VanderHeide
Dutch firm VanderHeide caused a stir at
last month’s Goodwood Festival of Speed when they unveiled their new Aprilia
RSV4-powered carbon-fibre sportsbike. But while the launch was a surprise the
bike has actually been under development for five years.
It’s the work of brothers Rolf and Sjors
Van der Heide. Sjors explained how it came about: “It’s my brother Rolf’s story
really. Our father is a motorcyclist and as long as we remember we’ve always
wanted to ride them and to build one. Rolf has an engineering background, I
have a business administration background. He does all the engineering, I do
the talking. That’s the combination."
The carbon monocoque construction is a
complete departure from conventional frames. It’s a single piece from nose to
tail and acts as the chassis, bodywork and fuel tank. It also led to
aerodynamic innovation, with the radiator mounted in the tail.
The front suspension is a variation on
the Hossack-style girder fork. Made of carbon, the girders are mounted on
double wishbones, using a pushrod and rocker to compress an Öhlins TTX36 shock
mounted on the back of the fuel tank.
The carbon fibre doesn’t stop there;
it’s also used for the swingarm and the BST wheels – some of the few bought-in
parts. Others include the race-style Motec dash and Brembo brakes. The engine
package includes all the stock Aprilia electronics to ease the process of
type-approval and emissions conformity.
Weight comes in at 175 kg dry for the
road version, complete with luxuries like a leather seat, while the track model
with 230 bhp and no emissions restrictions will be 165 kg dry.
VanderHeide is accepting pre-orders and
hopes to move swiftly to production. The price for the standard edition will
be 150,000 Euros.
