This guy is my neighbor if you want to order one of these-
Beefy street machine combines speed, comfort & hefty price tag
By Kevin Simpson
Pantagraph staff
BLOOMINGTON -- Gazing at a engine that can take you from zero to 100 mph in a matter of seconds might trigger a Pavlovian response in any hot rod enthusiast.
But the 572-cubic inch engine, generating a whopping 1,105 horsepower and carrying twin nitrous oxide tanks, isn't in a car, truck or airplane for that matter.
It's attached to a custom-built, street legal Boss Hoss motorcycle crafted by Tim Siron, who operates a Boss Hoss dealership and service center through Siron Automotive in Bloomington.
"We don't think it'll have any problem turning the wheels," said Siron, tongue planted firmly in cheek. "With the nitrous boost, it would just smoke the tires. It's kind of overkill."
The motorcycle was built primarily for show for David Reid of Joliet. Reid supplied some of the parts, and Siron estimates a total investment of more than $100,000 and 1,200 hours of shop time. Siron's recent test ride may be the only time it's ridden at length.
The flashy bike took Best of Show honors at the recent World of Wheels Show in Chicago. More competitions are planned.
"We got off into this project and decided to be a little crazy with it and see what we could do," said Reid. "It's just a hobby. I've had other bikes we've done odd things with. But this is the first V-8 we've gone extreme with."
American-built Boss Hoss motorcycles are pretty radical to begin with because they're equipped with Chevrolet 350 or 502 cubic-inch engines.
You want fast? The 502 model can take you from zero to 100 mph in 4.5 seconds.
Comfort an important consideration? A balanced, low center of gravity is designed to help offset its mammoth size of up to 1,100 pounds. They're also equipped with two-speed automatic transmission and a reverse gear.
Needing a ride that is easy on the pocketbook? Well, two out of three isn't bad.
The Boss Hoss 350 model begins at about $32,000, while the bike with the 502 engine carries a price tag in the $38,000 range. Customizing, of course, is extra.
"We can do just about everything," Siron said.
A stock 350-cubic inch engine cranks out 355 horsepower. The 502-cubic inch carries with it 502 horsepower.
Most stock motorcycles won't even approach 100 horsepower.
"It's not so loud that you're going to go out and get a ticket. It's just got a very distinguishing sound," Siron said. "I don't think it would be something an average person could ride. You have to be comfortable with it. The stock bikes handle like a motorcycle half their size."
For those wanting more rubber on the road, Boss Hoss also offers three-wheeled models fashioned after a 1957 Chevy Belair, a 1963 Corvette, a GMC Sierra pickup truck and a 1932 Ford Lowboy.
"I've ridden motorcycles all my life, and when I looked at these they were very intimidating to me," said Mike Fitzgerald of rural Normal. "What convinced me they were the ultimate ride was when I took the test drive."
Fitzgerald describes his 502 model as having the aggressiveness of a dragster, yet it was nimble enough for a jaunt around town.
"On the scale from one to 10, the engineering and balance of that motorcycle is a high 10," Fitzgerald said. "It's amazing what they've done to it. It's extremely smooth until you want to open up the four-barrel (carburetor) in it. Then it's everything you can do to hold on to it. It's like riding a rocket."
On Reid's custom bike, Siron started out with a stock 502 Boss Hoss. He tore the bike down to the frame, reinforced it and began rebuilding it. The engine was replaced by an all aluminum engine created by Lingenfelter Performance Engineering, which is renowned for radical Corvette engine makeovers. Twin nitrous oxide tanks, which provide horsepower boost, help push the engine's output to more than 1,100 horsepower.
From the custom paint job to aircraft quality nuts and bolts, there was no lack of attention to detail.
"Really, the only stock parts on this motorcycle are the front forks and rear shocks. That's about it," said Siron, who was a longtime Harley Davidson fan when he first spotted a Boss Hoss at a motorcycle show in Daytona, Fla. in 1997. It wasn't long after that he became infatuated.
"I took a test drive and I was totally amazed at that point," Siron said. "These bikes were just so amazing. It's sort of a whole other world to look at."
He did some Internet research on the company, then called the Dyersberg, Tenn., headquarters on a Saturday and happened to catch the owner, Monte Warne. Within a couple weeks he visited the factory. He applied for and received dealership approval in 1998.
He has since sold 40 Boss Hoss motorcycles, most of which were initiated via the Internet.
"We've got a lot of satisfied customers," Siron said. "That in itself makes it worth it. We meet a lot of interesting people, too."
Every job has its perks, and for Tim Siron it's the 25-mile test ride required for every motorcycle he sells.
"That's the part I like most," he said. |
