Last month, BDN heard from GV Motorcycles in Taunton about the need for more apprentice technicians, mechanics and engineers in the bike trade. But what about the more traditionally academic approach to technical bike job skills?
This month, BDN has been contacted by Mike Abbott, of the British Superbike School in Newark. Abbott recently visited the University of Wales Trinity Saint David campus in Swansea to see its Motorcycle Engineering degree course under professor Owen Williams and the academic team at the Faculty of Applied Design and Engineering.
“It’s a really well-equipped course,” said Abbott. “There’s a dyno room, simulator, 3D printing, CNC machining, welding, fabrication, etc., just about everything you could ever need. It’s a great opportunity for youngsters to do a worthwhile degree, and they also provide technical apprenticeships.”
Abbott highlighted the work of one of the students on the course, Harvey Merrett (pictured above). “He has just completed his final year dissertation for us on motorcycle braking, which is becoming a hot topic, and hopefully will spark some more interest and research.”
Merrett’s research analysed the current DVSA advice on motorcycle braking practice, which prioritises the use of the front brake. Merrett used a 2D-datalogged BMW S1000 RR to measure stopping distances with various combinations of front- and rear-brake application, and his research suggested that a more balanced use of both brakes provides greater stopping power and better efficiency on the road.