Just learned about the "Boss Hoss". Motorcycles built with V-8 engines. Damn.
Motorcycle with a Corvette engine
- Thread starter TexasRaceLady
- Start date
Boss Hoss are cool.
Here's my dad's V8 bike, around 1962 or '63. I have early '60's pit passes from local drag strips. Pops had balls.
The truth is stranger than fiction-and has proven it on quite a number of quarter mile outings at just under the 160-mph mark.
Truth, in this case is a Chevrolet V8 mounted in a special two wheeled chassis built for drag strip acceleration. Owner Norm Harrison of Long Beach, California, spent five years in its design and construction, taking pains that Truth should be Beauty as well as Speed.
The engine itself acts as a part of the frame. A specially built 10-quart oil pan is a lower frame member, while a manifold originally intended to mount a supercharger is the upper frame. That manifold now holds a fuel metering system of Norm's design and fabrication, The V-8 is a hot rod engine in anyone's books; a '57 283 block was bored to four inches and fitted with Mickey Thompson 13.5:1 forged pistons and alloy rods set to a Studebaker crank, re-machined to fit the Chevy and give a 3.625-inch stroke.
Total displacement is now 365 cubes. The heads were ported and polished by Jocko's Porting Services and hold lightened stock valves, sprung by Wilcap heavy-duty coils on alloy retainers. A Herbert roller cam times the action.
The complete assembly-less flywheel and clutch which are not used (!) - was balanced by Automotive Electronic Balancing. A Pesco fuel pump was adapted to fit in a Thompson water pump body, these mounted to drive in the normal water pump position. No radiator is used, the block being sealed each run with the coolant self-contained. A Schiefer magneto sparks the alky fuel mix.
Back to that strange lack of flywheel and clutch, the drive system is unique, utilizing a Whitney industrial drive chain of 3/4" pitch and an in-out, single-gear box with a disengaging lever. The rear sprocket turns independently of the rear wheel, originally from an F-86 nose gear, the coupling being made as rpm increases to actuate Harrison-designed torque converter mounted in the rear wheel itself.
The frame stringers that support front and rear wheels are 2024ST aluminum alloy bars, 7/8-inch square, gusseted by alloy plates and bolted together with recessed Allen bolts. The front forks are from a Vincent Black Lightening.
Rider Bob XXXXXX has best marks at 159.07 mph and 9.70 e.t.
Here's my dad's V8 bike, around 1962 or '63. I have early '60's pit passes from local drag strips. Pops had balls.
The truth is stranger than fiction-and has proven it on quite a number of quarter mile outings at just under the 160-mph mark.
Truth, in this case is a Chevrolet V8 mounted in a special two wheeled chassis built for drag strip acceleration. Owner Norm Harrison of Long Beach, California, spent five years in its design and construction, taking pains that Truth should be Beauty as well as Speed.
The engine itself acts as a part of the frame. A specially built 10-quart oil pan is a lower frame member, while a manifold originally intended to mount a supercharger is the upper frame. That manifold now holds a fuel metering system of Norm's design and fabrication, The V-8 is a hot rod engine in anyone's books; a '57 283 block was bored to four inches and fitted with Mickey Thompson 13.5:1 forged pistons and alloy rods set to a Studebaker crank, re-machined to fit the Chevy and give a 3.625-inch stroke.
Total displacement is now 365 cubes. The heads were ported and polished by Jocko's Porting Services and hold lightened stock valves, sprung by Wilcap heavy-duty coils on alloy retainers. A Herbert roller cam times the action.
The complete assembly-less flywheel and clutch which are not used (!) - was balanced by Automotive Electronic Balancing. A Pesco fuel pump was adapted to fit in a Thompson water pump body, these mounted to drive in the normal water pump position. No radiator is used, the block being sealed each run with the coolant self-contained. A Schiefer magneto sparks the alky fuel mix.
Back to that strange lack of flywheel and clutch, the drive system is unique, utilizing a Whitney industrial drive chain of 3/4" pitch and an in-out, single-gear box with a disengaging lever. The rear sprocket turns independently of the rear wheel, originally from an F-86 nose gear, the coupling being made as rpm increases to actuate Harrison-designed torque converter mounted in the rear wheel itself.
The frame stringers that support front and rear wheels are 2024ST aluminum alloy bars, 7/8-inch square, gusseted by alloy plates and bolted together with recessed Allen bolts. The front forks are from a Vincent Black Lightening.
Rider Bob XXXXXX has best marks at 159.07 mph and 9.70 e.t.
Now that's interesting.
mike honcho
Knuckleheads
They have a dealer here in Grand Prairie.Always fun to see one of those come out of there.
Incidentally, Those 7/8" square bars failed at some point during a race. My dad told me that as long as he was in the gas, the bike went straight. When he let off it tried to turn and eventually speed-wobbled in the shut-off area, in excess of 150 MPH.
He woke up on his back. He said he remembered the clear bubble shield from his helmet rocking back and forth in the wind next to him as he waited for the emergency track personnel to arrive while he lay there.
He woke up on his back. He said he remembered the clear bubble shield from his helmet rocking back and forth in the wind next to him as he waited for the emergency track personnel to arrive while he lay there.
FenderBumper
The "good old days" ??
That's some crazy sheet. Now we know where you got it from.
Harrison was a genius. He not only designed the bike, he was smart enough to get someone else to ride it.
1
#17D500winner
Guest
Must've been kind of warm setting atop a V-8
He was only on it for 9 seconds at a timeMust've been kind of warm setting atop a V-8
Incidentally, my dad said sitting at the starting line the intake manifold would begin to develop frost from the alky mix being drawn in
1
#17D500winner
Guest
He was only on it for 9 seconds at a time
Incidentally, my dad said sitting at the starting line the intake manifold would begin to develop frost from the alky mix being drawn in
I noticed that there doesn't appear to be any cooling so I was assuming alcohol.
Sorry TRL, I didn't intend to hijack the thread
M
MOEJOE
Guest
Wow. I would die on that thing.
Not a problem, Bobby. Love hearing stories about racing.Sorry TRL, I didn't intend to hijack the thread
T
timothydanaher
Guest
I lived around the block on Gondar when Norm would fire up Truth every kidin the neiborhood would be at norms house I knew his son Normy and Jeff.
hawg dawg
Team Owner
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nice article/post bobby. bet those were sum fun /wild weekends w/ those brilliant guys !
west coast guys were always on leadin edge in anything that had a motor .
norm's design....makin motor integral part a' frame......was used by triumph when they introduced 3 cyl. 2300cc rocket III 8 yrs ago . ( ie.--hawg dawg avatar pic ta left-----w/ harley badge in mouth).
most harleys cradle motor in single backbone frame. r3 uses wishbone--2 .
even mo extreme----guy built viper v-10 bike. on youtube.
if ya don't look like a nfl lineman.......don't even think bout boss hoss. one bad azz.....but heavy...bike ....ta keep upright ------at slow speeds ! ha!
west coast guys were always on leadin edge in anything that had a motor .
norm's design....makin motor integral part a' frame......was used by triumph when they introduced 3 cyl. 2300cc rocket III 8 yrs ago . ( ie.--hawg dawg avatar pic ta left-----w/ harley badge in mouth).
most harleys cradle motor in single backbone frame. r3 uses wishbone--2 .
even mo extreme----guy built viper v-10 bike. on youtube.
if ya don't look like a nfl lineman.......don't even think bout boss hoss. one bad azz.....but heavy...bike ....ta keep upright ------at slow speeds ! ha!
KevinWI
Oldest Operating Motor Speedway In The World
Yeah, I remember that, the Dodge Tomahawk with the V-10 viper engine. Dodge got in a bunch of **** over that because they said it could go like 450 mph and break motorcycle land speed records and all the Bonneville salt flat guys were saying there was no way a bike that heavy with no aero cowling would go over 200. I think MOPAR built that as a proof-of-concept, more or less. I remember them rolling it out during the LA Auto Show or something with the big boss on stage. Don't think it was ever intended to be a drag bike or set land speed records.