Roadog
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The "Roadog" is the worlds largest motorcycle. It was a hand built custom machine, and was built by one man, William "Wild Bill" Gelbke.
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[edit] The Builder
"Wild Bill" Gelbke was an aircraft engineer, and after working for Hughes and Grumman, decided to turn his talents towards motorcycles. In the early 1960's he relocated from Los Angeles to Chicago, and opened up his own shop.
He had a vision of what motorcycles of the future would become, and decided to make a prototype. This was the genesis of what he called "Roadog".
[edit] Roadog
Unlike conventional motorcycles which had a tube steel construction, Wild Bill choose 4130 chrome moly tubing for the frame. Starting in 1962, he began to assemble this custom motorcycle. It was powered by a 152 cubic inch (2.4L) four-cylinder engine from a Chevy Nova II. It featured a two-speed Automatic PowerGlide transmission and included a reverse gear. The bike also had shaft drive.
When it was finished, the Roadog weighed a phenomenal 3,280 lbs. Due to its enormous weight, Gelbke couldn't use a conventional kickstand and instead installed four hydraulic rams- one at each corner, which were controlled by the rider.
Featuring a 126 inch wheelbase, and a length of over 17 feet, the massive bike had a turning radius of 110 feet.
With the intent of making it a cruising bike, Gelbke immediately took it on the road, covering over 20,000 miles the first year. The bike was seen in most of the Southern United States, making trips to Los Angeles, Texas, Louisiana, and New Jersey.
[edit] Roadog II
Roadog II was built in 1965, with some lessons learned from the original Roadog being employed. The front shocks were reduced from four to two springs. Also a crossbar was added to the hydraulic rams, making it easier to level the bike. But this bike was just as massive as the original.
Because of the size and unusual drive characteristics of these two bikes, there were only a few people who were ever able to ride them. Buzz Walneck of Walneck's Cycle Trader, a publication famous for their variety of vintage and unusual motorcycles aquired the bike and rode it in 2005.
[edit] Aftermath
In 1969, William Gelbke was killed in a domestic dispute. The bikes disappeared, only remembered by occasional reprints of photographs and posters. Finally in the mid 1990's they resurfaced, and are both owned by private collectors.
[edit] External links
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