World's First and Only Ferrari Motorcycle

[Reb]

Rare Pictures of the World's First and Only Ferrari Motorcycle



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While you may have seen some motorcycles with fake Ferrari badges, the vehicle above is the world's first and only official bike approved by the company. The story of this particular 1995 Ferrari 900cc begins with David Kay of David Kay Engineering who wrote to Enzo Ferrari's son Piero, requesting to build a one-of-a-kind motorcycle adorned with the famed badge as a tribute to his late father. A letter signed by P. Ferrari himself was received in 1990 by Kay allowing him to proceed with project. Four years and 3,000-hours of work later, the bike was complete, and it features an all-aluminum frame, a set of Testarossa vents, and an engine capable of reaching an estimated top speed of 164mph.









"In 2008, the one-off Ferrari motorbike failed to reach a £180,000 reserve in auction, and no-one went for it on eBay when it turned up with a £250k price tag. However, just last month the British collector finally managed to move the masterpiece on, and in a Bonham's auction it was sold for £85,000," reports Car Buzz.

[Mac's!]

Re: World's First and Only Ferrari Motorcycle

I've always loved the big vertical four cylinder engines. That one has dual overhead cams and a carb per cylinder. All on a European Cafe Racer styled body. Beautiful! I'll bet it sounds mean!!

[BISHOP]

Re: World's First and Only Ferrari Motorcycle

ONLY 165MPH? That's insulting to Ferrari.
Can't most run of the mill crotch rockets go 200 or more easily?


BISHOP

[Reb]

Re: World's First and Only Ferrari Motorcycle

ONLY 165MPH? That's insulting to Ferrari.
Can't most run of the mill crotch rockets go 200 or more easily?
BISHOP

It ain't all about the top speed. It would be foolish to build a bike for top speed only. Top speed is something most bikes never attain with the average rider. I had a Corvette with a top speed of 160 mph, but I never once drove it to that speed. Although I did hit the 130's a couple of times and it had plenty left.

[Led]

Re: World's First and Only Ferrari Motorcycle

ONLY 165MPH? That's insulting to Ferrari.
Can't most run of the mill crotch rockets go 200 or more easily?


BISHOP

Today I think they do about 185......??? So 165 mph back in the early to mid 90's is DARN impressive...........( for a STREET version!!)

[Mac's!]

Re: World's First and Only Ferrari Motorcycle

Back in the early 80's, I was working for Kawasaki Motorcycles building engines and transmissions for the race track..road race and drag race. I also built a few for street racers...guys who have more money than brains and want a road race bike that's street legal. I built a vertical four cylinder 1200cc turbo charged beast for one of those idiots. The turbo charger on it was so large, it had to have it's own oil separate oil pump. So I rode it after I got it finished. It had a tell tale on the boost gauge to lock the boost reading until you released it so you could read it after you re-entered Earth orbit. The speedo on those Kawasaki's pegged at 165 mph. I buried it and went several hundred rpm faster. You don't just shut an engine like that down. You have to work it down. After I got it stopped, I sat on the guard rail and smoked several cigarettes before I worked up enough courage to ride it back to the shop. The boost gauge showed 20 pounds of boost. I told the boss that I would never ride something like that again. I like fast acceleration and enjoyed riding a bike at 10 or 11 seconds in the quarter mile but I do not like that burn-for-orbit speed stuff.

[Wood Devil]

Re: World's First and Only Ferrari Motorcycle

I prefer a modern monster like the Confederate P51 Combat Fighter

[Mac's!]

Re: World's First and Only Ferrari Motorcycle

In my younger years, I rode a street legal cafe racer around. Single seat, big engine, set back foot controls and clip on handle bars. They actually clip onto to the front forks to get you as low as possible. Oh yeah... fast and handled like it was on rails! ....and about as uncomfortable as can be! Then I rode a "recliner" down the road and never went back. My all time favorite personal bike was the Kawasaki 1100 Spectre. Big, sounded mean and was mean, under 12 seconds for a quarter mile, shaft drive, a seat that you can sit on for hundreds of miles and still smile about it and an overall position like you're sitting in your living room on an easy chair. Oh yeah!!!