The last weekend of October was a busy one for Moto GP champion Max Biaggi and the Monegasque electric motorcycle constructor Voxan as they took to the Châteauroux airfield in France and smashed 10 two-wheeled world speed records, marking the Venturi Group’s 20th anniversary in style. The outright top speed achieved by the Voxan Wattman was a staggering 408km/ph.
On the morning of October 31, Biaggi and the Voxan team achieved their primary objective; beating the highly sought-after world record of the “partially streamlined electric motorcycle over 300 kilos” class which had stood at 329km/ph since 2019. The Voxan Wattman was measured from a flying start over a distance of 1 mile in either direction, and with an average speed of 366.94 km/h (228.05 mph), the Monegasque electric bike got the job done and then some as it went on to peak at 408km/ph.
Other records were then picked off one by one by the mean, green machine as it took on the runway both in its partially streamlined and non-streamlined variants. Without the cool carbon-fibre shell, the Wattman achieved a world record setting average speed of 349.38 km/h (217.14 mph) while the on-board systems showed that the motorcycle, propelled by its powerful 270 kW engine, peaked at a top speed of 372 km/h (231 mph). All very impressive numbers, which will serve well to spur on the Voxan team as they set their sights on more outrageous speed records by 2022.
Speaking about this successful project, Biaggi said “When Gildo Pastor, the President of the Venturi Group, approached me about this project, I was curious, very motivated, and at the same time a little uncertain. Having said that, right after our first meeting, I quickly realised that, like Gildo, his teams were driven by an incredible belief and determination. They told me “we came close to 600 km/h (373 mph) on four wheels, and now we want to flirt with 400 km/h (249 mph) on two wheels, nothing’s going to stop us!” These records make me a happy man! I’m proud of the team and delighted to bring these titles back to Monaco!”
In 2010, the iconic motorcycle manufacturer Voxan Motors was bought by Venturi. Its President, Gildo Pastor, immediately changed the focus of the constructor to electric power, a sustainable shift with positively spiffing results for the Monegasque businessman, his team and his country.
Featured Image: The shell-less Voxan Wattman makes for a sight to behold and it won’t even burst your eardrums as it sustainably glides along
