Cannondale To Make Motocrosser
CANNONDALE TO MAKE MOTOCROSSER
News flash! Bicycle manufacturer Cannondale is producing a motorcycle. Details are sketchy, but the aluminum-framed machine will be powered by a liquidcooled, multi-valve, single-cylinder engine, displacing approximately 400cc. Rumors persist that Cannondale is working with Swedish engine-builder Folan, but that the motor will be of Cannondale’s own design. The company is also pursuing Japanese suspension components, though production numbers may not be sufficient to interest Kayaba or Showa. This is further complicated by the fact that the latest equipment is proprietary to Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki and Yamaha. Other options include Öhlins and Fox.
Another possibility is a variation on Cannondale’s innovative bicycle suspension. After all, alternative suspension setups are nothing new to mountain bikes. Expect the rest of the bike to be equally as trick, with top-quality chain, handlebar, rims, sprockets, etc. Cannondale is positioning the bike as a cross between Yamaha’s YZ400F and a Husaberg FC 501.
Look for the bike’s unveiling next month, with a grass-roots race effort slated for the 1999 season. A production version is expected in the spring of ’99. No word on a suggested retail price. -Jimmy Lewis
