Conquest Goes Polish

Conquest goes Polish

ROUNDUP

CONSTRUCTION IN ENGLAND of the Conquest, a classically styled motorcycle designed to appeal to retro-bikers (CW, March, 1990) has been derailed by an absence of finance. But the Conquest isn’t dead. The original plan, which called for the bike to be built in England, has been replaced by a scheme which calls for it to be built in Eastern Europe. Ed Lemco, the motorcycle business management expert behind the Conquest project, now plans to build 10.000 bikes a year, not the 1500 per year originally envisaged, and he plans to build them in Poland.

“We’ve got a deal with two factories in Poland that are capable of producing what we want,” Lemco told Cycle World. “They have casting, forging and stamping operations, and until recently they’ve been building Russian tanks. But as there’s currently no market for Russian tanks, they want to privatize their industries; find someone to do a joint venture with.”

And Lemco, apparently, looks to the Poles like an appropriate candidate.

“I credit Cycle World for stirring up the Eastern Europeans,” said Lemco. “They contacted us and we met with them in Poland. They had a copy of the March issue of OT, along with your drawings, and they said. ‘We can build this for you.’”

That affirmation came at a good time for Lemco. His original Conquest proposal had been based on a deal with L.L. Harris-Rushden Ltd., in Britain, which manufactured the last run of Triumph Bonnevilles under license. Harris, which has a frame and engine ready to go, was to build 1 500 Conquests per year. But, said Lemco, he was unable to raise the $3 million necessary to commence the project based on that production figure.

Explains Lemco, “The problem was, Harris couldn’t build enough motorcycles to service the debt.” So Lemco terminated his deal with Harris, a move which has left a bitter taste in the mouth of Les Harris, the man behind the factory. He said of Lemco in a telephone interview, “He’s full of crap. Poland isn’t capable of building motorcycles. He’s an innocent abroad. He doesn’t realize what’s involved.”

Perhaps, perhaps not. Lemco does realize that with the loss of the Harris deal, and with it, Harris’ frame and engine, he now has to design a motorcycle from the ground up. But he says technicians in Poland are fully capable of doing most of that work, and, as a hedge against the growing political and economic influence of the two Germanys, are eager to join with American business to do it.

Lemco says he’s trying to interest one of the four Japanese manufacturers in selling him engines and transmissions to power the Polish Conquest.

“We contacted all four (manufacturers)” he says. “Two said yes, they'd like to talk to us, one said no, one said hell no.”

But the willingness of two manufacturers to talk with him is enough for Lemco. He says, “I’m going to keep going with this. I'm convinced there’s a need. I’m not afraid to fail.

It I fail, I’ll figure out another way. Just watch me.” —Jon F. Thompson