RIDING IMPRESSION

The phone rings. A voice on the other side says the sweet words any aspiring moto-journo type likes to hear; "We've got a bike for you to test" I pull out my notebook and took down the directions. Camera, notepad and tape recorder in hand I headed out. Downtown - to a mysterious shop.

I wasn't heading down blind. The half-finished spec sheet had me drooling. Trellis frame, spoke wheels,and ultra, ultra low weight.

Under a cover the bike sat waiting for my eager eyes and polished words to give it the fame it so richly deserved. Was this the successor to the late great John Britten? A soul who had worked feverishly and silently to create a world beating motorcycle?

The builder grinned broadly and then pulled the cover off. I was amazed - the motorcycle was tiny simplistic. Very airy. Styling cues didn't make sense though: the seat looked like a shrunken version of the one Uncle Bob had on his '45 Harley, the handlebars were a flat- drag style type, the tires were extremely skinny and slightly knobby like those found on a GS BMW. The bike was a hardtail, front and rear, relying on the compressibility of its tires to provide suspension action. Sitting on the bike, it screamed pure sportbike with its ass up, head down, riding position.

What about the motor? Funny you should mention that. What first appearsto be an ingenious variable height floorboard mechanism was something called "pedals". Unfortunately pedal is not only a noun but a verb. The pedals attached to a "crank" which was directly attached via chain to the rear tire. Check out the pre -production model pictured below and it'll make more sense to you. Even more odd was the 18 speed (yes, you read that right) transmission that was located primarily on the rear tire.

These "pedals" attach to the rider who moves his feet down and around. Get them in sync and voila forward motion is achieved. How fast you "pedal" (thus the verb) determines speed

Get it? The motor is you. If you don't understand after a long up hill section you will. Sure the bike weights only 20lbs but then you add 200lbs of rider and safety equipment on board and your power to weight ratio goes to hell in a big hurry.

Goddam it why do I always get the crap assignments? Penance for making fun of Concours I suppose.

As I get to the top of said hill I turn around and begin coasting back down. The brakes work, badly. In fact, you could say the brakes don't work. I found this out the hardest way possible: by running a red light right in front of a cop.

I pullover ready to take my medicine. Where are the insurance papers on this thing. Hell, there's not even a license plate on it. This tickets going to hurt.

The cop didn't flinch. He calmly drove by. Was he blind? Who cares, I'll take it.

Not familiar with this section of town I accidentally take off up a one way street, by yet another officer. No response. Does this bike make me invisible? Time to experiment. I hop up on the sidewalk brushing small children, household pets and a few nuns off into traffic. Still no ticket. Block length wheelies, across four lanes of traffic, the wrong way up the street, while lane splitting, drew no action from the boys in blue. Neither did big stoppies in front of the donut shop. Maybe a burnout would draw a response but I don't have the power to smoke up the back tire.

 

Hot damn. Sure it's got no power and marginal brakes, a hatchet blade for a seat. But this thing is light and turns with the quickness of thought. Not that the tires will allow you knee dragging lean angles but you can put the front tire anywhere you want. Plus this bike is really good off-road. Super-low gearing allows you to "trial - ride" over almost any obstacle. And if you can't ride around it pick the bike up and carry it with you - try that on your XR 600. This thing is nearing perfection...................................

And just imagine if we could get an R1 motor stuffed into her. Big power, light, light weight and complete immunity from the rules of the road.