Brutus Concept SUV Motorcycles

Alessandro Tartarini, the son of the Italjet’s founder, Leopoldo Tartarini, has recently unveiled his brand new motorcycle design at the EICMA motorcycle show. The concept, appointed Brutus, is anonymously considered the SUV of motorcycles.

The massively intriguing bike is powered by a single cylinder, DOHC, 4-valve, liquid cooled, electronically fuel-injected, 750cc engine with an output of 45 HP. The propulsion system is completed by a 2-speed CVT with optional reverse gear.

In terms of weight, Alessandro hasn’t yet stated any numbers, but one of Italy’s most successful motorcycle magazines, Motociclismo, says it weighs less than 220 kg – 485 lbs. This is quite weird in fact, the bike being suitable to be placed in the same weight class with the Ducati Multistrada and the BMW 1200 GS.

And, considering that to be a successful off-roader a bike needs to be rather light, we can easily and clearly state the Brutus is quite a monster, too heavy for that. In spite of this, the manufactures of the Brutus have declared the bike feels “at home in every conditions” and that it represents “a valid work tool for going where other vehicles cannot”.

Apart from the weight issues, which are rather relative, a worse problem rises as the Brutus lacks suspension travel – 100 mm at the rear and 80 mm at the front. Adventure tourers, for example, use at least double those figures.

By far the most striking features of the Brutus bike are its massive, rather odd tires and rims. They are in fact 7 inches wide at the rear and 6 inches wide at the front – strikingly similar to the tires fitted on sports cars today. They come with both advantages and disadvantages though – these balloon tires might prove to be of help in deep sand or snowy conditions, but, due to the bike’s massive weight, a huge percentage of the traction will be uselessly wasted.

Excuse me, the Brutus may be designed “outside the box and beyond fashion and sterile market analysis”, but it just won’t do it what it’s supposed to do. Renowned brands spend fortunes on research and development, on shedding weight and adding power to their backs, and they do come forth with stunning results. The Brutus though seems to be rather “brute”, as its name suggests, a bug, it even looks like one.

According to the press release, the Brutus will be offered with an entire range of customizable add-ons and accessories, like a winch, a snow kit, generator, fire-prevention kit and a sidecar version.