Remember the speculations related to the Valentino Rossi tribute bike which was presumed to be hiding under the yellow wraps of the Ronax 500 bike? Well, the wraps came off this weekend as Ronax unveiled its latest creation, but it looks like there’s no involvement from Rossi, despite several details which may also draw his lawyers’ attention, such as the extensive #46 references in conjunction with the yellow covers and the looks which resemble very much to his old Honda NSR.
On the tech side, the Ronax 500 comes with an aluminium frame with many CNC-machined elements and a race-grade fully-adjustable steering head. The front end is loaded with a 43mm Öhlins USD fork, complemented by an Öhlins TTX rear shock and a matching steering damper. Forged aluminium wheels and monoblock Brembo brakes with 320mm front discs are also on the menu, with a 210mm rear rotor.
In this race-class chassis, Ronax loaded a milled aluminium engine body with a 2-stroke, 4V architecture, counter-rotating crankshafts and fed through a modern fuel injection. The engine delivers 160 hp@ 11,600 rpm and operates with either of the two maps: sport and rain, with no “standard” or “economy” modes available. Electric start, tuned steel headers ending in 4 carbon-Kevlar silencers and a 6-speed transmission actuated by a multi-plate wet clutch are also in for the road racing game.
The bodywork is made from carbon fiber, just like the fuel tank, airbox and the self-supporting rear subframe, all accounting for a dry 145kg (320 lbs) weight. Though a race bike created for maximum track performance, the Ronax 500 is also street-legal, thanks to the headlight hidden in the ram-air intake and mini blinkers which can be easily installed. Add in a temporary license plate and you can enjoy riding it on German roads. However, your local road regulations should be checked prior to any move on public roads.
As specified since the teasing campaign started, only 46 Ronax 500 machines will be available, each up for grabs for a whopping €100,000 ($136,200). Definitely over the top for most riders, but GP500-like machinery simply can’t come cheap.
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