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/365773
MIDUAL TYPE 1 FIRST RIDE P84 loc radial calipers, while there's a fixed 245mm rear disc with two- piston caliper. The Midual's 504-pound dry weight (with oil and water, but no fuel), is split 49/51 percent for a slight rearwards weight bias that will enhance traction (there's no traction control, nor any other electronic riding aids), or 527 pounds with a full fuel load. Be- cause this is centralized in the wheelbase via its location in the monocoque frame, there's no change in the weight distribution as the fuel level lowers, nor there- fore in the dynamics of the bike. The Midual has only its speed- ometer in the conventional loca- tion in front of the one-piece ta- per-section handlebar mounted on 35mm risers. All other com- ponents of the comprehensive dashboard are mounted in the upper face of the monocoque chassis, with the large tachom- eter flanked by six smaller round dials - three each side (a clock, oil temp and oil pressure gauges on the left, and fuel, water temp and battery voltage on the right), with a quartet of warning lights in the center, above the large red starter button. Both the handlebar-mounted metal control units are made in-house by Midual – Midy is at pains to point out that the only visible plastic component on the ultra-clean looking bike is the rear license plate that is furnished by the French state: everything else is metal, including the alloy mud- guards, Art Nouveau radiator shrouds, and the housing for the purpose-built halogen headlamp. "This is a scrupulously honest bike - what you see is what you get," he proclaims with pride. "C'est logique! When you are providing a hand-made work of mechanical art to a customer who appreciates the finer things in life, and has the resources to avail himself of them, you can't cut corners, but must deliver what the eye tells you the material is, not a fake imitation. So of the 1550 components in this bike, only one is plastic, and that's the number plate!" Equally logical, as well as now- adays unique, are the old-style BMW turn-signal buttons that the German marque has now re- placed in its bikes with the same identikit format as every other manufacturer. So on the Midual you must push the button on the right to turn right, then press it again to stop it flashing, and the same thing on the left to turn left. You wouldn't guess that Midy has been riding BMW Boxer twins for the past 20 years, would you? However, Midy has been pur- suing his dream of creating the Midual and offering it for sale to discerning customers ever since 1992, and now the dream that this dedicated artisan of motor- cycle craftsmanship has been following for the past 22 years has finally seen the light of day in