Photo: thekneeslider.com
If you love boxer-engined motorcycles, but not those made by BMW, this awesome project might inspire you to build your dream bike. Meet the MadBoxer Subaru WRX powered roadster built in New Zealand.
According to thekneeslider, the fantastic project started back in 2009, when a designer known as Ian McElroy made a series of Solidworks CAD drawings for a bike called “Kickboxer”, which was based on the idea to make a Subaru WRX 2.5-liter-powered motorcycle.
The idea was so cool, it made the news all around the world, and Marcel van Hooijdonk, a toolmaker from New Zealand, decided to turn the project into a real, working machine.
The first thing he did was to grab the boxer engine, the wheels, some wood, and a couple of beers to clear his mind. After laying everything in order and spacing the parts up in his shop, he concluded the project is doable.
The most complex thing he had to build was the front swing arm and center steering, which also had to be approved by New Zealand authorities to be road legal.
Next, the engine got mated with a stripped and modified two-speed automatic transmission with torque converter, which has a gear switch on the left handlebar. The man didn’t want any foot operated controls, so the rear brake is also on the right side of the bars.
The front brakes and coil overs were sourced from Buell while the tank and seats were taken from various Japanese motorcycles. Other components like the guards, steering components, chassis, swingarms and other small bits were home made by the talented craftsman.
Another tricky part was the electrical backbone of the whole system. All of the electrics and the lithium ion battery had to be put under the seat, where space was very limited. Marcel said it took him over a year to sort the electrics out.
The idea was so cool, it made the news all around the world, and Marcel van Hooijdonk, a toolmaker from New Zealand, decided to turn the project into a real, working machine.
The first thing he did was to grab the boxer engine, the wheels, some wood, and a couple of beers to clear his mind. After laying everything in order and spacing the parts up in his shop, he concluded the project is doable.
The most complex thing he had to build was the front swing arm and center steering, which also had to be approved by New Zealand authorities to be road legal.
Next, the engine got mated with a stripped and modified two-speed automatic transmission with torque converter, which has a gear switch on the left handlebar. The man didn’t want any foot operated controls, so the rear brake is also on the right side of the bars.
The front brakes and coil overs were sourced from Buell while the tank and seats were taken from various Japanese motorcycles. Other components like the guards, steering components, chassis, swingarms and other small bits were home made by the talented craftsman.
Another tricky part was the electrical backbone of the whole system. All of the electrics and the lithium ion battery had to be put under the seat, where space was very limited. Marcel said it took him over a year to sort the electrics out.
Google News