Fischer MRX 650: the American V-twin sport bike

The Fischer MRX 650 was the first production motorcycle of Fischer Motor Company, a small American maker of sport bikes. It used a 90-degree V-twin in a one-piece twin-spar aluminium perimeter frame, and the styling came from the British designer Glynn Kerr. It reached customers in 2009 and production appears to have stopped in 2012 after only a few dozen machines.

Fischer MRX 650 at a glance

based on one source: the English Wikipedia article on Fischer Motor Company, which has no separate page for the MRX 650. There are no free photographs of the model on Wikimedia Commons; the picture already attached to the old record is kept.

History of the Fischer MRX 650

A company built around one model

The MRX 650 was developed by Daniel Fischer, the founder of Fischer Motor Company, as the firm’s first motorcycle intended for mass production. Rather than starting from a blank sheet, Fischer told Cycle World in 2003 that he did not intend to “reinvent the wheel” with radical design concepts, but to “just take existing technology and fine-tune it” — a deliberate contrast with Buell Motorcycle Company, which followed its own unconventional path.

Borrowed expertise

The company leaned on outside suppliers for the difficult parts. Engineering work was done with the help of a subsidiary of EADS, the Airbus parent group; frame development was handled by Gemini Technology Systems, a contractor that had also worked for Harley-Davidson and Michael Jordan Motorsports; and other components came from companies connected with American heavy-equipment and automotive suppliers. The original platform was based on a 1990s-era Grand Prix chassis.

Engines that did not arrive

In its earlier stages the project was planned around Rotax-based 90-degree V-twins of 1,000 to 1,500 cc. Rotax then cancelled its agreement with Fischer in order to supply engines to Harley’s Buell: the 1000 cc Rotax V-twin that had been used in Aprilia products and in Fischer’s first prototype was ultimately supplied in a revised version for the Buell 1125 series. The production MRX went on sale as the MRX 650.

Production and the end

Fischer began shipping machines in April 2009, and in October 2009 the company announced an increase in production for the 2010 model year. Production appears to have ceased in 2012; during Fischer’s three years of operation only “a few dozen” bikes were built, which makes the MRX a rare sight even in its home market.

The Indian plan that stayed on paper

In 2015 a motorcycle blog in India reported that Fischer had plans to enter that market with new 150 cc bikes, likely to be called the Fischer MRX 150. No such machine followed the MRX 650 into series production.

Design and features

• Ninety-degree V-twin: the MRX 650 was built around a V-twin engine in the American tradition, but installed in a sporting chassis rather than a cruiser.
• Aluminium perimeter frame: a one-piece twin-spar frame, developed with Gemini Technology Systems, a contractor with Harley-Davidson and Michael Jordan Motorsports experience.
• Grand Prix roots: the original platform derives from a 1990s-era GP chassis, which is why the bike is regarded as a genuine sport bike rather than a converted cruiser.
• Styling by Glynn Kerr: the look of the machine was drawn by the British motorcycle designer.
• Existing technology, fine-tuned: the maker’s stated philosophy was to refine proven solutions rather than experiment with radical layouts.

Fischer MRX 650 versions

• MRX 650 (2009–2012): the production sport bike, the only model that reached customers in numbers.
• Rotax-engined prototype: an early prototype using the 1000 cc Rotax V-twin later revised for the Buell 1125 series.
• MRX 150 (announced only): a 150 cc model for India reported in 2015; it never went into production.

The Fischer MRX 650 is the only model of the marque on this site; more sports machines are in the Fischer collection. The Rotax V-twin that was meant for Fischer later went to Buell, a story that begins with Aprilia, where the same engine family was used.

Video: MotorWeek Two Wheelin’: 2010 Fischer MRX

Video by MotorWeek on YouTube.

Sources

• Fischer Motor Company, English Wikipedia: company history, design, engine plans, production dates