V-Twin Dirtbikes

V-TWIN DIRTBIKES

IF YOU THINK DIRTBIKE RIDers are going to miss out on the current trend toward big, four-stroke V-Twins, think again. If CCM, KTM and up-start bike-builder Highland have their way, the throaty roar of twin-cylinder motorcycles will soon be accompanied by clouds of dust.

Most promising could be the CCM entry, called the 934 efi. The British marque is obsessed with Paris-Dakar rally racing, and knows a Twin will work wonders on the Dark Continent, even if current rally rules discourage them. Details are sketchy, but the liquid-cooled, fuel-injected, 934cc powerplant will be built by Swedish manufacturer Folan and weigh little more than CCM’s

current Rotax-made Single. What’s more, the new motor fits nicely in the company’s latestgeneration frame. Expect a dry weight of less than 300 pounds.

“I’ve ridden a prototype, and it’s a rocketship,” said CCM USA’s Bob Swanson. “The engine weighs 118 pounds, and we’re aiming for 90 horsepower.” Most serious, in terms of appearance, is the Swedish Highland. Again, a Folan powerplant is the heart of the machine. Similar in concept to the MCM V-Twin under development in the U.S. a few years ago, a prototype 950 V2 Outback is currently being tested in Sweden. While there’s no confirmation on production, publicity types claim, “There has never been a (off-road) powerto-weight ratio like the Highland product.”

If the CCM is the most promising and the Highland is the most serious looking, then KTM is the most secretive. “There’s a lot of ongoing research into (the V-Twin project), focused on the off-road application of such an engine family,” admitted KTM’s Scot Harden. “KTM designers have concepts; there’s actual work taking place. It’s a very viable product that you could see introduced to the market in the next two to three years.”

Jimmy Lewis