Earlier in February, 2023, Swedish electric motorcycle maker RGNT announced its imminent plans for a world speed record attempt. The machine developed for the task was a modified RGNT No. 1 Classic SE called Project Aurora. For the record attempt, it was fitted with a special aerodynamic fairing and some spiked tires to ensure good grip on the (hopefully fresh) ice.
The RGNT team planned to attend SMA Svenska Motorsport Alliansen Speed Weekend in Årsunda, Sweden, from February 24 through 25, 2023. The weekend is both a sanctioned and licensed event, and of course RGNT wanted to leave no doubt about what it accomplished if it succeeded in achieving its goals.
So, what happened? According to RGNT, things went very well for the team’s efforts. In fact, when all was said and done, the RGNT team managed to set three new world records—not just one. RGNT engineer Timmy Eriksson rode the bike to a new world record for Fastest Electric Motorcycle On Ice, setting a speed of 155.14 kilometers per hour (just under 96.4 miles per hour).
Using a production RGNT No. 1 Classic SE, the team also set a new record for Fastest Electric A1 Motorcycle on Ice, at a speed of 135.03 km/h (or about 83.9 mph). Additionally, the team also achieved a new record for Fastest Electric Motorcycle Production Model on Ice, at 114.3 kph (or about 71 mph).
Gallery: RGNT Project Aurora Speed Record
Ice is clearly a much different challenge than salt, asphalt, or any other surface—and presents a variety of challenges for teams to overcome. There’s traction, of course—to say nothing of negative impacts of cold weather on battery efficiency. The racer must also keep themselves warm enough to be functional and alert—and even what may seem like relatively minor annoyances such as how different materials react to cold can create unforeseen difficulties (think about plastics unexpectedly cracking under temperature-related strain, or wiring sheaths that don’t want to bend or form the way you want them to when you’re trying to tuck them into position).
Nevertheless, despite any and all difficulties the team may have faced in its efforts, RGNT remained undaunted. It proudly announced that it achieved its stated goal on February 28, 2023. Congratulations to the team on this achievement!
At the time of writing, RGNT sells its electric motorcycles via its website, and has dealerships in Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland. Although it has plans for North America, no dealerships currently exist in that market as of March 1, 2023. On its website, RGNT does say that it will ship its bikes to countries where dealerships are not yet present, but that owners will be responsible for delivery/customs/additional fees as necessary for importation into their country.
