Last Quasar rides again: Unfinished feet-forward machine rescued

The last ever Quasar – the radical, ‘feet-forward’, fully-faired motorcycle developed in Britain in the 1970s – has been rebuilt ready for the road – and is now being offered for sale.

It was bought as a dismantled project last year by engineer and fabricator Mike Ryan, best known for a series of amphibious vehicles featured on TV’s Top Gear. He completed the rebuild in February and now, after finding he can’t comfortably ride it due to a back injury, is offering it for sale.

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“My dad was a photographer in the 1970s and did the original Quasar brochure shots in his studio at our house,” remembers Mike. “So I’d long had thoughts about getting one – but they’re incredibly rare.”

Then, last year, Mike posted on the ‘Feet first’ Facebook group, received a reply from John Bruce and acquired this example. Built by Quasar creator Malcolm Newell himself, it was never actually finished and, following Malcolm’s death in 1994, remained dismantled and in primer ever since.

“John was Malcolm’s best mate, he knew the bike intimately and told me it was the last one. I don’t think he’d have sold it to just anybody, but because I had this connection with the brochure and a history of building wacky vehicles I guess I passed the test.”

“My brief to myself was to build it as Malcolm intended. It was so tempting to update some parts, such as the ridiculously heavy fuel tank but I kept to the brief and I’m so glad I did.”

The result has the original, recommissioned, Suzuki GS850G shaft drive engine, bodywork painted by Mike himself in Ferrari red, fully-restored chassis including new brakes and brand new upholstery.

“The way they used to do it was to put the whole thing together, test ride it then, when they were happy, pull it all apart for painting,” said Mike. “I think this was very close to that state – all of the wiring was in a box!”

But despite Mike’s efforts and history with the bike, he’s now decided to let it go. “I just can’t get comfortable in it,” he says. “I’ve got a bad back and it’s so big and heavy I’m frightened of dropping it. It’s a shame because I rode it quite a bit before the body went on and it’s like nothing you’ve ever ridden.

“It’ll be bloody hard to part with but I think it’s wrong just to look at it and not ride it but I don’t want to hurt my back any more – but I’d like it to go to the right person” If you are interested, contact Mike at localjet@aol.com.

What’s a Quasar?

Originally created by feet-forward innovator Malcolm Newell and then put into limited production, the Quasar was one of the most iconic two-wheelers of the 1970s and early 1980s and, to aficionados, a design considered years ahead of its time.

With a low, ‘feet-forward’ riding position and swoopy, roofed bodywork, they rode – and looked – like nothing else. Famously, two-time 500cc world champion Phil Read rode one to Buckingham Palace to collect his MBE.

The first Mk1s from 1976 were powered by a Reliant car 850cc four-cylinder, but later models, some with hub centre steering, used engines as varied as Moto Guzzi, Suzuki, and Kawasaki Z1300. Production remained fitful and the last Quasars were built by Malcolm himself until he died tragically early at the age of 53 in 1994.

It’s thought only 21 of the original design were ever made with half that number still on the road today.