Motorcycle ‘Speed Freak’ Smashes Electric World Speed Record!
Nottingham University team of PhD students built racing bike that rider Zef Eisenberg used to set four new motorcycle records last weekend.
MadMax team rider Zef Eisenberg raced into the record books last weekend (September 21-22), setting four new motorcycle records at the Straightliners ACU/FIM World Speed Record event at Elvington, North Yorkshire, on board the Nottingham University Isle of Man TT zero bike. Granter, it may not have been down with a Harley-Davidson LiveWire, but these new speed records certainly show what’s in store for the future of electric bikes.
International multiple ACU Motorbike speed record holder and self-proclaimed “Speed Freak,” Eisenberg achieved four FIM World records for an electric motorcycle, with an average kilometer speed of 185 mph, and peak GPS speeds of 197 mph. He victoriously secured the title for the fastest electric motorbike bike in the world.
The four new ACU national category records include: the FIM Flying Kilometer speed of 185.103 mph, with best one-way speed of 194.086 mph, with GPS peak speeds of 197 mph, the FIM Flying Quarter Mile, the FIM Standing Quarter, the FIM Standing Mile and ACU Flying Quarter Mile.
These speed records are particularly poignant to Eisenberg, as it was the bike that his MadMax Team rider Daley Mathison rode to the last three podium wins at the Isle of Man TT. As part of the University’s Electric Superbike Team, Daley helped the Nottingham University Team to test and engineer the e-bike, providing them with valuable feedback on the bike’s behaviour, enabling them to implement improvements. Tragically Daley was killed this year in the Superbike round at the TT. Eisenberg promised Daley’s wife, Natalie Mathison, that he would help make Daley’s bike, the fastest electric bike in the world, as a tribute to the racer.
‘I hope these records will help to put electric bikes firmly on the map, as the speeds and technology certainly impressed many of the combustion powered motorbike competitors…’
Eisenberg said, “I have been planning this ACU/FIM record attempt since the Isle of Man TT incident. Daley was a very special rider and member of the MadMax Team. The record attempts had the full blessing of his wife Natalie. I wore Daley’s special knee sliders for all the runs, and I felt that Daley rode the bike to victory with me. It was my absolute honor to do it in his memory.”
“I can’t explain how happy and emotional this was,” he continued. “The Nottingham University team of talented PhD students has built and engineered an incredible racing bike under the leadership of Dr. Miquel Gimeno-Fabra — they should all be so proud. I hope these records will help to put electric bikes firmly on the map, as the speeds and technology certainly impressed many of the combustion powered motorbike competitors… I feel this is just the beginning of the electric madness journey for the MadMax Race team.”
The FIM speed records are calculated by time elapsed over a distance, not trap speeds. A world record is based on two successful one-way runs in each direction, within the hour. An FIM world record requires a full international scrutineer team, made up of expert track spotters and senior ACU personnel as part of the record attempts at Elvington.
Zef “Max” Eisenberg is the presenter of the TV show Speed Freaks and holds now holds more than 52 British, World, ACU, FIM and Guinness speed records. In September 2016, he survived “Britain’s fastest-ever motorcycle crash” at 230 mph, on a 560 bhp Rolls-Royce jet turbine-powered motorcycle. He broke 11 bones, was hospitalised for three months, spent a further three months in a wheelchair and had to learn to walk again. He defied doctors by racing exactly one year after the accident on the anniversary of the crash. In May 2018, he achieved the world’s fastest motorbike on sand. In April/May 2019 he became the world’s only person to exceed 200 mph on sand with bike and car, as well as hold the flying mile record for both. Eisenberg races under the ‘Madmax race team, which is renowned for developing and racing the world’s most extreme machines using the best engineers in the industry.
Photos: MadMax Race Team