Things are steadily going better and better for Eric “Pepe” Offenstadt and his Geco team, as it looks like the uncanny bike they’ve been building and developing for some time now is finally starting to get the attention it deserves. Long story short, motorcycle living legend Freddie Spencer is said to throw a leg over this beauty and help Pepe and the guys refine the prototype.
A racing instructor at the 4G riding school at the Castellet track in France, Spencer has already got his first contacts with the Geco Team, and it looks like it won’t be long until he will take the homokinetic prototype to the track and add his huge experience to the thinktank building this amazing motorcycle. Needless to say, his help will be a massive step up in the continued refinement of the working prototype. We’re going to bring you photos as soon as they’re being taken.
Sources inside the Geco team have provided us with an exclusive set of photos from the most recent tests which took place at the Roussillon Circuit in France. The Geco had one of the youngest and most promising riders at the helm, Thibaut Gourin,a 600 Superstock CEV FIM Repsol rider, He took the naked version of the bike out for a spin around the French track, so you can admire the intricate design of the Geco, with the huge trailing link fork and all.
Despite the heavy-as-hell looks, the fork of the Geco alone is said to tip the scales at 5 kg (11 lb), which is significantly less than what a traditional superbike bike fork weighs. A faired version of the bike is ready, but it has only been displayed in few motorcycle shows, and that’s because Pepe Offenstadt is working hard to create a complete bodywork to match the looks of the bike.
So far we’ve got photos of the alloy fuel tank, a sizzling hot piece of modern art and engineering, with a streamlined design to perfectly integrate the peculiar looks of the bike. We are delving deeper to find out more on this tank, as it looks like there is more to it than meets the eye.
Finally, bike racing belle Ornella Ongaro seems to also be involved in the development of the Geco, as she will also be testing the prototype alongside Freddie Spencer. She’s also involved in fundraising for finding cancer cures, and she’ll soon make appearance in a less-SFW calendar which will sell for charity.
Now, apart the intriguing looks and design of the Geco, there is one more thing which makes this project even more attractive: this is a group effort, with a lot of people and small sponsors involved in it and each of them is helping the way they can, including popular French band Shaka Ponk who provided free usage of their songs for the promo videos.
It will hopefully not be long until the final prototype of the bike will be ready, and autoevolution will take it for a spin, as well. Until then, check this comprehensive coverstory on the Geco, the Shape-Shifting Motorcycle of the Future, and prepare to be amazed: owls ARE NOT what they seem to be.
Thanks a ton to Pepe, Baygon Noir and Luc Jennepin (track photos). For more on motorcyle frame design also check out these cool stories on Rake and Trail, Radial Brakes and Brake Upgrades.
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