Uni students go for TT

Four engineering students plan to design, build and race a Moto2 specification GP bike in the Senior class at the 2013 Isle of Man TT.

Nick Castledine, Niall Shimmin, Aden Shawfrost and Jonny Elliott are undertaking the project as part of their Master’s degrees at Huddersfield University.

Inspired by British chassis constructors FTR Moto running their M210 at the 2010 TT and Norton’s return with the rotary powered NRV588, the team realised that the Senior TT was not just a production based class but any bike could run, provided the organiser approves.

The team will be using a tuned Honda CBR600RR as a donor bike in order to create a full prototype. They will design and produce the chassis, an aluminium swingarm, fuel tank, carbon fibre body work, radiator and exhaust system themselves.

A steel trellis type chassis will be used instead of an aluminium box type in order to keep costs down.

The race organisers have approved the team’s class of bike. So in order to bring the project to life, they must find the funding and support to operate the team, up to and throughout the event, before the beginning of the new academic year in October.

Niall Shimmin said “We are aiming to keep the spec list as British as possible, we really want to help promote British engineering as best we can.

“By competing in the 2013 race we hope we can highlight the project as an example of what gaining an engineering degree can achieve.” 

For more information visit motoprojecthud.co.uk