Super bikes have nothing on this twin-turbo V8 trike

This wonder trike-thing with three wheels or less is unusual and it just needs to be shared.

Enter the latest project from ProBoost, a Finnish company that has specialised in modifying motorbikes and snowmobiles since ’94.

With their motto “power is everything”, it’s only fitting that a custom trike powered by a twin-turbo 4.0-litre V8 is currently being built by the garage.

The engine, gearbox, wheels, differential and subframe are all taken from an BMW E38 740i.

The V8 made 210kW/400Nm, but with forced induction, numbers should be over 270kW/520Nm.

Previosuly, ProBoost made a bike called the M1, which runs the same twin-turbo BMW V8 and is somehow road legal.

ProBoost even sells the frame, so people can make their own BMW-powered monster trike.

ProBoost website https://www.proboost.fi/

Love Bug project turned into a wedding car

Cape Town – Corrie started working on the dream car he wanted to drive to his wedding before he even had a partner to propose to.

Parow resident Corrie Oosthuizen started his love project after returning from Thailand, where he had been living for six years.

“I had dated a Thai lady while living abroad and it was there that I was given the nickname ‘khn thì mì hawc thì dì’. It was only after about two years that I asked my then girlfriend what this nickname meant, and was told ‘the man with a good heart’.

“This stuck in my head and I decided I had to live up to this name and live out its meaning,” he said.

While living in Thailand, Oosthuizen said he had a good relationship but missed home and his language very much.

“So I prayed about it and asked God to give me my soulmate and was specific about what I wanted.

‘‘I always say be careful what you wish for because you just might get it,” Oosthuizen said.

Shortly after returning to South Africa, he said he started work on his customised “car trike” through the help of good friend Jan Botha, owner of Insane Customs.

“Jan called me one day and said he saw a Volkswagen Beetle rear end for sale. I bought it and that’s where my five-year journey with the Love Bug started. Jan’s work is just insane,” he said.

Oosthuizen said he wanted his car trike to reflect his nickname and shared his vision for the vehicle with Botha, who worked tirelessly on creating the perfect car.

Botha, a plumber by day, said he created custom vehicles as a hobby.

Oosthuizen said: “While working on the Love Bug, I had told all my friends that this was my wedding car, and they would laugh and mock me because I had no partner or love interest at the time.

“But I kept at it and told them this car was going to drive me to my wedding.”

Nearly three years ago, Oosthuizen met his now-wife Sonja.

“Sonja is my son’s mother-in-law and we got to know each other better when I moved back to South Africa.”

Oosthuizen and Botha, who were determined to drive the custom car on the wedding day, worked on it until 3o’clock on the morning of the Oosthuizens’ wedding.

“The gear lever broke but we fixed it and I got to drive my dream car with the woman of my dreams,” said Oosthuizen.

The Love Bug, with its custom-built steel body, is available for rentals for any occasion. “Even divorces,” Oosthuizen laughed.

Ten-race World Sidecar calendar announced for 2019

World Sidecar bosses have this morning announced a six-round, ten race calendar for 2019.

The season will kick off at Le Mans in April and finish at Navarra in Spain at the end of October.

–       20 April FFM Le Mans France

–       29-30 June MAMS Pannonia Ring Hungary (2 races)

–       20-21 July DMSB Oschersleben Germany (2 races)

–       18 August KNMV Assen The Netherlands

–       23-25 August HMS Grobnik-Rijeka Croatia (2 races)

–       19-20 October RFME Navarra Spain (2 races)

8 Cool Things About the Can-Am Ryker

In the ten years since that first Spyder, these unique Can-Am three-wheelers have become a legitimate, even popular alternative to motorcycles.

The base model starts at $16,000, and goes to over $25,000 for a loaded Touring model. The new Ryker is Can-Am’s entry-level trike, starting at $8,499 and built to give the same fun and stability on twisty roads as its bigger models. Here’s what to know about it.

You Can Get Two or Three Cylinders – The standard 600cc twin-cylinder develops 47 horsepower and 35 lb-ft of torque. Plunk down another $1,500 and you get a 900cc triple with 77 horsepower and 56 lb-ft of torque. The Ryker 600 is 22 pounds lighter (594 pounds) than the 900 (616 pounds).

It’s Really Easy to Ride -Ryker is accessible to new riders ruling out a manual transmission, and a semi-automatic dual clutch would’ve been too expensive to keep the base price under $9,000. So Can-Am used a twist-and-go transmission that it’s had experience building: a CVT.

“You worry less about shifting and spend more time enjoying the drift,” says engineering product manager Vincent Varaldi. And no one likes a manual transmission in traffic.

It Fits Just About Anyone – Sitting on the Ryker is not a problem – the handlebars and foot pegs can be adjusted fore and aft without any tools in just a few seconds, which can be helpful if you change road conditions.

Good Cornering – The Ryker sits lower, with the seat only 23.5 inches above the road. When you hit a set of switchbacks, it feels planted. And the steering is manual, but it gives you that connected-to-the-road feedback. The downside: that precise steering can be too sensitive at freeway speed and can follow undulations in the pavement.

Rally Edition – This costs $10,999 and includes adjustable KYB dampers, an inch more wheel travel, and tires developed for enhanced off-highway traction. The seat also has more foam, to soften some of the rough road bumps.

You Can Adjust the Stability Control –  Ryker 900’s instrument cluster has a rubberized button for you to toggle through Eco and Sport modes. Engaging Sport loosens up the stability-control program and allows for smoky burnouts.

Swing Arm Is a Work of Art – The Ryker uses a shaft drive to get the power from the engine to the rear wheel, and without a belt drive or chain, the single-sided aluminum swing arm looks clean and beautiful. Varaldi says a chain would have been too long and a belt would have required the seat to be raised, which would raise the center of gravity. Shaft drive on some motorcycles can produce a clunky, jacking effect in the driveline, but the Ryker was easy.

Color customization – Ryker is fitted with flat black body panels and wheels and looks especially futuristic, like something created by Batman’s Wayne Enterprises. But if you wanted to go orange, the panels can be swapped in about five minutes.

TruNorth Global™ Launches MyTruckWarranty.com With Custom Trike by Paul Jr. Designs Featured on American Chopper

CHARLOTTE, N.C., March 27, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — A second custom bike designed for TruNorth Global™ by Paul Teutul, Jr. of Paul Jr. Designs was featured last night on the Discovery Channel’s American Chopper. TruNorth Global™, the leader in medium and heavy-duty truck protection, commissioned the custom build in conjunction with the launch of its new offering for Class 3-7 commercial work trucks, MyTruckWarranty.com, powered by TruNorth.

The MyTruckWarranty.com “dually-trike” was unveiled at an exclusive, invitation-only event for TruNorth Warranty customers and dealers held at the Daytona Beach Brewery Company in February 2019, and taped for last night’s Season 12, Episodes 7 and 8 of American Chopper

It Features an oversized, dual rear wheels, a trailer hitch, and custom crash bars and floorboards aligns with the new brand’s focus on medium-duty commercial work trucks.

“Knowing TruNorth and understanding their brands, customers, and position as an innovative force in their industry, I had a good idea of what I wanted to do for the MyTruckWarranty.com bike,” Teutul said. “It probably helps that I have a long history with work trucks. In my family’s steel business, we would get trucks without the beds on them and build rack bodies for our welders to accommodate their torches and everything else you need to do steel fabrication. I practically lived in work trucks early in my career.”

Teutul wanted to take a futurist approach to the type of trucks he grew up with, but still “maintain that work truck vibe” with the hitch on the back and bigger wheels to give it a ‘beefy’ look. To carry out his vision, Teutul designed a trike with dual rear wheels. “It’s six feet two inches wide in the rear but only nine feet long. We wanted to make it feel really stout, so we shortened it up in the back and put a shorter front end on it with a fatter front tire,” he said.

“The MyTruckWarranty.com bike made quite an impression in Daytona. I don’t think anyone was expecting a trike—let alone one capable of pulling a race truck,” said Tru North Global™ CEO, William Eskridge. “Paul nailed it once again.”

“It was really a ‘prefect storm’ scenario,” said TruNorth Global™ CMO, Barry Wilson. “We had engaged Paul with our NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series program, and he designed the paint scheme for the race truck, which also debuted the same day as the dually-trike reveal, in the NextEra Energy 250 at Daytona International Speedway. So, using the dually-trike to tow the #45 race truck — during race week in Daytona — was a huge hit with our dealers, many of whom are longtime fans of Paul’s work.”

One of the challenges Teutul and his team faced during the MyTruckWarranty.com build was how to make the dual rear tires appear proportional. “When we built the trike, I liked it, but I wasn’t completely satisfied. I knew I had to do something about the width,” he said. “I decided to do crash bars and built-in floorboards to transition the eye from the front of the bike to those fat back tires, creating a triangular shape, which also resulted in a higher-functioning bike.”

Towing capacity presented another challenge. “That’s not something we ever had to consider in our previous builds,” Teutul said. “To make it work, we put a very tall sprocket on the rear and a small sprocket on the front in order to gear the bike low enough to pull the truck and, at the same time, overcome the height of the rear wheels.”

“When you have very tall wheels you have to gear the bike low to get it started,” he added. “Once you’re going it’s fine, but it’s got to get out of the hole, or it tends to stall. With those modifications, the trike pulled the race truck like it wasn’t even there.”

“I have to say the MyTruckWarranty.com trike is unquestionably one of my favorite projects of all time,” Teutul added. “There’s not another trike out there like it—period. It’s one of one; the Trü North folks actually call it a dually-trike.”

The custom trike represents the third collaboration to-date in the TrüNorth/Paul Jr. Designs relationship. Episode 2 of this season’s American Chopper, which aired on February 19, featured the TrüNorth Warranty™ custom chopper build.

TruNorth plans to take both bikes on tour to client dealerships throughout the year.

About MyTruckWarranty.com – MyTruckWarranty.com offers the most comprehensive coverage available for protecting commercial work trucks with the highest limits and lowest cost, making it easy and economical for owner-operators, fleet owners, lessees, and used truck dealers to protect their valuable work truck assets. Our standard program Class 3-7 commercial work truck warranties cover five major components: engine, transmission, differential, turbo, and after-treatment. And there’s no waiting period. All warranties offer day-one coverage and real-time claims tracking through the industry’s only mobile app for iOS and Android devices.

·       10 years old and newer vehicle coverage

·       Multi-year options for Engine, Transmission, and/or Differentials, as well as Turbo and Emissions packages

·       24/7 live claims service

·       Multilingual call center assistance

·       Experienced claims and warranty support associates

·       Mobile claims app and GPS location technology

About TruNorth Global™ – At TruNorth Global™, our commitment to keeping our customers on the road drives everything we do, from providing the most comprehensive aftermarket coverage in the industry through our TruNorth and OEM2 warranties, to our TruTow roadside assistance service, MyTruckWarranty.com programs for Class 3-7 commercial work trucks, and flexible private-label programs based on the needs of our dealer partners and their hard-working customers. Our real-time GPS tracking technology and 24/7 direct access to claims representatives via phone, web, mobile App and text are just a few examples of our ongoing resolve to continue paving the way for the future of our industry.

By employing the finest professionals in transportation, finance, actuary and customer service, and offering outstanding program value, we have solidified our position as the global industry leader in transportation-related warranty programs and services. More importantly, we continue to earn the trust and confidence of the fleets, finance companies, drivers, dealers and communities in which we operate through a reputation built on honesty, integrity and financial strength. For more information visit www.trunorthwarranty.com. 

Contact: Barry R. Wilson, CMO TruNorth Global, barry@trunorthwarranty.com 704-875-9028

SOURCE TruNorth Global 

http://www.trunorthwarranty.com

 

Boss Hoss Lamborghini, Party At The Front And At The Back

This  is the work of German shop Boss Hoss Cycles Germany. The concept, commissioned by a client—who might or might not be sporting a mullet and gold chains—was to combine the front-end of a Boss Hoss, famed V8 motorcycles maker, with the backend of a Lamborghini Aventador.

The Tike—is a 445-hp, 6.2L V8 engine. It offers the 445 hp, 445 lb-ft torque LS 445 mill which is the power inside this transformation. The Chevy six-liter block produces higher hp and torque.

The powerplant is the weapon of choice since the founder Monte Warne created the first Boss Hoss in 1990.

The American Boss Hoss who built it, that’s actually half right because it was actually put together by their branch in Germany.

THAT’S THE TRIKE TRIVIA AND NEWS FOR NOW – Write to us at Wayfarer@Bikernet.com for sharing your adventures, experience, reviews and feedback.

Let us know if you are a Dealer or Custom Builder and we will give you a global platform to share your work and accomplishments.

 

RIDE ON!!! – Wayfarer

In fact, he drove a humble Triumph Stag in the 1971 film, Diamonds are Forever.

The dashing little car has four perfectly round headlights lined up like pearls, the body of an old Volvo, a Targa-like roll-bar, and a V8 engine. It cost less than $5,900 during its first model year.

It looked chic, but with a reputation for rather shoddy build quality, suspension problems, overheating, and rust, it was probably not the best long-term investment—or even as an option for someone who wanted a reliable daily driver. Even among Triumphs, it was not a great selection.

No, for a more reliable investment you’ve got to look deeper into the Triumph repertoire, past the Spitfires and Mayflowers and TR3 Roadsters. Stop when you get to the TR8. According to Jonathan Klinger, an analyst and spokesman for Hagerty, a firm that insures classic and collectible cars, they are currently the best model to invest in from Triumph’s entire history.

“They’re surprisingly modern, they’re still fairly cheap, considering the rarity and performance, and they’re not that ugly,” says Klinger. A resounding endorsement.

Triumph TR8 prices have increased 27 percent over the past three years, according to the Hagerty Price Guide, while multiple and recent sales on Bring-A-Trailer show that they have slowly and generally gathered steam since 2015. If the goal is showing up at your neighborhood coffee joint with something affordable that no one else owns—and may not even recognize, for that matter—this overlooked Brit could be the ticket.

A Constellation of British Stars
Triumph was far from the only small-batch automaker working in England when John Lennon was cruising around in his Triumph Herald. Britain during the 1960s and ‘70s boasted a dizzying array of brands making small, quirky, sometimes even reliable cars: Austin-Healy, Jensen, TVR, Marcos, Sunbeam, Reliant, Morris, MGB, Talbot, Elva, Ginetta and Bristol to name a few. Some of them—such as Ginetta—remain in existence even today.

They’ve seen a resurgence in after-sales markets in the past few years. According to Hagerty data, British cars have had a strong surge in recent months, with a 4 percent lift in values across the board since September 2018. This was “the most assertive move” that group had made since May 2015, according to Hagerty. What’s more, Hagerty’s British Car Index stands at its highest level since May 2016, the group’s all-time high.

There is one caveat for the Brits.

“The long-term forecast doesn’t bode well for this group, as younger buyers haven’t shown a strong preference for this genre of car,” Brian Rabold wrote in his January 2019 analysis. Long-term, in this case, means over the course of decades of ownership. “But for now, these cars have enough sustained interest to give values a boost.”

Those “younger buyers” are Generation Xers and millennials following the signature rule of car collecting: People want to buy the cars they lusted after as children. Now that Gen-X and millennial buyers are gaining wealth and starting to collect, it stands to reason that they want to buy cars from the ‘80s and ‘90s rather than those cars from the ‘50s and ‘60s that the baby boomers loved.

The popular series of Radwood car shows bears this out; RM Sotheby’s has even devoted entire auction sales to the “youngtimer” esthetic. Hemmings predicts that cars from the late 1970s to 1990s will become one of the biggest trends in the car business. Since 2015, cars from the 1980s have seen significant year over year increases in average auction values, according to Hagerty.

As a child of the ‘80s, then— it was produced only from 1978 to 1981—the TR8 might buck the cooling predicted for the Brits in the next few years, because it belongs to the popular ‘80s segment.

“One could argue that the TR8 stands to have a slightly higher growth potential in the coming years than the TR6, due to a growing appreciation of vehicles from the ‘80s,” Klinger says. It also helps that the TR8 was the most modern and advanced Triumph made. While earlier Triumphs lacked electronics and plastic components, rusted easily, and tended to overheat, the TR8 skirted those issues and emerged as a reliable driver. In short, it was a lot of car for not a lot of money.

Made to replace the wedge-shaped TR7 with something possessing rather more power, the so-called “Junior Jaguar” packed an eight-cylinder, 133-horsepower engine and a short-shifting, five-speed manual transmission. Road & Track reviewers at the time commended its driving style, handling, braking and fuel economy, even if the compliments came with a dose of sarcasm: “The only other thing we could ask for is good looks.”

Inside, the plastic components in its cabin lacked charm—the TR8’s predecessors had wooden trim—but the car was spacious and practical, with such modern accoutrements as air conditioning and proper ventilation. Those were much-needed at the time for Triumph, whose earlier TR6 felt downright antiquated next to things such as the Datsun Z that reigned in the 1970s.

They were also relatively rare: Only 2,700 were built, many in metallic tones and with plaid seats. (This style looks a little … off, yes, but you can’t accuse this car of being a shrinking violet.) Most were sold in North America, for prices starting around $11,000. These days, drivable coupe options can be had for $15,000 and less. Superior examples such as this cost closer to $20,000. At the auction house, prices tend to hover anywhere from $12,000 to $15,950 and $20,350, depending on the condition of the vehicle and the quality of its often-inevitable modifications.

In short, while such other Triumphs as the TR6 remain unquestionably cooler, the TR8 is the underdog that could serve you better over the long haul. Those willing to squint past those dubious looks will be rewarded with a nimble driver that is relatively affordable, compared to earlier cars, along with easily discoverable parts and straightforward mechanics.

Bond himself wouldn’t argue with that—though he might close his eyes as he got inside.

At stake for gun owners is whether the industries that provide firearms, ammunition, and related accessories to the civilian market will be able to participate in the 21^st Century economy.    

It’s becoming increasingly clear what the world would look like if the most dedicated opponents of the NRA and pro-gun politicians had free reign to implement their vengeful and discriminatory agenda against their political enemies.

They do not want a fair and open policy debate. They do not want to have to defend their own objectives.

There is, in their minds, no legitimate opposition to them, so any tactic is on the table to get what they want.

This includes the thinly-veiled extortion of wielding government influence and the virtual outrage mob against anyone who will not bow to their demands.

If you don’t believe us, just ask “Socialist Democrat” and media darling Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.).

The freshman congresswoman is proving a quick study when it comes to the extra-legal use of her official position and considerable celebrity to promote political goals that have failed to advance through the lawmaking process.

We recently reported on how Ocasio-Cortez’s fellow gun control advocate Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) used a congressional oversight hearing to berate a bank executive, not for actually breaking the law, but simply for refusing to follow the example of other banks in refusing business with law-abiding gun sellers. Maloney insinuated the bank was somehow complicit in mass murder and explicitly accused it of “putting profits over people.”

Never one to avoid the media spotlight, Ocasio-Cortez took up that refrain last week by taking several national banks to task on Twitter for helping to finance lawful projects or industries that she finds distasteful, including “fossil fuel pipelines,” “private prisons,” and businesses involved with “assault rifles.”

Ocasio-Cortez, like Maloney, sits on the House Financial Services Committee, which is involved in banking oversight. Perhaps just as relevant, in what passes for the modern marketplace of ideas, she has nearly 4 million Twitter followers, many with seemingly endless time and energy to execute whatever happens to be the social justice directive of the moment.

Ocasio-Cortez elaborated on what she was hoping to accomplish in statements to Politico. “There’s more than one way to skin a cat, and not everything has to be done through legislation explicitly,” she said. “We can also use the tools that we have here to pressure change in other ways as well.”

That includes the implicit threat of telling regulated entities they are now on the Official Naughty List for not toeing the political line and unleashing activist hordes to bombard their social media feeds with defamatory accusations or to perhaps take more drastic action in the real world.

Fortunately, not everyone on Capitol Hill has adopted the scorched earth outlook of Maloney and Ocasio-Cortez, and some are actively trying to ensure that America’s business and banking sectors are not completely subsumed into Washington, D.C.’s increasingly toxic political battles.

As we reported last week, Sens. Kevin Cramer (R-ND) and John Kennedy (R-LA) introduced S. 821 the Freedom Financing Act, a bill to prohibit discrimination against the firearms industry in the provision of financial services.

This week, Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), chairman of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs, sent a series of letters this week to the presidents and chief executive officers of America’s biggest national banks. Those letters expressed concern with the increasing politicization of banking services.

“Large banks, which receive significant forms of government support and benefits, should continue to provide credit and services to customers and companies that comply with federal and state law and should not seek to replace legislators and policymakers,” Chairman Crapo wrote. “Business lending decisions should be based on creditworthiness, rather than politics and political pressure.”

Chairman Crapo’s letter also referenced the Politico article quoting Ocasio-Cortez on “pressur[ing] change” outside the lawmaking process as an example of this disturbing trend.

The Obama administration pursued similar tactics under Operation Choke Point (OCP), with federal regulators leaning on banks to drop relationships with gun sellers and other lawful but disfavored businesses who were portrayed as a “reputational risk” to the institutions’ financial soundness.

But those objectives were hotly denied by the administration and dismissed as a “conspiracy theory” by its media surrogates.

Yet now they are being openly promoted and celebrated by those on the far left, which pursues the same style of government corruption, but without the self-awareness to engage in any pretense of hiding it.

Ocasio-Cortez would apparently be only too happy to tell you that OCP was A-OK.

For now, fortunately, these anti-gunners’ worst ambitions are still kept somewhat in check by the division of political power in Washington, D.C.

Should that situation change, lawful firearms businesses and other targets of the far left’s wrath won’t just be fighting overreaching legislation and bad publicity from a complicit press.

They’ll be facing their exclusion from modern society altogether.