At last weekend’s Glemseck 101 motorcycle festival, Superbike world champion Troy Corser demonstrated the immense performance of the new Lotus C-01, beating Kawasaki test-rider Francesca Gasperi’s 310bhp Ninja on the 1/8th mile sprint…
Man and machine vs. woman and electronics
“It was a struggle between man and machine, and woman and electronics,” commented Tobias Aichele of Classic Driver dealer Premiummotorrad, Europe’s only distributor of Lotus Motorcycles. “The Lotus waives all electronic aids such as traction control and ABS, but the Kawasaki is crammed with them.”
A wheelie finish
A lack of electronic aids wasn’t the only difficulty facing Corser – the Lotus’s wheelbase is extremely long, with all 200HP going directly to the rear wheel. Keen for a challenge, the Australian pro decided to try and wheelie the whole way. “With a little practice, I could ride the Lotus on the rear wheel for kilometres,” he said with a grin.
Looks familiar?
If the colours of the Lotus seem familiar to you, don’t be alarmed. The exceptional bike was appointed by Classic Driver, and configured in our brand colours. It’s one of the first examples built, and after its impressive demonstration at Glemseck, can be seen in the Premium Motorcycle showroom at Motorworld in Stuttgart. You can read a detailed feature on our Lotus C-01 on Classic Driver soon.
Photos: Frederic Seemann for Classic Driver © 2015
