Electric motorcycle from LUT University wins free practice at Kymi Ring in Finland

A developed electric motorcycle from LUT University in Lappeenranta achieved its best lap time to date last August. The JHC Ukkonen motorcycle completed a 4.5-kilometer track with a time of 2:02 during free practice at the Kymi Ring racetrack. The electric motorcycle, competing against the Dutch Twente University team, secured victory with Twente finishing at 2:16. Eemeli Lahti, the 2024 Finnish champion in motorcycle racing, was the rider for Ukkonen. Electric motorcycles were tested alongside traditional gasoline-powered ones.

Marko Kasurinen, the development manager at LUT University, experienced a thrilling moment as Lahti sped ahead of gasoline motorcycles. “Eemeli went ahead of the gas bikes during practice. For 40 seconds, the track was dark from the pit’s perspective, and then Eemeli emerged still ahead of others. It was an amazing feeling,” Kasurinen noted.

The JHC Ukkonen was built by students at LUT University and the LAB University of Applied Sciences. The initial concept for the motorcycle came from Martti “Simo” Solja, a Finnish motorcycle racing champion, who suggested creating an electric racing motorcycle based on a similar device he encountered created by a Dutch team.

The motorcycle is currently in its third version, with improvements made each year. “Devices intended for racing are never quite finished or fast enough. We started with the aim of making it better annually. The previous iterations made significant leaps, but this version has reached a level of refinement through evolution. Now we focus on fine-tuning,” stated Kasurinen.

Notably, Ukkonen has a top speed of around 240 kilometers per hour, while a typical 600cc gasoline motorcycle can reach up to 270 kilometers per hour. Despite its performance, Ukkonen will not be commercially produced, as the university prioritizes learning and potential research knowledge over market sales.