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Four-time 500cc
Grand Prix Motorcycle World Champion Eddie Lawson with ALLIGATOR
body designer
and test rider Justin Gurney, both on A-3 alligators at the
Streets of Willow Springs, California (ca 1999) |
All Six ALLIGATOR prototypes have been put to the test in the last years
over and over. So far a total of 89 riders have tested the bikes on the race
track as well as ordinary roads, among them people like 4-time motorcycle
World Champion Eddie Lawson, race drivers like Juan Fangio II, Hollywood
bike enthusiasts, other bike and car manufacturers, ordinary riders,
journalists, as well as Dan Gurney, his five sons and his daughter.
Wherever the ALLIGATOR shows up, a crowd gathers and the general feeling is
one of enthusiasm and often awe of the bike’s looks and riding
characteristics. Sunday morning excursions up and down Ortega Highway, a
spectacular twisty mountain road in Southern California, have been part of
the testing schedule for years. This motorcycle has been relentlessly tested
and measured against most of the major brand bikes on the road today. A
typical Sunday morning ride on the freeways and country roads of Southern
California might consist of about 6 to 10 riders, half of them on
ALLIGATORS, half of them on Hondas, BMWs, Yamahas, Triumphs, Aprilias,
Suzukis, Harleys, Buells, Victories, Dukatis etc. Whatever is learned during
a Sunday outing is immediately put on paper and then translated into
action/improvements on Monday morning at the factory. Thousands of changes,
adjustments and refinements have been made this way, reflected in the
evolution of the basic A1 (dating back to 1980) to the highly sophisticated
A6. It is Dan Gurney’s belief that "no bike should be sold before its
time". And the time has finally arrived. Following are some quotes by
ALLIGATOR riders.
Start to a typical Sunday morning ride.
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