Fritz W. Egli, (born June 30, 1937 in Zurich) is a Swiss former

motorcycle racer Motorcycle racing (also called moto racing and motorbike racing) is the motorcycle sport of racing motorcycles. Major varieties include motorcycle road racing and off-road racing, both either on circuits or open courses, and track racing. Ot ...

. He is known as a

motorcycle frame A motorcycle frame is a motorcycle's core structure. It supports the engine, provides a location for the steering and rear suspension, and supports the rider and any passenger or luggage. Also attached to the frame are the fuel tank and battery. A ...

specialist, and engine tuner.

History

Egli founded his motorcycle speed shop in 1965. One of his first vehicles included a

Vincent Vincent ( la, Vincentius) is a male given name derived from the Roman name Vincentius, which is derived from the Latin word (''to conquer''). People with the given name Artists *Vincent Apap (1909–2003), Maltese sculptor *Vincent van Gogh ...

Black Shadow, with what was to become his signature large diameter central tube which won a 1968 motorcycle hill climb championship. He went on to become famous for his frame designs for the large Japanese motorcycle engines of the 1970s, especially the Honda CB750 Four and the first big four-stroke motorcycles of Kawasaki. His large diameter tube frame design later incorporated a honeycomb internal section which was suggested by a visiting Australian in 1979. This suggestion greatly increased the rigidity of the frame. Today, he builds frames for the

Yamaha Yamaha may refer to: * Yamaha Corporation, a Japanese company with a wide range of products and services, established in 1887. The company is the largest shareholder of Yamaha Motor Company (below). ** Yamaha Music Foundation, an organization estab ...

V-Max and others. Egli took the Japanese engines, enhanced them for increased power, then placed them into his own frame designs. The main backbone pipe of his designs are about 12 cm in diameter and they use straight pipes exclusively, avoiding the "bends and curlicues"

L. J. K. Setright Leonard John Kensell Setright (10 August 1931 – 7 September 2005) was an English journalist, motoring journalist and author. Early life and education Setright was born in London to Australian parents; his father, Henry Roy Setright, was an e ...

in "Bike" magazine issue #1 of frames such as the Norton Featherbed. Egli-framed motorcycles have an enthusiastic following which meets annually. Egli influenced other frame builders who went on to build their own 'straight-tube' frames, including the Healey brothers whose

Healey 1000/4 The Healey 1000/4 is a British motorcycle made by the Healey brothers between 1971 and 1977. Fitted with an improved Ariel Square Four 1000 cc engine, the Healey was cheaper than a Honda Gold Wing, but only 28 Healey motorcycles were ...

motorcycle comprised an uprated

Ariel Square Four The Square Four is a motorcycle produced by Ariel between 1931 and 1959, designed by Edward Turner, who devised the Square Four engine in 1928. At this time he was looking for work, showing drawings of his engine design to motorcycle manufactur ...

engine within an Egli-type frame.

Literature

* Jürgen Gassebner: ''Egli - The Official Book''. Element book publisher, Schlierbach 2007, . * Philippe Guyony: ''Vincent Motorcycles - The Untold Story since 1946''. Veloce Publishing 2016, .

References

External links

EGLI-Motorradtechik AG
{{DEFAULTSORT:Egli, Fritz Swiss motorcycle designers 1937 births Living people Swiss motorcycle racers