Quasar (motorcycle)

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Quasar
Magazine Ad for Quasar
Manufacturer	Malcolm Newell
Production	1975-1982
Assembly	Britain
Class	Microcar
Body style	Feet forwards motorcycle
Engine	Reliant 850cc
Wheelbase	77"
Length	101"
Width	28"
Curb weight	680 lbs
Top Speed	110 MPH
Fuel capacity	4 Gallons
Similar	BMW C1

The Quasar is an enclosed feet forwards motorcycle, or arguably Microcar, made by Malcom Newell, who made a number of similar vehicles^[1] and Ken Leaman^[2]. It used an 850cc engine built by Reliant Motors and was capable of crusing at and exceeding 100MPH^[3].

The Quasar's seating is, as mentioned, feet forwards, changing the position of the rider from on top and straddling the vehicle, to inside and sitting down, more in the style of a sports car. Unlike most motorcycles, the Quasar has a roof which goes over the rider. While normally not a problem, tall riders with larger, more modern helmets can have trouble fitting inside. In the front of the bike the windshield has, abnormally for a bike, especially of it's time, a windshield wiper; although there is some complains that the blade can obstruct the driver's vision. On the back of the vehicle is a storage space with a size of approximately 60 Litres^{[citation needed]}.

Contents 1 History 2 Legacy 3 References 4 See also 5 External links

[edit] History

In 1968, after his previous idea for a trike named the "Revolution" failed, forcing him to close his motorcycle store, Malcom Newell met Ken Leaman while on a vacation, and the two quickly set up a company to produce similar vehicles. While undergoing some early financial troubles, the first Quasar was sold in December, 1976.

Though they had launched a publicity campaign to gain interest in the bike, even after they began to receive inquiries they did not increase production. Between December, 1976 and October, 1979, they only produced a total of six vehicles. In 1980, they found another location to manufacture the vehicle at, and made a contract to produce five Quasars as an experiment in how much the vehicle would cost. While all five vehicles sold by December, 1981, another batch of ten was prepared starting in August. When the company manufacturing the vehicle, Romarsh collapsed, the project went with it, and no Quasars have since been built. While only 21 have been officially produced, it's possible that there are upwards of 30 Quasar bikes total, not including replicas.

[edit] Legacy

Although the Quasar was a commercial failure, it is still well known in the feet forwards motorcycle community, and is an inspiration to many makers, professional and home-built. While there aren't many in existence, riders of Quasars still frequently group at bike gatherings, particularly those for specifically feet forwards motorcycles ^[4]. While the Quasar is sometimes seen as the inspiration for BMW's C1 scooter, BMW has not confirmed this^{[citation needed]}.

[edit] References

1. ^ Malcolm Newell Feet forwards motorcycle listing
2. ^ Various history on the bike
3. ^ Talk of the engine
4. ^ Quasar Gathering

[edit] See also

• Cabin cycle
• Feet forwards motorcycle

[edit] External links

• Quasar World - Everything you could ever want to know about the Quasar Feet First motorcycle