Commercial FFs

If you want to buy an FF and want a full size motorcycle, then your options are severly limited. Right now there's only two commercially available all though I know of a couple of other projects in the wings. Otherwise your going to have to find an old one to buy, build it yourself or persuade one of the builders (like Royce) to do it for you.

Dan Gurney and the All American Racers

It appears that the famous race car team headed by Dan Gurney is getting in on the act with a commercial FF. This one was prototyped with a Honda single engine, but looks now like it may end up with a purpose built single from Gurney's workshops. The best part of the press release is this quote "There are people who know a lot more than me about this business that tell me I'm barking up the wrong tree", Dan smirks, "But this is the tree I want to bark up".

Ecomobile

The Ecomobile (originally Oekomobile) is an extraordinary, fully enclosed machine based on the BMW K series. It has room for two people to travel in high speed comfort. At low speeds, a rider operated motor lowers outrigger wheels to keep the machine upright. Various space problems have led the designer to move away from bike controls with a foot clutch and hand gear change. The combination of this and the outriggers makes riding one quite a challenge but despite this and the high price, approximately 50 have been built and they are close to true series production. At least some have been built with the 16 valve engine, ABS and even air conditioning. Although they appear to be large, heavy and most unmotorcycle like, they can be ridden with great gusto. The sight of a group of them lapping the Nurburgring together while cornering right down on the outriggers is quite awe inspiring. Patrick Megard has a good image of one cornering hard.

There is a magazine published by the manufacturers and they can be contacted at:-
PERAVES ECOFACTORY Ltd. z.H. Arnold WAGNER
Zürcherstrasse 93a
CH-8406 Winterthur
Switzerland
Tel: +41 (0)52 202 54 24
Fax: +41 (0)52 202 54 25
peraves@active.ch
www.peraves.ch