| Year
(of specifications) |
1987-1995 |
| Engine |
985 cc,
60° V-twin |
| Transmission |
5-speed
6 optional, chain |
|
Max
speed |
180 mph |
| 0-60
mph |
- |
| Horsepower |
155 bhp
@ 12,400 rpm |
| Weight |
145 kg,
320 lbs |
| Seat
height |
- |
The
creator of the Britten V1000 was John Britten, a New Zealander
with an engineering and design background, as well a motorcycle
racing hobby.
The V1000 was a triumph of ingenuity and perseverance over mass
producing manufacturers. The highly unique and brilliantly engineered
Britten V1000 was constructed to compete against other racing
motorcycles, except where large Japanese and Italian manufacturers
had access to multi-million dollar research and development
facilities for their race bikes, John Britten and his enthusiastic
helpers/friends built the V1000 bikes using a backyard Kiln
to make the prototype engines, and comparatively simple tools
and home-manufacturing processes to construct the body and mechanicals.
The V1000's frame is highly unconventional, construction materials
of lightweight carbon
fiber and Kevlar composites meant extra speed and acceleration
was available on the track. Front suspension was done by Britten's
own 'girder parallelogram, semi intelligent front suspension'
as opposed to conventional fork type suspension.
When the Britten V1000 hit the race tracks it took the motorbike
racing world completely by surprise, the underdog privateer
V1000 turned the international circuit on its head, breaking
world speed records, and leaving the factory built Ducati and
Honda racers wallowing in its wake.
Many people put the success of the Britten V1000 down to the
fact that John Britten's design's and idea's were not confined
by conventional thinking, he had not been told 'that doesn't
work' or 'that can't be done' because he had not been officially
schooled in the art of motorcycle design, therefor he was able
to look at any problems with a fresh unconstrained mind.
Tragically, just as the V1000 was becoming a force to be reckoned
with, John Britten died of cancer in 1995 aged 45. And although
he has been immortalised with the creation of this bike, it
would be interesting to see how his influence and radical design
theory's would have continued to shape modern superbikes.
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