Workhorse Speed Shop has been developing the 2019 Sultans of Sprint, Indian Motorcycle Scout Bobber, ‘Appaloosa’. The team will be taking Appaloosa v2.0 – an updated version of its drag racer to freezing Siberia, for the 2020 Baikal Ice Speed Festival.
Appaloosa v2 – Ready for Baikal Ice
Appaloosa v2.0 is the new name of the modified Scout Bobber dragster, that was originally raced at the Sultans of Sprint Championship in 2019. Featuring a host of radical upgrades, the latest incarnation of Appaloosa is equipped to deal with the frigid desert setting, that Baikal Mile sprint offers. Temperatures vary wildly from -40ºC at night to -20ºC during the day which presents several challenges for the team.
Owner/creator of Workhorse Speed and Appaloosa v2.0 Brice Hennebert had this to say about the new challenges;
“The feeling is crazy, it’s a bit like going racing on the moon. There’s absolutely no reference point, we go to a desert of ice in Siberia where it can be -40°C at night -20°C during the day. I’m super excited and a bit lost at the same time as we have no idea what to expect.”
Appaloosa v2 – Cold Hard Upgrades
Hennebert has continued to work with partners involved in the original custom build to meet the extreme conditions of the Siberian climate. Those partners include Akrapovič, Beringer Brakes, Dunlop Europe, Evok3 Performance, Motorex, Öhlins and with tunning consultation from Flybike.
Upgrades to the Scout Bobber, drag strip racer include; special tyre studs, fitted to the Dunlop SportSmart Mk3 tyres to provide traction on the ice. Painstakingly, they were hand-fitted by Workhorse chief mechanic, Dorsan over the course of four days.
A Nitrous Express setup replaces the Nitrous Oxide System for consistency of performance and enhanced power. To protect against engine cooling in the severe cold, the “mouth” of the fairing has been blocked off. Additionally, with the same intention, a new carbon fibre nose cap and more modest cooling intakes have been added to the side fairings.
Öhlins Racing has upgraded the full suspension set, with a steering damper to afford greater stability at the higher speeds, which are set to be experienced at Baikal.
“This will be an extraordinary adventure for us all, what can I say? I feel excited to race on ice for the first time, honoured to ride the IndianxWorkhorse Appaloosa…”
Sébastien Lorentz – pilot of Appaloosa v2.0, owner of Lucky Cat Garage and organiser of Sultans of Sprint
Last but certainly not least, the team considered that with the addition of the studs, there was likely to be an increase of ice debris directed back towards the cockpit. To that end, within the fairing, the wheels have been sealed off to aid visibility and protect the pilot, Sébastien Lorentz. He’s incidentally, the organiser of the Sultans of Sprint Championship and a good friend of Brice.
Confident and Excited
Appaloosa v2.0 pilot, Sebastian is excited about the prospect of racing on ice for the first, saying; “I can’t wait to see what we can achieve with that beast in such crazy riding conditions. I think we are well prepared, and we’ll all give our best to achieve a great result.”
With the new parts and challenges, the team has decided to mark the occasion with a new paint scheme – designed by Benny Maxwell from Axesent, Japan and deftly applied by Matthias from Moto Peinture. It looks as though the team has opted for an icy silver finish as the shot of the fairing shows
See the latest images of Appaloosa V2.0 below
Baikal Ice Speed Festival 2020
Taking place on the 27th March this will be the second Baikal Ice Speed Festival. The first took place in March 2019. Following the first; a highly animated response has seen the return of the festival for 2020.
The runaway success of the festival plausibly lies in the uniqueness of the location, its dedication to pure speed. Probably too, the downright eccentric nature of the event. It seems likely that, Baikal will become an annual feature on the Motorsport calendar.
A variety of vehicles will take to the ice, to set the fastest speed records for various classes. Races will take place over ⅛-mile and 1-mile of specially cleared ice tracks – which are bound to test the limits of competing machines.
Ice Vehicle Shenanigans
Festival-goers can also expect to see a spectacle of vehicles indulging in stunt riding, drifting, drag racing, flat tracking and motocross freestyling. Of course, with the added exhilaration it all takes place on the ice.
Approaching Biakal with Pragmatism
Workhorse Speed Shop is excited to experience racing on ice, for the first time. Nevertheless, it’s approaching this ice escapade with pragmatism.
With just a few days before the flight, I’m focussing on the practical aspects, but I know this journey will be one of the most insane experiences of my life.
The team’s progress can be followed on social media using the hashtag #IndianxWorkhorse. Expect to see full images of the completed Appaloosa v2.0 build when the team reaches Baikal towards the end of February.
Shenanigans at 2020’s Bikal Ice Speed festival took place between 27 February and 01 March.
Update – Workhorse team with Appaloosa V2.0 in Baikal
Image Credits:
- Appaloosa images by Dutch Ground Media
