Affluent Page Presents: Lighter, Faster, Stronger

Ecosse's revolutionary motorcycle uses F1 race car engineering to bolster performance.

The basis for motorcycle design has been in place for over a century, but a group of British engineers and an American motorcycle enthusiast are challenging convention as they work to reconceptualize and evolve how two-wheel transport is engineered. The result is the groundbreaking Ecosse Spirit ES1, a two-wheeler that buyers will undoubtedly clamor to have in their garage or collection. The team's quest to create a bike that carves through the air and curves like no other means they have rethought everything from the chain to the front suspension, as well as incorporated design technology from Formula 1 racing and the aerospace industry.

Rather than changing existing designs by adding power, like most motorcycle builders, the engineering team identified reduction of both weight and aerodynamic drag as key performance-increasing factors. They realized that creating a narrower profile and ensuring more efficient airflow off the machine's backside were the best means to achieve this. But it turns out this endeavor required a virtual redesign of most of the bike's components. So the team redesigned them, with a claimed drag coefficient reduction of around 50 percent, to 0.16.

The ES1 is the brainchild of England's Richard Glover and Andy le Fleming, who have extensive experience with Formula 1 race engineering, as well as Denver-based motorcycle manufacturer and marketer Donald Atchison, who owns Ecosse Moto Works, Inc. and is the builder of the radical Heretic motorcycle. The trio formed Ecosse Spirit to unify their visions as they continue to hone the final product.

If you look at it from the top, the teardrop shape of themotorcycle closely resembles an airplane wing. Not only did the team shrink the bikes area to reduce drag, but they also developed a revolutionary method for embedding the driver's legs into it sides. To accomplish this, they took a page out of Formula 1 Design 101 and began by using the engine as a structural element, which allowed them to craft a unique chassis sans frame. This method, combined with the liberal use of compositecomponents like those in F1 cars and fighter aircraft, helped drastically reduce the machine's weight. Then the engineers looked at every chassis component and redesigned them toaccommodate the bike's narrow profile and ensure world-class handling. Racecar-inspired suspension setups, a novel double-chain drive arrangement, and handlebars connected directly to the front fork are just a few of the unique refinements the team made.

According to Ecosse Spirit representative Wendy Atchison (yes, Donald's wife), development continues on the project as the company perfects the design with wind tunnel testing and performance tuning. She says there is no solid delivery date scheduled at this point. Much of the manufacturing will likely be performed in the U.S., but some units destined for international clients may be assembled in Europe.

Look for the purchase price of the first 10 prototypes to be in the neighborhood of a third of a million dollars, although like many bespoke products (the bodywork on the ES1 isfitted to the driver), there are many variables. These begin with the engine. Wendy Atchison says a three-cylinder engine with a displacement of 750-1,000 cc that develops upward of 200 horsepower will probably be the primary power source, but that a four-cylinder option is also likely.

For buyers craving the ultimate VIP experience: Ecosse Spirit will allow you not only to become the owner of the first two units, but to participate in their actual construction. The grand total for this unique experience is a cool $3.6 million, depending on how the bikes are optioned.

More than just a novelty or tricked-out version of an existing product, the Ecosse Spirit ES1 may well be the precursor to a new philosophy of motorcycle design. But until then, it stands alone with its unique features.

Ecosse

303.246.3080

www.ecossespirit.com

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