The Kneeslider

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Oberdan Bezzi Does a McDeeb Hurricane

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Oberdan Bezzi designs the McDeeb American Roadster - a Royal Enfield in the tradition of the Triumph Hurricane
Oberdan Bezzi designs the McDeeb American Roadster - a Royal Enfield redesign in the tradition of the Triumph Hurricane

We’re big fans of the McDeeb Royal Enfield conversions and it looks like their transformations have sparked a few ideas in the mind of Oberdan Bezzi as well. I see he’s taken the concept and created a mashup of a Triumph Hurricane with Royal Enfield power, he calls it the McDeeb American Roadster. In fact, he’s done a whole series of McDeeb inspired Royal Enfield designs, but this one just struck me as particularly interesting. I’m not sure the McDeeb idea carries over to multi cylinder models becoming RE thumpers, but it’s a thought.

Link: Oberdan Bezzi

Posted on Filed Under: Motorcycle Design

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Comments

  1. This designer has a bad habit of styling his fantasies with needless 90 degree bends in the exhaust system. A needless twist to the left, then right, then wrap around the downtubes and another set of bends to get the muffler on the same side he should have started with in the first place.

    • And just thunkin a little more, to keep the bike simple, clean and a hellovalot simpler to do regular wrench-work, the exhaust on a single should be kept on the opposite side of the chain and sprocket.

    • just a thought for consideration, MOST people lean the bike to the left at stops and keep their right up on the brake. this design while “needless,” keeps squids in shorts from burning their leg at long lights…
      im more interested in where that chain is going to…. every enfield ive seen is a left hand sprocket, as does the hurricane this one is a right..

      • You’re more than right, not only is the chain drive not correct (if this is suppose to be a R.E. 500 motor) but there are other significant errors, like the tranny case. The last time I played with any of his renderings, it was easy to point out that he varied the scale of objects (like the engine) to fit other likewise manipulated components like frame tubing. Not going to bother with that procedure this time, I’ll just say that if you’re going to get all drooly over a concept, maybe the concept ought to have some basis in reality.

        • The powerplant on this bike is the newest RE engine, known as the “UCE”(unit construction engine).
          It is fuel injected, unit construction with the gearbox integrated into the engine case, and the drive chain is on the right.

          It diverges significantly from the original vintage type RE powerplant, and is more of the “retro” powerplant in the newer bikes. It has little visual similarity or mechanical similarity to the original vintage style RE engines.
          It was needed because the older style engines could no longer meet Euro 3 emission standards.

          So, in this rendering, the UCE powerplant is in this bike, and so those details are correct for that powerplant.

  2. Why? The hurricane engine was much better looking and more powerful, and the original 3 pipes were gorgeous.

    Sorry. Don’t get it.

    • Because the bodywork looks good no matter how many cylinders the engine has. Just hope Craig Vetter knows about this, or at least gets proper credit.

  3. I think it’s pretty cool, though I’d rather see the bike in the flesh and not an artist’s design sketch. The original Hurricane is a motorcycle icon, and while this bike captures much of the styling of the classic early 1970s Triumph, it still gives a some what fresh take on the classic design by using RE power and disc brakes. I would like it better if they came up with a more original paint scheme as well.

    As always, price point will be the big question as to whether or not it’s a sales success, but I think the styling is sound, and while the RE mill is no where close to being exceptional in performance, it does deliver a very classic look that is very important to the styling of this machine and provides adequate power for back road fun. I wouldn’t mind seeing one be built.

  4. I’m generally a big fan of anything with a round headlight, air cooled engine and a seat that sits on the frame, not in it (read- a standard, not a cruiser). This is a good looking bike. No, not as good as the original triple, but still a looker, nonetheless. It is slim and purposeful. Nice work….of course Craig Vetter gave Bezzi a 35+ year head start.

  5. While I have the greatest respect for the folks at R-E and McDeeb, this one doesn’t make it for me. I have ridden a Hurricane, if only for a short distance, and it was a unique bike; great styling (if a bit impractical) and gobs of smooth power from the finest-sounding engine ever. Even its Beezumph front end and drum brake (the same as on my B50!) worked stylistically, even if riders needed a strong grip. As Will Silk observes, the bike was an icon. While its Yank-meets-Brit styling translates onto a thumper well enough, it doesn’t evoke the all-or-nothing vibe of the X-75. And JustThinkin’s obeservation about the exhaust is spot-on. The beauty of a single is its simplicity, and that extends to the exhaust. No need to route is around and through the frame.

  6. It’s no Hurricane, but it looks good. I agree about the exhaust, this one doesn’t develop any grace to its shape until it gets to the muffler.

  7. This is a nice looking bike, but I somehow like the McDeeb “Bad Boy” rendering better.

  10. I really like it. But I’d like it more with a modern Triumph parallel twin motor. Just saying. Plus you could do the visual cue with two pipes up and to the right: that could look cool.

    Anyone noticed how expensive an X75 Hurricane is, even in the recession?

  12. Errr – without a 3 cylinder engine it is not a Hurricane. Or to put it another way a modern Hurricane is a Speed Triple or a Street Triple R.
    You cannot just put a bit of glassfibre on a Royal Enfield and call it a Hurricane. Sacrilege.

  13. I’m not quite sure what Mr Bezzi is trying to do. First there was the Honda CB1100R with a Royal Enfield engine, now a Triumph Hurricane.

    This isn’t design, it’s not even creative ‘Photochopping’, it’s just plain lazy.

  14. Relax, guys. Bezzi is just playing with the software, seeing how Hurricane style would look on an R-E. As I said, the result doesn’t light my fire, but this is how great designs get done — trying it to see what happens.

    tim — you can get a good one for about 28 Large. Wow. I could have bought one for about 5 grand in 1986, but I was lucky to have two Lincolns in my wallet then. Oh, well.