The Drysdale 990cc V8 Grand Prix Racebike will be a ground up new design - it will share no components with the Drysdale 750-V8 Superbike and will have more in common with a Formula One Grand Prix car than most road going motorcycles. In fact - Formula One Grand Prix cars will be boring in comparison - the rules for the 2002 four-stroke Motorcycle Grand Prix class are far less restrictive than those that F1 engine designers are constrained by.

STUNNING DESIGN:

Not to be content with pushing acknowledged boundaries with the powerplant, the 22000rpm.com GP bike will set new standards for style too, with noted designer Glynn Kerr joining the team. From the tip of the '8-pack' inlet stubs to the graceful lines of the tail section this bike oozes style, the old addage of 'an iron fist in a velvet glove' is an over-used expression but our GP bike will justify the tag absolutely.

CONCEPT

The basic rules of physics that dictate motorcycle speed have not changed since the time when the decision was made to build the famous Moto Guzzi 500-V8, in a balance of maximum engine power vs. minimum frontal area a V8 engine configuration can still not be beaten. For those a little concerned by the title of the website, these sort of rpm are nothing to be afraid of. The original Moto Guzzi V8 was doing over 13,000rpm in 1957 and the Honda 125-5 was tested at up to 24,000rpm using points and carbs in the mid 60's!

As promised, the new rules should present the opportunity to make bikes even faster than the two-stroke 500's we see racing today.

COMPARISON WITH NSR 500 HONDA

The V4 2 stroke NSR 500 is the most successful Grand Prix racing motorcycle of the modern era - it is the model that has won the last six World Motorcycle Championships in a row. Here is a comparison between the realistic specifications of the Drysdale 990cc V8 and the NSR 500:

ADVANTAGES

1. Better power to weight - With a full fuel load at the beginning of the race the Drysdale 990-V8 will be only 13 kg heavier than the benchmark NSR 500 Honda. With a superior power to weight ratio and little more in frontal area - the 990-V8 will be faster in a straight line and should give away very little in the corners.

2. Better turn-in- The single heaviest component in any modern race motor is the crankshaft - the 990ccV8 crankshaft will weigh only 4.3 kg - significantly less than the complex pressed-up roller-bearing item used in the Honda NSR 500. This represents a major reduction in the rotating mass which reduces gyroscopic forces and allows the whole motorcycle to be much easier to tip into a corner or turn generally.

3. More Power- The engine revs and power stated above are quite conservative - with ongoing development it is not unreasonable to expect 22,000 rpm and 180kW (240 hp) from a short stroke 990cc V8.

We have it all worked out in our heads- now we need your help to turn it into reality!