Do a degree in race bikes

A degree course in race bike engineering will launch this September to nurture a new generation of world class professionals.

Owen Williams, a Doctor of engineering, has teamed up with BSB rider Paul Jones and Steve Plater’s Honda UK team to launch the Motorcycle Engineering degree. It will teach everything you need to know to build a race winner, covering areas like power train design; frame, chassis and suspension design; and the use of various high-end computer aided design and testing packages.

Williams, a former club racer riding a Honda CBR600 and Yamaha FZR400, wants the course to be as practical as possible, basing the majority of it on project work and running at least three competition race teams on bikes developed by the students themselves. The teams will start in local club races but Williams hopes they will move in to nationals as the course develops.

The Swansea Institute of Higher education, where the course is based, has provided three dedicated workshops with all the latest manufacturing and testing equipment, including dynos, 3D scanning systems, a CNC milling machine, and engine simulation software.

Williams said: ” We’re trying to make the course very hands on. We want students to get into the workshops and if they blow an engine up then so be it. It’s all part of the process. ”

The course already has strong links to Steve Plater’s Honda UK team with the possibility of the team taking students on work placements and providing engineers for guest lectures.

And BSB rider Paul Jones has agreed to work closely with the students, test riding their bikes and allowing them to datalog his Suzuki GSX-R1000.

Williams has also enlisted the help of chassis designer Tony Foale, who has been developing forward looking chassis designs and concept bikes since the 70s. Foale played a big part in designing the syllabus and is expected to give a number of lectures.

Students on the institute’s existing Motorsports degree, which focuses almost exclusively on the design of cars, have already opted to design a race bike for one of their projects and the VFR400 based bike will soon be riding in New Era club races. The team has already caught the attention of the racing world with one student leaving his degree early to work for the Foggy Petronas World Superbike team.

Entry to the degree is based on A-level grades and Maths is a must.

But don’t worry if you don’t make the grades, the course will be supported by a foundation year designed for people without any formal qualifications, bringing them up to standard before they start the degree.

For more information contact Sean McCartan on 01792-481168 or moto@sihe.ac.uk