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The Roadog is the world's largest motorcycle. It is a hand-built, custom machine, and was built by one man, William "Wild Bill" Gelbke. ==The Builder== Born in Wisconsin, "Wild Bill" Gelbke graduated from college in Wisconsin as an electronic engineer and moved out to California for additional schooling at a Southern California University. After which, he worked as an aircraft engineer for McDonnell Douglas and Hughes Aircraft. It was during this time he decided to turn his talents towards motorcycles. In the early 1960s he relocated from Los Angeles to Chicago, and opened up his own shop, the Gelbke Motorcycle Co. 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". Unlike conventional motorcycles which had a tube steel construction, Wild Bill chose 4130 chrome-molybdenum tubing for the frame. Starting in 1962, he began to assemble his 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; instead, he installed four hydraulic rams, one at each corner, 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. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Roadog」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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