We’re still a week away from the EICMA show in Milan, but information about new motorcycles is already leaking out. Getting a head start on the competition is CR&S out of Milano, Italy, who released pictures of its ‘DUU’ concept bike today, which it bills as a ‘street cruiser.’

It’s a street cruiser all right, if your idea of a street cruiser is the Yamaha V-Max or Harley-Davidson Muscle.

The ‘cruiser’ part of the equation stems from its use of a 1916cc S&S X-Wedge V-Twin. The engine is notable for its adherence to stringent emission and noise standards while still doling out serious power. But that’s about the only thing ‘cruiser-ish’ about it. How many other cruisers have a single-sided swingarm, a sportbike-like rake, rear-set footpegs and dual wave rotor brakes with Brembo calipers on the front wheel?

I like the way the pipes taper down the side of the bike at the same angle as the cylinder heads then disappear in the small bottom chin spoiler and reappear just in front of the rear tire. Its tidy tail section looks more like a sportbike than street cruiser, too, with its taillights cleanly integrated under the seat. OK, I can’t help but look at the headlights and think of Johnny 5 of Short Circuit fame, but otherwise the styling is sporty.



Each CR&S motorcycle is built by hand in Milano as a ‘tailor-made’ bike with buyers able to choose from a wide range of technical and aesthetic options. Production is limited to a few dozen per year and CR&S expects to deliver the first bikes in Europe by 2011. Target price for the base model is approximately €20,000.

The concept bike will receive its official unveiling at the EICMA show, but here are a few photos to whet the appetite before then. With the DUU, CR&S states that ‘Two Western Motorcycle Cultures will be synthesized inside the DUU: a sporty European rolling chassis powered by a muscular American big-twin.’