There are many people who would love to experience what it’s like to drive a superbike. The problem is that its ride comes with a long list of tradeoffs. You need a helmet and riding gear, you accept a lot of risk, and unless your idea of climate control is “hope it doesn’t rain”, you’re exposed to whatever the weather decides for you. For many people, that’s part of the appeal.
For others, it’s a deal breaker.
Maybe this is exactly the audience that Dutch startups are meant to reach Sanrivati Is going after. The company says it is developing a hypercar with a superbike-inspired riding position, in which the driver will be placed in a central, forward-facing posture instead of a traditional seat. It sounds weird because, well, it is. But maybe that’s the point.
Photo by: Sanrivatti
The easiest way to experience superbike riding conditions is to buy a superbike. They’re ultimately a lot cheaper than any hypercar made by Sanrivati, assuming it gets that far.
But you could argue that that’s completely wrong. It is not aimed at riders looking for a second motorcycle. It’s aimed at people who want a piece of that experience while keeping four wheels, a roof, airbags and a six- or seven-figure price tag attached to the finished product.
It all reminds me a bit of those goofy Vibram FiveFinger shoes (if you can even call them shoes). Remember that? They promised to give the same barefoot experience as they did shoes, and many people couldn’t get over the fact that they looked like something a lizard would wear to the gym. Yet they developed a loyal following because they were not trying to replace barefoot running. They were trying to capture a part of that feeling without asking people to give up the safety and practicality of wearing shoes.
The concept of Sanrivatti sits almost in the same area. Motorcycles already provide the closest connection between human and machine you’ll find on the road. A rider grips the tank with his knees, grips against the wind, shifts body weight through corners, and becomes part of the machine. Just dragging the driver across the cabin doesn’t recreate any of that. Posture may look similar, but the experience is shaped by much more than body position.
So there is good reason to remain skeptical. So far, Sanrivatti has shown sketches and great promise, but no working prototypes. The company talks about redesigning the relationship between driver and machine from the human body inward, which sounds attractive and even romantic on paper. But it also leaves a lot of unanswered questions about crash safety, visibility, ergonomics and how any of this actually works in the real world.
Still, there’s always been room for weird ideas in the automotive world. Not every enthusiast wanted the raw commitment of a motorcycle, just as not every FiveFingers owner wanted to walk barefoot through the woods. Some people just want something different, and if they have enough dough to make it happen, different reasons may be enough.
