The Dutch Rotary Superbike With A Porsche-Designed Gearbox And Only 38 Built
The motorcycle market had become an innovation proving ground by the 1970s, as Japanese manufacturers set the pace with powerful, reliable machines while Europe tried to find other ways to stand out. For some, that was sharper handling or more sophisticated engineering. For others, it was by focusing on styling. Convention would only get a brand so far and, in the pursuit of something truly extraordinary, one brand went totally off-piste. It created a bike that’s still talked about to this day.
When Japanese And European Brands Battled For Supremacy
The 1970s were a transitional time for motorcycles, as bikes changed from being just a cheaper, practical mode of transport into symbols of individuality, expression, and freedom. Manufacturers were keen to enable that, too, competing to create bikes that offered greater speed, improved handling, more stylistic choices, or more performance. Japanese bikes were crucial for pushing performance forwards, while European offerings represented the continent’s pursuit of distinctive engineering and exclusivity. It was a decade when bigger engines, better braking, and increasingly sophisticated technology helped to establish the superbike category itself.
The Superbike Boom Made The 1970s One Of Motorcycling’s Most Ambitious Decades
With this newfound lease of life for the motorcycle came much-increased competition. Bikes like the Honda CB750, Kawasaki Z1, and Laverda 1000 Jota showed just how far production bikes had come, even in just the last decade. They also showed how much more riders expected from their machines, as a fast motorcycle was no longer enough to sell well. Manufacturers needed to make bikes that could also handle well, ride comfortably, and still not compromise on everyday reliability.
These expectations put fresh pressure on manufacturers, but also helped to make motorcycles exciting again — particularly in the superbike segment. It turned the quest for sales into more of a fight for an identity, with one Dutch company finding a whole new way to do it.
The Van Veen OCR1000 Combined A Citroen Rotary Engine With Porsche And Brembo Hardware
When Henk Van Veen set out to create what he thought would be the ultimate superbike of the 1970s, he didn’t opt for a big four-cylinder engine like everyone else. In fact, he chose something completely devoid of cylinders altogether — a 996cc, Comotor-manufactured twin-rotor Wankel engine originally intended for the Citroën GS Birotor. It was an … interesting choice.
With that rotary engine giving the Van Veen around 100 HP at 6,500 RPM, the 1978 OCR1000 was an extraordinarily powerful bike for the time. For comparison, the contemporary Kawasaki Z1 had around 82 HP, while even factory-backed Grand Prix bikes like the Suzuki RG500 were only looking around the 120 HP mark at the very top end. The rotary engine’s dimensions were also a draw, as it was smaller and smoother than its four-pot alternatives.
The innovations continued as you moved away from the engine. Power was transmitted through a Porsche-designed four-speed gearbox and drive shaft, while stopping power came courtesy of Brembo. All of this sat on Koni suspension, which reflected the bike’s aim and commitment to being an exclusive, premium machine rather than just another powerful motorcycle. But, for all its strengths, it wasn’t without its compromises. And one of them was weight.
Take the Kawasaki Z1, for example. The bike was one of the key performance bikes of the 1970s, and weighed 510 lbs dry. The OCR1000 came in at an astonishing 642 lbs dry. That’s almost the weight of an original Honda Super Cub C100 more than the Z1 which, naturally, impacted the Dutch bike’s handling compared to competitors. Then there was fuel and oil consumption. Anyone familiar with rotaries knows that they drink like it’s going out of fashion and, at roughly 24 MPG, the Van Veen was no different.
Specialist parts also require specialist knowledge, so maintenance and repairs weren’t cheap. But then again, neither was the bike. Its $15,000 price tag on launch meant that it was comprehensively more than the rotary-powered Suzuki RE5 (1974-1976), which was around $2,500 new and itself was expensive for the time. But price was just one of the reasons that the Van Veen didn’t last, as Comotor’s collapse effectively ended the supply of engines, and with it the OCR1000. Fewer than 40 had been produced between 1976 and 1981, marking the end of an experimental, luxury, but ill-fated motorcycle.
Only 38 Were Built, And This Rare Superbike Now Commands Collector Attention
The OCR1000’s reported 38-bike production run is a large part of its collector appeal today. Representing an unbridled ambition that was undone by cost and supply, the remaining examples are both rare and highly-sought after. Private sales have reportedly tipped into six-digit territory, while a 5,500-mile bike sold for $77,000 in early 2026, demonstrating the bike’s continued appreciation.
The bike’s legacy didn’t end in 1981 though, as a further 10–12 were created in 2011 from the remains of the original production operation. Some small improvements were made, like new tubular steel frames and improved sealing and lubrication but, for the most part, these were faithful continuations. The price wasn’t one of those continuations, however, as the new bikes priced upwards of $115,000.
The Van Veen OCR1000 Remains One Of The Most Unusual Chapters In Superbike History
Despite its limited numbers, the Van Veen is a remarkable example of automotive ambition from a time when manufacturers were still testing what worked. A rotary engine, Porsche gearbox, and premium European components made it a bike that sat above other superbikes of the time in more ways than one. It was one of the most distinctive bikes of its generation that was never going to outsell the likes of Honda or Ducati, but which became a piece of motorcycling history nonetheless. Ultimately, the Van Veen didn’t win the superbike war, but it fought it on its own terms.
Sources: Odd Bike, The Autopian, Mecum, Motorcycle Classics
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