Double Dutch electric racer! Students aim for MotoGP laptimes with e-bike project

This MotoGP-lookalike electric racer is one of two battery-powered machines recently revealed by a team of Dutch students, developed in partnership with World Superbike championship-winners, Ten Kate Racing.

It’s the work of students at the University of Twente, who form a team called Electric Superbike Twente (EST).

The faster of the two bikes boasts a claimed 228bhp, a top speed of over 187mph and a 0-100kph (62.5mph) time of under three seconds.

Both are littered with top-spec parts from the likes of Öhlins, HEL and Marchesini while tech partners include Ten Kate, Suter Industries (the team behind the 188bhp MMX500 two-stroke track bike) and Bakker frames.

EST say their mission is to ‘showcase the excitement and fun of sustainable mobility’ with the ultimate goal of ‘achieving MotoGP lap times with a fully electric superbike’.

EST was set up by the university five years ago and is fully staffed by students. Engineering and design students work on the bike, communications and marketing, with management students helping run the team.

Each year a new tranche of students enter with the aim of building on what has been created before. The first team in 2017/2018 created the Liion-GP with 90kW capable of 250kph. The second built the 110kW Eclipse-GP.

The 120kW Apex-RS arrived in 2019/2020 and the 150kW Delta-XE debuted in 2020/2021. For 2022 the Apex-RS and Delta XE received upgraded cooling systems, new steering dampers and fresh livery while the latest Delta-XE has an upgraded battery plus new, higher voltage cables and connectors.

Dyno testing took place at Ten Kate Racing and the student team are now looking forward to a four-race season at venues as distant as Imatra in Finland.