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1987 Pulse Autocycle Is for Sale: Motorcycle-Car Hybrid Is Shaped like a Plane

This one is for the lovers of all things weird: a rare motorcycle-car hybrid that looks like a fighter plane is up for sale on eBay and can be yours for upwards of $7,500.
1987 Pulse autocycle goes up for sale on eBay, is in excellent condition 8 photos
Photo: YouTube / Alex Ulitsky
1987 Pulsa autocycle is a 4-wheeler classified as a motorcycle, shaped like a plane1987 Pulsa autocycle is a 4-wheeler classified as a motorcycle, shaped like a plane1987 Pulsa autocycle is a 4-wheeler classified as a motorcycle, shaped like a plane1987 Pulsa autocycle is a 4-wheeler classified as a motorcycle, shaped like a plane1987 Pulsa autocycle is a 4-wheeler classified as a motorcycle, shaped like a plane1987 Pulsa autocycle is a 4-wheeler classified as a motorcycle, shaped like a plane1987 Pulsa autocycle is a 4-wheeler classified as a motorcycle, shaped like a plane
It’s a 1987 Pulse autocycle, the brainchild of Ed Butcher, owner of Owosso Motor Car Company, described as the smallest car company in Michigan or the second-biggest motorcycle manufacturer in the U.S. They made about 350 vehicles (reports on the exact number vary) like this back in the ‘80s, before the company shut down in the ‘90s. Every once in a while, one goes up for sale, but few are in such a good condition as this one.

The Pulse autocycle is registered in most states as a motorcycle or a three-wheeler. Despite that, it actually has 4 wheels in total, but it only relies on 2 to get around. The other 2, placed at the tip of the fake “wings” of the plane, are used for turning so that the vehicle only uses 3 wheels at a time, never 4.

This particular Pulse has 37,112 miles on the odometer and a Yamaha 4-cylinder engine. It reaches speeds of 100 mph, the current owner says in the description. It can seat 2 people in tandem position, but the passenger will have to wrap his or her legs around the driver’s chair, so it’s not the epitome of confort. On the other hand, it has a clean vehicle history and appears to be in impeccable shape. That is to say, if the fact that it’s a rare, hybrid, wacky contraption did not get your attention.

Other Pulses built by Butcher, marketed under the generic name Pulse GCRV (Ground Cruising Recreational Vehicle), came with a rear-mounted Honda engine, a steel frame and a fiberglass body. Legend has it that Butcher himself drove each Pulse for 100 miles before shipping it to the new owner, to make sure everything about it ran smoothly.

The Pulse now up for sale is also painted in patriotic white, blue and red, and has “USA” on the tail. Again, if there ever was a (tiny) vehicle that could net you plenty of attention, this is definitely it.

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About the author: Elena Gorgan
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Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends.
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