This is a Britten V1000 replica project motorcycle that the builder has taken great care to get (visually) as close as possible to the original – one of the most venerated privateer motorcycle designs of the 1990s.
The original Britten V1000 used a bespoke V-twin developed by John Britton in New Zealand, this one uses a KTM LC8 V-twin engine. The front and rear suspension has been fabricated after studying high-quality images of the original bike, and the bodywork you see on the bike at the moment is actually the mold that can be used to create a set of replica body parts.
Fast Facts – A Britten V1000 Replica
- This project motorcycle is a replica of the original Britten V1000, one of the most revered privateer racing bikes of the 1990s. It has a KTM LC8 V-twin engine, custom-fabricated suspension, and a bodywork mold ready to produce replica panels, making it a close homage to the original.
- Developed in New Zealand, the Britten V1000 was a revolutionary, independently designed superbike with a 998.7cc V-twin engine, innovative suspension, and a frameless structure. Britten’s unique engineering approach allowed him to implement cutting-edge design choices without corporate constraints, resulting in a lightweight, high-performance machine.
- The Britten V1000 shocked the racing world by finishing 2nd and 3rd at Daytona’s Battle of the Twins in 1991 and winning in Assen in 1992. Only 10 were ever built, and John Britten would pass away from cancer in 1995.
- This partially completed replica, featuring a KTM LC8 engine for practicality, is available on eBay from a UK-based seller with a 100% positive rating. Though unfinished, it retains the Britten V1000’s distinctive design and engineering ethos, possibly making it an appealing project for enthusiasts.
The Britten V1000: A History Speedrun
The Britten V1000 is one of the most storied motorcycles of the past 30 years. It’s a David and Goliath story about an engineer from New Zealand who designed and completely new superbike, right down to casting his own engine, took on the best in the world, and beat them at their own game.
Above Video: This short film was made in the mid-1990s before John Britten’s untimely death. It provides a good look at the V1000 including some race footage.
The Britten V1000 was developed in Christchurch, New Zealand by engineer John Britten and a group of like-minded friends. It was a blank slate design that incorporated the best engineering practices of the day.
Because John Britten wasn’t working for a major motorcycle brand he didn’t have to use a pre-existing engine or try to convince a board of directors on risky engineering choices – he could just implement them.
He developed a new liquid-cooled V-twin engine with a bank angle of 60º and a displacement of 998.7cc. It was fitted with double overhead cams and four valves per cylinder, as well as an integral 5-speed transmission. The engine was designed to be strong enough to be load bearing, and as a result the V1000 didn’t have a traditional frame – the key components were mounted right to the engine.
An unusual double wishbone front suspension design was developed, along with a rear monoshock that’s mounted in front of the engine and operated via a pull rod system. The V1000 made extensive use of carbon fiber to keep weight down, tipping the scales at just 138 kgs (303.6 lbs) when ready to race.
The engine was good for 166 bhp at a screaming 11,800 rpm, with a maximum engine speed of 12,500 rpm and a top speed of 303 km/h or 188 mph.
“It’s an easy bike to ride, in the sense it’s got a very wide power delivery, but to really get top performance, you have to ride it like a grand prix bike…And having ridden all the superbike contenders in the world today, I can say that the Britten is the closest to a grand prix bike…It’s incredibly ironic that instead of Europe or Japan, the most sophisticated and technically advanced motorcycle in the world comes from New Zealand” – Alan Cathcart, Motorcycle Journalist
This is John Britten with one of the 10 V1000s. This bike would shock the world by taking on the best motorcycle manufacturers of the time and beating them fair and square.
The V1000 competed at the Battle of the Twins at Daytona in the USA in 1991, shocking the world by taking 2nd and 3rd. It would return a year later in 1992 and win the Battle of the Twins held in Assen in the Netherlands.
The Britten became a legend in its own lifetime, it won a few more events and took some additional podium places, just 10 would be made in total before John Britten’s untimely death in 1995 from a skin cancer related illness.
If you would like to watch a full-length documentary about John Britten and the V1000 you can see it here on NZ on Screen.
The Britten V1000 Replica Project Shown Here
The motorcycle you see here is a Britten V1000 replica that is partly completed, with the majority of the hard work (arguably) finished already.
There’s still plenty to do of course, like mold the body sections from the provided plugs, but even in its current condition any motorcyclist worth their salt will be able to tell you what it is.
It’s clear that there’s still plenty of work to do, but an experienced individual (or team) shouldn’t have too much trouble getting it done and on the road.
The use of an original Britten engine was obviously not possible, so this replica is powered by a KTM LC8 V-twin. This seems like a sensible choice for a bike that will be ridden regularly, and it fits the styling of the original V1000 reasonably closely.
The bike is now being offered for sale on eBay out of the United Kingdom from a seller with a 100% positive rating (from 1,264 transactions). If you’d like to read more about it or place a bid you can visit the listing here.
Images courtesy of eBay Motors + Gibbo 675
Articles that Ben has written have been covered on CNN, Popular Mechanics, Smithsonian Magazine, Road & Track Magazine, the official Pinterest blog, the official eBay Motors blog, BuzzFeed, Autoweek Magazine, Wired Magazine, Autoblog, Gear Patrol, Jalopnik, The Verge, and many more.
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