On the VanderHeide, every bit than can be made of carbonfibre is made of CF. With its monocoque CF chassis, alternative front suspension and 200bhp Aprilia V4 engine, it really is one hell of a motorcycle!
Based in The Netherlands, Brothers Rolf and Sjors van der Heide have created an Art Deco-style motorcycle that's crafted out of carbonfibre, is powered by an Aprilia RSV4's 200bhp V4, weighs 174 kilos dry and, just before you get your hopes up, know that it's priced at US$165,000.
"We decided to build our own motorcycle because we enjoy riding motorcycles, we love pioneering, thinking outside-the-box, and we see plenty of opportunities to improve upon existing technologies," says Sjors. "Rolf dreamed of creating his own motorcycle as long as he can remember. He has been involved with Spyker [Dutch supercar company] and Carver [a company that made a truly awesome three-wheeler road-rocket], and also specialises in carbonfibre composites engineering," he adds.
Sjors says that the brothers wanted to build an attractive street-legal superbike, that would utilise carbonfibre construction and an alternative suspension system since Rolf doesn't like the conventional front fork very much. The brothers invited Michiel van den Brink to design the bike, who made the first 2D sketches. The brothers then went on to build a full-size clay model and even used a 3D scanner to digitise the design. The completed bike is made almost entirely of carbonfibre – the one-piece monocoque chassis/bodywork, swingarm and front suspension are all made of carbonfibre.
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