German company Asphaltfighters’ latest creation has the most outrageous set of raw numbers we’ve seen for a production motorcycle. The 999cc Stormbringer has 220hp and an extra 60 ponies kick in over 180kmh for a 280bhp total. It’ll run “more than 198mph”, hits 62mph in 2.9 seconds, 124mph in 6.5 seconds, and 186mph in 13.9 seconds. It comes standard with a HELD riding suit and kevlar/carbon X-Lite helmet, and the riding position and suspension are all tailored for the purchaser. The machine has the full array of cutting edge technology such 10 stage traction control, heads up display, rear-view camera, programmable speed limiter and, considering what it offers, a remarkably reasonable price tag of EUR 57,500 (USD86,000).
In a world where numbers define a motorcycle well in advance of what it’s like to ride, the EUR 57,500 (USD86,000) Asphaltfighters Stormbringer is arguably the world’s most extreme production motorcycle at this fleeting point in time. It’s only to be produced in limited numbers, and each version is customized to the purchaser, with the suspension tuned to their weight and the riding position tailored to their requirements – sort of like the modern day version of how Brough once treated its clients who purchased the Brough Superior 75 years ago, though with far more applied science involved.
Built in Germany, the Stormbringer begins life as a standard 165bhp Kawasaki ZX-10R, and then Warm-up reworks everything.
The main feature is the engine, of which we’ve been unable to find much detail. Apparently it still has a swept volume of 999cc, but it is obviously extensively reworked to get to 220bhp – that’s all well within the realms of normally aspirated reworked street engines. The bit that’s even more of a mystery is that the bike apparently has a “booster mode” which gives it a short burst of an extra 60 ponies – we’re not sure whether that’s a nitrous injector or … so stay tuned. Or if someone knows something we don’t know, feel free to use the comments section.
The Stormbringer’s electronics prevent the booster from being activated below 180kmh (111mph) so it won’t stand up, spin out or tie you in knots and smack you into the asphalt – obviously, adding an extra 60 horses when a bike is already at the limits dealing with 220bhp needs physics on your side. Remember that with a total of 280bhp, the Stormbringer is more powerful than any MotoGP bike has ever been.
The programmable Bikerbox electronics include 10-stage traction control, launch control for the fastest getaways possible, and a programmable speed limiter. This means you can safely ride it around town without stepping over the limits, providing of course, you’ve punched in the right numbers.
The top speed is claimed to be “more than 198mph” which should be attainable in short order given that 186mph is just 13.9 seconds after lift-off according to the claimed acceleration figures.
The color-coordinated Held suit and X-Lite helmet will distinguish the rider down at the local swap meet as a sort of badge of honor and … it’s the sort of fully-customizable bespoke tailoring that’s been around for years for high end clients in the four wheeled world, with enough visually-distinctive technology to set it well apart from the average 1000cc boy racer.
Foremost amongst the unique aspects of the bike include bodywork with fins which are claimed to aid directional stability (an intersting claim considering it’s not being used in MotoGP), a WAECO heads-up display that projects your speed onto the wind-tunnel-designed Puig windscreen, and a rear-view camera feeding a small display on the tank so you don’t need to move your head out of the racing crouch to watch the scenery receding at warp speed behind you.
The video system is not just bling – conventional rear view mirrors make a mess of every machine’s aerodynamics and with the camera in the back of the seat and the five-inch LCD screen integrated into the tank, it’s both in the rider’s field of vision and out of the airstream compared with conventional mirrors mounted on stalks.
The suppliers of exotic aftermarket and racing products for the machine are all first rate - Oz wheels, Akrapovic exhaust system, orange-tread Bridgestone 190/55 ZR 17 and 120/70 ZR 17 Battlax tires and Spiegler brakes.
The Bridgestone tires have a medium hard rubber compound at the center of the tread for better wear, while the sides of the tires have a softer compound for better grip.
The Stormbringer could easily be seen at first glance as just an amalgamation of brandname aftermarket products, but it appears to be a far more holistic machine than that and includes some unique solutions using LED lighting which are long overdue for two wheeled usage. It uses a single-light Xenon headlamp which a diameter of just 70 millimeters and serves as both high and low beam.The headlight has excellent luminosity and its small size offers a unique attribute visually. During daylight hours the bike uses LED daytime running lights arranged in the shape of a triangle integrated into the fairing. When the Xenon low beam is turned on the LED lights are dimmed to the intensity of parking lights.
There are also “micro turn signals” - Kellermann Micro 1000 PL turn signals up front attached to the fairing and Micro 1000 DF turn signals at the rear which are attached to the lightweight WARM UP stainless-steel license plate holder. In addition to the LED turn signals each unit also houses a red Kellermann High-Power LED that serves as brake light and taillight.
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