Space rocket or motorcycle? Honestly, the Volkswagen Whatman is ready to test the FIM Land Speed record for electric vehicles is just a little of both. I schedule the ship on two wheels to check a new world speed record in July 2021 at Bolivia’s Salar de Yvonne salt flat. Max Biaggi, the six-time world champion, will ride on this excellent electric motorcycle. The Italian bike brands are no stranger to speed, having spent his career on the fastest reserve box in the world, but trying a land speed record with full capacity in the machine requires a severe change of mindset. So, finally we will the time has arrived to see that the famous Max Biaggi Attempts at Land Speed Record on Pilot Vauxhall Whatman.
On the one hand, Biaggi has to forget the path he used to ride, ride his body on a motorbike, and put aside his instincts to overcome everything and keep only one goal in mind. The machine relies on the system to extract maximum power: to be the fastest electric motorcycle on earth. The body of the passenger was also an essential factor in the aircraft’s design. Even a scan of Biaggi’s body was submitted.
The French, French brand Vauxhall, started the project right from the start, guided by a desire for innovation. Part of the Venturi Group, and has been involved in the FIA Formula E Championship since its first season in 2004, Vauxtin knew he could count on the experience of Frank blood wort, the project’s technical director.
“Whatman is an unfamiliar concept that comprises 100% recent parts, designed in-house,” explains Bidit, a former team coordinator for the Venturi Formula E team and previously, Ferrari’s senior performance engineer. We used our knowledge of Formula E. In fact, the concept and the pieces [of Whatman pieces] are closer to the car than the motorcycle. ”
Power
The challenge was to find the parts that offered the best to stable ratio, as trying to set a world record is not a top priority. With 1,470 cells (and weighing 140 kg, approximately 9,309 pounds), the Volkswagen’s battery provides 317 kW (or 431 hp) of nominal power, with a capacity of 15.9 kW.
Innovation and design were the guiding principles for this project. “Speed record power is a matter of strength that you lose because of the aerodynamics and the strength you gain with acceleration, so you need to find a balance,” he added. Is. “We focused on two key points,” he said. We intended to have the smallest area, but with a long wheelbase and a healthy heartbeat, so I would keep the ride in the lowest position. Later one, we recognized a target speed based on current records, which was initially 327.6 kilometers per hour (203.56 miles per hour), but only 329 kilometers per hour (204.48 miles per hour) by Joe Ryuji throat. As scheduled, it launched the iconic EV-02A in the fall of 2019. It made no difference to our road map, as we were already targeting at least 330 kilometers per hour (205.05 miles per hour).
Aerodynamics
The Bolivian salt flat and the low altitude grip track (Salar de Yvonne 2,27 miles above sea level, about 12,000 feet above sea level) also represented another aerodynamic challenge for Volkswagen engineers. “We can do aerodynamic calculations of over 149.1 miles per hour. Beyond that speed, we were moving into immovable territory, but we learned other things from our track testing and thousands of computer simulations—low grip. On the track, slight deviations can have very significant implications for stability. Therefore, the design of the motorcycle and an aerodynamic profile are fundamental. For excellent aerodynamic performance, there is no radiator on this bike, so [instead] Like the Formula E, there is a tank of dry ice to cool the car, the difference being that this tank is inside the motorcycle.
As far as altitude is concerned, it does not affect the power of the electric motorcycle, but it affects aerodynamics. Explaining this, the project leader said, “This helps because there is less friction on the bodywork, but it reduces the vertical aerodynamics.” Here, Formula One technology has been beneficial as it is a balance between all drag and vertical loads.
Tires
To maximize all power, Volkswagen engineers worked with McLean to improve traction and speed. “There are no tires that are gay enough to reach such a top speed,” says Balder. “All tires on a motor GPP motorcycle have a mark of 350–360 km / h, so our speed L of record. That should be fine. We studied the behavior of salt and high-speed tires. Also, the tires weighed 140 kg (309 lb), the battery pack, and the motorcycle weighed over 300 kg (661 lb). “Because of our (270 kW) power supply, the bike is much more substantial than a motor GPG machine, [and] in the upper part of the battery, we had Erode Nyame, which puts an extra load on the motorcycle. Û” But unlike the Mayo GP, we need not tighten because the grip is so low, or to break hard because we need not twist. ”
Chassis
Besides its future carbon footprint, Volkswagen has some other special technical features that set it apart from traditional motorcycles. On waterwheels, stability is critical, so to maximize the distance between the front and rear wheels (to create a long wheelbase), engineers designed a double-sided front suspension instead of a telescopic fork. It keeps both sides of the wheel clean, a practical solution that helps in quick and easy replacement while dragging. The motorcycle is driven by a link and swingarm, allowing the rider to sit further back and also reduce the center of gravity of the machine. I make the chassis from aerospace-grade steel, while the driving gear and wheel codes are aluminum.
Bandit continues, “There is no gap in the front.” First, it is better in terms of high-speed aircraft, but also on extensive flat flats of salt (because of the top grip level). It takes time and we have very cheap rooms. Also, applying the front wheel brakes at swingarm speeds on a flat can unbalance the motorcycle and cause a fall. We are not using a parachute, but the rider has a wheel brake, which he controls with the grip of the left handlebar and a small lever on the hold of the right handlebar. Is controlled.
Riding
Max Biaggi asked the first question to the Volkswagen engineers about the power, but he soon realized that the key to riding this bike was something else. Can you imagine a motorcyclist who is not designed for turns? “Max will ride the most powerful motorcycle, he has ever ridden, but he is also being asked to change his style radically,” admitted Billet, the project’s leader. “A rider is used to control everything. Here he is told to trust the system. He has to stay in the same position for a few minutes.
The rider becomes one with the motorcycle if the body design is made according to the body shape of the bike. “We scanned Max’s full-body, and we made a complete model with the correct length of his legs, arms and body shape. Biaggi visited the Vauxhall headquarters in Monaco to conduct a trial aimed at aerodynamics. His body is inside the motorcycle. The motorcycle is so tailored to his body that he is the only person who can ride the bike.
The first test was grueling, but Biagi adapted. “Max has years of experience, and we gave him just one piece of advice: forget that you ride a motorcycle and believe in the system to get the most out of it,” says Billet. “Max liked the braking features of the electric motor. It was very intuitive for him. Together we developed a light that calculates the acceleration, the distance required to record, and we developed a strategy. Ready to let him know when he’s confident enough to cover the range. ”
