Polimi Motorcycle Factory
PMF: POLIMI-MOTORCYCLE-FACTORY
About us:
Polimi Motorcycle Factory (PMF) is a student racing team from the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Politecnico di Milano, established in 2015. The team was founded to participate in the international university competition MotoStudent, which welcomes institutions from around the world. The team is composed of students from a wide range of academic backgrounds.
During the 2023 season, PMF continued its tradition of innovation by developing two new prototypes: S.T.U.K.A. and Tatanka. After months of hard work, both bikes were unveiled at the seventh edition of MotoStudent, where Tatanka earned a remarkable second place in the Electric category an impressive achievement for only the team’s second entry in that class.
This year, the team has already started working on the next generation of motorcycles for MotoStudent 2025. With students from diverse academic backgrounds, PMF continues to combine academic knowledge with real-world engineering to design, develop, and race high-performance motorcycles from scratch.
Our goals:
Building upon the experience gained from the development of our previous prototype, Tatanka, we have set ambitious objectives for the current season. Several key areas have been identified for targeted improvement, particularly in the battery pack, electric frame, and cooling system.
One major advancement involves the battery pack. This year, we transitioned from cylindrical cells to pouch cells, a strategic shift that resulted in a weight reduction of more than 50%. This dramatic decrease directly benefits the motorcycle’s overall performance, especially under race conditions where weight efficiency is critical.
In parallel, we made significant progress in the structural design by replacing the traditional aluminium frame with a full carbon fiber solution. Both the molds and the final frame were designed and manufactured internally at Politecnico di Milano. This change not only reduces weight but also improves rigidity and dynamic handling.
Finally, a new cooling system based on the latent heat of ice has been introduced. Effective thermal management is essential to protect the electric motor from demagnetization by maintaining it within an optimal temperature range. This innovation enhances both endurance and reliability throughout race conditions.
Together, these developments reflect PMF’s drive to push technical boundaries while ensuring that every component from electronics to mechanical systems contributes to a high-performance, race-ready motorcycle.
The collaboration with Eurocircuits:
A crucial contributor to this effort is our sponsor EuroCircuits, whose support plays a key role in enabling the realization of the electrical components within our prototype. Their assistance in the production of high-quality printed circuit boards (PCBs) significantly enhances our ability to develop reliable and efficient electronics, reinforcing the technical foundation of our electric motorcycle.
As part of our ongoing commitment to innovation and system integration, the development of in-house electronics continues to be a central pillar of the Polimi Motorcycle Factory’s engineering strategy. Among these, the Electronic Control Unit (ECU) plays a vital role in ensuring both the safety and performance of the motorcycle.
Designed and developed entirely by team members, the ECU not only serves as a key element in managing high-voltage safety protocols but also functions as the central node for various control and monitoring tasks. The ECU’s development showcases the team’s ambition to engineer a cohesive and customized electronic architecture—one that meets the demanding standards of high-performance electric motorcycle racing. Every feature is purpose-built, ensuring that all systems work seamlessly together in a fully optimized package.
For more information please visit the Polimi Motorcycle Factory website.
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