Cycle News

BRITTEN V-1000 RACER TEST P114 is probably the most raced of the 10 ever created. This machine, as the number 003 suggests, was created when Britten's dream was in full steam, when the small band of Kiwis criss- crossed the globe, covering America, Europe and Australia, as well as competing in a num- ber of races in its home of New Zealand with riders like Stroud, Jason McEwan, and Stephen Briggs. The 003 V-1000 is also easily the most active of all the remaining machines—not kept in a thick glass case; it gets ridden >>THE BRITTEN V-1000 ENGINE There's a great part in the Britten documentary One Man's Dream, where John frantically rushes to the swimming pool to get some extra wa- ter to pour into his wife's pottery kiln. Inside the kiln is the crankcase, and although a potential catastrophe was averted and the case still useable, it gave an insight into just how close to the limit John was working when he designed the V-1000 motorcycle. The 60°, DOHC, eight-valve V-twin, with a bore and stroke of 99 x 64mm bore and compression ratio of around 11.5-12.0:1 was designed from the outset to be a stressed member of the chassis—like the Ducati Panigale is today. There are only two parting lines to the engine, to maximize strength and stiffness for use as the stressed chassis member. The first crankshaft was milled from a solid 4340-billet block of aluminum and the bearing surfaces double-nitrate coated. The crank- shaft, in its final format, weighed 27.5lbs and housed sizeable single roller bearings that were set into the crankcases on each side. Later John would employ American company Crower to construct the Britten crankshaft. Throughout the V-1000's life John Britten flirted with the idea of a five- valve cylinder head. The idea for this was driven by John's never-ending search for more horsepower. In its 1992 V-1100 form, the engine would be punching out well over 170hp, which was an astronomical amount for power for its time. The five-valve head did eventually make it onto a Britten V-1000 racebike, but for the majority of the model's racing life it sported a four-valve head, with the valves driven by a single toothed belt off the crank. The inlet and exhaust valves fitted in the pent-roof combus- tion chamber sat at an included angle of 30 degrees and were supplied by American company Delwest and made in titanium, weighing an astounding 30 grams each. The engine sported a wet-sump, and the cylinders were cast as part of the upper crankcase half, but many of the internal engine components were not of Britten's design. The five-speed gearbox is sourced from a Su- zuki GS1100ET, the pistons made by Omega (to his specifications) and the titanium con-rods (which had a habit of failing on earlier machines, creating a real mess) were also outsourced, plus a Ducati alternator was used. John did however make all the patterns for the major engine components, and the majority of the chassis components. However, the electronic fuel injection system proved to be somewhat of a hassle in the early days. The system consisted of a collection of various The little round dial is for the fuel injection mixture and was used regularly at tracks like the Isle of Man. The carbon- fiber wheel was made entirely in house and the team often had a shortage of supply at the racetrack.

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