You’d be forgiven for not being familiar with CR&S, a Milan-based boutique bike manufacturer, but once you see their latest model, the Duu, we bet you’ll remember them for years to come.
The company was founded in 2004, after four Italian enthusiasts decided to build something of their own that could surprise and transform the motorcycle world. Their first product, Vun, did just that. Still, available today in various iterations, it’s a wonderfully pure two-wheeler that takes inspiration from the Norton Manx but applies such attributes to a road legal bike. Powered by a single cylinder Bombardier-Rotax engine it offers seamless, linear power and makes up for what it lacks in sheer thrust with some exceptional agility.
Vun has been followed by Duu – named after the way Milanese say ‘Due,’ or twin – and it adds another cylinder to the mix. This time, the engine is produced by US-based manufacturer S&S. Their X-Wedge motor is certainly potent but, as James Brown would say, “it wouldn’t be nothing without” CR&S’ customisable muscle-bike platform and stunning good looks. “I wanted to make a big-engine bike that is muscular and aggressive but also beautiful,” explains 42-year-old Donato Cannatello, the former Aprilia designer who penned the Duu.
Sophisticated (with its steel and aluminium composite chassis) and graceful (with the lengthy transmission tunnel that elongates Vun’s stance), it’s a nice piece of workmanship. Bodywork is kept to a minimum and the exposed metal and carbon-fibre is enhanced by some cool little flourishes like the vintage Le Mans-style filler cap and a characterful plaque that reads “Fada su a Milan cont il coeur e cont i man”, which translates as: “Made in Milan with the heart and hands”.
There’s drama but not without substance and the best way to describe the Duu in a word is: torquey. The non-counterbalanced three-cam (two exhaust, one intake) may be a bit rough at idle but that’s a hardly a surprise given it’s an air-cooled V-twin. Slip the clutch and take it to between 1,500 and 3,500 revs though and you’ll find a glorious sweet spot. One of our favourite characteristics is definitely the epic amount of push available the instant you twist the throttle, though we’d recommend the smoother optional six-speed unit over the regular five-shifter if you want to get the most out of the experience.
The Duu is a formidable bike and in keeping with CR&S’ style, no two will ever be alike. Buyers are actually encouraged to tailor everything from the seating arrangements and finishes to the performance upgrades. Yet no matter how you decide to go with yours, one thing remains the same: the almost immediate access to torque and that wonderfully throaty sound emanating from the exhaust. It may not be the fastest bike – or even twin – on the market today but it will thrill at least three of your senses and that’s why it’s our Ultimate Bike.
WHAT CR&S Duu motorcycle
FROM Milan, Italy
SPECS 56-degree V-twin 4-stroke pushrod, 1916cc, 97hp, 148Nm, 5 speed, 245kg (dry)
PRICE From 27,000 USD
WHY An aggressively styled premium motorcycle with a modular layout that’s a little pricey but then owning a stunning masterpiece of a daily rider, which can hustle through turns and pull from as low as 500 rpm is almost priceless. Is it not?
