It has quite a special look, the Speedway bike, but it totally fills its purpose. In this article, we will look more into Speedway motorcycles and how they are built, and why.
Only one gear
First off, it has a fixed gear, so it’s basically to drive without a stick. Depending on the course, weather and other factors, the gear will be set up for each race.
Only one foot-rest
Due to the constant anticlockwise turn, while the driver has the left foot mobile, there is only a foot-rest on the right side of the bike.
What engine do Speedway motorcycles use then?
This might be the most interesting part of the bike. The extreme power comes from a 500cc engine which gives around 85 horsepower. The motor is placed as low as possible to give the bike the best stability possible. One of the main manufacturers of speedway engines is Jawa, where you can read more about the engines.
Dead man’s grip, just like on a motorboat
If you have ever driven a fast going motorboat, you probably have used a dead man’s grip, or kill switch as it’s called in speedway. It’s attached around the wrist on the driver so the engine will shut down once the driver falls off the bike.
The throttle – what it all comes down to
Due to the strict rules of how a bike should be built, most of them are quite similar. Therefore, often it comes down to the driver and his feeling of the throttle. The way he uses the throttle will make the speedway bicycle go perfect through the corners and, also very important, giving him a headstart from the first second of the race.
Summary – Speedway Motorcycles
Of course, there are so much more to dig deeper into if you are really interested in the bikes. But, this hopefully gives you a general understanding of how the bike is built and what distinguishes them from normal street bikes. MoorePark will soon be back with more information and news about Speedway!