White Motorcycles gun for World Electric Land Speed Record… and criminals

We’ve seen numerous manufacturers think outside the box when it comes to catering for different audiences over the years - after all, you can now get an MV Agusta motorised scooter to park next to your Brutale 1000 - but it’s possible White Motorcycles has taken this approach to a new level with its latest creation.

You may recognise the name in association with articles we have run detailing its bid to break the World Land Speed Record for an electric motorcycle, with its futuristic, streamlined WMC250EV attempting to crack 250mph, while it certainly leans into the sort of forward-thinking design you can’t take your eyes off.

And now there is this - quite possibly the polar opposite - the White WMC300FR, a brand new three-wheel scooter that is much less about speed and more about versatility.

Indeed, as these photos demonstrate, it has been designed with an eye on appealing to police and emergency services - or ‘first responders’ (FR) - as a stable, practical and rapid way to get to incidents in built up areas.

So, yes, this is quite the different take on a model plan - especially with your first two vehicles - but the WMC250EV and WMC300FR have a lot more in common than you may realise.

Well, the sportsbike is pitching its world record attempts on a clever bit of patented aerodynamic design called Venturi Duct, which channels air through the centre of the motorcycle to remove a significant amount of drag, and leads to the rider to be almost floating above it while riding.

While the rider can take a more comfortable seat on the White WMC300FR - which mimics the same three-wheel set-up of the Piaggio MP3 and Yamaha Tricity - the same principle has been applied with the primary objective of improving emissions and fuel consumption. While not quite as noticeable on the scooter, the WMC300FR has wide ducts underneath that run the length of the bike to direct the airflow.

Moreover, the machine is a hybrid rather than full electric, with a 28hp 292cc single-cylinder engine borrowed from the Tricity, but it houses a 5kW and two 56V and 12Ah removable lithium-ion batteries.

Northamptonshire Police have been involved in the development in the hope of taking the machines on board, though it isn’t known whether White Motorcycles will attempt to bring the machine to market for commercial purchase.