The Vietnamese-based Bandit9 have achieved a lot since they burst onto the custom scene ten years ago. Founder and head designer Daryl Villanueva has been pushing the envelope on motorcycle design since he started and has bikes in the Petersen Automotive Museum, the Haas Moto Museum and the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum. To celebrate a decade in business, he has turned it up to eleven, and released an incredible stealth-looking motorcycle that is like nothing we’ve ever seen before. We chatted to Daryl about this Mobula Ray-inspired project he has appropriately dubbed the ‘Supermarine’ – which we’re sure will get tongues wagging.
Firstly, congratulations on the ten year anniversary of Bandit9. What are your proudest moments over the last decade?
Thanks! My proudest moment is, well, now. To have lasted this long is a larger accomplishment than any singular motorcycle or milestone. Running a motorcycle business, any business, is tough – emotionally, mentally, physically, and spiritually! A lot had to go right to have survived this long so I’m incredibly proud of the team I’ve put in place.
Let’s talk about your latest build. The Supermarine is stunning. Where did the name and inspiration come from?
I’m glad you like it! The name “Supermarine,” means above-water. The inspiration came from these elegant marine creatures that leap above the surface of the ocean called Mobula Rays. It’s pretty clear how we adapted the body to look like a Mobula Ray flapping its wings.
The frame is also interesting. If you look at most bikes, it’s always tubular and looks like a support element (I know; it literally is) but never a feature. We designed it to fascinate you for hours. It has these organic curves and loops that play with your eyes.
Is the bike finished?
The prototype is complete. We start shipping to clients in December 2021.
Talk us through the build process. You’re doing things differently this time, aren’t you?
Yes, this is a brand new era. When I started Bandit9 10 years ago, I thought the motorcycle industry was more daring than the car industry but I think that’s completely flipped now. Cars are far more experimental so I’ve brought on designers from the automotive industry to bring that energy and excitement into this field.
The lights on the Supermarine, for example, are complex and multi-layered, similar to what you’d find in cars. The Supermarine has liquid LEDs for daytime running lights with a pair of focused LED spots for night. The rear brake light is built like a camera lens, made from a series of glass elements. The lights also tell a story; when you approach the bike, the RFID detection switches the lights on as if it’s welcoming you and go to sleep when you dismount.
That just a taste of the advancements we made possible thanks to the engineering team – guys with aerospace, robotics and mechatronics, mechanical, and chemical engineering backgrounds. Sure, the look of the Supermarine can be replicated but what you won’t get is the science – nanometer precision, manufacturing standards and processes, material qualifications, electronics systems, stress testing, simulations. This is what makes the Supermarine fast but grounded, light but durable, precise and intelligent.
With the Supermarine, I think we’ve paired the boldness and imagination of the custom world with the precision, engineering and perfect finish of a stock motorcycle.
My hope with the new direction is to take us to an entirely different playing field, maybe an entirely new game altogether.
Where are the bikes being manufactured?
The Supermarine is currently manufactured in three different cities: Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and Shenzhen, each on the basis of their strengths (3D printing, CNC, precision of their machines, the physical scale and capacity of their output, material handling/standards, etc). Final finish and assembly takes place here in Vietnam for quality control.
This is the beauty of our new vision and engineering system. We can manufacture anywhere. We have a series of manufacturing standards and protocols that can be shared and implemented. There’s no room for interpretation, which means no errors. And what used to take us months, now takes days.
This also makes us pandemic/lockdown proof. We can change production facilities quickly.
You’ve chosen a Triumph Twin powerplant. Why did you choose this engine?
This is going to be controversial but I find it to have the right balance of power, class, reliability and personality. I’ve tried everything. What I’ve found is some brands leak consistently, are fussy and require constant attention, unreasonably expensive maintenance, and some are too rough around the edges and don’t fit the style of the Supermarine.
Yes, you want to be able to go fast but look good too. The idea is the bike needs to handle the Salt Flats and Savile Row at the same time.
The Supermarine looks like a feat of engineering. What was the most challenging part?
I would say time and sacrifice. The designers and engineers know their stuff. I wouldn’t say the Supermarine was easy for them but quite frankly, they’re used to dealing with helicopters, designing and programming rovers and drones, and building contraptions that are supposed to filter crude oil without exploding. So compare that to a motorcycle. The difficulty they experience comes from their own high expectations and need to create a great product.
But as a business, you need to ship. Every day you don’t, you are burning cash. In the pursuit of building a perfect product, how many motorcycle and car companies are now defunct? They didn’t run out of ideas. They ran out of funding. This is the real challenge of a motorcycle company/custom builder. Know when to stop or your lights won’t stay on for long.
Now, sacrifice. At one point, we had to stop taking customer orders to focus on the Supermarine. The transition from building handmade motorcycles to our new scientific method could not be done gradually. We had to pull the plug entirely because it required total focus and commitment. And when the treasury runs low, it takes crazy discipline and faith to reject orders.
How long has it taken to get to this point?
The Supermarine took two years to develop but I’d argue it actually took 10 years. Each bike is an experiment, an opportunity to learn something. And the Supermarine is a culmination of every success and every failure we’ve had.
For example, we’ve always been at a geographical and cultural disadvantage. It’s taken me a long time to come to terms with them. It’s like that serenity prayer – accept the things you can’t change, the courage to change the things you can, and the wisdom to know the difference.
We cannot alter the (slow) pace of Vietnam’s work culture, believe me – I’ve tried, so let’s change our entire system and find a way to build a bike remotely.
We love the organic one-piece body work. Will all the bikes be made from carbon fibre?
We’re giving folks three options. The Supermarine comes standard with the Race-Spec ABS body. It’s the same stuff Ducati fairings are made of. The next tier is the High-Toughness Resin. These are industry terms; I’m not making this stuff up. This material is tougher than the ABS and deals with heat better as well. And of course, the holy grail: carbon fibre. Five times lighter than steel but a lot tougher too. We could make it out of titanium too; it really depends how deep your pockets really are and how far you’re willing to take it.
It looks very aerodynamic. Has it been tested in a wind tunnel?
Yes. Like I said, this is a serious machine we’ve built to play in a completely different game.
What’s it like to ride?
Intoxicating. Just the feel of it and seeing the perfect reflections off of the machine built surfaces. It’s not like art bikes that feel delicate, where you’re worried about scratching it or getting it dirty. The Supermarine is different. It’s robust. And it feels more like a piece of luxury that’s meant to be on the street. And it is.
I know everyone’s taste is going to be different and you can’t please everyone. But for me, the Supermarine is going to be hard for us to top.
