE72tAxUuMof6ClHzpXTNXknLFq35hyFMrA8yhV0hkPOwhfw

 

e speedway with rider Adam Nejezchleba -  Teams  GRS-THK racing – MXM will try a mini speedway race with both 125 cc in the Czech Republic 
on October 8, 2022. We'll see how it goes

[AFCB Wildcat 1,362]

I've no prejudice against the idea in terms of noise or smell but I'm not seeing any cost benefit to it as far as bringing riders into the sport.

The problem with the idea of making the NDL electric only is that NDL riders currently  double up as rising stars or second strings in the higher leagues, so would now need 2 sets of kit, adding more expensive rather than reducing it.

At entry level (i.e youth or amateur) Speedway is not an expensive sport to enter. A pit bike engined laydown can be purchased a fraction of the cost of one of these electric bikes and they are certainly quick enough to establish if you are capable of progressing in the sport. Around the smaller training tracks like Lydd, I've seen them post times similar to the 500's.

The biggest problem in developing riders currently, is track time and availability. If these electric bikes allowed for more venues to operate structured training programs which are not possible now because of noise curfews then it would be a good thing.

[*JJ 512]

Quite right. And another problem is the chicken-and-egg situation, which also scuppered the 'F2' speedway; why pay £5000 for one of these when you can get a third hand GM for £1500? The same thing will apply to electric bikes,. Unless someone arranges meetings for them with big prizes which will make it worth while to buy them?

[severnsider 197]

On 10/1/2022 at 7:20 AM, traged said:

E speedway are testing in the Czech republic

https://www.motolbc.cz/2022/09/ecka-na-tomickove-memorialu/

They had a couple of the juniors racing on e speedway bikes in the races between the main event as well as some to look at in the pit area

[piepower 41]

On 10/6/2022 at 9:39 AM, *JJ said:

Quite right. And another problem is the chicken-and-egg situation, which also scuppered the 'F2' speedway; why pay £5000 for one of these when you can get a third hand GM for £1500? The same thing will apply to electric bikes,. Unless someone arranges meetings for them with big prizes which will make it worth while to buy them?

Ah you can get a 3rd hand GM however what state will it be in . Piston conrod and new valves needed you could well be looking at a bill between 1500-2000

[*JJ 512]

Ours worked all right for some time; rebuild cost £800. Like everything else, test it before buying ...

[traged 2]

https://youtube.com/watch?v=9lZqxprvyMY&feature=share

[Ray Stadia 1,071]

Looking at the videos, it seems the riders were having difficulty with the weight of the battery and motor?  I'm sure it is different to a laydown and maybe it's more like riding an upright, but probably heavier.

[ch958 2,395]

slightly off topic but just seen a bit about Neil Street on fb and the introduction of the 4 valves. Rightly or wrongly I thought to myself 'that was the beginning of the end'

[SPEEDY69 1,260]

I think track surface would need to change.  I don't see the bikes having enough flexibility to cope with rapid change of direction with greater wheelspin or the straight-lining if hitting a grippy patch.  They could work well on a smooth/hard surface.

[1 valve 558]

2 hours ago, SPEEDY69 said:

I think track surface would need to change.  I don't see the bikes having enough flexibility to cope with rapid change of direction with greater wheelspin or the straight-lining if hitting a grippy patch.  They could work well on a smooth/hard surface.

Are you saying current engines rev quicker higher than the electric equivalent which would/could cause problems by the electric motors not being powerful enough to cut through/move grippy surfaces?

[OveFundinFan 4,142]

1 hour ago, 1 valve said:

Are you saying current engines rev quicker higher than the electric equivalent which would/could cause problems by the electric motors not being powerful enough to cut through/move grippy surfaces?

Yet the JAP engine seemed to manage tracks well in the sixties, also 2 valve Jawas that followed.

[FAST GATER 853]

5 hours ago, ch958 said:

slightly off topic but just seen a bit about Neil Street on fb and the introduction of the 4 valves. Rightly or wrongly I thought to myself 'that was the beginning of the end'

You are spot on we left the sport ( as sponsors ) because within a very short period of time costs went through the roof!

[ch958 2,395]

1 hour ago, FAST GATER said:

You are spot on we left the sport ( as sponsors ) because within a very short period of time costs went through the roof!

and yet i asked Brian Havelock and he thought it was a great idea! Then laydowns followed and another step to oblivion. The genie is now out of the bottle but us spectators have gained nothing