Avinton Collector Race R Custom Motorcycle
Within the motorcycle and automotive world there are rulesānot explicitly stated rules, but they can be seen. The American sport model has always been about power and how to produce as much of it as possibleābrash, masculine machines that are purpose built. European brands have always led with an understated elegance and accentuated their builds with impressive performance to match.
These rules vary from country to country and class to class, but when those rules are broken and the lines in the sand intermingle, that is when greatness is achieved. Such is the case with Avinton Motorcycles, based out of SommieĢres, France.
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From the unlikely mind of CeĢdric Klein, an engineer who specialized in thermodynamic systems, comes the Avinton Collector Race Rāa track bike unlike any you have seen. From French hands spring a distinct muscle bike that proudly wears its influences on its sleeves. Though the result was not predictable, this motorcycle is exactly what you would expect from someone who deeply admired one of the nest vehicles to ever be produced in the United Statesāthe Shelby Cobra.
As a child, Klein, like many of us, first saw the Cobra in its original formāthe AC Cobraāas it lapped European race tracks, setting the automotive world ablaze. That image has been engrained in him and, in 2011 when he acquired Avinton Motorcycles, it was the muse for their designs.
The Keihin 41mm at slide carburetor has an almost brutal quality to it, knowing that air is being forced through its plumbing that wraps around the 45-degree V-twin engine, in a visual cacophony. With an exhaust system that releases out of a straight pipe, it will produce a sound that we can only imagine as a monstrous roar.
Carbon fiber in a classic setting might begin to clash. Instead, the Collector Race R takes a page from cafeĢ racers of days gone by, and is nothing short of perfection. Angular, compact and utilitarian, it is the spearhead of ambition.
A curious feature from Avinton is the air intake, which has been integrated into the fuel tankādirectly through the center no less. Carbon fiber-routed forced induction makes it way from the nose into the turbocharger, creating pure energy.
With the center of the motorcycle dominated by the turbocharger, you will understandably wonder where the fuel is carried. To solve that puzzle, Avinton has designed a sculpted 3.4-gallon tank out of the rear tail.
After the exhaust gasses have performed their various duties, they are directed to gorgeous aluminum race-inspired pipes. The slim profile reminds us of aesthetics that might be found on the types of machines Hailwood, Agostini, and Smart would have been seen blazing around the cozy streets of Europe.
The British cafeĢ influence doesnāt cease there. Like all things Avinton has done, Klein has taken classic concepts and thrust them into modernity. Inverted Ceriani 46 mm forks, fully adjustable, are held at an alarmingly steep 22-degree rake, and clip-ons speak to the Collector Race Rās nimble nature. Images of tucking down behind the petite windscreen while desperately clinging to the Collector Race R come to mind. A single machined air/oil-shock blends in masterfully. Nothing detracts from the overall build.
The classic American Muscle style involves racing stripes, a trait that Carol Shelby popularized and made a fixture of Americana. It is a design trait that many have imitated, but few have replicated properly. From nose to tail, the dark dual stripes run through the light-blue paint that only a bike with these kinds of numbers could get away with. Sleek contour pro ling adorns the Collector Race R, and it is apparent that this is something more than a simple compendium of the inspirations of others.
What isnāt American is the weight. At a respectable 423 pounds (claimed wet), this is a muscle twin that defies what we associate with American Muscle. The Avinton Collector Race R is light on its feet while delivering punishing power. Then again, what is more American than āFloat like a butterfly; sting like a beeā?
All of this sits upon modern racing slicks, the final touch at combining the qualities that have continued to inspire us since their inspection. For CeĢdric Klein, his fascination with American Muscle means taking only the best of those mentalities and distilling them into the Avinton Collector Race Rāimaginative, unfettered and daring. It is a reminder that if you risk, and if you have faith, something can be created that never fails to ignite our thoughts.
Avinton Collector Race R Specs:
- MOTOR: S&S Cycle V100C
- BORE X STROKE: 101.6 x 101.6mm
- DISPLACEMENT: 1647cc / 100 ci
- INTAKE: Garrett turbocharger and Keihin 41mm atslide carburetor
- MAX. POWER: 210 horsepower @ 5750 rpm
- MAX. TORQUE: 214 ft/lbs @ 3000 rpm
- TOP SPEED: 187 mph
- TRANSMISSION: Cassette-style 5-speed (developed w/ Andrews Products)
- CLUTCH: Dry
- FRAME: Single backbone w/ integrated 3-liter oil tank
- SUSPENSION: Front: 46mm Ceriani forks; Rear: Air-oil shock
- BRAKES: Front: Beringer w/ 6-piston calipers; Rear: 228mm disc w/ 4-piston caliper
- RAKE: 22 degrees
- WHEELBASE: 54.3 inches
- SEAT HEIGHT: 31.1 inches
- WEIGHT: 385 pounds dry; 423 pounds wet
- WARRANTY: Two years
Photography by Bruno de Hogues
Avinton Collector Race R Custom Motorcycle – Photo Gallery
Looks like Ground Level Flight.