The original Bond Bug tricycle, equipped with a 150-horsepower Yamaha R1 engine, has just gone up for auction at Artcurial. This machine goes from 0 to 100 km/h (0-62 mph) in 3.5 seconds.
Bond Bug 700 ES from the ad came off the assembly line in 1973 and has been modified by the previous owner, a Franco-Englishman, to incorporate a 1,000cc, 150 hp Yamaha YZF-R1 superbike engine, six-speed sequential gearbox, and twin motorcycle exhausts. The superbike engine allows the car to accelerate to the claimed top speed of over 200 km/h (124 mph).
Designed by Ogle, the body was made by Reliant in fiberglass and then assembled at Bond. The Bug was positioned as a “sporting” three-wheeled cyclecar. Despite its compactness, the interior is quite roomy, all thanks to the top-hung door. There is no information about the mileage of the tricycle or the name of the owner.
The stroller is painted in the traditional orange shade for the model. In the cabin, instead of the standard dashboard, an analog from Yamaha YZF-R1 appeared. Despite the lack of doors in the traditional sense, Bond Bug has an interior heater.
The original Bond Bug tricycles were produced in the UK from 1970 to 1974, and they were equipped with four-cylinder engines with a volume of 700 to 750 cubic centimeters. Power ranged from 29 to 31 horsepower. With such engines, the Bond Bug was capable of accelerating up to 76 mph (122 km/h). In just four years of production, 2,270 similar tricycles were assembled. The model has its own community of fans who are engaged in tuning it. So, last year, one of the owners installed a 300-horsepower engine from a Suzuki Hayabusa motorcycle in the Bond Bug.
If you’re interested in owning this R1-powered Bug, it’s going up for auction at Artcurial on November 1, 2020. Speaking about the expected cost, it will be in the range between €20,000 and €30,000 (around $23,744 to $35,615).
