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.
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
Skizick says
Motorcycles truly are a magnificent medium for the creative spirit of human mind.
Gabe says
That thing just blew my mind!
Miles says
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.
Kirill says
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
Matt Fisher says
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.
coho says
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/
Azzy says
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.
mobilus says
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.
Danny says
Impressive machine. Truly a sidecar with some serious style points.
FREEMAN says
This must be the literal sense of the term sidecar.
Impressive work.
marvin says
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.
j says
Impressive engineering and brain but……..shouldn’t it be side-cycle. Not my cup of tea.
David says
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.
todd says
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
Rosscoe says
Simply amazing craftsmanship and attention to detail. It looks like it was
factory built. Some forward thinking motorcycle company should hire this fellow.
rai says
this thing is literally a ‘sidecar’
James Bowman says
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?
Sticker Boy says
Looking at that, it reminds me of a bike accident I once had…!
mikelabert says
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!!!
wd515 says
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.
Marty says
to those who say “why?” there is no point explaining, you simply will never understand.
GreenGuzzi says
This thing makes so much sense on every level. Once the world is ready for this, then all our problems will be solved.
Zippy_gg says
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.
jess says
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.
thatdeadguy says
thumbs down. waste of time and talent.
David Cady says
Would love to ride in the sidecar of this unit in the 2010 Santa Claus Poker Run in Lima, Ohio.
Alberto says
LOL, this is ideal if you’re dating a girl with a younger chaperon brother!!!! you let him to have fun with the bike and you have fun with the sister inside the car!!!! LOL!!!!
kamuran says
wanderful wanderful
Johann Hattingh says
Nice idea, nice bike or trike, what you want to call it, in South Africa we as motorcycle riders love the idea of new and strange concepts for showing of on rallies or biker day jols, this bloke will receive a lot of attention and respect here. A person who can let his hands and brains do great things are intelligent, must be respected and be boosted to further themselves in life. I respect you and think all the other assholes that talk crap here are jealous because they are to flippen dump to think of something like this.
Cheers Bru !!!
Jemma says
So – that’ll be one Renault 25 TXi that died for a good cause (the tail-lamps).
I have to say I like that and its very much worth looking for a manufacturer. If it had been up to me I would have re-arranged the exhausts more evenly – left,right and middle since it doesnt look like the two can be parted.
I wouldnt say no to one of those 🙂
David says
I think it’s gorgeous, the workmanship is absolutely fantastic. I’m banned from riding motorcycles after my last accident but I think my wife would allow this providing she could get in it. More power to the builder’s elbow, he deserves a medal.
Random Chick says
That looks … wow. @w@
I’m sure it’ll be expensive beyond believe, but I still want one.
I could get a lot of groceries or take my dog for a ride in it.
Aamir Chaudhry says
Nice Moto-car(Sidecar) I like it, its a new and different thing, and un-matched. welldone
Best Regard!
chinmay pamecha says
wat an idea sir
it totally shivered the architechure
Danette Hebert says
That “sidecar” is a TWO SEATER — anyone see that? there are two seats and two seatbelts !! This is just plain awesome !
robert lye says
I have always wanted to build somthing like this and have done many skeches over the years of somthing like this but I have never had the money in my version I you could ride or drive I think what he has done is fantastic, and if it was put into production the super rich would be queuing up to buy it, I would love to see it in the flesh.
Saila Vash says
to all that say it was a waste of time and talent, to hell with you. if it were not for people who take chances and dream up such things, the majority of all we now have would be lost and never created.
who knows, maybe a future designer will see this and take a part that he needs and build the next car to change history.
Kenneth Street says
How Wonderful!!!! Do not pay any attention to those who are negative. I would love one of these. My golf clubs would go in just fine, as I would love to ride my motorcycle to the course and not drive my other vehicles. This could be a world changing vehicle. From what it said in the article, the cost was around 21,000 dollars. That is sure chaeper than the Harley Davidson big bikes!! What a PLUS,PLUS,PLUS!!!! Let the public have them also. My total respect to all involved!!!!
Yoda Rice says
That handcrafted! That is plain incredible! Creativity at work!!!
Dave says
This happened to me once . . .my insurence didn’t cover it !
Ava says
This is the coolest ever! This is what the future gets created out of! Ideas! Remember when we watched Star Trek? Some of that stuff was ‘too much’. Look at us now!!! We wouldn’t be caught dead without our ‘devices’! Artists are the creators of the future! Put it there and then it has something to grab onto to come into fruition! Nothing is out of reach if you can think of it…
Student says
That’s a good design for stress-free driving. You can’t hear the kids, they can’t distract you… and you can still see through the glass to check on them at red lights. but you’d want to make sure that other drivers know how wide the sidecar is, how far the edge goes, it could be sideswiped easily and might be dangerous to be in if someone wanted to “wedge through between you the biker and another car
Buck Norton says
Snaefell, mountain part of the Isle of Man TT Course – so it must be a driver, too…
sean says
can i just say you would look like the world’s biggest terd driving that thing around
roman says
Skill to build? no doubt. Good looking? not so much. Unless you also like unicorns, read space comics and want to one day own a white Countach. It’s totally “gay”….and not homosexual just “gay” as in “fail”.