Motorcycles

Does Brutus define a new genre of motorcycle?

Does Brutus define a new genre of motorcycle?
Alessandro Tartarini, son of Italjet founder Leopoldo Tartarini, has designed what is being touted as a new motorcycle concept
Alessandro Tartarini, son of Italjet founder Leopoldo Tartarini, has designed what is being touted as a new motorcycle concept
View 7 Images
Brutus is claimed to be the Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) of motorcycles
1/7
Brutus is claimed to be the Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) of motorcycles
Brutus runs a single cylinder, 45 bhp, DOHC, four-valve, liquid-cooled 750cc engine with electronic fuel injection
2/7
Brutus runs a single cylinder, 45 bhp, DOHC, four-valve, liquid-cooled 750cc engine with electronic fuel injection
Brutus' 220 kg puts it in the same weight category as the 1000cc adventure tourers such as the Ducati Multistrada and BMW 1200 GS
3/7
Brutus' 220 kg puts it in the same weight category as the 1000cc adventure tourers such as the Ducati Multistrada and BMW 1200 GS
Brutus should not be confused with the EV of the same name
4/7
Brutus should not be confused with the EV of the same name
Brutus ready for the snow?
5/7
Brutus ready for the snow?
Alessandro Tartarini, son of Italjet founder Leopoldo Tartarini, has designed what is being touted as a new motorcycle concept
6/7
Alessandro Tartarini, son of Italjet founder Leopoldo Tartarini, has designed what is being touted as a new motorcycle concept
Brutus' specifications
7/7
Brutus' specifications
View gallery - 7 images

Now here's a motorcycle with a difference. Alessandro Tartarini, son of Italjet founder Leopoldo Tartarini, this week used the EICMA motorcycle show to present a new motorcycle concept.

The aptly named Brutus (not to be confused with the existing Brutus electric motorcycle), is billed as "the SUV of motorcycles," and runs a single cylinder, 45 bhp, DOHC, four-valve, liquid-cooled 750cc engine with electronic fuel injection and "two-speed" CVT with optional reverse gear.

Brutus' 220 kg puts it in the same weight category as the 1000cc adventure tourers such as the Ducati Multistrada and BMW 1200 GS
Brutus' 220 kg puts it in the same weight category as the 1000cc adventure tourers such as the Ducati Multistrada and BMW 1200 GS

Alessandro has not yet declared how much Brutus weighs, but highly-regarded Italian motorcycle magazine Motociclismo reports that it is "less than 220 kg," which we take to mean somewhere in the vicinity of 220 kg (485 lbs).

That weight would put Brutus in the same weight category as the 1000cc adventure tourers such as the Ducati Multistrada and BMW 1200 GS.

Brutus is claimed to be the Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) of motorcycles
Brutus is claimed to be the Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) of motorcycles

Now there are some significant points to be made here and the first is that the adventure tourers are built for dirt roads, not for serious off-road conditions. The reason they cannot be taken truly "off road" is that they are FAR TOO HEAVY.

So as a serious off-road motorcycle, Brutus is morbidly obese, and I simply cannot imagine how the manufacturers could consider making claims such as it being the only two-wheeled vehicle "at home in any conditions" and "a valid work tool for going where other vehicles cannot", because the specifications suggest exactly the opposite.

Brutus runs a single cylinder, 45 bhp, DOHC, four-valve, liquid-cooled 750cc engine with electronic fuel injection
Brutus runs a single cylinder, 45 bhp, DOHC, four-valve, liquid-cooled 750cc engine with electronic fuel injection

One of the other aspects of Brutus that is worrying is its lack of suspension travel – 80mm at the front and 100mm at the rear – that's approximately half the wheel travel of the adventure tourers and indicates to me that Brutus is unlikely to be capable of any speed off-road.

The most obvious difference to existing motorcycles are the rims and tires – six inches wide at the front and seven inches wide at the rear – dimensions normally associated with sports car tires. In some circumstances, perhaps snow or deep sand, balloon tires of this magnitude might be helpful, but at the same time, much of the advantage in terms of traction will be lost through the bike's weight. In all other circumstances, I find it hard to believe they will offer any advantage.

The press release for Brutus suggests it has been designed "outside the box and beyond fashion and sterile market analyses" – in my opinion it seems to have been built without sufficient thought and diligence to create a viable usable motorcycle.

Brutus ready for the snow?
Brutus ready for the snow?

Brutus will be available, according to the press release, with a range of accessories and customizable add-ons, including a sidecar version, a winch, a fire-prevention kit, a generator, and a "snow kit" which is pictured above.

So does this two-wheeled SUV (or perhaps monster truck) genuinely represent a new genre of motorcycle? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

View gallery - 7 images
51 comments
51 comments
robinyatesuk2003
if this is a new genre I expect it to be the last. Horrible and ill thought out
BeWalt
I agree.
It was only a matter of time for someone to come and "improve" on the - until then - stupidest vehicle concept of all times, the S.U.V.
Simply cutting one of those in half now enables this completely new type of vehicle to fall over even harder than normal motorcycles. Oh progress, you are so merciless.
Surffred
It's my ol' Yamaha Big Wheel 200.
DamianBM
Hideous piece of over-weight garbage. Looks like a kids scale model and fails as a design concept.
The irony is that his father has made a career out of selling lightweight machines so it is only fitting that the next generation should try to lose it by creating pointlessly heavy ones.
I trust that Daddy has a sense of humor.
francm
Usefulness is not relevant for premium desirability at premium prices - just look at the Swiss watch industry or Italian sports cars.
ihateorange
Overweight Rokon! Mind you 99% of SUVs never go off road ( known here in the UK as Chelsea Tractors!) so this would fit well into that market. Maybe he should go and spend some hours looking at his fathers designs and realise that sometimes "the box" is there for a reason
Geo Casapu
nothing new, just a huge exposure due to EICMA
check this:
http://motoblogn.blogspot.ro/2012/08/industrial-strength-diesel-farm.html
and there is another one build by a british brand as farm bike who don't need a stender because his wheels are so wide and soft to keep the bike up.
Threesixty
An awesome naked street machine, just needs proper wheels and tires, and a saddle rather than a beam.
Fernando Albuquerque
Rich people's toy.
Wiseguy
@BeWalt there are many reasons people buy SUV's. All just as legitimate as the reasons people buy micro cars and hybrids. I'm not saying I like this bike. But just have a think why people might want a higher car. Here's a few reasons to get you started. They're easier to get baby seats in and out and easier for people with bad backs to get in and out. Maybe someone has a big family. They also need to grocery shop for them. So just have a think before you say something that makes you sound ignorant.
Load More