I thought of it to be a German or probably an American bike but never to be a bike from Estonia, officially the Republic of Estonia, situated in the Baltic region of Northern Europe, but this stylish tourer bike seems to defy all my presumptions.
The Renard GT, a stylish tourer bike made by an Estonian motorcycle maker named Renard Motorcycles. (Picture from: http://adf.ly/1XRQlr)
Everything was started by an Estonian entrepreneur J. Laan set up a motorcycle manufacturing company named Renard Motorcycles in the late-1930s in Tallinn, the capital of Estonia. The factory was destroyed in 1944, during the World War II, but a group of Estonian entrepreneurs, designers and engineers teamed up in 2008 to revive the Renard brand. And their first new motorcycle named 'Renard GT' is expected to go into production in late-2011.
The tourer bike unveiled for the first time at the Hanover Technology Fair 2010 in April 2010, the Renard Grand Tourer is fitted with a longitudinally-mounted 1,151 cc V-twin engine that’s been sourced from Moto Guzzi. The 8-valve fuel-injected engine produces 125 hp at 8,000 rpm and 120 Nm of torque at 6,000 rpm – enough to propel the bike (which weighs 190 kg dry) to a top speed of about 230 km/h. Faster enough to get you fly on the road.
According to the company, the Renard GT is a 'sporty power cruiser,' with best-in-class handling and build quality. And while the bike’s engine is a bit ordinary, its Kevlar-reinforced carbonfibre monocoque chassis is anything but.
The company said further, this chassis is resistant to impact and vibration, is very light and stiff and works perfectly with the bike’s fully adjustable suspension to provide quick and precise steering. This load-bearing chassis is also an integral part of the GT’s unique styling – we think the bike looks totally cool.
The Renard GT went into production line by the end of 2011 and if you always wanted a funky looking made-in-Estonia sports-tourer, this might be the answer to your dreams. For more details, visit the Renard website here. *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | RENARD MOTORCYLES]
