Keen to capitalise on a growing electric motorcycle market, the White Motorcycle Concepts (WMC) team has moved onto the testing phase for their upcoming WMC250EV, with targets set on a raft of new world land speed records at Bolivia’s Salar de Uyuni salt flat next summer.
With the support of world-leading motorsports businesses, the multi-stage testing programme at Bruntingthorpe Proving Ground is underway with the first stage complete, concluding the full systems pass-off of the WMC250EV.
You may recognise this electric bike purely from the looks alone from the initial concept launch back in June, with its signature ultra-low drag V-air channel system running through the middle of the machine, simultaneously acting as a structural part of the chassis.
Having a look at the spec, the two-wheel-drive motorcycle has a direct drive incorporated into the front wheel with a chain drive rear enclosed within the swingarm powered by 2 Hacker synchronous AC motors for each 17” wheel - 2 x 20kW front and 2 x 30kW rear (100kW total). Current weight is around 300kg, and the 15kW lithium-ion battery currently has a low voltage 60V system.
Key to note here is the current powertrain powering the bike. Currently the 60V powertrain - 100kw and equates to about 137hp - is 2.5 times less powerful than the anticipated full 250Kw powertrain, capable of reaching the 250mph+ they need for the records.
Running ‘straight out of the box’ with few hitches, the team were pleased to find a good correlation between CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) and the real-world tests.
Can White Motorcycle Concepts achieve the 2022 electric motorcycle land speed record?
Founder and CEO of White Motorcycle Concepts Robert White had this to say:
“I am delighted with the progress that we have made on the WMC250EV. We were encouraged by the great reception our initial launch at the end of June 21 received and the high level of interest that the project has subsequently gained.
This is a completely bespoke motorcycle and for it to run straight out of the box is fantastic. We have a measured and controlled approach to our testing programme to ensure no stone is left unturned and given the results we have gained to date my confidence is building all the time that we will be successful.”
It’s incredibly interesting to see the progress of this truly unique motorcycle. It seems like a seriously sporty position for these record attempts, and the rider is perched high up over the inner duct - all in the name of drag reduction.
Have a watch of their official video released today with the first run testing progress:
Will this drag reduction be necessary for rush hour London? Perhaps not, but that’s not quite the point! KEy for the team at the moment is reaching their land speed record targets, and their findings along the way will prove vital when translating this into a road-going format.
If they can nail the going fast bit, going slow will be a walk in the park.
More on the White Motorcycle Concepts site.
