Saroléa
Today
In 2008, the Belgian motorcycle company Saroléa was revived by twin brothers, Torsten and Bjorn Robbens. Their focus is on the development and production of high-performance 100% electric race superbikes.
The Saroléa race team has competed in the Isle of Man TT Zero race since 2014. This year the team is entering the 2016 Isle Of Man TT Zero Race with two SP7 bikes and two new riders, Lee Johnson and Dean Harrison.
Saroléa bikes are still built by hand at the Saroléa workshop in Belgium. All components are designed and built by Torsten Robbens, who is a renowned racing team manager and skilled in motorsport, space and military composite manufacturing.
The company has announced it will soon launch a limited edition Saroléa superbike for the road market, and says it will be based on the same technology and performance as its SP7 TT race bike.
The Saroléa SP7 has a maximum top speed of 200 mph (321kph) and does 0-62 mph (96.5kph) in 2,8 seconds.
At the IOM TT in 2015, the SP7 reached 155 mph (249kph), with an average race speed of 106.51 mph (171.4kph).
Saroléa is a member of the legendary IOM TT 100 Club.
History
Saroléa was the first Belgian producer of motorcycles, and one of the first producers of motorcycles in the world. This Belgian factory was established in 1850 as a weapons factory by Joseph Saroléa. In 1892 bicycles began to be built as well.
Joseph died in 1894 and under the management of his sons the company grew bigger and bigger. In the 20s the firm got successfully involved with long distance runs, reliability trials and hill climbs. From 1927 on the company made its own gearboxes and early in 1929 the factory was extended to some 6000m2. Nearly all components of the bikes were made in-house now and the production capacity grew to 50 machines per day. Later in 1929 a brand new state-of the-art production facility was commissioned which brought the production capacity to 75 machines per day.
In the early years of the century Saroléas were sold in Britain under the Kerry brand. Both singles and V twins were made and the firm supplied engines to a number of firms in several countries. In turn, Saroléa used a number of British components such as Sturmey-Archer gearboxes and AMAL carburettors.
Saroléa was ready for the new decade, but the new decade also brought an economic crisis. This forced the company to expand the range of machines with cheaper models. The first of the light two strokes was brought out in 1932. It had a 147 cc unit construction engine of Saroléa's own design. The front forks are of pressed steel construction and the ignition is taken care of by battery and coil. Bosch electrics are employed.
During World War II the factory was shut down by the Nazis, and very few bikes were produced during the Nazi occupation of Belgium.
In 1952, Belgian rider, Victor Leloup, rode a Saroléa to victory in the inaugural F.I.M. European Motocross Championship.[1] In 1955 Saroléa started a joint venture together with FN (motorcycle) and Gillet Herstal. This lasted until 1960, when Saroléa was merged into Gillet. Saroléa ceased to exist in 1963.
Sources
- ↑ "History of Individual Motocross World Championships". fim-live.com. Retrieved 11 October 2011.
- Hugo Wilson (1995), The encyclopedia of the Motorcycle