TT Zero '17 limited edition poster
Date(s): 2017
Creator(s): Sarolea
Scope & Content: Saroléa TT Zero '17 limited edition poster
The Saroléa company was established in 1850 in Herstal (Liège) in Belgium as an arms factory by Joseph Saroléa. In 1892, bicycle production started under the name of Royale Saroléa. Saroléa/Gillet supplied the army with spare parts until 1973 - the official date of the company’s cessation of activity. In 2010, the Saroléa name resurrected when it was bought by twin brothers, Torsten and Bjorn Robbens who wanted to develop and build high-performance 100% electric race machines. A new production facility was established in Belgium, near Ghent.
Up until 2014, the first SP7 race bike was built by hand at their workshop in Belgium. All components were designed and engineered by Torsten Robbens, who has an impressive motorsport background. During the next three years, the prototypes underwent continuous improvement and, in 2014, Saroléa competed in the Isle of Man TT Zero. Skilled road racer, Robert Wilson took the all-carbon SP7 to an amazing 4th place, at an average speed of 93.50 mph, just 0.4 seconds off the podium.
There were significant technical improvements for the 2015 IOM TT Zero, which resulted in an increase in the average speed to 106.51 and a solid 5th place overall. For 2015, the SP7 race machine moved from the track to the road and a 100% electric street-legal super-bike saw the light - the Saroléa MANX7.
At the 2016 IOM TT Zero, Saroléa riders Dean Harrison and Lee Johnston raced a completely new machine which was built on the steady progress of the past two seasons. Practice and qualifying went well and the team were optimistic of getting on to the podium. However, just before the start, some unforeseen technical problems surfaced. So, rather than compromise rider safety, the difficult decision was made to withdraw from the race.
In 2017, as in 2016, Yorkshireman Dean Harrison was at the controls of the SP7 round the demanding TT course. Saroléa narrowly missed the podium, but finished a healthy 4th - with a time of 108.064mph.
(Courtesy of https://www.sarolea.com/story)
Introduced in 2010, the Tourist Trophy (TT) Zero race premiered all-electric prototype and production machines on the TT Course.
Milestone achievements included; the first 100mph lap of the Mountain Course by a clean emissions motorcycle in 2012; the Japanese Mugen team raising the lap record over a number of years to over 121mph; and the Nottingham University team achieving a 120mph lap.
Over ten years many notable teams participated in the TT Zero event, but in 2019 entries for the all-electric class reduced to the extent that the Department for Enterprise declared a moratorium on the Zero event, aimed at working with the industry to grow a modern zero emission class and encourage more teams, universities and manufacturers to participate.
(Courtesy of https://www.iomttraces.com/latest/news/dfe-confirms-moratorium-for-tt-zero/)
Language: eng
Extent: 59.5 x 42 cm
Item name: poster
Collection: Print & Poster Archive
Level: ITEM
ID number: P.6607
Record class: Private
Subject tags : #TT&MOTORSPORT #MM100