The Wankel rotary engine recipe has been tried on motorcycles in the past too, with the Suzuki RE5 being the most known example. As it happened in the car industry, the setup wasn’t efficient enough and the maintenance required forced everyone to abandon the idea. But now, it looks to be on its way back in the headlines.
A French company located in the Mancelle region, named Furion Motorcycles, wants to revive the idea of a Wankel motorcycle and it also wants to make it better than before by adding electric power to the original setup.
The company is currently working on the M1 motorcycle, a concept machine that revolves around a Wankel rotary engine paired with an electric motor. The 654 cc dual-rotor unit is said to develop 125 HP at 9,000 rpm, and, combined with the electric motor will output a total of 180 horsepower.
Torque wise, the gasoline engine makes 105 Nm (77 lb-ft) at 6,000 rpm, but that gets bumped to a huge 205 Nm (151 lb-ft) with the aid of electricity.
You’d think all this power will be toned down by the bike’s weight, but in the engineers’ vision, the machine will only weigh 209 kg (461 lb) in running order. That’s just a bit more than a regular middleweight naked of today.
The gas tank holds 16 liters, but thanks to the hybrid powertrain, that will be enough for around 400 kilometers (248 miles). The bike comes with two settings - Sport and Long Range mode - to make the most out of the system whether you need full power or maximum fuel efficiency.
How did they managed to pack all these into a sport naked bike? Well, the engineers went with the rotary engine for its compact size and high power output. From here, the electric motor looks to be attached to the front sprocket, while 5 Lithium-ion batteries found their way under the seat.
The frame is a nice tubular trellis variant, the front suspension is handled by a fully adjustable 43 mm inverted fork, while the rear is a gas type back-link monoshock offering preload and rebound adjustability.
Furion hasn’t mentioned a date when this monster will be ready for sale, but until further notice, you can gauge you eyes upon its awesome shapes in the clip below.
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