The six-time motorcycle world champion Max Biaggi and Monegasque electric motorcycle manufacturer Voxan set a total of eleven new world speed records – including the one of the highest maximum speed – at Châteauroux airport in France, on 30 and 31 October and on November 1. Riding the fastest electric motorcycle in the world, Voxan Wattman, in its non-streamlined form, Max Biaggi achieved the absolute maximum speed of 408 km/h (254 mph) in these three days.
On the morning of Saturday, October 31, Max Biaggi and Voxan Wattman reached their first goal by beating the most wanted of the twelve world records they had targeted. With a speed of 366.94 km/h (228.05 mph), the team set a new record in an electric motorcycle over 300 kg class, beating the previous record of 329 km/h (204 mph) set in 2019 by the Japanese Ryuji Tsuruta with the Mobitec EV-02A.
In accordance with the regulations of the International Motorcycling Federation (FIM), this speed was measured from flying start over 1 mile in opposite directions, within a period of two hours. Given the relatively short track (3.5 km/2.17 miles), reaching such a high top speed encouraged Voxan to aim even higher.
For the next attempts on a longer track, the team now has serious plans on an average speed of 400 km/h (249 mph). On Friday, October 30, a version of the Voxan Wattman without its fairing also took on the challenge over a distance of 1 mile. On-board systems have shown that the Wattman, powered by its powerful 270 kW engine, reached a top speed of 372 km/h (231 mph).
During the trips, a few other speed records were set or broken that are listed below:
- ¼ mile, flying start, partially streamlined: 394.45 km/h (245.10 mph) – no previous record
- ¼ mile, flying start, non-streamlined: 357.19 km/h (221.95 mph) – no previous record
- 1 km, flying start, partially streamlined: 386.35 km/h (240.07 mph – previous record: 329.31 km/h (204.62 mph)
- ¼ mile, standing start, non-streamlined: 126.20 km/h (78.42 mph) – no previous record
- ¼ mile, standing start, partially streamlined: 127.30 km/h (79.10 mph) – previous record: 87.16 km/h (54.16 mph)
- 1 km, standing start, non-streamlined: 185.56 km/h (115.30 mph) – no previous record
- 1 km, standing start, partially streamlined: 191.84 km/h (119.20 mph) – previous record: 122.48 km/h (76.11 mph)
- 1 mile, standing start, non-streamlined: 222.82 km/h (138.45 mph) – no previous record
- 1 mile, standing start, partially streamlined: 225.01 km/h (139.81 mph) – no previous record
This measurement augurs well for the next planned attempts, with Voxan set to take on more records until the end of 2022.