Pulse 500
Encyclopedia
The Pulse GP team was formed by Dave Stewart, ex-team manager of BSL. Stewart had left BSL at the end of 2000 with the intention of setting up his own European-based GP team the following year. The Pulse 500 competed in the 2001 500 cc World Championship
.
The team purchased the Muz 500
, a two-stroke V4 machine which had competed in the 1999 500 cc Championship. The machines, while fast and showing potential in 1999, had been technically unchanged since then and as such were two years behind the opposition in development. The Pulse team was also severely underfunded and with no major sponsor, so no pre-season testing or development work was carried out on the bikes.
Having worked with Mark Willis on the BSL, team manager Stewart offered him a seat on the Pulse. The second rider was Jason Vincent who had spent several seasons in the 250 cc class, finishing 11th in that class in the previous year. Both riders faced an uphill struggle with the Pulse however, and were usually relegated to the back of the grid. Development of the bike was practically stagnant: plans were made to replace the original Mikuni carburettors with Keihins, but this never happened.
The bike only achieved one point-scoring race, ridden by Willis at the Italian GP, finishing 13th. Vincent, though consistently a better qualifier, had a best race result of 16th.
Finally, the financial pressure became too great for the team and it was not to see out the full season, withdrawing in July 2001 before the Czech GP. In total the Pulse 500 raced in 9 of the 16 races of the season.
2001 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season
This article recaps the 2001 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season.-Season summary:2001 was the end of the 500 cc era in Grand Prix motorcycle racing; in 2002 the premier class would be renamed MotoGP and dominated by 4-stroke 990 cc machines. However, 2001 was the beginning of another era, that of...
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The team purchased the Muz 500
Muz 500
The Muz 500 was a motorcycle that competed in the and 500 cc Road Racing World Championship.-Muz 500:The Muz 500 started out as essentially the same machine as the ELF 500 ROC. The Muz 500 competed in the 500 cc World Championship in 1998 and 1999...
, a two-stroke V4 machine which had competed in the 1999 500 cc Championship. The machines, while fast and showing potential in 1999, had been technically unchanged since then and as such were two years behind the opposition in development. The Pulse team was also severely underfunded and with no major sponsor, so no pre-season testing or development work was carried out on the bikes.
Riders
- Mark Willis (AUS)
- Jason Vincent (GBR)
Having worked with Mark Willis on the BSL, team manager Stewart offered him a seat on the Pulse. The second rider was Jason Vincent who had spent several seasons in the 250 cc class, finishing 11th in that class in the previous year. Both riders faced an uphill struggle with the Pulse however, and were usually relegated to the back of the grid. Development of the bike was practically stagnant: plans were made to replace the original Mikuni carburettors with Keihins, but this never happened.
The bike only achieved one point-scoring race, ridden by Willis at the Italian GP, finishing 13th. Vincent, though consistently a better qualifier, had a best race result of 16th.
Finally, the financial pressure became too great for the team and it was not to see out the full season, withdrawing in July 2001 before the Czech GP. In total the Pulse 500 raced in 9 of the 16 races of the season.
Specifications
| Pulse 500 Specifications | ||
|---|---|---|
| Engine Type: | 2-stroke water-cooled V4 | |
| Displacement: | 499.27 cc | |
| Max Power: | 200 BHP @ 12500 rpm | |
| Carburation Type: | 4 Mikuni carbs | |
| Ignition: | CDI digital | |
| Clutch: | Dry multiple discs | |
| Transmission: | 6-speed cassette type | |
| Final Drive: | Chain | |
| Frame Type: | Twin spar aluminum | |
| Suspension: | Front: Inverted telescopic Rear: Ohlins mono shock |
|
| Tyres: | Michelin | |
| Wheel: | Front: 3.5 x 17 inches Rear: 6.0 x 17 inches |
|
| Brake System: | Front: Carbon composite disc (320 mm), Nissin 4 pot calipers Rear: steel disc (220 mm) |
|
| Overall Length: | 2040 mm | |
| Overall Width: | 490 mm | |
| Wheelbase: | 1410 mm | |
| Weight: | 129 kg (without tank) | |
| Fuel Tank: | 35L | |