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Bio-ethanol Fueled Nova Bike 03 Readies for 2012 Dutch Super Mono Championship

  • Apr 11, 2012
The newly updated Nova Bike 03 will debut on April 9th with Hugo van den Berg manning the controls.
The newly updated Nova Bike 03 will debut on April 9th with Hugo van den Berg manning the controls.
Don't attempt to convince Stefan Brone, or Ward Van Hout, that building motorcycles isn't rocket science, it's too late. Both Brone and Van Hout are third year Aerospace Engineering students at Delft University of Technology and they are two of the newest recruits on the Nova Bike Racing Team. TU Delft, as it's called by students, is the largest and oldest Dutch public technical university located in Delft, Netherlands, and with support from K&N, Nova Racing, a student based team, is readying Nova Bike 03 for the Open Dutch Championship Super Mono.
To ensure that enough fuel can be carried, a larger fuel tank need to be integrated into the body, and for this reason a whole new design had to be created for the seat.
To ensure that enough fuel can be carried, a larger fuel tank need to be integrated into the body, and for this reason a whole new design had to be created for the seat.


Super Mono is a unique class that includes single-cylinder motors up to 800cc, which leaves a lot of room for technical interpretation, and Nova Bike 03 is an extension of that creativity potential. The Nova Bike runs on bio-ethanol, an environmentally-friendly fuel substitute for gasoline. The use of this fuel brings with it many technical challenges which students from different disciplines at TU Delft are tasked to find ways to conquer. The ultimate college final then unfolds for them on the racetrack.

As environmental awareness continues to grow, racing using bio-fuel is becoming a very hot topic, and one which embodies a large field of interest. The Nova Bike team understands this and therefore aims to design and build a motorcycle from the wheels up.
The use of bio-fuel brings comes with many technical challenges that TU Delft students are challenged to overcome.
The use of bio-fuel brings comes with many technical challenges that TU Delft students are challenged to overcome.


"I will be working on the CAD-design and production of the bodywork," commented Van Hout. "Last semester I studied in the United States, where I was able to gain advanced knowledge in composite flight structures. The knowledge I gained will be of exceptional value during the production of Nova Bike 03, as a large part of the bodywork is made out of carbon fiber composites."

Van Hout became involved with the Nova Bike Racing Team through Wolf Cavens, Wolf was part of last year's Nova Bike 02 team, and also works on the design and construction of Nova Bike 03. Wolf also hand-picked Stefan Brone for the team. Brone's responsibilities include researching ways to optimize the Nova Bike's intake system. He also plays a large role in the promotion of the Nova Bike project.
For the student based Nova Bike Race team at Delft University of Technology, building a bio-fuel motorcycle is nothing short of rocket science.
For the student based Nova Bike Race team at Delft University of Technology, building a bio-fuel motorcycle is nothing short of rocket science.


I have always been very interested in everything that is designed to go fast. It is also for this reason that the concept behind Nova Bike was so very intriguing to me," said Brone. "Last year I chose to do my 'minor' in Nova Bike and in that way I was able to combine this experience with my studies."

Nova Bike was first on display in 2011 at the annual Motorcycle Exhibition held in Utrecht, Netherlands. The yearly exhibition is a way for fans and professionals to gather and kick-off the new motorcycle season. Last season the sheer amount of new motorcycles and new designs nearly rendered the Nova Bike invisible, this year though as interest in the project has grown, members of the team were bombarded by inquisitive visitors interested in the bike's latest developments. Curiosity has risen to the point where many experienced, highly skilled and respected motorcycle fanatics, chimed in this time around with a lot of useful tips.

Piloting the all new Nova Bike 03 for several races during the 2012 campaign will be former GP rider, Hugo van den Berg. Due to his obligations as editor of Motor Magazine, Randy van der Wal will not always be able to ride Nova Bike as he did last year.

"It was Motor Magazine that informed me about the proposition of racing the Nova Bike, said Hugo van den Berg. "To me it seemed a very fun challenge. I am very curious about the feeling of this bike and what the advantages are of riding on bio-fuel."

The Dutch Championship Super Mono series gets underway April 9th.

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