REVVED UP. Two Indian Motorcycle engines donated by Polaris will be studied by mechanical engineering students at UW-Stout thanks to a professorship awarded to Devin Berg, pictured. (Photos via UW-Stout)

Students in the mechanical engineering program at UW-Stout soon will be hearing the words commonly announced at the start of motorsport races, “Start your engines!”

Two new Indian Motorcycle engines, one air-cooled and one liquid-cooled, were donated to the program by the manufacturer, Polaris, along with a collection of associated components. The collaboration is the result of a project by Professor Devin Berg, who is developing an engine testing system and stand to control the motors for in-class demonstrations and lab experiments.

“The test stand will allow students and faculty to explore the operating conditions of each type of engine and test different control models,” Berg said.

The engines and stand setup will have a dynamometer to duplicate speed and torque; a data system to monitor performance; handlebars for throttle and clutch control; and electronic feedback on such things as oil temperature and pressure, coolant temperature, and intake air temperature.

Berg’s work is the result of receiving the John “Jed” Copham Memorial Professorship, in memory of Copham, a 1997 industrial technology graduate who owned Brainerd International Raceway in Brainerd, Minnesota. The professorship supports faculty and staff in the engineering and technology department, with preference for projects that have a connection to automobiles or motorsports.

Berg received the professorship in 2023 and has received it again this year, with $11,800 in funding. He has employed two students, Charles Lenk, a senior from Amery, and Lucas Lirette, a senior from North Prairie, to help design the stand.

Mechanical engineering majors Charles Lenk, left, and Lucas Lirette work on the motorcycle engine stand in an engineering lab.

Berg’s project will enhance learning in existing courses. It also could lead to new courses and additional collaborations with Polaris, the Minnesota-based company that also makes snowmobiles, off-road vehicles, pontoons, and more.

“This project has already had an impact on the career progression of Charles and Lucas, and as it develops a much larger number of students will be impacted as well,” Berg said.

Berg is one of eight professors who have been awarded a professorship or endowed chair award through the UW-Stout Foundation and Alumni Association. Another five professors have been granted sabbaticals for research during the 2024-25 academic year.

Professorships and endowed chairs are prestigious positions awarded to high-performing faculty to help them improve their areas of teaching expertise through professional development.

Faculty must apply for the awards, which are based on recommendations made by the Named Professorship Committee and are approved by Chancellor Katherine Frank. Use of the stipends must meet state guidelines and be approved by the Universities of Wisconsin.

Read the full media release from UW-Stout online.