VOL. 51 ISSUE 33 AUGUST 19, 2014 P83
dual seat, as well as ducts lead-
ing to the airbox feeding the twin
throttle bodies. And it supports
the Midual's flat-twin engine func-
tioning as a semi-stressed mem-
ber via twin boomerang-shaped
cast aluminum spars bolted to it.
At their upper ends these sup-
port the radiator mounted above
the front cylinder, thereby helping
hold down the wheelbase, and at
the bottom contain the pivot point
for the cast aluminum cantilever
swingarm. This operates the fully
adjustable Öhlins TTX36 mono-
shock directly, without benefit
of a link, with the shock's upper
pivot incorporated in the mono-
coque frame casting.
This also includes the steer-
ing head housing the front 43mm
Öhlins FGRT upside down fork,
which is again fully adjustable
and delivers 4.7 inches of
wheel travel – the same as
at the rear. Head angle may
be varied by half a degree either
side of the default 24.5-degree
rake, with 100mm of trail.
The 17-inch Akront aluminum
wire-wheel rims (cast wheels are
one of the many options, and
Midy envisages that no two Midu-
als will be alike, with each essen-
tially built to order) carry Michelin
Pilot Road 2 tires. These don't
have to carry tubes because of
the design of the Spanish rims,
the front 120/70 mounted on a
3.50-inch rim, with the 180/55
rear on a 5.50-incher.
Twin 320mm Brembo floating
front discs are gripped by four-
piston four-pad Brembo Monob-
(Left) The
handlebars hold
the speedometer,
but the rest of
the displays are
embedded in the
tank – that's not
really a tank.
(Below) Of the
Midual's 1550
components,
only the French
license plate is
plastic.
