German tank bike tops all others
I ask you, who says the Germans don't have a sense of humor? All right, so it can be an arcane, mystifying sense of humor, but it's there, and that's the point. Tilo Niebel and his gents at the Harzer Bike company in Germany, upon finding they had a tank engine to play with, decided that of all the more reasonable things they could build, they should construct a giant WWII German motorbike with sidecar.
The engine comes from a Soviet T-55 tank (though the article incorrectly says the T-55 was a Panzer -- go here for a Google translation of the original article), which was a diesel V12 with 620 HP. Note the CCCP and crest at the front of the sidecar, which adorns the front of the hood from a Soviet truck. Even better, check out that anvil hood ornament.
The bike is almost 19 feet long, over 9 feet wide, and weighs 9,480 pounds. That means if you tip it, you'll need the assistance of a wrecker to get it back up. If the Jolly Green Giant decides to go badass, his ride has arrived. Makes the Jagged Edge look decidedly mundane by comparison.
Thanks for the tip, Andrés!
[Source: 20 minutes]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
jb 2:32PM (11/21/2007)
Isn't Panzer the generic name for tanks in German?
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rar 2:48PM (11/21/2007)
No, In WW2 the Panzer was a type of tank. They also had a Tiger tank.
Turbofrog 2:57PM (11/21/2007)
"Panther" is the model of Panzer you might be thinking of, rar.
Owain Ozymandias Buck 4:54PM (11/21/2007)
Yes. It is a generic term for tank now.
What a bad ass bike. Zehr cool!
MikeWas 12:17PM (11/22/2007)
Panzer means: shield, shell, barrier, armor, suit of armor ... and tank.
Ernesto 2:02PM (11/22/2007)
Panzer is a loanword from German. The German noun Panzer (plural: Panzer) means armour in the sense of protective equipment such as Plattenpanzer (plate armour) or Schutzpanzer (protective armour), or armoured forces (today, tank organizations and the tanks themselves). Source: wikipedia
John P. 2:34PM (11/21/2007)
Man that thing is amazing. I bet they went through alot of beer while building that. NICE!
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Mirko 2:47PM (11/21/2007)
@jb
Correct, the german word for "tank" is "Panzer"
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Willem B 3:04PM (11/21/2007)
exactly
rar 3:16PM (11/21/2007)
No, in WW2 there were four versions of the Panzer, a Panther, and two versions of the Tiger.
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RGS 4:02PM (11/21/2007)
Nope, like everyone else is saying, "panzer" is the word for "tank," not a particular model. To the Germans, the Panther is a panzer, but so is a Soviet T-55.
rar 4:26PM (11/21/2007)
I don't mean to split hairs but, yes panzer is the word for tank. In WW2 the German army had four versions of the tank named the Panzer(I, II, III, IV). Since the word "Panzer" is in caps in the artical, I was thinking they were talking about a particular tank, not all tanks in general. Here, I found this. http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/2WWpanzer.htm
rgseidl 6:39PM (11/21/2007)
All nouns in German are capitalized. Give up your pet theory already, a Panzer is just a tank. And yes, German is my native language.
nagmashot 2:33AM (11/22/2007)
I was a Panzerfahrer (tankdriver) during my military service in the German Army (Bundeswehr) my Panzer/tank was the Leopard II... Panther Leopard Tiger are only model names for Panzer models..and you are completly wrong..the German Army hat more than 4 "Panzer" in ww2..
Panzerkampfwagen I, II, III, IV, 35(t) , 38(t), Nb.Fz., etc.
Panzer = tank
T-55 = Panzer
M1A2 = Panzer
Chieftain = Panzer
Sherman = Panzer
rar 10:34AM (11/22/2007)
I stand corrected. I can't argue with nagmashot. Sorry if I was miss informed.
info 4:06PM (11/21/2007)
Panzer is the German word for tank. All comments other than that in this regard are incorrect.
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Mike 4:19PM (11/21/2007)
You say panzer I say pansy, all I know for sure is that is the most awesome motorized vehicle I think I have ever seen!
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Dondonel 4:30PM (11/21/2007)
Panzer means armor or tank in German. Related to German ww2 tanks, Panzer is short for Panzerkampfwagen, which means armored fighting vehicle. German ww2 tanks had the Pzkpfw numbers from I to VI, some of which are known by popular names like "Panther" (Pzkpfw V), Tiger (Pzkpfw VI Ausf E), Tiger II or KingTiger (Pzkpfw VI Ausf B).
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gary 9:48PM (11/21/2007)
It beats those clown bikes on Orange County Chopper.
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Eric 12:26AM (11/23/2007)
JB is correct, Panzer is the generic German word for any tank, or indeed any armoured vehicle whatsoever, A knight's armour is also called panzer & lobsters are called panzers too.
Panzer means armour.
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