Snaefell sidecar project
François Knorreck, a French motorcyclist with a passion for building things to suit his own vision, bought a Laverda in 1976 and turned it into a nicely modified sportbike. He rode the bike perfectly satisfied until 1993 when he began to conceive the idea of a new project and got the urge to build again, ideas turned to design and led to lots and lots of labor, the result, more than 10 years later, is the Snaefell, a Laverda based sidecar outfit that demonstrates some phenomenal skills in both design and building.
Snaefell sidecar project
The Snaefell is a completely hand crafted vehicle, the frame, the wiring harness and, of course, the amazing body, which itself used 63 molds for the parts made of polyester or carbon fiber. Some parts were sourced from Renault, Citroen, BMW, VW and Audi. The entire 10,000 hour project comes in around 15,000 Euros, which, at today's rates, is about $21,000.
Power is from the original 1000cc Laverda triple which gets a matching triple exhaust out the back of the bodywork. The interior, complete with seatbelts, looks like a factory build. The door opens up Lamborghini style. Just stunning work.
Complex projects like these, where the builder does so many things so well, in his spare time, just continue to amaze me every time I see them. Superb work all around.
Thanks for the tip, Marcus!
Link: Snaefell
Snaefell sidecar interior
Snaefell sidecar project
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{ 26 comments… add yours below ... }
Motorcycles truly are a magnificent medium for the creative spirit of human mind.
That thing just blew my mind!
Build write-up, lots of pictures.
http://breganzane.com/blog//snfl.php
I like the alternator and the custom steering head. The Carbon fiber door and vents is just incredible.
Wow. Just wow.
why?????
why not just make lotus 7 clone? because you want to sit face forward?
ah, k, may be he wants to ride motorcycle and have his wife and a kid with him? or 2 girlfriends and doesn’t want to talk to them? and this thing is more dangerous then a car or a bike (i assume there is no subframe).
all in all, awesome find. the skill is just amazing. and look at the attention to details. so much patients. this is an insane project of a dedicated dreamer. mind blowing
Proof that different species should not interbreed.
Seriously, that took a bunch of time, talent, and money. A bunch more like artwork than anything else.
Neat. Like a much more integrated version of the Side-Bike Zeus, but without the Zeus’ unfortunate “scooterness.”
http://newsmagsidebike.free.fr/zimages/zeus/simpleviewer/
Wow…
I would love one of these things! Too bad I dont have the garage for one. Its got the odd looks and some nice practicality.
Just beautiful.
Now I’d like to see the Jesse James radial engine bike with the sidecar looking like the front fuselage of a B-17.
Impressive machine. Truly a sidecar with some serious style points.
This must be the literal sense of the term sidecar.
Impressive work.
That is a very nice and skilful build its not to my taste but then it wasn’t meant to be and I’m sure that François is chuffed to bits with it. Its not an easy concept to build and he seems to have done it with skill and flair.
Impressive engineering and brain but……..shouldn’t it be side-cycle. Not my cup of tea.
The cost is a true inverse measure of François’s talents, that’s not a lot of room for buying “stuff”. Its an incredible example of hand made.
In California at least, you could add a fourth wheel and it would still be considered a “sidecar” outfit. It’s fun to blur the lines (more so than just car + SUV = “Crossover”) even though practicality is not obvious.
This type of outfit is fun and interesting regardless and reminds me of the “sociable”.
-todd
Simply amazing craftsmanship and attention to detail. It looks like it was
factory built. Some forward thinking motorcycle company should hire this fellow.
this thing is literally a ’sidecar’
I guess its art and I am not an artist, but shouldn’t the French finish the Eiffel tower first then move on to other things and perhaps not motorcycles?
Looking at that, it reminds me of a bike accident I once had…!
now that is NICE….but even better would be if it had a steering wheel and controls linked inside the CAR….you could pick your ride depending on the weather or your mood!!!
rai – or is it a side bike?
i can’t help but think they may have taken the spirit away from the motorcycle, and the sidecar on this one.
at least it has triple mufflers.
to those who say “why?” there is no point explaining, you simply will never understand.
This thing makes so much sense on every level. Once the world is ready for this, then all our problems will be solved.
Stunning looks, beautiful craftmanship, and definitely one of a king. If it were for sale I am sure Jay Leno would jump on the opportunity to own something so exotic.
I,m only 56 but I can still remember when cars were called automobiles and bikes were called motorcycles.The builder must be a rail,my right would have to go in the car.
thumbs down. waste of time and talent.
Would love to ride in the sidecar of this unit in the 2010 Santa Claus Poker Run in Lima, Ohio.
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