Sarolea Racing SP7 TT Zero Racer Revealed

Dennis Chung
by Dennis Chung

Belgium’s oldest motorcycle brand Saroléa is back with its new SP7 electric racebike that will compete in the Isle of Man‘s TT Zero race and the FIM‘s eRoadRacing World Cup.

“The Isle of Man TT is the most prestigious motorcycle race in the world. Its 37.73 Mile laps also make it the most challenging event for both rider and machine,” says Torsten Robbens, Saroléa Racing project manager. “The TT Zero testing program will focus on optimising the race strategy and aerodynamic efficiency. The combination of the TT Zero challenge and the FIM world cup represents a really ambitious racing programme for us.”

Saroléa has a long history dating back to 1850 when it was a weapons manufacturer. The company eventually shifted to producing bicycles and motorcycles, and had some motocross racing success in the ’50s but soon got folded into the Gillet Herstal company in 1963.

Five decades later, the Saroléa name is back, now venturing into the electric motorcycle segment with the SP7. The Saroléa SP7 uses a axial flux motor wrapped in a carbon fiber monotube chassis. The powertrain was developed by Thijs De Ridder who raced his race-winning DR Motors electric bike in the 2010 FIM e-Power series.

Suspension components are provided by WP while Brembo supplies the brake calipers. The forged Marchesini wheels are clad in tires from Bridgestone which is also a technical partner in the project.

Saroléa has signed Robert Wilson to ride the SP7 in the TT Zero. The Scottish rider made his Isle of Man TT debut in 2011, recording five top-20 finishes in three years including a career-best 13th in the 2012 Supersport race. De Ridder will ride the SP7 in the eRoadRacing World Cup.

[Source: Isle of Man TT]

Dennis Chung
Dennis Chung

Dennis has been a part of the Motorcycle.com team since 2008, and through his tenure, has developed a firm grasp of industry trends, and a solid sense of what's to come. A bloodhound when it comes to tracking information on new motorcycles, if there's a new model on the horizon, you'll probably hear about it from him first.

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