this was at the great bentley wed night meet, not sure how you ride it and its well fugly

[jans1971]

http://i488.photobucket.com/albums/rr246/jans1971/HPIM0123.jpg
http://i488.photobucket.com/albums/rr246/jans1971/HPIM0124.jpg

[Lozzo]

Why on earth do people take a perfectly good motorcycle and do things like that to them?

[jans1971]

Why on earth do people take a perfectly good motorcycle and do things like that to them?
any ideas where the engine is from

[maviczap]

If memory serves me right, this is the Qasar II, which was designed and built by Malcolm Newell who built the Qasar feet first motorcycle
http://hellforleathermagazine.com/2008/02/going-feet-first-in-to-the-fut.html

It was built as a one off project for Superbike mag back in the 80's. I think it originally had a GSX750 engine. It was years ahead of it's time, but as you say it ain't too pretty.

The main purpose was to make it go round corners reel good, something that a lot of 80's bikes didn't do very well, which it did because it had hub centre steering, which doesn't dive like conventional forks, so the steering geometry stays the same, which was seenas a good thing then.

But no one was going to get on with those bars!

History lesson over!

[jans1971]

If memory serves me right, this is the Qasar II, which was designed and built by Malcolm Newell who built the Qasar feet first motorcycle
http://hellforleathermagazine.com/2008/02/going-feet-first-in-to-the-fut.html

It was built as a one off project for Superbike mag back in the 80's. I think it originally had a GSX750 engine. It was years ahead of it's time, but as you say it ain't too pretty.

The main purpose was to make it go round corners reel good, something that a lot of 80's bikes didn't do very well, which it did because it had hub centre steering, which doesn't dive like conventional forks, so the steering geometry stays the same, which was seenas a good thing then.

But no one was going to get on with those bars!

History lesson over!
cheers mate, do you own a anorak , by any chance ;)

[gettin2dizzy]

And that would be a bicycle speedometer ;)

[maviczap]

No, I'm just an old gezzer who was around during this time. No, I wasn't here when the ark set sail, but I met the vikings on the beach!

I'll be at Bently next year on my Silver SV, nights are getting to short now, see ya there sometime, if we have a summer next year

[Sid Squid]

Correct.

It's a Quasar, and the engine is GSX1100 Suzuki.

[Lozzo]

Correct.

It's a Quasar, and the engine is GSX1100 Suzuki.

<anorak on>

It's not a Quasar, it's a Tony Foale Q2, built as a project bike for Superbike Magazine in 1987.

I'm pretty sure that's a late GSX750 lump, as fitted to the ES/EF and pop-up headlight Katana. The GSX1100 always had those rectangular cam end caps regardless of year, which that Quasar doesn't and coudn't have due to the shape of the head. Only some of the early 750 variants had those caps, and all the ES/EF models had the same style head and cam cover as that Quasar pic.

<anorak off>

[maviczap]

I just read an article in this months Performance Bike about the 'Vyrus'. It's got a Duke St900 lump powering it, although in the article it couldn't keep up with a SV!
Seems like the big 4 have so much money tied up in the suspension manufacturers, is the reason why none of them (except Yamaha) have gone down the hub centre steering route, despite it's many advantages.

The guy behind the Vyrus used to work for Bimota on a similar project, which they gave up on, then bought back into it after he'd done all the work! Looks better covered up I think.

See pictures here

http://www.motorcyclistonline.com/firstrides/122_0608_2006_vyrus_985_c3_4v/photo_03.html

[Sid Squid]

<anorak on>

I'm pretty sure that's a late GSX750 lump, as fitted to the ES/EF and pop-up headlight Katana. The GSX1100 always had those rectangular cam end caps regardless of year, which that Quasar doesn't and coudn't have due to the shape of the head. Only some of the early 750 variants had those caps, and all the ES/EF models had the same style head and cam cover as that Quasar pic.

<anorak off>
My 1100 EFE motor doesn't, (You made me doubt so I've just been to look :D).
Anyhoo, I've changed my mind - that's a Phasar, not a Quasar. Possibly.

[Sid Squid]

I've changed my mind again, it's not a Phasar or a Quasar, they were both FFs, can't remember what that one's called though.

But I might remember, sometime, maybe.