The Wolfast UniOvi team has unveiled its motorbike entry for the MotoStudent IV competition. As the team’s main sponsor, Axalta Coating Systems has supplied the students with the latest technology waterborne refinish paint, and helped them to paint the prototype. The collaboration was carried out in preparation for the bike’s official presentation at the University of Oviedo on 4 October 2016 and its participation at the races from 5 to 9 October 2016.

Every year, MotoStudent challenges university students around the world to design and to manufacture motorbike prototypes in one of two categories – 250cc four-stroke engine and fully electric – which then go head to head in a race at the Motorland World Championship Aragón Circuit in Spain. This year’s competition has attracted 55 entrants from across Europe and South America. The Wolfast UniOvi team has already assessed the performance of its prototype in a test race on the CISvial circuit at Langreo, Spain, between 1 and 3 October 2016.

At the official presentation of the Wolfast UniOvi motorbike on the Gijón campus of the University of Oviedo, the students who designed and built it gave a brief presentation of its technical features and innovations, discussed the team and its chances in the competition.

“Axalta has been delighted to support the Wolfast UniOvi team for their entry in the MotoStudent IV competition,” says Kolja Hosch, Head of Country Human Resources for Axalta in Europe, Middle East and Africa. “We wanted to help them not only ensure the prototype looks good when it makes its debut, but also ensure that the paint didn’t add too much additional weight to the motorbike, which is important when it is put through its paces on the track at the Championship.”

The Wolfast UniOvi team consists of 22 students and two lecturers from the school of engineering at the University of Oviedo. Axalta’s participation with the MotoStudent team is part of a greater engagement with the University of Oviedo. The company’s partnership agreement with the University also sees Axalta offer four, six-month internships to students from different disciplines.

Hosch says, “Supporting this team is part of a worldwide effort by Axalta to help students who seek to innovate and to apply their skills in developing new technical, scientific and engineering solutions. It is just one of the many activities Axalta carries out to promote learning in the so-called STEM subjects of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math. We wish the Wolfast UniOvi team all the best in the final competition race.”