Photo: Eric Gulbransen
The Britten V1000 is definitely one of THE exclusive motorcycles only few lucky guys have gotten to see on the track. With only ten units built before its visionary creator John Britten lost the battle with cancer in 1995, the V1000 is a rare treat only museums and a handful of wealthy collectors can brag with. Hard to come by as they may be, the Britten V1000 are not a closed chapter in motorcycling history.
If you plan to attend the Sound of Thunder 2015 John Britten Tribute in Christchurch, New Zealand on February 21, you can count yourselves among the lucky fellows. Not one, but two working Britten V1000 will take part in this event, honoring the rich, unique heritage of their maker.
Twenty years after the untimely passing of John Britten, the two V1000 will once more scorch the track in his memory. To make things even more thrilling, one of these V1000 machines is the first unit delivered to a customer. The bike is being prepared for this milestone event, and the documentary below clearly shows that having one in racing condition is definitely not an easy task.
The Britten V1000 is powered by a liquid-cooled 999cc 60-degree v-twin mill which can produce around 166 horsepower at 11,800 rpm. The bike is a real racing machine, with adjustable rake and trail, top-shelf Öhlins shocks, and carbon fiber wheels made by Britten in-house. Taking a closer look you will notice that the bike’s frame is almost absent, with the engine as a fully stressed part.
This, the Hossack fork and the carbon-kevlar swingarm makes the Britten V1000 to be an incredibly light bike, tipping the scales at only 138 kg (303 lb). The V1000 won the Battle of the Twins at Daytona and Assen, finished the 1994 New Zealand National Superbike Championship in the first two positions and has also set the fastest top speed in the Isle of Man TT in 1993.
Twenty years after the untimely passing of John Britten, the two V1000 will once more scorch the track in his memory. To make things even more thrilling, one of these V1000 machines is the first unit delivered to a customer. The bike is being prepared for this milestone event, and the documentary below clearly shows that having one in racing condition is definitely not an easy task.
A $250,000 two-wheeler like few others out there
Maintaining a high-performance, racing bike is neither easy nor cheap, as you’ve probably imagined, but it looks like these fellows are up for the task, knowing only too well what they are doing and having all the necessary means to. Given the estimative cost of a Britten V1000 being around a quarter million dollars (€215,000) and the scarcity of these bikes, it’s easy to understand that having one in perfect working condition is a major asset.The Britten V1000 is powered by a liquid-cooled 999cc 60-degree v-twin mill which can produce around 166 horsepower at 11,800 rpm. The bike is a real racing machine, with adjustable rake and trail, top-shelf Öhlins shocks, and carbon fiber wheels made by Britten in-house. Taking a closer look you will notice that the bike’s frame is almost absent, with the engine as a fully stressed part.
This, the Hossack fork and the carbon-kevlar swingarm makes the Britten V1000 to be an incredibly light bike, tipping the scales at only 138 kg (303 lb). The V1000 won the Battle of the Twins at Daytona and Assen, finished the 1994 New Zealand National Superbike Championship in the first two positions and has also set the fastest top speed in the Isle of Man TT in 1993.
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