Cannondale Making Progress
CANNONDALE MAKING PROGRESS
ROUNDUP
HAVING MANAGED THE initial media hoopla, Cannondale is gearing up to produce what has become a rather unique dirtbike. The four-stroke, 397cc motocrosser will be the prominent bicycle maker’s first foray into motorcycling.
From the outset, engineers have utilized a Honda CR-style, aluminum perimeter frame. Besides upping rigidity, the design allows engine placement between the frame spars for a lower center of gravity. Öhlins suspension is anticipated.
The latest twist with the dohc, liquid-cooled, single-cylinder engine is a reversed cylinder head with the fuel injection’s throttle body up front and exhaust exiting at the rear. While not unprecedented (Yamaha employed reversed cylinders on its twostroke TZ roadracers in the late Eighties), the application does offer certain advantages. Because the intake is located up high, behind the front number plate, there’s less chance of dirt and water entering the system. Cool, dense air is funneled through a hole in the steering into a plenum and through a pair of molded intake runners. Moreover, since there’s less exhaust with which to contend, the radiator is smaller and lighter than those of most MXers.
While prototype engines were built by Folan to Cannondale’s specifications, the Swedish manufacturer couldn’t meet production demands. So the powcrplant will be primarily manufactured and completely assembled in the U.S. at Cannondale’s new factory in Bedford, Pennsylvania. Expect a five-speed trans-
mission and electric start. Target weight for the yet unnamed, year-2000 model is under 240 pounds. Dealer delivery is scheduled for this summer. The bike should cost about the same as a Husaberg FC400, which retails for $7748.
-Jimmy Lewis
