Welcome with enthusiasm in Great Britain in the mid -70s, she never managed to leave a mark on the market. Today it is an object of worship, especially at home, where a rare specimen will end up in the hands of the best bidder
On October 9, on the occasion of an auction organized by the British Charterhouse auctioners & Valuers, an extremely rare motorcycle will be put to the roof that in the 70s tried to revolutionize the very concept of two -wheeled vehicle. It is a Quasarone of the very first “with the roof” motorcycles, a model that was sold in a handful of specimens between 1976 and 1982 and which time then transformed into a cult object, especially in United Kingdom. In any case, the announcement that a model from 1980 fully functional that is preparing to go to auction has turned on the curiosity of fans from all over the world, given that there are very few existing models. And this is why many foresee that its final price could greatly exceed the initial estimate, which oscillates between 6,000 and 7,000 pounds.
Ambitious project
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Behind the Quasar project is the intuition of Malcolm Newell And Ken Leamantwo men convinced that the motorcycle of the future should guarantee comfort and protection without giving up speed. Their creature was born with an almost unpublished driving position: feet forward, body wrapped in a sort of passenger compartment, stratified windshield, rigid roof, wipers and even heating; The load capacity was not negligible given that behind the pilot, between the trunk and the side suitcases, it could accommodate 60 liters of material. The dry weight was about 320 kg and could reach the 160 km/h. Despite the great enthusiasm shown immediately by the press of beyond sleeve, the production never took off: in total they were made only 21 specimens.
commercial failure
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The market was not ready for this type of proposal. As in Italy, at the time the helmet was not yet mandatory in England and for many motorcyclists the wind on the face was part of the charm. Furthermore, i production costs They were quite high and the bike was attractive for a niche too restricted with enthusiasts. Even if in the immediate one it was one meteormany were fascinated by Quasar, a means capable of anticipating the times and which today is considered the precursor of many modern mobility experiments. The most famous BMW scooter C1, which resumed its philosophy in many ways, arrived on the market about 20 years later.
Soon at auction
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As already mentioned, the Quasar that will go to auction In October at the Haynes Motor Museum in Sparkford, in the English county of Somersetit is not an exposure wreck: it works, it has been led to the headquarters and would therefore be ready to get back on the street even immediately. It was made in 1980 and its engine is the four -cylinder in line of a Suzuki GS850 of the period, with a power around the 75 HP4 gears and liquid cooling. Those who buy it will not simply bring a rare motorcycle at home, but also the testimony of a project that has challenged conventions and habits still leaving a trace in the history of motorcycle design.
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