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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