This year’s Geneva Show is hosting several unconventional propositions that combine elements from the world of cars and motorcycles. And we’re not talking about prototypes here but actual production versions. First it was the Dutch-made, tilting three-wheeler Carver One. Now it’s the 2wheeler Swiss Peraves Monotracer. Well not actually a 2wheeler as the Monotracer has two extra retractable “baby-wheels” on its side that allow it to lean with ease to about 52 degrees. According to Peraves, out of every 100 superbike owners in the GSX-R, Fireblade, Ninja, K1200S, R1 and 999R league maybe 20 have ever leaned their machines beyond 40 degrees.The Monotracer is powered by a 1.2-liter 4cylinder BMW-K-engine with an output of 130Hp. Weighing in at about 485Kg (1.070 pounds) the Monotracer sprints from 0 to 100 km/h (62mph) in 5,7 sec and features a top speed of 250 km/h (155mph). Not bad at all for a motorcycle that not only protects you from the forces of nature but also allows you to carry on a few back packs in its trunk –yes it has a 200-liter trunk in the rear. What’s bad is its (basic) price as Peraves is asking a hefty 52.500 EUR (about 70.000 USD) for it and that doesn’t include tax… -Continued: Click “Read More…” bellow for high-res pics & the official press-release
PRESS RELEASE: MONOTRACER WORLD PREMIERE
The last car on earth
Ferry Porsche once remarked that the last car to be built on earth would surely be a sports car. By that he meant that products of limited usefulness will still be bought even when things are getting tight and that there’s no substitute for real fun – unless it’s more of the same. Driving the MonoTracer is like flying two feet off the ground. And fast, very fast indeed, if need be. But even more important for today’s drivers, “MonoTracing” within legal speed limits also has its pleasures. The world simply looks friendlier from the cockpit.
Small-series shortcomings?
We quote Porsche and talk about the 911 because we are all fans of this iconic sports car. So too are many of our clients. How many prototypes of the 911 were ever built by Porsche? Frankly, we don’t know. What we do know, however, is that we’ve built 90 MonoTracer prototypes called ECOMOBILE. They have notched up more than 12 million kilometers over the last 20 years. With 10 such vehicles we criss-crossed the USA in 1996 from Atlanta to Montana and back, 11,000 kms in 3 weeks, from the burning heat of the Arizona desert to the icy heights of the Rocky Mountains, and all without a single technical problem.
Bugs in the teeth and the Porsche 911 syndrome
We’re well aware that words alone are unlikely to convince a true biker of the advantages of cabin motorcycles; nor will they convert a dyed-in-the-wool 911 driver. Sports cars and motorcycles both have their fans, and rightly so. The only way to win them over is to belt them into the back seat of our machine and take them for a spin, taunting the cars and superbikes at every bend in the road. They will soon see the MonoTracer for what it is – the perfect combination of a sporty touring motorcycle and a real “lean machine” sports car. In short, it’s the ideal vehicle for year-round fun.
The Angle of Dangle
The best motorcycle tires for highway use on the market today allow a lean angle of about 55 degrees. Out of every 100 superbike owners in the GSX-R, Fireblade, Ninja, K1200S, R1 and 999R league maybe 20 have ever leaned their machines beyond 40 degrees. A maximum of 5 will regularly tip more than 45 degrees. And most of those sporty riders will limit their angle of lean by excessive “hanging off”, thus also limiting their speed in the curve. The MonoTracer with its “knee” (the retracted stabilizer tire) skimming the road, can lean to about 52 degrees and it has a turning circle and corner speed otherwise only achievable on a top-of-the-range sports bike. Of course, dry and clean roads are an essential requirement for such antics. If the surface is right there is no danger. And the drive is spectacular.
Expanding the concept of driving – for whom?
The MonoTracer is aimed at an international clientele and customers will obviously have to be fairly well-heeled. For their 52,500 Euros (basic price without VAT) they could also buy a Cayman, SLK or Z4, but those machines all lack the exclusivity guaranteed by an annual production of only 100 vehicles. And with the MonoTracer you also get the performance of a 911 combined with the unrivalled exhilaration of a superbike’s angles of lean thrown in for free! Many of our clients have an academic education, 911-experience, a pilot’s license and have driven or ridden the original 21 kilometre Nurburgring race track for real, not just on the Playstation. All of them are past or current motorcycle enthusiasts. Many are over 40, the age when rheumatism can start to set in. Most have to be at work on Monday, without suffering from the aches and pains of a weekend’s racing. With the MonoTracer they use the same vehicle for commuting to the office as they do for getting their kicks at the weekend.
Nowhere will you find more radar speed traps than in the MonoTracer’s home country, here in
Design & More
For decades the first rule for excellent design has been “form follows function“. The cabin motorcycle was born with this maxim as part of its genetic make-up. For the MonoTracer rather more emphasis was placed on things like surface finish, detail workmanship, selection of materials, joint tolerances etc. so that it can bear comparison with the best models from major manufacturers of both two and four wheeled vehicles. To achieve that goal the MonoTracer has been developed with the help of suppliers to the very biggest players in the vehicle market.
VEHICLE & BODY STRUCTURE
Self-supporting composite-monocoque made from glass-, kevlar- and carbon tissues bonded by epoxy-resin reinforced with crash and roll bars. Engine frame, steering head and stabilizer axles made from aircraft grade alloy steel. Front suspension Marzocchi 50mm USD-fork, rear Monolever shaft swingarm. Gull-wing-door with integrated sunroof, opening to the left. Glazing made from tinted PMMA in aviation quality. Baggage compartment of 200 Litres in the rear.
MECHANICS
4 cylinder-in-line-BMW-K-engine 1171 ccm, 16 valves, liquid cooling. Dry reinforced monodisc clutch. Sequential PG-gearbox with 4 forward speeds and electrically unlockable reverse, shifted by push-button-selector on left handlebar. Automatic clutch optional. Reinforced BMW-shaft drive. 3 brake discs 320 mm Ø with 4-piston-hydraulic callipers, fully integrated electronic ABS. Ceramic brake discs and brake pads, ASP anti spin control optional. Electrical stabilizer servo system, computer-supervised with cycle-time.
EQUIPMENT & ACCESSORIES
RECARO-contour-seats with 3-point-automatic-safety belts. Interior covers in high-tech-tissues and sound proofing padding. Airconditioned + heated ventilation system of ample flow with intake air filter. GPS-RDS-4LSP-audio-system. Tempomat cruise control, frontal airbag, Bi-Xenon-lights, CD-players optional.
OPERATION
Motorcycle-type handlebars with extended functions. Clutch pedal left, gear- and stabilizer-ops-switches left, integrated brake ops by pedal, aux-brake-lever and twist-throttle right.
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
Empty weight: 460-485 kgs. depending on options
Max. weight: 685 kgs.
Tank capacity: 50 ltrs. / 14 USG
Dimensions: L = 3,65 m B = 1,25 m
(Stabilizers up) 1,40 m (down) H = 1,52 m
Service: 25.000 km / 15‘000 miles or annually – whichever is first
Engine: 96 kW / 130 HP at 8750/min, max. torque 117 Nm at 6750/min
Motronic-controlled injection
3-way-catalytic converter.
Acceleration: 0-100 kph = 5,7 sec.
Top speed: > 250 kph.
Brake distance: 100-0 = 43 m
Turning circle between walls: 8.5 m
Consumption(ISO 7118): 4,15 l/100km at constant 90 kph
5,05 l/100km at constant 120 kph
Basic price ex factory € 52.500.- (+ local VAT) 2 years warranty / 25 years use guaranteed for composite + metal structures
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