British

Today in Motorcycle History

Robin

Robin motorcycles have been in production since 1987.

  • 1987 This motorcycle was the concept of Ernie Dorsett, who wanted a diesel engine for his machine. He built a prototype and borrowed a Robin engine from Redbreast Engineering - firstly of 300cc and then of 412cc - installed in a set of Matchless cycle parts.
  • 1993 By now there was so much interest that the project went into modest production, based on the India Enfield imported by Bavanar Products. As a result, the Enfield Robin was born. It had excellent fuel economy and 150 mpg was the norm and although it was not particularly powerful, it was, nevertheless, a good machine.
  • 1997 The MZ Robin was created, using the same engine in a MZ frame. The main difference was the primary drive, which was of CVT (constant variable transmission) type, using a V-belt and expanding pulleys. The automatic operation was much more suitable for the diesel engine than a conventional gearbox.


Sources: Graces Guide



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