The Snaefell project…
François Knorreck is his name…
Motorcycling is his passion…
Although his real job is technician in an hospital at Saint-Etienne in France, he spends all his free time to build, manufacture, modify and tune motorbikes.
All sorts of motorbikes, with a neat preference for bikes of character in general, and Laverda in particular.
Some jokes or challenges too, like this amphybian motorcycle (Yamaha base) on which he was the first one to cross the Loire river on a motorbike !
After 10.000 hours of hard work, more than 10 years from time to time in the garage and about 15.000 Euros spent, the Snaefell was ready to ride !
As you can see, the result is really impressive for a work done by an amateur…
The vehicle is very neat and the finishing is astounding.
The general design is quite beautiful, which is quite rare throughout the sidecar production.
While this is a very special vehicle, the Laverda touch is obvious.
This is not only the triple engine which does that but probably a smart and hard work on the global design.
The rear part recalls the RGS side panels.
The glorious triple 1000cc seems magnified in this red dress…
Attention to details reveals thousands of great mods.
Now this is what we can called a complete dashboard.
Note the level of finishing…
Note also the 3 exhausts!
This is a sidecar, right ?
So, have a look at this nice, well finished and comfortable interior.
All hand made naturarly !
Headlight comes from a Kawasaki 1000 RX bike, the tail lights from a Citroën Xantia car.
Invitation to a nice road trip…
The work is signed with this special logo, a reversed F in a K, just like François Knorreck.
First job was to think and build the chassis.
François went to the option of two single arm suspensions (front and rear), with the usual balancing system to the front.
After some drawings, Autocad and geometry experiences, the job was done by welding some very beautiful and neat structures in aluminium.
Then came the sidecar chassis, also all in aluminium.
Hubs and brakes come from a VW Golf GTI, the wheels are from an Audi 80.
The tension of the chain is automatically adjusted by an eccentric system installed on the swingarm axle.
Shocks absorbers are Fournales air system, especially manufactured for this machine.
Time came to build the bodywork, all in polyester or carbon fiber, depending of the parts.
François used not less than 63 moulds for that, all hand made !
The outfit door, Lamborghini style, was mainly in carbon fiber.
The aperture system is electrical.
The two open roofs are in carbon fiber too.
Headlights and blinkers on the outfit came from BMW and Renault cars.
While doing the first road tests, François was disappointed by the front suspension and steering systems, not too bad but not good enough for him, not better than any usual sidecar.
For more safety at high speed in curves and stability on straight roads, he dismantled the vehicle again, threw away the whole front end and draw and built a new system inspired from the sidebike brand concept (1 to 2 arms) !
The bike is now perfectly stable at high speed.
Another advantage is that the headstock has almost no force on it, so no risk of cracks.
Once upon a day, there was a 3CL, purchased in France in April 1976.
The bike was quickly modified in a sharp racing bike : Highly tuned engine, exhausts manufactured by one of the Ligier Formula One Team mechanic, special bodywork including a seat thrown by the mechanics of Kenny Roberts after a crash at the France GP session and a Martin full fairing.
While being an exquisite race bike, it was certainly not enough for the owner.
François Knorreck is someone who has truly golden hands, means that he can do anything related to motorcycles : Building and tuning an engine, manufacturing a bodywork from scratch, machining or welding any sort of metals, and even conceiving new mechanical systems if required !
This is then that in 1993, after having heavily used the modified 3CL and keeping in mind that the RHS chain drive of the Laverda allow to use 3 identical wheels, he decided to build one of the most impressive sidecar ever…
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