The French company Tucson set out with a simple goal. Build a sportbike under 100kg (220lbs), by using the inspiring Aprilia 550cc v-twin motor, found in the SXV and RXV motorcycles. See how they did it, with pictures, after the jump.
It is certainly a much easier goal to say, than to achieve, but they did it, with 7 pounds to spare. This weight, independently verified by , includes oil in the engine, water in the radiator, but no fuel in the tank. Tucson had originally envisioned using carbon fiber wheels from Strawber, which would have lowered the weight of the BT550 a further five and a half pounds.
For the future, Tucson plans make the BT550 Superleggera be more environmentally friendly. This will include making the Aprilia powerplant able to run on E85 fuel (with the help of Shell fuel), and switch the body panels from carbon fiber to organic fibers that can be recycled, or at least treatable as regular household waste.
Tucson has an 18 “episode” blog of their production of the BT550 Superleggera. In it you can watch and read (in French) the entire process of building this bike, from conception to now final product.
Source: Tucson
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