As maneuverable and zippy as lightweight motorcycles can be, I still manage to occasionally find myself attracted to the sheer excess of mass. Whether it's exercises in abject torque(like the Triumph Rocket III Touring), explorations of wholly unreasonable volumetrics (like the V8-powered Boss Hoss), or simply absolute, unbridled ridiculousness (like the 410 cubic inch Gunbus* pictured here-- and yes, that's a normal-sized female aboard the behemoth), sometimes there's no substitute for cubic inches.
Don't get me wrong; I'll always enjoy thrashing lightweight bikes like the Ninjette, but occasionally I'm also struck by an unmistakeable hunger for hugely imposing, thundering V-twins that roll down the road with the authority of a steamroller.
Do you share my affliction?
* Thanks to bustakneecap for linking to this ginormous bike in our Forum
Photo © Gunbus, babe not included
Click to enlarge
I think no bike fulfils every desire. The nimble and fast street bikes satisfy our need for speed and agility giving us that adrenaline rush we sometimes like. Then there are the days we need to fill ourselves with raw testosterone power!! We need to tear a swath down to road, saying, “Here I am!”, with our big ol’ badazz v-twins representing huge biceps, pecs and a large shvantz.
I didn’t think there was anything more ridiculous than a Boss Hoss, but then along comes the Gunbus. I’m 6′2″ and I wouldn’t even attempt to ride that thing.
A novelty at best / an interesting exercise in engineering / absolutely worthless.
I woudln’t be caught dead on that thing.
Aww, c’mon Scott… you’re no fun.
Basem
No one bike can do it all, although one bike can do most of it. And we can only ride one bike at a time ( although a few years ago, quite a few years ago actually, at a post-exam party… but I digress).
I ride an older Dyna to work every day, and an ‘00 Boss Hoss (the big block version) for fun; if I was forced to choose between bikes, I would give up filtering just so I could ride the big beast everyday. It’s extremely stable, corners better than you think (but you better not go in too hot) and is excessively comfortable as well as numbingly quick, especially with nitrous on tap. Did a shade over 3300 miles from LA to Sturgis and back recently – it’s not just a barhopping bike.
And yes, can I have the Gunbus that Pete doesn’t want…