Wigan motorcycle firm building limited edition line of 'cutting edge' bikes

Christofer Ratcliffe, founder of Langen Motorcycles, has designed a limited run of hand-built ‘Two Stroke’ bikes, boasting a top speed of more than 140mph, 74bph and weighing 114kg.

The factory, at Kingfisher Court in Ashton will soon get to work on the ultra-light machines, which will be limited to a production of just 100 and will combine modern technology with a traditional style – complete with carbon fibre and a touch of gold leaf for good measure!

And despite the events of the past year hitting finances hard, pre-orders for the new bikes have been flooding in.

After 10 years as the Chief Design Engineer at CCM Motorcycles, bringing to life groundbreaking motorcycles, 37-year-old Christofer decided to break the shackles of a large company to create a new British motorcycle brand.

He founded Langen Motorcycles in 2019, with a philosophy that “motorcycles should provide raw excitement to ride and be a pleasure to stand and admire”.

He said: “I always had it in the back of my mind, a plan to build a new British motorcycle brand, or resurrect an old one. I decided to make a new one, focusing on quality materials, and creating something a bit more special.

“As we were getting more mainstream at CCM, my passion wasn’t quite as high as it was in the beginning. I wanted to create something completely new. I sold my car, sold my home, I went all in on it.”

Christofer began his plan by starting another company, Brace Technology, which focuses on engineering, design work and consultancy.

“In the first few months, we got an innovation grant to develop some new modular battery technology for electric vehicles,” he said.

“We are very much looking to the future with Brace, whereas Langen is celebrating everything about what’s available now. I wanted to go back to very lightweight, very easy to ride motorbikes. They are very simple in terms of the level of equipment on them, although the engineering is high end. They’re very simple, purely focussing on the riding experiences – the handling, the performance – that’s what the Langen brand is about.”

Christofer added: “The new bike is using a really modern engine, so we’re using cutting edge technology but with an old concept of the two stroke.”

“The response has been great. The worst thing you can do is sell your house, leave your job and start up a business right before Covid hits! It’s been a worrying time but thankfully the R&D work has been keeping us going while we’ve been developing the bike.

“We managed to get to one show last September, in between lockdowns. The response was overwhelming from everyone who saw the bike in the flesh. It validated all the hard work and sleepless nights.”

The bike will be featured at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in July. For more information, visit langenmotorcycles.co.ukThanks for reading. If you value what we do and are able to support us, a digital subscription is just £1 for your first month. Try us today by clicking here and viewing our offers.