Midual is a French brand of motorcycle. Founded in 1992 by Olivier Midy and his brother Francois combined passion, skill and insight to create the Midual concept. Years (four years to be exact) of design and engineering went into this single roadster. Finally, with the basic engineering done, the Midys contracted with English designer Glynn Kerr to complete the look of the roadster. Kerr is a substantial motorcycle designer, having worked for Honda and other major manufacturers.

The company aims to design high-end motorcycles for very high technological content.

Two prototypes were/are being developed.  The 900 Midual was presented in 1999 at the Paris Salon and the Type1 in 2014 - aiming to be in the maketplace in 2016.

Midual Roadster 900

Ninety degree V-twin sportbikes are all the rage these days. Ducati, Honda, Suzuki and others are building these bikes, and at least one engineering problem associated with this design has become common knowledge. When a ninety degree V-twin is placed in a sportbike chassis, "packaging" becomes difficult. The engine configuration makes it almost impossible to include (1) a normal rear suspension system, and (2) a modern, long swingarm (a design element which is a major contributor to the superb handling of Yamaha's new R1, for instance).

Suzuki addressed the rear shock absorber placement issue by redesigning the shock altogether -- it utilizes a rotary damper design. Aprilia, in designing its RSV1000, disgarded the ninety degree concept (despite its natural balance) in favor of a narrower V angle. Aprilia decided that the narrower V angle far outweighed the advantages of a ninety degree V-twin simply because the packaging of the motor was so important. The narrower angle of the V allowed Aprilia to have both a normal rear shock placement and a long swingarm (with added weight over the front wheel).

Why am I discussing the problems associated with ninety degree V-twins in this article? Good question. If you think it's hard to package a ninety degree V-twin in a modern, competent-handling motorcycle chassis, try packaging a flat-twin mounted lengthwise in the chassis (opposite the approach used by BMW with its flat twin).

In studying the Midual, I learned that an English firm named Douglas was first to use a flat twin (before BMW) in a motorcycle. Moreover, Douglas aligned the flat twin parallel with the frame, as does Midual. The Douglas flat twin was popular in the 1920s and 1930s, but actually stayed in production until 1960.

Since 1960, no flat twin alligned with the chassis has been manufactured anywhere in the world. Midual intends to change that.

The owners and designers behind Midual feel it is important, essential even, to develop a bike with a unique engine. A unique engine design, to some extent, puts you in a nitch all alone -- without competitors. I will grant Midual this fact, but are there genuine engineering and performance reasons for the design? Or is the tail wagging the dog?

According to Midual, there are reasons beyond marketing for the design and layout of the engine. The 900cc flat twin employed by the Midual roadster purports to contribute to a lower center of gravity, light weight, and simplicity. It also puts out respectable horsepower for a 900cc twin (90 hp). With fuel injection and a five-speed gear box, the Midual roadster will have more than adequate performance. But buyers of the Midual (should it ever see production) will not be looking for performance alone - they will want character. They will find it in the Midual.

The story of Midual could take several pages, but let's just say this. Olivier Midy and his brother Francois combined passion, skill and insight to create the Midual concept. Years (four years to be exact) of design and engineering went into this single roadster. Finally, with the basic engineering done, the Midys contracted with English designer Glynn Kerr to complete the look of the roadster. Kerr is a substantial motorcycle designer, having worked for Honda and other major manufacturers.

Apparently, having recognized the effort of the Midys and Glynn Kerr, investors are now putting up the funds to create a running prototype and, hopefully, start-up of production. This bike is a long way from being available at your local motorcycle dealer, however.

Given the effort and the passion already displayed by the Midy brothers, we expect this bike will be a reality in a few years time. For now, it is an entirely unique design which makes all of us think about the possibility that other engine configurations exist that have been overlooked by the mainstream motorcycle manufacturers.

Source Motorcycle Daily

Midual Type 1 Prototype

Most motorcycle enthusiasts are probably unfamiliar with the Midual brand. Originally formed in 1992 by entrepreneur Olivier Midy, Midual was an obscure French brand best known for introducing a 875cc roadster concept in 1999. What made the concept noteworthy was the company’s decision to use a transversely-mounted flat-twin engine.

 The cylinders pointed in opposite directions like BMW’s boxer twins, but instead of sticking out to either side, the Midual 900 had one cylinder pointed toward the front wheel and the other pointing up to the tail.

The Midual Type 1 still uses a transverse flat-twin engine design and the cylinders laying in the frame at a 25° downward angle. Midual claims the arrangement offers a low center of gravity while reducing longitudinal inertia. While the original 900 concept had a 94 mm bore and 63 mm stroke, the Type 1 has a 100 mm cylinder bore with a 66 mm stroke, giving it a 1036cc displacement. Midual claims 74 ft-lb. of torque at 5300 rpm with a peak of 106 hp at 8000 rpm, just 800 rpm below the liquid-cooled, fuel-injected DOHC four-valve per cylinder engine’s rev limit.

The engine is mounted to an aluminum alloy frame with an integrated fuel tank, holding 3.7 gallons of gasoline.  The top of the fuel tank houses an instrument panel with several analog gauges.

Despite garnering a lot of attention at the 1999 Salon du Deux-Roues motorcycle fair in Paris, Midual did not have the financial resources to bring the concept to production. The brand faded into obscurity until it resurfaced with a brand new prototype at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in Carmel, Calif.

The Midual is equipped with a 43mm Ohlins FGRT fork offering 120 mm of travel. Midual says the rake is adjustable from  24 to 25°, with a 100mm trail when the rake is set to 24.5°. The rear wheel and aluminum swingarm is suspened by a cantilevered Ohlins TTX36 rear shock which also offers 120 mm of travel.

Brembo provides the braking components which include dual-piston calipers gripping the two 320mm floating discs up front and a two-piston caliper with 245mm disc at the rear.

eing a French company, Midual wrapped the 17-inch wire-spoke wheels in Michelin tires, with a 120-70 tire up front and a 180/55 at the rear.

The Midual displays a high attention to detail in the leather hand grips, fuel tank knee grips and instrument panel finishes. Midual promises to offer a number of customizable touches from various seat colors, and a choice of Australian oak or metal instrument panel finishes.

Midual has been testing its Type 1 prototype since the summer of 2013 but the finished product won’t be ready until 2016. Midual plans to produce only 35 examples of the Type 1 for sale to European customers, and is already accepting orders at a hefty price of 140,000 Euro (US$187,066). Being a boutique brand, Midual is also offering a four-year warranty and maintenance plan which includes the cost of picking up the motorcycle and shipping it to and from the factory for service.

Source motorcycle.com   Midual