Eicma 2016 has been and gone, but it’s left us excited about what the motorcycle industry has in store for us over the next 12 months. Along with the major manufacturers revealing their new or updated models the ‘Start Up and Innovation’ sector of the show unveiled some very interesting concept motorcycles. Along with the Husqvarna’s stunning Vitplien Aero 401, there was another bike that caught our eye and warranted a mention here on the site, and it was the MV Agusta powered, Memento Strato.
Like the Husqvarna Aero 401 we recently featured, the Memento Strato is for now a concept, however the trademarked name and the video at the end of this feature would suggest that they have full intentions of producing the bike in the near future.
The Italian based company Memento have utilised rapid prototyping techniques to design and construct their Strato motorcycle “kit” (for lack of a better word). By utilising digital renders and 3D CAD models the components of the bike were milled from wooden blocks to form a mold from which the carbon fibre bodywork could be cast. This technique is one that they aim to adopt for all of their future projects which will likely include customer requests. This approach also allows relatively fast production times although costs have not yet been revealed.
‘Strato’, which translates to ‘layer’ in English, is named after the construction processed used on the bike. The layers of R-CF Regenerated carbon fibre that form the body and the way the bodywork itself fits to the donor bike are attest to this. When it came to choosing a donor for their project the Memento team looked to local motorcycle manufacturer MV Agusta for a solution. The bike they tasked with the job was MV’s naked Brutale 1090RR, a 144bhp beast that provided the perfect basis upon which to build their Strato.
The Brutale’s naked design meant that stripping away the bodywork was a fairly painless process allowing Memento to focus most of their time on perfecting the design and fit of their bodywork. The carbon fibre, monocoque body was designed as a “plug and play” modification allowing customers to quickly apply the kit to their own bike. The body has also been designed with what Memento refer to as ‘modular components’ that allow it to be fitted to any Brutale model from 2003 right up to their current 2016 iteration. “Floating” above the monocoque body is a customisable shell that, along with the body, can be produced in a variety of different colours and finishes. Screengrabs released from their upcoming website reveal the standard colour options, but it also appears that customers may have the ability to submit their own colour and pattern combinations.
The styling of the Strato is distinctly futuristic with a muscular silhouette that tightens the bikes proportions and levels out its stance. With the carbon bodywork in place Memento have reduced the overall weight of the Brutale by an incredible 20%, which would translate to a significant improvement in performance. The suspension and engine internals remain untouched on their first Strato build, but they have made a few external modifications to the bike. Teaming up with some of Italy’s best aftermarkets parts suppliers the Strato wears Rizoma mirrors and dress up parts. Italian exhaust specialists Arrow are responsible for the bike’s blacked out exhaust system and Kineo have contributed the beautiful spoked wheels that use a single sided rear hub to match the Brutale’s swingarm configuration. Memento have also added their own headlight and taillight assembly utilising more of their 3D rendering techniques to produce unique design components.
