Motorless Cycles

MOTORLESS CYCLES

CONSIDERING THE CURRENT fascination with single-cylinder motorcycles such as BMW’s F650 (see test, page 44), one might speculate that the bike manufacturers’ next step would be to eliminate the engine altogether. Sound impossible? Think about it. Mountain bikes are currently among the hottest selling sporting goods, and a number of motor-

cycle manufacturers have offered bicycles before. Remember the 1970s Yamaha Moto Bike?

Well, what comes around, goes around (with or without gasoline power) and now, BMW, Kawasaki and Harley-Davidson have all jumped on the bicycle bandwagon.

BMW began by offering mountain bikes that folded in half to fit in a car’s trunk in 1994. Built by the Montague Corp. in Boston, Massachusetts, these bikes were so successful that BMW now plans to build two high-end mountain bikes itself and offer them through its car dealerships.

The dual-suspension, 24speed Super-tech is equipped with an aluminum frame, Shimano components and BMW’s patented Telelever front suspension with a single gas/oil shock providing 4 inches of travel.

For all these bells and whistles, BMW fanatics will pay $4995.

The less expensive alternativ is the $3895 High-tech. BMW cut costs with

styled bike by using an elastomer (a fancy word for hard rubber) damper in the front shock, and by employing less expensive components.

Like Yamaha, Kawasaki manufactured BMX bikes in the sport’s 1970s heyday, and resumed selling those, along with a new line of mountain bikes, in 1994. Manufactured by Pacific Powercycles in Lake Forest, California, these run the price gamut from a $99 kid’s bike to a $4999 dual-suspension downhill racer. WalMart stocks the former, while the latter is sold through Kawasaki motorcycle dealerships and select bicycle stores.

One of Kawasaki’s more popular models falls roughly in the middle of both the performance and price ranges: The dual-suspension, 21-speed Hot Chili Jalapeño sells for $1799, and boasts Shimano components and 3 inches of rear-wheel travel.

Meanwhile, on the other end of the spectrum is the HarleyDavidson Limited Edition, built by GT Bicycles in Santa Ana, California. Not surprisingly, this is a cruiser; however, it’s no run-of-the-mill beach bike. Priced at $2299, the custom-painted two-tone cycle is decked out with chrome and leather, and comes with front suspension and a seven-speed Shimano internal-hub transmission. Despite their high price, all 1000 units sold out within a month of their introduction.

In addition to the OEMs, numerous other motorcycle companies have sought a piece of the mountain bike mud pie. Answer, Fox, Noleen (the U.S. Öhlins distributor), White Brothers and Works Performance all make suspension components, while famed dirt-track racer Mert Lawwill, Scott and AMP Research (the originators of ATK) build complete bikes.

Because Harley, Kawasaki and BMW have met with such success in the bicycle market, all three have future models in the works. And motorcycling can only benefit from that success. After all, wasn’t it your old Sting Ray that introduced you to two-wheelers in the first place? -Wendy F. Black