A Calor LPG powered All Terrain Vehicle (ATV) from Taylor & Braithwaite made a successful debut at Weston-Super-Mare recently when it took part in the 21st annual Beach Race.
The Yamaha Grizzly 660 ATV was unique in that it was the only bike in the racing event to be powered by Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG). Cumbrian-based agricultural engineering company, Taylor & Braithwaite, were responsible for undertaking the conversion.
At the race, the Grizzly went head to head with 470 other vehicles to prove its endurance and reliability. Held annually, the event attracts bike fans from across the UK and Europe who chance their luck on the gruelling four-mile circuit.
This was the first year that race organisers welcomed an LPG powered vehicle and its performance didn’t disappoint. The bike came an impressive 105th out of almost 500 starters in an event where more than half failed to finish, and in its 4x4 category, it came 8th out of over 30 similar machines.
LPG is a cheaper and greener fuel that is being favoured by many ATV users because it offers similar performance benefits to that of petrol but with diesel economy.
The Grizzly’s overall performance was comparable to that of its petrol rivals, and during the three-hour duration of the race it was re-fuelled just twice from the designated pit stop, which housed two 18kg cylinders of Calor LPG. The ATV completed 16 laps the equivalent of 64 very demanding miles of sand dunes and jumps.
Taylor & Braithwaite has been an ATV dealer for a number of years and the company has vast experience of converting ATVs to run on gas for hill farmers and game keepers. Paul Taylor from the company says: “The Yamaha bikes are strong and reliable and we knew that the gas converted Grizzly wouldn’t let us down so decided to put it forward for the competition to prove the overall reliability of the gas conversions we install.
“The four wheel drive models consistently outperformed rival machines with their large wheels, powerful engines and dual range transmission, and unlike many other vehicles in the race it didn’t break down once or get stuck on the demanding course.
Birmingham-based HKL GASPOWER also played an important role in the vehicle’s LPG technology. The company, together with Taylor & Braithwaite, jointly developed the efficient LPG powered Small Engine Injection (SEI) system, which incorporates the latest technology to meet Euro 4 emission requirements for outdoor and indoor use. It is a cost effective solution that improves engine performance, longevity and maintenance, with one of the main advantages being minimal loss in power.
The system also provides many benefits for ATVs including:
• Emission control
• Fast, reliable engine start up
• Quick and simple installation
All of which helped to take the Yamaha Grizzly to success at this years event.
Bike rider, Stephen Atkinson from Taylor & Braithwaite says: “I have been riding ATVs competitively for almost five years and I couldn’t notice any difference at all with the bike’s performance and it ran just as effectively as a petrol vehicle.”
Calor’s customer support manager, Andy Mainwaring, is delighted that the bike achieved such success. He says: “I’m delighted with its overall performance and feel confident that the ATV will perform even better at next year’s event.”
During its 70 years of supplying LPG, Calor has gained extensive experience and technical expertise in this particular sector. Delivery is taken care of by the largest supply network in the UK and one of the largest fleets of delivery tankers in Europe.
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