Well this is post-apocalyptic. I literally stumbled upon this video of a wild, seemingly-home built Detroit Diesel V8 powered trike driving out of its garage and up a driveway completely by coincidence. It may be shocking for you to believe that I was not searching “Detroit Diesel Rat Trike” but it is the truth. This thing looks straight out of a Max Mad sequel and it sounds pretty flipping sweet barking through those zoomie pipes that are playing the tune of each cylinder individually. The clip is short but you get all of the vitals you need out of it. There’s the angry sound, the fact that it actually moved under its own power and the idea that steering it is an operation on sheer concentration, luck, and terror. Watching the trike navigate around the parked car it needs to avoid has some pucker factor even on the viewing end.
The major question here if simple. Would you ride this thing? There’s part of me that immediately wants to scream, “YES!” Unfortunately that part of me is overwhelmingly voted down by the other 95% of me that screams, “ABSOLUTELY NOT!” The trike has to rip and it has to at least do awesome burnouts. Yes, it probably weighs more than a new Camry and it would get walked by a modern sport bike (or even an older sport bike) but the visual impact here cannot be denied. If it is an 8v-71 (non-turbocharged, obviously) it makes around 300. If it is a 8V53 maybe a little less. It sure looks cool and the seating position seems relatively comfortable.
We’d love to see it on a drag strip (with someone else riding) just to hear it run balls out for a quarter mile and to see what the score boards would read on its best run. You know you want to see it too!
AHHHHHHHHHHHHH….NO!
The biggest danger in riding a motorcycle is other drivers not seeing you. At least this trike isn’t going to have THAT problem. Still not sure if I’d ride it though…
Turning corners may be an issue.. Throw a hitch on the back and pull a camper,
That’s as far as he got when he discovered he’d forgotten to install a working steering system…..
Would I ride it: Never.
The last time I went to the Chillicothe bike rodeo a guy had a similar homebrewed trike. His had a Dodge 383/400/440. Of course it was claimed to be a HP 70 440 I didn’t care so I never looked close enough. I talked with him and his buddy about what it was like to ride, the turning, the accidents.
Now I would have that engine in a pick up and drive it. Make the dummin owners cry.