Quick Ride
QUICK RIDE
YELEN FZR1000 Fast and French, but will it sell?
EUROPEAN DREAMBIKES HAVE become synonymous with garish colors and eccentric contours, and at first glance, the Yelen would seem no exception. But take a second look. You'll find that the Yelen-the Slavic word for "deer"-grows on you. Because, for all its unorthodox styling, the Yelen
embodies a rare combination of aesthetics and innovation, a combination that places it a cut above the usual Euro-customs.
The Yelen is the creation of Frenchmen Sacha Lakic, an industrial designer, and Yves Kerlo, an artisan in plastics and plaster. Early last year, Kerlo and Lakic got together one evening in a café, and several Pernods later, the Yelen had been conceived. The pair started work on the bike in August, 1989, working against the clock to have the prototype-based on a Yamaha FZR 1000-ready for the Paris Show at the start of December. They were successful, and the bike was one of the show’s stars.
While Lakic sees the translation of his design into metal and fiber-
glass as an end in itself, Kerlo is looking for a return on the pair’s investment. He plans to market the Yelen as a body kit, made in limited numbers from the original molds, for those seeking artistic exclusivity on two wheels. Given that the prototype is being put up for auction in Paris with a reserve price of $25,000, that yields some idea of the sum required to supply your brand-new FZR1000 with replica Yelen bodywork signed by Lakic; around $21,500 in your choice of color, should the original, extremely subtle shades of purple and indigo prove not to your taste.
Unlike some of the more-extreme examples of motorcycle styling in recent years, though, the Yelen is entirely practical; and, if anything, its bodywork has actually improved the FZR 1000's usability in every area except that of wind protection on long, fast stretches. Thanks to the cut-down fuel tank-which, together with the rich-sounding exhaust pipe aft of the EXUP box, is the only major mechanical departure from stock-the Yelen feels incredibly compact and low-slung for such a big and potent bike. The prototype’s Michelin tires, which are hand-cut, soft-compound racing slicks, need a bit of warming up before you can get too enthusiastic, but once the tires are heated, the bike responds with all the verve and security the FZR 1000 is so well known for. Access to the fuel filler is via an offset carbon-fiber flap in the asymmetric tank shroud, which is molded to resemble either a human torso or the flanks of an ill-fed deer, take your pick.
Beauty traditionally lies in the eye of the beholder, and this cliche is just as true of motorcycle design as anything else. So it remains to be seen whether Lakic and Kerlo will be successful in their gamble to bring art to the motorcycle marketP^ace-
Alan Cathcart
