Rewaco CT1800 - 2009 |
 |
Rewaco Trikes of Germany are, as you probably know, one of the most famous builders of three-wheeled conveyances on the planet. They’ve been building them at their factory in Lindlar between Dusseldorf and Dortmund for the last twenty years or so and have a model range that is second to none. They are, though, more famous for building car-based trikes (and, recently, Harley-based ones too) than they are bikebased trikes which is why the machine you see here in front of you is such an important step for them. It is their new CT800 – a conversion trike (that’s  what the CT stands for) based on the Suzuki C800 Intruder – and it’s the first bike-based trike they’ve put their name to. The CT800 is actually the first of a new range of trikes they’re planning using the whole range of Suzuki Intruders as the base – they’re going to be offering CT versions of both the 1500 Intruder and the big bruiser 1800 in the near future too.But anyway, the CT800. Based, as I said, on the new C800 Intruder, the new trike uses most of the Suzuki from the front wheel right back to the swingarm pivot – the sixteen inch front wheel (with its 130/90/R16 tyre) and brakes, the 41mm upside-down forks, the handlebars, the headlight and all the controls are all as the gentlemen at Hamamatsu intended. The yokes, though, are of Rewaco’s design and increase the rake and trail slightly to lighten and sharpen the steering response. The increase in rake also makes the CT look just that bit better too – with the stock rake, they reckoned, the trike looked good, but just a little too stumpy – just that small change opens the front end out a tad and the trike’s lines flow that bit better for it. Moving backwards, the stock 15.5 litre (3.4 gallon) fuel tank is utilisedas normal, but there’s also another small tank cleverly hidden down below the seats to give a greater range – it’s a little 4.5 litre one that extends the total fuel capacity to 20 litres (4.4 gallons). Given that the CT weighs nearly 140 kilos more than the bike it’s based on (380 kilos as opposed to 246), that increase means that the trike has pretty much the same range, if not a little bit more, as its two-wheeled cousin. The seating arrangements, for the rider anyway, stay as Messrs Suzuki intended too. The CT uses the stock front seat and the stock rider footboards, but the rear seat gains a set of back ‘wings’ to keep the pillion from rolling from side to side as so often happens when a bike is converted to a trike – the rider, you see, has something to hang onto (the ‘bars), but the pillion, deprived of the ability to lean, can roll around on the seat through bends to an extent that they start to feel both a little uncomfortable and a little unsafe too. These ‘wings’ hold the pillion in place and stop all that. ‘Course, you only get them if you order the optional top case, but I have a feeling that most folk will anyway so … The pillion also gets footboards for extra comfort too – Rewaco know from years of experience that footboards are way better than footrests and so they’re fitted as a matter of course. That optional top case is complemented by the ‘boot’ (or ‘trunk’ as the Germans call it – bloody Americanisms eh?) that comes with the trike as standard. It alone increases the amount of luggage that can be carried quite dramatically and is big enough to easily stow a couple of helmets or a good portion of your camping gear or a couple of slabs of beer. It’s also nicely lined with a neutral-coloured carpet that just shows that it’s been thought of as part of the overall design and not just lobbed on there as a bit of an afterthought, y’know? ‘Course, none of this would be of any consequence if there wasn’t an axle there, would it? This is a trike magazine, remember, and we don’t do single rear wheels here … well, often anyway. The unit that provides the motive power is a purpose-designed and beautifully made one that’s put together in Rewaco’s manufacturing plant in Poland before being shipped to the assembly factory in Germany where it and the bike come together and become a trike. It uses brand new components throughout (none o’ yer scavenged from a breaker’s yard stuff here!) and the heart of it is a purpose-modified BMW differential. Disc brakes are used at either end and there’s a choice of alloy or spoked wheels with 205/55R16 tyres. The handbrake is tucked away neatly down on the left side and isn’t obtrusive, and there’s a starter motor-powered reverse gear hidden away under the seats too. So, we’ve established that the CT800 is built to Rewaco’s usual standards, but the proof of the pudding’s in the eating (or some such bollox), isn’t it? Personally I didn’t fancy actually trying to eat the CT as I have enough trouble with my teeth as it is, thankyou very much, but when I was offered the chance to take the new trike for a quick hoon along Rewaco’s private test track (okay, the three kilometer long road up to the factory from the main road in reality) they didn’t have to ask me twice. What they did have to tell me twice, though, was that you have to wear a helmet on a trike in Germany … bloody bureaucratic spoilsports!  The boot’s big enough to easily stow a couple of helmets or a good portion of your camping gear or a couple of slabs of beer. From the moment you throw your leg over the seat (taking care to make sure you don’t clonk the top case, lose your balance, fall over and make a complete arse of yourself) and drop into the rider’s seat, the CT feels completely and totally factory. The view from where you  sit is exactly the same as it would be sitting on a new stock C800 – the ‘bars are the same, the clock’s the same, the controls are as light and easy to use as the controls on any new bike. Okay, so there’s one of those bloody awful heel-and-toe gearchanges that the Japanese seem to insist on fitting to anything remotely cruiser-like but, thankfully, you can just use the ‘toe’ bit as a normal shifter and ignore the twatty ‘heel’ bit. Have you sussed that I’m not a big fan of heel-and-toe gearchanges yet?Anyway, the gearchange engages with only a minimal clang (I love Suzuki gearboxes, me) and the clutch is nice and light. The four stroke, liquid-cooled, 805cc vee-twin motor makes 53bhp at 6000rpm and 69Nm at 4000rpm and while perhaps isn’t as hairy-chested as its 1800cc sibling, it’s no slouch and the CT accelerates smartly up to an indicated 80kph (about 50mph) which is, trust me, about as fast as you need to go on this particular road. Let’s just put it like this, I’m insanely jealous of Rewaco for having such an amazing piece of blacktop right on their doorstep because it truly is a piece of automotive heaven. If you’ve ever been up the hill to Circuit Paul Ricard where they used to run the Bol d’Or, well, it’s not quite as good as that ‘cos it’s not as long, but if you were to imagine that you wouldn’t be far off the mark. If you haven’t, well, imagine the Cat & Fiddle Pass three lanes wide with perfectly smooth tarmac and perfectly radiused bends and that, too, wouldn’t be too far removed. It’s a perfect (that word again) place to put a trike through its paces – wide and fast enough to give you a real sensation of speed, but twisty and tight enough to make the suspension and steering work to earn its living. The CT seemed to revel in it – the precise steering made short work of the corners with nary a hint of body roll from the suspension, and the four speed ‘box and instant pull from the fuel-injected motor allowed instant overtaking of anything going slower than you. From leaving the top of the hill to getting to the bottom seemed no time at all and the quick blast I took the trike for along the dual carriageway was positively dull by comparison, but it did reveal that the Intruder will happily tramp along at an indicated 140kph (about 90mph) with a little bit to go and feels rock solid and stable as it does it. But it was the trip back up the hill I was looking forward to and it was worth it – at the bottom there were a couple of cars behind me but, after dialing in a steady 80kph and hanging on to the ‘bars grinning like a loon, by the time I got to the roundabout at the top a couple of minutes later my mirrors were empty and they were nowhere to be seen. This thing rides really well, take it from me! So, if you wanted to get your hands on one where would you get one and how much would one be? Well, the answer to the first question is two-fold – the UK importers for Rewaco trikes are Rewaco UK who are based in Harlow in Essex (the address and ‘phone numbers are around here somewhere) and you can either get one Suzuki dealers that they’re in the process of setting up (check their website for details). And the price? Well, the CT800 is based on a brand new bike and comes with a two year, all components, unlimited mileage warranty, and will cost £17,000 including all charges, VAT and road tax. For that you get a brand spanking, no miles trike with Japanese reliability and build quality and German attention to detail (and remember, the German legislative system is the strictest in Europe so they don’t do things by halves) protected by a no-quibble guarantee. Yes, there may be cheaper trikes on the market, but how many of them can say that?  The precise steering made short work of the corners with nary a hint of body roll from the suspension  ENGINE: 2009 Suzuki C800 Intruder, twin cylinder four stroke 805cc vee-twin with digital fuel injection & four speed gearbox CHASSIS: 2009 Suzuki C800 Intruder with Rewaco CT800 rear section AXLE SET-UP: Rewaco CT800 axle/diff/suspension/brakes/wheels, 205/55/R16 tyres FRONT END: Stock Suzuki C800 Intruder with Rewaco CT800 yokes BODYWORK: Stock Suzuki C800 Intruder with Rewaco CT800 boot & optional top case with backrest ELECTRICS: Stock Suzuki C800 Intruder loom/ headlights/front indicators, Rewaco CT800 rear lights & rear indicators PAINT: Stock Suzuki C800 Intruder colours To get your hands on a new CT800 contact Rewaco Trikes UK Ltd at 47 Sheering Road, Harlow, Essex, CM17 0JN on 01279 730695 or on-line at www.rewacotrikesuk.co.uk Words & Pix, Nik Article reproduced from TRIKE MAGAZINE with their kind permission
|
