Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/126474
o 00 O"l It's got a tlptln'ebanee to become a legendary bike. Craig Vetter June 4.1980 _ By Charles Morey "H ow do you make a wise investm en t in the thing you love most . .. motorcycles?" Atop his mountain in San Luis Obispo, Craig Vetter was, in typical Craig Vetter fashion , conducting a press conference. Leaning against the doorframe of his workshop , dressed in Levis , cotton shirt and a vest, the designer of fairings called Windjammer and Quicksilver addressed his guests in a casual rambling manner. And, as he put it , it's a way to invest in the thing you love most . .. motorcycles. It's a collector's investment in the time of double-digit inflation figures. "The Mystery Ship is a piece of artwork you can drive; it's a piece of artwork that's a motorcycle," Vetter added. As it should be, each step is documented along the way - signed by the artist, so to speak. Vetter issues a Certificate of Authenticity, signed and dated by himself. If Yoshimura motor work is done, Fujio Yoshimura signs a similar certificate. If an R.C. Engineering turbocharger is installed , Russ Collins adds his autograph to the list . Vetter has designed a $10 ,000 motorcycle. That's if you buy the basic package. If you'd like the stock Kawasaki KZI000 motor brought up to higher performance specifications, several extra-cost options are available. Stage I tuning from Yosh imura R&D will in crease the figure by $800 . Stage II goes for $1 ,135. Stage III costs $1 ,350. And Stage IV - . the ultimate normally aspirated version, a full-on 1015cc Superbike racing motor - does not carry a price tag in Vetter's brochure. How many does he e.:cpect to sell? "There are about seven of them that are sold now. I don't know how many we'll sell. We'll never sell more than 200. That's enough to be known but not too many to be collectible. tion: The joy of owning something rare and beautiful. And expensive. 24 If having the breath pumped through your motor by the piston/valve action isn't enough, Russ Collins' R.C. Engineering turbocharger should fill the void on your list of needs and create a new one deep in your wallet. The turbo model carries a $1 ,700 additional fee . The Mystery Ship, however, is not intended for the average motorcyclist who's looking for greater sensual satisfaction in riding. It's aimed toward a more materialistic form of gratifica- The Mystery Ship is for collectors, those who can afford it. Vetter said he expects to see more of his machines decorating offices than rolling down the boulevards. It's the type of bike they'll trailer to Daytona and park side-by-side to show to people, he told the journalists. "T his whole thing is extremely speculative. If I couldn't afford to write it off, I wouldn't have done it. It's got a fightin' chance to become a legendary bike. . "It's important to me to have a place in history . . . I'll tell you that blatantly." Will Vetter's concept be accepted by those who can afford it? Maybe that's why he calls it Mystery Ship. •