Alchemy Sv-1
CYCLE WORLD TEST
Alchemy SV-1
NEW FUTURE FOR BEVEL-DRIVE DUCATIS?
BY DEFINITION, EXOTICA IS THAT WHICH IS striking and unusual in appearance-exciting, glamorous, strange. Looking for an example? Consider the Vee Two Alchemy SV-1, a tiny, tube-framed roadster powered by, of all things, a hotted-up 1970s beveldrive Ducati motor.
Actually, the Australian-built Alchemy SV-1 is a kit bike, akin to those fourwheeled customs that mimic expensive sports cars. But unlike many kit cars, which are often mere styling treatments affixed to production chassis and drivetrains, the SV-1 frame, with its shorter wheelbase, revised steering geometry, stiffer tubing and rising-rate rear suspension, is a tremendous improvement over the rangy, twin-shock frame it replaces.
The name, as well, is unique. “An alchemist is a medieval chemist who turns base metal into gold. Or tries to, at least,” says Brook Henry, Vee Two boss and creator of the SV1 and the RV-1 racebikes that proceeded it. “As I see it, the Alchemy is a transition from something people regarded as a bit of a pile, if you know what I mean, to something neat.”
The basic kit includes a steel-tube frame and boxsection swingarm, a hand-formed aluminum fuel tank, gel-coat bodywork, WP shock, axles, bearings, footpeg assemblies and associated linkages. Fenders, lights and instruments, a steering damper and an exhaust are also included. Cost for the kit, available in the U.S. from Pro Italia Motors, is $5500.
You supply the electrics, fork, wheels, brakes, tires, paint and, of course, a motor. Vee Two says its frame will accommodate any bevel-drive Ducati Twin, from an early ’70s 750 GT to a 1000 Mille, but Henry is hopeful that most of the donor engines will be pirated from something noncollectible, say a 900 Darmah or an 860 GT. Since the chassis is compatible with standard Ducati running gear,
choice of ancillary equipment-brakes, front suspension and wheels-is at the discretion and budget of the owner. You can, for example, retain the stock brakes, fork and rims, or upgrade to four-piston calipers, an inverted fork and modem wheels. Depending on the depth of your checkbook, the options are endless. Our example, with its spoked 17-inch Akront wheels, inverted WP fork and twin-piston Brembo calipers, is a titillating blend of past and present.
Ducati’s bevel-drive Twin may date back more than two decades, but Vee Two’s 905cc Desmo is hardly graveyard material. The cylinder heads have steeper inlet and exhaust angles, oversize valves (44mm intake, 39 exhaust), ceramiccoated oval combustion chambers, Stage One porting and hotter camshafts. Of the latter, Vee Two offers several profiles from which to choose.
In the bottom end, Vee Two’s balanced and lightened crankshaft is mated to modified connecting rods and ceramiccoated, flat-top pistons. The multi-plate dry clutch and standard ratio five-speed transmission are also Vee Two designs, the former with straight-cut primary gears replacing original helical-cut items. A close-ratio gearbox is also available.
Cold starts required a couple twists of the throttle to jet raw fuel into the ports before the engine could be kicked over. Once the engine was warm, the twin 39mm Keihin flat-slides offered crisp, glitch-free response. A bit of fine tuning was necessary, though, as the engine would not idle down properly. Also, the carburetors wear only velocity stacks, with nothing to protect the engine’s expensive innards from dirt and debris.
Redline is 9000 rpm, at which point the resounding exhaust note, though lovely in tone, is well beyond reasonable levels. A more subdued system is in the works. Duplicating our test SV-l’s engine, and the 75 horsepower and nearly 58 foot-pounds of torque it produces, would cost a not-so-inexpensive $7000.
While its dyno numbers may not astound, the engine has a lot to offer-namely a torque band as wide as Texas. On all but the tightest canyon roads, shifting is unnecessary. Just stick the transmission in fourth and use the engine’s remarkable grunt to vault you into the next county. Minus numberplates and tech stickers, the SV-1 is a racer, and ridden as such, is wonderfully rewarding. With its 54.4-inch wheelbase, sporting steering geometry and race-stiff suspension, the Alchemy will make quick work of a twisty road.
It is that handling that separates the Alchemy from Ducatis of yore, and even from many current sportbikes. Steering geometry, while not as sharp as on a Ducati 916, for example, is plenty responsive, though quick transitions take a firm hand on the multi-adjustable clip-ons. Part of that is due to SV-l’s steering damper; even on the lightest setting, it imparts a minor amount of a straight-line weave, andI causes some imprecision when banking into a corner. Removing the damper resulted in crisper turnin at the expense of headshake accelerating out of corners, especially on bumpy pavement.
The twin-piston Brembo calipers and floating 11.0-inch rotors offer exceptional feel and power, and stopping distances from both 30 and 60 mph were only marginally longer than those of Ducati’s 916, which is equipped with the latest Brembos.
Our testbike’s suspension was racebike-firm, especially the WP shock (Vee Two confirmed the damper was straight off its Twins racer). Even at minimum damping
settings, the shock was best suited to smooth, high-speed, sweeping comers. The ultra-expensive, three-way adjustable WP fork-valved to Vee Two’s specs-worked very well, soaking up braking bumps and mid-comer ripples. With its taut rear end and compact chassis, no surprise that the SV-1 is a buckboard on the freeway. Expansion joints and potholes jar the bike, sending jolts directly to the rider. Making matters worse is the thinly padded saddle, which offers little comfort.
As evidenced by the seat, there is no fat on this bike-just enough hardware to get the job done. As such, the headand taillight are merely adequate, and the bar-end mirrors, which offer a surprisingly good rearward view, more like afterthoughts. There are no warning lights, and hoisting the bike up on its centerstand-there is no sidestand-requires Schwarzenegger-like strength.
At the dragstrip, the Alchemy sprinted through the quarter-mile in 11.87 seconds at 114 mph, nearly two seconds quicker than the 860 GT tested by Cycle World in 1975, and only .13 seconds slower than our ’92 Ducati 900 Superlight. Top-gear roll-ons were simply outstanding. The Alchemy required only 3.1 seconds to jet from 40-60 mph and a mere 2.9 seconds from 60-80 mph. No current production streetbike-even Honda’s CBR900RR with its exceptional powerto-weight ratio—delivers such phenomenal figures. Much of this can be attributed to the bike’s 410-pound dry weight; even the featherweight CBR weighs 22 pounds more. The SV’s gearing-governed top speed was 123 mph.
The Alchemy’s exotic status is guaranteed by its price. According to Vee Two, duplicating the SV-1 as tested here would cost about $15,000. But as its performance indicates, the Alchemy is more than just another expensive exotic. Lightweight, narrow motorcycles can be incredibly satisfying, almost magical, reminding us that there’s more to a good sportbike than three-figure horsepower or the latest in technology.
The Vee Two Alchemy SV-1? Think of it as a back-tobasics Superbike.
EDITORS' NOTES
IN THIS AGE OF HOME-BUILTS, RANGING from kit cars to composite aircraft, doit-yourself motorcycles like the Alchemy SV-1 certainly have their place. All it takes is time, money, mechanical aptitude and a wellequipped work space.
Personally, I don’t have enough time, money or desire to even consider undertaking such a project, so getting a chance to ride the turnkey SV-1 was a treat indeed.
I was impressed more by the SV-1’s handling than any other aspect of the bike. Steering was light and neutral while offering solid high-speed stability. Although cornering clearance wasn’t without limit, there was enough on hand for serious road work in the twisties.
The engine? Well it worked pretty good, too-for a 20year-old design.
So, if the idea of assembling your vehicle rather than riding it off the sales floor appeals to you, the SV-1 could be your bike. Call it a Ducati ultralight.
-Don Canet, Road Test Editor
WHAT’S THE BIG DEAL WITH VEE Two’s Alchemy SV-1? Ducati’s stunning 916 costs less, makes 25 percent more power and posts a 23-mph higher top speed. What, if anything, could be so appealing about a $15,000 motorcycle powered by a 25-year-old, air-cooled Twin?
Aside from the fact that it is supremely capable in the twisties, the Alchemy is, by design, incredibly versatile. Interested in a completely different look? Try a set of five-spoke Marvics, four-piston Brembos and a 2-into-2 exhaust capped with carbon-fiber silencers. If you’re really serious, opt for Vee Two’s 100-horsepower, belt-drive conversion motor.
Purists may wince at the thought of chopping up a classic 900SS or 750 Sport to make an Alchemy. But with all respect to The Faithful, I’ll take the SV-1 over an old-style Duck any day. Over a 916? That may take some convincing.
-Matthew Miles, Managing Editor
BROOK HENRY’S ALCHEMY SV-1 is A sweatheart of a sportbike. Perfect? Not hardly. I’d like to see front-end geometry biased more towards the street than the racetrack. Softer rear suspension, too, please. And the shape of the bodywork-carved from styrofoam block by Henry and a helper-could use a restyle.
a restyle.
But the basics are bang-on. Big torque, light weight and low gearing mean that the SV-1 positively boils off comers. Just ask the startled FZR1000 rider who trailed me down Ortega Highway last Sunday. Great second-gear wheelies, too.
The Alchemy underscores the opinion that torque and taking off weight-rather than merely adding horsepower-is the best way to deal with a set of curves. Ducati knows this, Honda (at least with the CBR900) knows this, and so does one builder of bevel-drive specials in Australia. Everyone else, sadly, seems to have forgotten.
-David Edwards, Editor-in-Chief
ALCHEMY SV-1
$15,000
