The 69th EICMA Motorcycle Expo, currently being held in Milan, Italy, hasn't disappointed, with many manufacturers showcasing their latest prototypes.
Direct-injected two-stroke. I think I just wet my pants!
One of the standouts includes a direct-injected two-stroke weapon from Ossa called the Enduro. Coming in 250 or 300cc options, the engine is a dual-injected single cylinder two-stroke with a one-piece crankcase. One injector is located in the crankcase and the other is in the cylinder chamber. It appears Ossa has also developed a lightweight gearless electric start system.
Interestingly, Ossa run the expansion chamber out the back of the reversed and tilted engine where it twists around above the shock (like a YZ450F's tornado system) before joining the muffler. The design would sure eliminate dented pipe problems.
Ossa has announced they will do a small production run of 20 units in early 2013 with a larger run of 2000 bikes set for June 2013.
The Sherco Electric produces 34hp - 5 more than the KTM's rival model, the Freeride E
A two-speed gear box means you won't be touching that gear lever often.
Another bike that caught our eye was the Sherco SE Electric. From what we can ascertain, the Sherco Electric produces 34hp - five more horses than its rival prototype, the KTM Freeride E. The sub-100kg bike has a two-speed sequential gearbox and reports suggest it will run for over an hour in the bush, while taking only an hour to recharge.
It only weighs 74 kilos!
Ossa have been busy! They've also developed a hybrid trials-cum-enduro bike. Looking similar to the KTM Freeride 350 announced last month, the Ossa Explorer houses a 272cc direct-injected two-stroke engine that has a 180-degree rotated cylinder head and only weighs 74kg (without fluids).
The Husqvarna MOAB
Husqvarna announced a new concept bike at the EICMA. Based on the Scrambler - a bike that lies at the heart of Husky's history - the Husqvarna MOAB has a 650cc engine, with progressive swingarm linkage. It comes with semi-knobby tyres as standard and is suitable for off-road use. Husqvarna claim the end result is a cool bike that is easy to ride and handle, but would Steve McQueen ride it? Probably.
As for the coolest machine, we're putting out money on the funky two-stroke Ossa Enduro. What do you think? Post a comment below.
