'O2 Pursuit' - air-powered motorbike
A clean and green motorcycle prototype designed RMIT University student Dean Benstead was unveiled at the 2011 Sydney Motorcycle and Scooter Show.
Dean, a final-year Bachelor of Design (Industrial Design) student, has designed and developed the O2 Pursuit, a functional prototype of a motorcross bike that is fuelled purely by compressed air.
Using the Di Pietro air engine developed by Angelo Di Pietro of Engineair Australia, the O2 Pursuit is based on the geometry of a 250cc motocrosser.
Dean said the project aimed to explore the future of motorcycles, looking at air as a genuine alternative to petrol and electricity.
“It’s about what the bike represents; it’s not about performance engineering but about stretching my capabilities as a designer and imagining what the future might hold for sustainable motorcycle design,” he said.
“The years I spent as a child riding dirt bikes inspired this design, a motocross bike based around the Engineair engine.
“Developing the working prototype involved balancing many design elements to get the bike functional and show-ready, but also meet budget, functionality, tight timelines and skill requirements.
“My studies at RMIT have enabled me to develop my work and get it noticed by industry leaders, who have become involved in the design process and reviewed my final project outcomes.
“I’ve been heavily involved in product and transport design throughout my years at university and with further product design experience consulting for industry during my studies; I’m looking forward to working in these areas once I graduate.”
Preliminary testing has shown that the O2 Pursuit can hit speeds in excess of 100kmh. Running gear from a WR250R was donated by Yamaha Motor Australia.
Industrial Design lecturer Simon Curlis said the project came out of the RMIT Ecomoto design studio, the only motorcycle-specific design studio in Australia.
“The studio gives students the chance to develop their ideas into feasible concepts, through the full process of understanding the market and sustainability objectives then using CAD development and rapid prototyping to realise creative potential.”
Dean's interview with The Age
