Caterham… I had so much fun in those little cars! My best memory behind the wheel of a Caterham? Definitely a trip to the Gotthard pass, drifting mode fully activated. I scared myself a couple of times. Since then, I always associate Caterham to drift toys.
But today, the Caterham Group has launched its first ever motorcycle division (conveniently called the Caterham Bikes) at the International Motorcycle Exhibition in Milan.
They unveiled three prototype products: the Brutus 750 (dubbed the ‘SUV of motorcycles’), the Classic E-Bike (an all-electric, bike with retro styling) and the Carbon E-Bike (a premium electric bike inspired by F1 technology). They are talking about launching them throughout 2014.
You might be wondering, “what does Caterham know about building motorbikes?” And the answer to that question isn’t immediately obvious. The new bikes division will be headed by Al-Ishsal Ishak, he will be supported by a management team including Chief Designer Alessandro Tartarini, Chief Engineer Zeno Panarari and ex-MotoGP racer, Andreas Leuthe who will head up the distribution and sales function. Here is your answer I guess… an ex-MotoGP racer 😉
Caterham say all will be priced affordably (I’ll wait for the official price to judge… ), with production of the Brutus 750 beginning in Spring 2014 followed by the two electric bikes later in the year.
Let’s have a closer look at these latest additions to the Caterham range.
The Brutus 750 – described as the “SUV of motorcycles”, menacing in stance but said to be surprisingly nimble to ride. The Brutus 750 can operate as a street bike, off-road machine or even a snowmobile (conversion in less than four hours). It is described as the first ever two-wheel SUV. Design-wise, I think it looks cool. I consider myself as a proper car girl but I become quite useless on a bike, so I honestly can’t say lots. Plus they haven’t announced the specs yet. But I’ll keep you posted 😉
The Classic E-Bike – carrying uniquely retro styling for the rider with a penchant for a design harking back to the golden age of British motorcycling, this bike has a range of 40-80km and does not require the rider to have a licence in the EU.
The Carbon E-Bike – a premium bike with modern styling inspired by F1 technology; a limited edition version featuring exclusive F1 input and materials is currently being explored.
I always think you should keep doing what you’re good at and stay focused. But then, these new bikes might be a pretty sweet addition to the Caterham products. Let’s see how it goes. The full specs and prices should be announced soon.
Oh and should you be in Milan, all three products will be on display at the International Motorcycle Exhibition throughout the Nov 5-10 show.
Bye! x
Little Miss Piston 