Speedway Motorcycles

The motorcycles that are used by speedway riders are not the same as the standard motorcycles that you may ride yourself or see out on the roads. The motorcycles here have been specially designed for speedway racing use. So, let's take a look at what makes them different.

Speedway bikes will:

Use pure methanol as their fuel
Be lighter than standard bikes but must weigh more than 80kg
Have a single cylinder four stroke engine (500cc) that has a maximum of one spark plug, one carburettor and four valves
Use plastic parts wherever possible
Not have any kind of brakes
Not use electronics to control their engines
Must have a safety cut out that can stop them in emergency situations (this is usually a string connected to the rider's wrist which, when pulled, will cut the electrics and stop the bike)
Have dirt deflectors/mud guards fitted
Have tyres that do not exceed a width of 100mm
Have one foot rest on the right hand side of the bike
Have no manual starter button - they are bump started
Have a cover fitted to the rear wheel