Born to be Bentley: One-off Crewe chopper
As similar as the two industries are, there aren't as many automobile/motorcycle crossovers as you might otherwise think. A handful of carmakers (Honda, Suzuki, Peugeot, BMW, Triumph once upon a time...) also make motorcycles. Ford has their Harley-Davidson edition F-Series pick-up trucks. Some small sports cars use motorcycle engines, and there are some big motorcycles (really big) that use car engines. Fiat sponsors world champion Valentino Rossi's MotoGP Yamaha bike. And, once in a while, we see a custom chopper decked out to look like a particular automobile. We've eyeballed our share of Ferrari-inspired motorbikes, but this is something else entirely: a Bentley chopper.
Of course, there's nothing particularly Bentley about this chopper other than the trim, so don't go expecting a 6.75-liter V8 or a twin-turbo W12 sprung between two wheels. But the fit and finish look rather impressive. The greenish-grey paint finish is complemented by a soft tan leather saddle and capped with a "Flying B" emblem on the gas tank. Pretty sweet ride from the look of things, and even if it is a one-off, it's one more link between between motor vehicles with two wheels and those with four.
[Source: Jalopnik]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Trent 10:54AM (7/04/2009)
You would need earplugs to stand near this bike when it is on. Not my cup of tea but great looking bike.
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Protzenegger 11:05AM (7/04/2009)
Noah pretty much took the words out of my mouth re: the appearance of this bike. Pretty generic, but still awesome.
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EU_reader 11:15AM (7/04/2009)
Awesome? I hate this tribute shit...
How is this in any way a representation of a Bentley? Is it subtle, fast, stylish, technologically advanced, great quality,... ?
No, it's another crude and unrefined farting V-twin, bolted (and probably beat) together in a garage somewhere by an ape with a blowtorch.
It's loud, SLOW, did I say LOUD? (and not loud like a continental GT, but obnoxiously loud), with an engine designed in 1980 or thereabout. And normally I even like cruisers...
Why bother.
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Redline 11:44AM (7/04/2009)
Agreed.
Mason Hill 11:16AM (7/04/2009)
Bentley = Class
Harley = Trash
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2004m3driver 1:01PM (7/04/2009)
Should have made a more refine retro bike like the Ducati Sport classics. Add some modern refinement and that Bentley coach work and maybe they might have something drool worthy.
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LoneWolf 1:29PM (7/04/2009)
I don't see much Bentley there, but it's tasteful bike.
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rockyroad 2:16PM (7/04/2009)
I know people at Bentley, Crew. They ride Ducati.
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rockyroad 2:17PM (7/04/2009)
oops.. Crewe.
RLQ 4:48PM (7/04/2009)
Cool, but it looks like every custom motorcycle.
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Stephan Wilkinson 8:44PM (7/04/2009)
I've always been amused by the Orange County Choppers syndrome (and the Teutels are my neighbors): Buy a bunch of off-the-shelf stuff (engine, wheels, frame, accessories) and then do some high school shop-class welding and torchwork and the world thinks you've "made a motorcycle!" I can do that in my driveway.
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Oluseyi 1:18AM (7/05/2009)
I'm particularly amused by the lack of engineering discipline. How many episodes involve a "problem" with the bike that stems from the fact that a part wasn't properly measured, or the wrong component was ordered?
Real problems occur in any engineering endeavor, but the majority of the shows on TV involve all craft and little true engineering. It's mildly irritating, since I like the idea of people building cool machines, but I wish the process of building them was as cool.
IOMTT 10:44PM (7/04/2009)
Just wanted to point out that Triumph cars and bikes were not the same company.
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