Motorcycle specifications LamborghiniDesign 90 1986 In the Countach vacuum

Motorcycles and cars may be worlds apart, but they never cease to overlap, cohabit and sometimes even swap. Sometimes, one manufacturer even makes both. Honda, Suzuki, Peugeot, BMW, KTM, Ariel, NSU... There are plenty of them, and many more during the expansion of the twentieth century.
Even Lamborghini tried its hand. In the mid-80s, the Italian bull presented its only motorcycle: the sporty Design 90.

But the Modena-based firm had no intention of doing all the work. Better to leave it to a specialist. It contacted Thierry Henriette's French workshop Boxer Bikes (later Boxer Design). Part of the design work was carried out by Claude Fior, famous for his creations and his front axle. The particular design draws part of its inspiration from the Countach, the GT star of the moment in the elitist world of prestige automobiles.

Beneath the wraparound bodywork is a heavily reworked Kawasaki chassis, while the engine comes from the same place. It's a big 997 cm3 4-cylinder, producing 120 or 130 horsepower (depending on the source). The Design 90 manages to save weight over the original Kawa thanks to the massive use of aluminum. Braking is by Brembo.
The Design 90 claimed speeds of 160 mph (just under 260 km/h). So it could stand next to a Countach LP 500 S without blushing. The motorcycle was only 18 km/h faster than the car.

Had the Design 90 appeared some time earlier, it would certainly have looked like a brawl between Ferruccio Lamborghini and some industry protagonist. Like the legendary camouflet between him and Enzo Ferrari. But in fact, this may be a daring excursion to offer a high-end, high-performance motorcycle... or simply an attempt at diversification to save the brand. The illustrious name wasn't enough. Priced at $13,500 at the time, enough to afford a Golf GTI, the Lambo motorcycle was supposed to be produced in fifty units - but not even ten were made.

In the end, Lamborghini brought only its name to the table. Under the Lambo badge, the motorcycle is a symbiosis between France and Japan. A few examples can be seen at exhibitions and auctions. It was a complete commercial failure, but also the kind of experience that creates a cult motorcycle.

M.B - Photos D.R. - Lamborghini