The result of a project originally intended to develop a Moto GP bike, the Foggy-Petronas FP1 is basically the roadgoing homologation version of the World Superbike GP1. Interestingly, while 100 of the 150 bikes made should have been available for purchase, it turns out very few were actually sold to customers. Several years ago, a stash of bikes was found squirreled away in England, and legal wrangling is currently underway to get the bikes released into the wild, but this is currently one rare bird.
But really, who cares right? After all, the Carl Fogarty and Petronas' racing efforts were doomed from the start. Right after the bike began its career in 2003, the displacement limit was increased to 1000cc's, leaving the 900cc Petronas largely uncompetitive. By 2006, after just three years, the plug was pulled and that was basically it for the bike.
But while its racing career was disappointing, this is still quite literally a race bike for the road, and every bit as special as the RC30 or OW01, with quality components and the nimble handling of a real thoroughbred. Powered by an 899.5cc three-cylinder with a counter-rotating crankshaft that produced 127hp and an ungodly wail. Videos of the roadbike do exist and this is one of those bikes that may be worth it for the sound alone. The exhaust note is very raw and the whole thing sounds like the internals are all made of titanium, or some other, even lighter material. Etherium maybe.
And as a connoisseur of tachometers, I really love this one: so many modern bikes have their tachs set low and out of the natural view of the rider, but this one sticks up into the windscreen bubble where you can keep tabs on the revs without looking away from the road.
From the original eBay listing: 2003 Petronas FP1 for Sale
You are bidding on an all original, very rare, 2003 Petronas FP1 motorcycle at no reserve. The bike comes originally equipped with rear view mirrors, odometer, blinkers, headlights, and taillights. As originally intended, the bike has everything you need to drive it one the road; however, this motorcycle is not street legal in the United States, due to regulations and further testing that needs to be completed.
This motorcycle is number 108 out of 150. It has around 70 factory miles on it and comes with all the accessories that were with the bike, would Petronas have decided to sell them, including:
- Authenticity Certificate
- Digital Service Manual
- Digital Owner’s Manual
- Digital Workshop Manual
- Parts Catalogue: Chassis
- Parts Catalogue: Engine
If you're not familiar with the bike's recent legal drama, it's worth a quick browse of the internet. Suffice to say, these were never going to be common, and examples in private hands, especially here in the USA are going to be very, very rare at the moment. The photos aren't the best, but I'm still smitten. With those distinctive colors and the noise coming out of that three-lobed pipe might make it worth a purchase just for the noise alone.
With a starting bid of $52,000 and no takers as yet, the seller might be aiming a bit high. While this is every bit as exotic as Ducati's Desmosedici, its mediocre racing history and relative obscurity are probably working against it here.
Also, aside from that self-supporting tail section and distinctive paint, it does look an awful lot like my Triumph Daytona from the front...
-tad
