CR&S is a boutique Italian manufacturer that is in many ways comparable to Arch Motorcycle. The two both produce ultra top-shelf, S&S V-Twin-powered, performance-oriented cruisers, but while Arch’s models have received ample public attention and media exposure, CR&S’ offerings are little known in the good ol’ US of A, which is a damn shame considering the Italian marque makes some seriously noteworthy bikes: the VUN (an exotic naked powered by a Rotax 650cc single) and the DUU (a beefy S&S-powered performance cruiser).
At the heart of the DUU is an S&S X Wedge 117ci (1,917cc), 56 degree V-Twin that makes around 100hp at 5,100 rpm and 116.5 foot-pounds of torque at 4,300 rpm. The DOHC power plant has been married to a five-speed Baker transmission with a wet multi-disc clutch. The hefty S&S mill’s underslung exhaust was developed and produced in-house by CR&S, and the engine’s Induction is performed via single-throttle-body fuel injection and a standard S&S filter. In Cycle World’s 2014 review of the DUU, they claim the performance cruiser offers up gobs of torque from as low as 500 rpm!
Wrapped around the V-twin is a stainless steel main chassis produced from large tube sections that is reportedly closer in size and style to your average 600cc super sport frame than that of the average cruiser. Soaking up imperfections in the road up front is a 48mm inverted fork with adjustable spring preload and hydraulic damping, offering almost five inches of travel. In back a hydraulic progressive monoshock — also with adjustable spring preload and hydraulic damping — gives the single-sided swing arm an even five inches of suspension travel. Braking hardware is comprised of high-end Brembo units: double floating wave disks with radial quad-piston calipers fore and a single disk unit aft.
The DUU boasts an overall length of 86.6 inches, a 62-inch wheelbase, an impressive 24.5 degrees of rake, and 4.3 inches of trail. The seat height on the power cruiser is a cool 31.5 inches while the DUU reportedly weighs in dry at 540lbs. But the DUU is about far more than just its specs, with much of its appeal boiling down to its exotic aesthetics which fall somewhere in between a pre-Curtiss Confederate and a Ducati Diavel, only slightly dated. I personally feel like the DUU sports an overly cluttered look, but I can definitely understand why others would visually appreciate it, especially if said others are into American muscle.
The seller of this DUU claims that approximately $20,000 worth of extras have been tacked onto this already high-priced machine. While the seller doesn’t directly specify any of the upgrades, he does mention that some of the $20K dropped into the bike was spent on its wheels, suspension, and “smaller items such as Rizoma (parts/accessories)”. While the asking price may seem a tad exorbitant, other used, well-farkled DUU examples are currently selling for around the 30k euro mark too. The reality is the DUU is just a really expensive bike to begin with, granted you can pick one up for almost half its regular MSRP if you buy used, plus it’s almost guaranteed to come with a few thousand (if not tens of thousands) in extra goodies.
The ad claims the bike is being sold on account of the current owner moving overseas — it’s hard to imagine someone that can afford this bike but not afford to ship it overseas, but who knows. Either way, you can find this 2012 CR&S DUU for sale here on TheBikeShed in Doha, Qatar with a price of $32,650 (or €28,000).
Editor’s Note: For some decent photos of the Duu, check out the CR&S website gallery.