J ULY 2 0 19 MOTORCYCLE MOJO 57shoulders. Straight in front of you sits
WKHUHODWLYHO\VPDOOEXWGDWDSDFNHG
MoTeC C125 full-colour TFT dash that
has multiple pages and 10 warning
lights running across the top of its
aluminum housing.
In plain view is the clear panel
UXQQLQJOHQJWKZLVHDORQJWKH¶WDQN·WKDW
FRYHUVWKHOHQJWKRIWKHIURQWgKOLQV
VKRFNWKDW\RXFDQVHH<RXFDQ·WZDWFK
LWZRUNLQJZLWKRXWWDNLQJ\RXUH\HV
RIIWKHURDGDQGORRNLQJGRZQEXW
\RXFHUWDLQO\FDQVHHWKHXSSHUOLQNRI
WKHZLVKERQHIRUNULVLQJDQGIDOOLQJLQ
response to imperfections in the road
surface. But the well dialled-in suspen
sion at both ends ironed out what few
bumps there were.
Fork Design Troubles
/HVVLGHDOZDVWKH9DQGHU+HLGH·VVWHHU-
ing, and this was a pity because after
riding several different variants of the
)LRUIURQWHQG,ZDVORRNLQJIRUZDUGWR
H[SHULHQFLQJLWVPDQLIHVWEHQHÀWVRQWKH
9DQGHU+HLGH$IWHUULGLQJDQGUDFLQJ
many front-end designs over the years,
this is the one that gets my vote as the
QH[WVWHSXSIURPWKHWHOHVFRSLFIRUN
%XW,SUREDEO\URGHWKH9DQGHU+HLGH
too early in its development cycle,
because instead of being able to
WUDLOEUDNHODWHDQGKDUGLQWRDWXUQ
ZLWKRXWIHDURIWKHIRUNIUHH]LQJWKHUH
was a disconcerting sense of instability
when entering a turn at low speeds up
WRDURXQGNPK7KHVWHHULQJIHOW
rather nervous, even loose – and this
ZDVPDGHZRUVHE\EDFNLQJRIIRQ
the throttle once committed to a turn
DQGDQ\DWWHPSWWRWUDLOEUDNHLQWR
the apex was fraught with instability.
%XWVWUDQJHO\FRPSOHWLQJEUDNLQJLQD
straight line, then accelerating into the
apex of a bend almost eradicated the
problem, leading to my conclusion that
the problem was weight transfer.
Holding the front wheel between
P\NQHHVDQGZLJJOLQJWKHKDQGOHEDU
VRRQLGHQWLÀHGWKHSUREOHP WKHUHZDV
too much lateral movement, indicating
either too much play in the suspension
OLQNVRUDQLQVXIÀFLHQWO\UREXVWIURQW
end structure. The steering geometry
ÀJXUHVDUHTXLWHFRQVHUYDWLYHVR,
doubt there isn’t enough trail, which
can produce the same effect. But now
WKDWWKHELNHLVVWUHHWOHJDOWKHYDQGHU
Heide brothers will be able to under
WDNHVRPHVHULRXVWHVWLQJFORFNLQJXS
WKHNLORPHWUHVLQSXUVXLWRIWKHLGHDO
setup. BMW had dozens of engineers
DQGFRSLRXVWHVWULGHUVZRUNLQJRQWKH
Duolever front-end they purloined from
Fior’s widow, but Sjors and Rolf have
just themselves.
When that testing happens and they
get it right, this will be an exquisite
PRWRUF\FOHIRUDOXFN\IHZRZQHUV,WLV
VWXQQLQJO\EHDXWLIXOLQWKHPHWDO²RND\
FDUERQÀEUH²DQGLVEXLOWWRDVXSHU-
lative level of manufacturing quality
and combines excellence in engineering
ZLWKDUWLVWLFJRRGWDVWH-XVWORRNDWWKH
ZD\WKHFDUERQÀEUHZHDYHKDVEHHQ
VRSDLQVWDNLQJO\GLUHFWHGRUWKHVYHOWH
shape of the front fairing with the small
ellipsoidal headlight as its focal point.
7KH9DQGHU+HLGHLVWKHSURGXFWRI
two brothers who are passionate about
its creation. They have succeeded in
translating that passion to the product
itself, which cannot fail to impress even
the most hard-hearted of two-wheeled
cynics.
For additional photos ofVanderHeide V4 visit:motorcyclemojo.comP
H
O
T
O
B
Y
:
S
T
U
D
I
O
T
A
R
G
E
T
P
R
E
S
S