The team’s first ever electric dirtbike plans to debut Spring 2027.
Benjamin Gozzi - Gazette contributor
BLACKSBURG, Va. - Virginia Tech’s Battery Operated Land Transportation (BOLT) motorcycle team has begun development on the program’s first-ever electric dirtbike, the news coinciding with the team’s 15th anniversary.
Unlike the team’s regularly constructed electric superbikes, the electric dirtbike promises to provide the student-led engineering design team with new challenges as development begins.
“The dirt bike project pushes us to continue to innovate as we design a bike with significantly tighter size constraints, waterproofing requirements, the need to traverse rough offroad terrain, and plans to pit-swap battery packs mid-race,” says Hannah Tripoli, a fifth-year engineering student working towards a Master’s of Science in Mechanical Engineering at Virginia Tech. “We’ve set our sights on this year’s brand new challenge of creating a dirt bike, using our entire bank of race-bike knowledge to tackle a completely unique project.”
As a member of BOLT’s senior design team, Tripoli’s main focus has been placed on the safety and development of the dirtbike, which has yet to be named.
“This year, our seniors are focusing on four of the most integral components of the bike: the frame, the battery packs, the swingarm (which attaches the rear wheel to the frame), and the main controls system,” says Tripoli.
Yet, as the bike is expected to take two years to develop, the endeavor is not reserved entirely for senior students.
“However, with the size constraints we have, it is vital that we think ahead and ensure that we are making plans for all of our components, so that next year’s seniors are able to successfully integrate everything together and complete the bike,” said the fifth-year. “To this end, many components of the bike outside of these four integral parts have also been designed with the help of the rest of the underclassmen members of our team.”
BOLT sped onto the engineering team scene in Blacksburg in 2011 with “BOLT I,” the team’s inaugural electric superbike. In the 15 years since first competing in the American Historic Racing Motorcycle Association eMotoRacing competition, the team has debuted five technologically advanced superbikes, all with their own unique innovations and electrical strength.
For BOLT President and Chassis Engineer Charlie Steinman, the growth of the BOLT program suggests that students are continuing to pursue creative opportunities to display their engineering talents.
“I’ve been proud to watch BOLT grow not only in size but also technical advancement. This year, our fall recruitment was the most competitive I have ever seen, with over 200 applicants and 50 new members welcomed to the team,” said Steinman, who is pursuing a Master’s of Science in Mechanical Engineering alongside Tripoli. “Seeing the excitement about our team continuing to grow each semester is a testament to the originality of our projects and the team culture we have built.”
Overseeing the BOLT design team is Dr. Rick Clark, an instructor who teaches courses within Virginia Tech’s Department of Mechanical Engineering. His role as the engineering team’s faculty advisor has allowed for Clark to see exponential growth in a short time. Listen below.
TAGS: Engineering, Virginia Tech, Campus Life, Innovation, Student Projects, STEM