Alligator (motorcycle)
Encyclopedia
The Alligator is a Feet forwards motorcycle
built by Dan Gurney Alligator Motorcycle Company which is the motorcycle division of the former driver/racing team owner
's All American Racers workshop in Santa Ana, California
. Although not the first of such design, it is unique for its unconventional low-slung seating position which allows for its low center of gravity.
designed a similar prototype in 1886, since then the conventional seating position has been used on all bikes with the exception of the few bikes like the commercially successful Ner-a-car
and unsuccessful Quasar
.
The bike design was first instigated when Gurney took a 1976 Honda XL350 as a base to develop the first design evolution known as the A-1 (a.k.a. "Grandpa Gator") and was completed in 1980.
Named after the reptile of the same name
, due to the bike’s long, low appearance and was chosen to reflect the North American nature of the species
After several years of R & D, with eighty nine different riders consisting of professional motorcycle and car racers, prominent bike enthusiasts, engineers, journalists and regular Sunday riders to help develop the bikes through test rides along with Gurney's busy schedule running a team, six different prototype configurations all have logged thousands of miles before Gurney and his team decided on a sixth evolution, the A-6 with full fairing
to be launched in 2002 with an intention to build no more than 36 as it was the number that appeared on the Eagle-Weslake
Formula One
racer which won the 1967 Belgian Grand Prix
. The bike is then made available to consumers for $35,000, considering its price, beside its rare nature of the bike with a carbon fiber
body over a chromoly frame powered by a 70 hp single-cylinder 710 cc Honda
which is capable of 140 mi/h and 0-60 mph in 3.1 seconds.
Feet forwards motorcycle
A Feet First Motorcycle is a class of motorcycle design that seeks to look at the two-wheeled concept afresh, and create a new form of practical personal transport...
built by Dan Gurney Alligator Motorcycle Company which is the motorcycle division of the former driver/racing team owner
Dan Gurney
Daniel Sexton Gurney is an American racing driver, race car constructor, and team owner.The son of a Metropolitan Opera star, he was born in Port Jefferson, New York, but moved to California as a teenager...
's All American Racers workshop in Santa Ana, California
Santa Ana, California
Santa Ana is the county seat and second most populous city in Orange County, California, and with a population of 324,528 at the 2010 census, Santa Ana is the 57th-most populous city in the United States....
. Although not the first of such design, it is unique for its unconventional low-slung seating position which allows for its low center of gravity.
History
The bike design traces itself back to the pioneering era when Gottlieb DaimlerGottlieb Daimler
Gottlieb Daimler was an engineer, industrial designer and industrialist born in Schorndorf , in what is now Germany. He was a pioneer of internal-combustion engines and automobile development...
designed a similar prototype in 1886, since then the conventional seating position has been used on all bikes with the exception of the few bikes like the commercially successful Ner-a-car
Ner-a Car
The Ner-a-Car was a type of feet forwards motorcycle designed by Carl Neracher in 1918. Around 6,500 Ner-a-Cars are believed to have been produced between 1921 and 1927 in England, and about 10,000 Neracars in the US...
and unsuccessful Quasar
Quasar (motorcycle)
The Quasar was a semi-enclosed feet forward motorcycle, created by Malcolm Newell and Ken Leaman,who made a number of similar vehicles.It used an 850 cc engine built by Reliant Motors and was capable of cruising at 90–100 mph and exceeding 100 mph in favourable...
.
The bike design was first instigated when Gurney took a 1976 Honda XL350 as a base to develop the first design evolution known as the A-1 (a.k.a. "Grandpa Gator") and was completed in 1980.
Named after the reptile of the same name
Alligator
An alligator is a crocodilian in the genus Alligator of the family Alligatoridae. There are two extant alligator species: the American alligator and the Chinese alligator ....
, due to the bike’s long, low appearance and was chosen to reflect the North American nature of the species
After several years of R & D, with eighty nine different riders consisting of professional motorcycle and car racers, prominent bike enthusiasts, engineers, journalists and regular Sunday riders to help develop the bikes through test rides along with Gurney's busy schedule running a team, six different prototype configurations all have logged thousands of miles before Gurney and his team decided on a sixth evolution, the A-6 with full fairing
Motorcycle fairing
A motorcycle fairing is a shell placed over the frame of some motorcycles, especially racing motorcycles and sport bikes, with the primary purpose to reduce air drag. The secondary functions are the protection of the rider from airborne hazards and wind-induced hypothermia and of the engine...
to be launched in 2002 with an intention to build no more than 36 as it was the number that appeared on the Eagle-Weslake
Weslake
Weslake Research and Development was founded by Harry Weslake, with premises in Rye, East Sussex, England. Weslake was a cylinder head specialist who had been instrumental in modifying the side valve standard engine used in the first SS sports car. He also worked on the larger SS engine: "The...
Formula One
Formula One
Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
racer which won the 1967 Belgian Grand Prix
1967 Belgian Grand Prix
The 1967 Belgian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Spa-Francorchamps on June 18, 1967.- Race report :Jim Clark led off the grid from pole position and maintained that position for the first 11 laps and was 20 seconds ahead of Jackie Stewart and Dan Gurney when he had to come into the...
. The bike is then made available to consumers for $35,000, considering its price, beside its rare nature of the bike with a carbon fiber
Carbon fiber
Carbon fiber, alternatively graphite fiber, carbon graphite or CF, is a material consisting of fibers about 5–10 μm in diameter and composed mostly of carbon atoms. The carbon atoms are bonded together in crystals that are more or less aligned parallel to the long axis of the fiber...
body over a chromoly frame powered by a 70 hp single-cylinder 710 cc Honda
Honda
is a Japanese public multinational corporation primarily known as a manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles.Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, as well as the world's largest manufacturer of internal combustion engines measured by volume, producing more than...
which is capable of 140 mi/h and 0-60 mph in 3.1 seconds.