EICMA 2013: Caterham Bikes

During last year’s EICMA show we reported on the Over company and its prototype The Brutus – The Two-Wheeled SUV. “Designed by Alessandro Tartarini, formerly Lambretta designer and son of the founder of Italian motorcycle company Italjet, the Brutus is a pre-production concept presented at the 2012 EICMA Show, announcing plans for production in 2013,” we wrote.

That goal seems to have been realized with today’s announcement of the launch of Caterham Bikes. Three prototype products comprising Caterham’s motorcycle division – the Brutus 750, the Classic E-Bike (an all-electric, bike with retro styling) and the Carbon E-Bike (a premium electric bike inspired by F1 technology) – will join the Caterham F1 Team, Caterham Racing (GP2), Caterham Technology & Innovation, Caterham Composites and the latest arm, Caterham Moto Racing Team.

According to Caterham, production will begin as early as Spring 2014, with the Brutus 750 the first to be built, followed by the two electric bikes later in the year. Beginning with the European, North and South American markets, the Group’s key growth market will be in Asia, reflecting the burgeoning demand for environmentally-friendly and multi-purposed, two-wheeled.

Follow the rest of our 2013 EICMA show coverage

Dato’ Kamarudin Meranun, Co-Chairman of Caterham Group, said: “Taking Caterham into the motorcycle business has been a key objective since day one of Caterham Group. We are establishing ourselves in markets where we can bring new thinking, innovative concepts and products that will be game-changers; Caterham Bikes does exactly that. Having launched our Moto2 team recently at the Malaysian Grand Prix, the launch of Caterham Bikes takes us from the track to the road – we have partnered with industry experts and we have long-terms plans for the business that are ambitious but achievable, the perfect mix for success.”

Brutus 750
Described as the “SUV of motorcycles,” menacing in stance but surprisingly nimble to ride, the Brutus 750 can operate as a street bike, off-road machine or even a snowmobile (conversion in less than four hours).

Classic E-Bike
Carrying uniquely retro styling for the rider with a penchant for a design harking back to the golden age of British motorcycling, this bike has a range of 40-80km and does not require the rider to have a licence in the EU.