Isle of Man TT star Guy Martin is one of the very few blessed guys lucky enough to be invited to take a ride aboard the exclusivist Britten V1000 superbike. The event was hosted by New Zealand’s Manfeild Autocourse on the outskirts of Palmerston North, on the North Island.
We must thank the Sound of Thunder 2015 John Britten Tribute event in Christchurch, New Zealand for this very rare occasion, as it looks like Martin was asked to test one of the two working Britten machines which will take part in a race. As we already told you, John Britten only managed to build ten V1000 motorcycles before he passed away in 1995, and this makes these bikes exceptionally rare and worth around $250,000 (€215,000)… when and most importantly IF they go under the hammer.
A winning superbike built in Britten’s shed
John Britten built these bikes all by himself, and with some help from friends. Given the design of the V1000 and its ”barn build” character, this machine is a mind-boggling proof of creative engineering. Brittens have no chassis, at least not the type of chassis most of us think of. The engine is a fully-stressed part, with the girder/Hossack fork and the swingarm made from carbon fiber… by John. The carbon wheels are also an in-house creation.
As Guy Martin says, the V1000 reacts better than modern bikes at the transition between braking and throttling out of a turn, and this requires a bit of practice. The peculiar suspensions play a major role in the road stance of the Britten V1000, but we already knew that the traditional forks are far from ideal. If you need further proof, check out our extensive coverage on the Geco, the shape-shifting motorcycle.
We only hope that someone with a better camera records the amazing sound of this v-twin race beast, as the tonal character of this bike is pure aural bliss. Can you imagine the roar of a v-twin revving at 11,000 rpm, which is what the Britten V1000 is capable of doing?
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