[sportrider - features] - Ronax 500cc V-four two-stroke trackday/streetbike?

[Ninjette Newsbot]

For those race fans who remember the “Golden Age” of Grand Prix motorcycle roadracing in the late 1980s to early 1990s when vicious 500cc multi-cylinder two-stroke engines powered the bikes in the premier class, the Ronax 500 is surely a trip down memory lane. And for those who can afford its lofty €100,000 (more than US $136,000 at current exchange rates) plus VAT price tag, possibly much more than a wet dream.

Described as “a racebike by nature with all necessities for the road,” and “a racebike, ready for the road” by the Dresden-based company, the Ronax 500 is powered by a 499cc two-stroke V-four—the same basic engine configuration that dominated roadracing’s 500cc Grand Prix class for more than two decades. Boasting an aluminum twin-spar frame with the top-shelf Öhlins suspension and Brembo brakes, the Ronax 500 appears to be styled after the last generation Honda NSR500 piloted by nine-time World Champion Valentino Rossi to the “last” official 500cc Grand Prix World Championship in 2001 before the class was changed to its current four-stroke MotoGP moniker. There are various vague references to Rossi, such as the logo on the tailpiece that looks suspiciously similar to the Italian’s preferred number 46, as well as the statement that the company is intending to only build 46 examples of the Ronax 500.

The Ronax website states that the V-four engine has a bore/stroke of 54 x 54.5mm, which is basically the same as the final generation of the two dominant GP engines of the era, the Yamaha YZR500 and Honda NSR500. Like the Yamaha powerplant, the Ronax utilizes a pair of counter-rotating crankshafts (the Honda used a single crankshaft), although the Ronax's cranks reside inside a set of beautiful CNC-machined billet aluminum crankcases. The two pairs of cylinders are splayed at an 80-degree angle (unlike either of the GP machines, with the last generation YZR500 using a 70-degree Vee and the Honda NSR500 using a 112-degree Vee), with electronic fuel injection—which certainly eases the induction packaging, and was one of the reasons Honda went with the 112-degree Vee to allow the room for the four carburetors nestled in between the cylinder banks. Ronax is claiming 160 horsepower at 11,500 rpm for the engine that also features a cassette-type gearbox for easy gear ratio swaps and an electric starter. There is no mention of how lubrication for the Ronax’s bottom end is handled (two-strokes require the oil to either be “pre-mixed” in with the fuel, or injected into the crankcase via a pump), although the “Full Injection” label on the fairing possibly indicates that it uses an injector pump.

The twin-spar frame is said to have a “fully adjustable steering head” (likely inserts with different offset), with a 43mm Öhlins inverted fork (they appear to be the FGRT208 version) and TTX rear shock. Wheels are forged aluminum in 3.75 x 17 front and 6.0 x 17 rear sizes, with Brembo’s latest forged aluminum GP4-RR monobloc calipers clamping on 320mm discs up front, and a Brembo two-piston caliper/210mm disc combination out back. The bodywork, self-supporting tail section, and fuel tank are all carbon fiber. Ronax is listing a 145kg (320 pounds) dry weight for its 500.

The Ronax 500 is equipped with mirrors, turn signals, taillight/brake light and an LED headlight inside the intake nacelle for street legality purposes in Germany using “temporary license plates”. Any full street-legal registration would obviously be up to your country’s motor vehicle licensing department. Each of the 46 examples of the Ronax 500 will be built to order once a 30% deposit plus VAT is received from the customer.

Below is promotional video from Ronax for the 500:

Video of The Ronax 500 in action






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