The Vectrix Superbike was an electric superbike concept shown at the Milan motorcycle show in 2007 and revived at SWISS-MOTO in Zürich in 2012. Vectrix said it would build the machine if enough deposits or pre-orders arrived, but it never entered production.
Vectrix Superbike at a glance
| Maker | Vectrix Corporation |
|---|---|
| Type | electric superbike concept |
| First shown | EICMA, Milan, 2007 |
| Claimed top speed | 125 mph (201 km/h) |
| Condition for production in 2007 | 500 deposits |
| Shown again | SWISS-MOTO, Zürich, 2012 |
| Condition in 2012 | as few as 200 pre-orders |
| Status | never produced |
Based on short sections in the English and German Wikipedia articles on Vectrix, so this article is shorter than usual.
History of the Vectrix Superbike
Vectrix presented a 125 mph (201 km/h) electric superbike concept at the Milan motorcycle show in 2007. The company said it would put the machine into production if it received 500 deposits. The concept was a showcase for what electric power could do in a full-size motorcycle, at a time when the company’s production model was the VX-1 maxi-scooter.
The project was revived under the new ownership. At the SWISS-MOTO 2012 show in Zürich, New Vectrix re-unveiled the superbike prototype and announced that it was taking orders, saying that production could begin with as few as 200 pre-orders. The German Wikipedia article on Vectrix records the prototype as the Superbike SBK with a top speed of 200 km/h.
The superbike did not reach production. Vectrix ceased all US operations in January 2014 and filed for Chapter 7 liquidation in March that year. Its assets passed to the MPTECH group, which in June 2015 restarted production of the VX-1 and VX-2 scooters, but not the superbike.
Design and features
- High top speed: a claimed 125 mph (201 km/h), far beyond the 110 km/h of the VX-1 scooter.
- Deposit-based plan: in 2007 production depended on 500 deposits; in 2012 the threshold was 200 pre-orders.
- Show machine: presented at Milan in 2007 and Zürich in 2012, it remained a prototype.
Vectrix Superbike versions
- 2007 concept: the show bike presented at EICMA in Milan.
- 2012 prototype: the revived machine shown at SWISS-MOTO, also called the Superbike SBK.
The Superbike was the sporting concept alongside the production VX-1 and VX-2, and the three-wheeled VX-3. More electric scooters are in the Vectrix collection.
Video: Behind the Scenes at Vectrix Superbike Press Conference
Video on YouTube.
Sources
- Vectrix, English Wikipedia: 2007 Milan show, 2012 SWISS-MOTO revival, production plans
- Vectrix, German Wikipedia: Superbike SBK name, speed and company history
