Description
Click here for an CycleVIN Motorcycle History Report on this Ecosse Heretic. Additional photos are available here for your perusal.
Ecosse Moto Works was started by Denver, Colorado-based husband and wife duo Don and Wendy Atchison (who were Confederate and Bimota dealers prior to starting up their own brand). Unfortunately, both Confederate and Bimota were experiencing some tough financial times when the Atchisons were trying to move their wares, which ultimately led the couple to starting Ecosse. “At that point, we thought the only way we’re ever going to do these kinds of things is to do them ourselves,” explained Don. The story starts back when Don was in grad school, after already getting his BS in mechanical engineering. He’d grown up riding dirt and sport bikes but had gotten into Harleys when he got back into riding.
“It drove me nuts that Harley’s wouldn’t turn, [and] wouldn’t brake. I thought, ‘Why can’t someone retain the fun and torque of that motor in a chassis that works?’” said Don. Fast forward to 2001 and Ecosse Moto Works was founded. EMW would spend three years developing the Heretic, creating two increasingly evolved prototype machines before churning out the third version – the X3 – which would go into production. “I was a fan of Leonardo Da Vinci, and he’s known as the original heretic,” Don stated when explaining the machine’s moniker.
Powering the Heretic is a billet aluminum, 45-degree hand-built and assembled 120 ci (1,966cc) V-twin with a dynamically balanced crank that greatly reduces engine vibration. The powerful American V-twin makes a claimed 130 hp and 137 ft-lbs of torque. Married to the engine is a six-speed close ratio gearbox made by (Burt) Baker with final overdrive gear. The beefy small-production powerplant inhales through Mikuni 45mm flat slide carbs while burnt fumes are spit from hand-crafted Ecosse two-into-one-into-two dual under tail titanium exhausts with stainless headers. Cycle World’s Mark Hoyer compared riding the Heretic to “carrying a weapon (with the) trigger at the right handgrip.”
What really makes the Heretic shine lies in the frame and suspension. The frame, sub-frame, and swing-arm are all composed of trick 4130 chrome-moly tubing. The chassis and swingarm are heavily derived from Italian superbike designs while the suspenders are equally sport/race oriented, being made up of special upside-down fully adjustable Ohlins units fore and aft manufactured specifically for Ecosse.
The majority of the components on the Heretic are race-oriented, and even the materials used to build the bike are derived straight from the track. The brakes on the exotic V-twin are ISR dual six-piston radial calipers with 320mm full-floating damped disks in front and 260mm single two-piston unit in back.
The 4.2 gallon tank is all handmade from a carbon fiber/carbon kevlar/fiberglass matrix blend. The headlight housing, fenders, tail-section, tachometer shroud, air-filter cover, and seat pan are all made from carbon fiber.
The adjustable footpegs have a dozen different positions and the bike itself has 6.5 inches of ground clearance and in total the bike weighs in at 452lbs. The instrumentation on the Heretic is made up of an analog tach with a digital LCD speedo. The exclusive model also boasts three separate riding modes: dragster, road racer, and cruiser. One subtle touch is that the legally-required DOT labels for the kill switch, horn, and turn signals are all machined into the parts. “I refused to do stickers,” said Don.
Because the Heretic was a small batch production run, Ecosse Moto Works allowed customers a wide range of options to personalize their machines. Buyers could select from a wide range of pearl colors or a clear-coated raw carbon option, as well as their choice of any color for the frame and swing-arm’s powder coating. Wheels came in the choice of black or silver, as did the handlebars, and there was the option for a plush seat or a sexier low profile saddle. Lastly, buyers had their choice between MOMO Design leather or carbon grips. Optional add-ons included a polished engine upgrade, further custom paint work, custom ergonomic configurations, and a GP shift pattern conversion.
This example (VIN: 1E9S12FF56D309042, Engine #: FC02487) is #42 of 100.
It was originally purchased by a friend of Iconic in 2008. He covered approximately 200 miles with it and then sold it to the current owner in 2011. The odometer shows 340 miles.
The right bar end mirror has a crack in it.
One of the throttle cable pulleys is chipped.
Currently located in Santa Monica, California, this Ecosse is offered on a clean California title on non-op registration.
Have any Ecosse stories or questions about this listing? Let us know in the comments!
