Caterham Bikes revealed plans to launch the three motorcycles as early as Spring. Accompanying the company's move into motorcycle manufacturing is their launch of a Moto2 World Championship team which will also debut this year.  Josh Herrin and Johann Zarco have been confirmed as riders in what will be a two bike team.

With Caterham moving into both motorcycle racing and manufacturing it is clear to see that they are serious about their new two-wheeled adventure. The co-chairman of the Caterham Group - Tony Fernandes - has stated of the company's progression into motorcycles:

So what will Caterham motorcycles have to offer in terms of creativity, experience and knowledge? Here are the details of their first three bikes to be unveiled this year:

This is how the Caterham Group describe the Brutus 750 - the bike that is designed to be multi-purpose, can be used on road, off-road and can even be converted into a snowmobile!

Claimed to "open up a whole new world of motorcycling" to the masses, the Brutus 750 is built to be an easy to handle yet high performance bike. It has a 750cc single-cylinder, liquid-cooled engine that delivers power through an automatic gearbox. Weighing in at a hefty 235 kg, and boasting 14" wheels front and back; it can hardly be described as nibble, yet Caterham states that you shouldn't let the raw and aggressiveness of Brutus fool you, and that it is an ergonomically practical motorcycle.

The motorcycle's oversized tyres have the look of a two-wheeled quad bike, with the use of a CVT transmission that's also standard to that of an automatic quad. However controversial this bike may seem within the somewhat regimented and categorized world of motorcycling, it is visually interesting, almost akin to what I would image a Lego bike to look like. The brightly coloured green and yellow frame is appealing. Perhaps Caterham are right in their statement about the bike - at least visually, it does look like fun and is most definitely distinctive.  

The automatic transmission opens the bike up to a wider range of users - you don't have to be a super experienced rider to be able to experience the Brutus 750. Said to have all the simplicity of a scooter and the thrills of a motorcycle, the transmission and robustness of a quad with the power and performance of a motorcycle; surely its premise is to offer customers a product similar to Hovis in its marketing campaign - the best of both.  Whether the idea takes off as successfully as that of the widely known bread producing company remains to be seen.

The electric bike with a retro twist. Caterham's Classic E is the very pinnacle of vintage, inspired by the first part of the 20th century when British motorcycling was considered to be at the beginning of its golden age.

The Classic E differs completely from the Brutus 750 in its use of classic, curved lines that pay homage to the vintage motorcycling era. Part of the bike's retro styling comes in the form of its fake V-twin engine that conceals its batteries. The Classic E consists of an aluminium frame and modern front disc brakes, but with leather handle bar grips that are fixed to a very traditional springer front fork in a sort of modern meets traditional kind of way.

Despite the bike's vintage feel, Caterham are keen to point out its modern features. It has a brisk acceleration, houses a quite admirable 250 Watt motor and is said to give a range of 25-50 miles with a full charge. The fake fuel tank is actually designed to be used as a storage compartment for luggage or for, say, a battery charger. The seat is adjustable to three positions. Dubbed a "classically inspired design, but with a thoroughly modern twist", it is said to be built using advanced materials, and, with the very essence of the bike's core being electric, it is plain to see how this bike could also very easily slip into the 'best of both' category.

The designer of the Caterham range of motorcycles - Alessandro Tartarini - states that the Classic E is the "future of tradition". I guess only time will tell...

The third motorcycle that Caterham are launching this year is the Carbon E bike - inspired by Caterham's F1 technology and, like the Brutus 750, is said to have "performance and handling at its very core."

Described as a "radical machine which excites on levels of style, design and character", the Carbon E is a zero emissions electric motorcycle with a modern look. It has a 36-Volt, 250 Watt brushless motor and an eight speed Shimano Nexus gear hub. An LED dashboard attached to the bike's handlebars display the battery status, speedometer, trip meter and battery range in a hi-tech, futuristic sort of way, adding to the motorcycle's modernity.

The Carbon E has quite a minimalistic look. Stainless steel spokes are attached to (what appears to be the Caterham electric bike trademark) over-sized wheels. The modern disc brakes on the front and rear of the bike adhere to it's simplistic feel. Like the Brutus, the Carbon E also boasts quite wide tyres, incorporated with carbon-fibre that, Caterham states, will give extra strength and optimum performance.    

Sporty, simplistic and futuristic; the Carbon E's style, design and character does indeed appear to be radical - perhaps another trademark of Caterham motorcycles. And it is obvious that they want to be clear about the bike's performance as well, making sure that potential buyers know that they are not only investing in a machine that looks striking, but that functions well. The chassis is described as a "work of art", featuring a carbon-aluminium frame that has the unique ability to be adapted into three different sizes to better suit the shape and size of the rider. The front forks look like those on a Superbike, in-keeping with its sporty image, whilst promising to firmly hold the front-wheel in place. The rear mono-shock is claimed to ensure efficient delivery of power to the Tarmac while giving a compliant, plush ride. Modern and minimalistic yet powerful and functional - a two in one perhaps? Ringing any bells?

Caterham have announced that all three of their motorcycle concepts will be launched as full production bikes in 2014. Better yet, they are to be priced "affordably". The newly appointed CEO of the company - Al-Ishal Ishak - has stated that:

Caterham may be aware of the huge task they have in hand in becoming a success within the already brimming motorcycle industry. But it can't be said that they're not trying. The motorcycle concepts from Caterham are all very different - one hefty and resilient, one with a delicately vintage feel, and the third being the height of modernity. They all, however, propose the same premise - that motorcycling can be fun, accessible and affordable. Each design is striking in its own right. Each bike promises adaptability and performance. All three are brimming with Caterham DNA. Whether Caterham Bikes takes off or not, it can't be denied that the premise is an exciting one. Watch this space...