Photo ou archives : F-M. Dumas
2118
FANTIC
250 K-Roo - 1992
The penalty of leadership
Fantic Motor is the Italian marque which, in the 1980s, and in the wake of the marque
SWM, dealt a fatal blow to the aging Spanish trials bike industry. Despite an impressive list of sporting victories, this market leader has since had to resist the burst of energy which its activities have unleashed among other manufacturers.
The Quest for More Technology
In 1988, the Aprilia Climber dove into the stagnant pond of trials design with its liquid cooling and inverted fork. A year later, the Beta Zero - another Italian model - upped
the stakes with a perimeter frame with aluminum side members. Beset by financial difficulties, Fantic found it difficult to match this quest for technology and it was not until 1991 that the firm- based at Barzago (near Lake Como) - hit back with the K-Roo.
High-Tech Design
When the tank casing is removed, the secret of the K-Roo frame is revealed: its upper beam is a stout tube shielding the radiator, which is augmented by an electric fan, from harm. Everything about the K-Roo is hightech; there's generous use of aluminum, plus an inverted front fork, rear suspension with progressive hydraulic adjustment, disc brakes and an ingenious system of modifying the behaviour of the engine thanks to removable balance weights on the flywheel magneto. In action, the K-Roo offers exceptional performance, but it needs careful attention from the rider to be fully exploited.
SPECIFICATIONS
Engine: 249cc (74x58mm) air-cooled single cylinder two-stroke
Power Rating: 21 hp@ 5250 rpm
Valves: automatic intake valves
Fuel System: carburetor
Transmission: 6-speed, chain final drive
Suspension: inverted telescopic forks, 6.7 inch displacement (front); hydraulically adjustable
Mono System suspension with single damper, 7.9 inch displacement (rear)
Brakes: disc (front & rear)
Wheels: wire with tubeless tires; 21 inch (front); 18 inch (rear)
Weight: 194 lb
K-Roo is short for "kangaroo " - surely an inappropriate one for a machine whose performance knows no bounds.