Paris On Parade
PARIS ON PARADE
AH, PARIS IN THE FALL. Luciano Pavarotti at the Palais Omnisport de Bercy, window shopping along the Champs d 'Elysse, or better yet, knocking elbows with other wide-eyed bike nuts at the biennial Salon de Paris.
This year, many of the heavy hitters-Aprilia’s Blue Marlin, BMW’s F650 CS, Ducati’s MultiStrada and the latest Hondaswere unveiled a few weeks earlier in Milan, but Paris nevertheless had its own jaw-droppers. For many attendees, the show’s star was design firm Boxer’s latest concept, a bare-bones roadster called the B2. As with its fully faired predecessor, the stunning VB 1 Superbike, which was also on display, the B2 began with French bike-maker Voxan’s liquid-cooled, 60-degree, 955cc VTwin. Around this, Boxer laid out a latticework of polished aluminum tubing, then added a 43mm inverted Showa fork, Fournales monoshock and Brembo brakes.
Some show-goers complained of similarities in styling to the Blue Marlin (which was also built by Boxer), particularly in the design of the swingarm and up-
pipe exhaust. But any parallels in no way dilute the fact that the B2 is a stunner. And given its production-ready appearance, it’s one more reason to hope that Voxan will soon make its way to the USA.
Also debuting in Paris, Yamaha’s TDM900 is an evolution of the long-running TDM850. The engine remains a dry-sump parallel-Twin, but displacement grew to 897cc via a 2.5mmlonger stroke. What’s more, the fuel-injected, liquid-cooled design now features a 270-degree crankshaft (like the discontinued TRX850) for the “feel and sound of a V-Twin,” and employs a catalytic-converter-equipped stainless-steel exhaust and six-speed transmission. Yamaha claims 86 horsepower, an 8-bhp hike.
Chassis-wise, the Deltaboxstyle, twin-spar frame concept was retained but, like the conventional single-shock swingarm, it is now produced from aluminum for added rigidity and reduced weight. Also, the subframe is now a separate structure. Wheels are 18/17inchers mated to YZF-Rl-type triple-disc brakes.
Though popular across the pond, the original TDM didn’t strike a chord with U.S. buyers and was discontinued after only two years. Nothing’s final, but don’t expect Yamaha to make the same mistake twice.
Matthew Miles
