The Boss Hoss is perhaps one of the most radical and outrageous motorcycles ever made. To give an indication of just how extreme this bike was, it was built around a car engine.
The Boss Hoss first came to market in 1993. It was powered by a Chevrolet liquid cooled, over head valve, pushrod 16-valve, 90 degree V8 engine that displaced 5735cc and produced 345 bhp at 5000 rpm. The Boss Hoss had only one gear which was more than adequate to launch the bike from a standstill to highway speeds and possessed so much power that at highway speeds it took little more than the slightest flick of the wrist to pass slower vehicles. Power was delivered to the rear wheel by a chain final drive.
As you can imagine, a bike that uses a Chevy V8 as a motor needs a frame that can withstand not only the engines weight but also the torque produced. The Hoss used a tubular steel frame that though somewhat crude did the job. The suspension was a telescoping front with twin shocks on the rear.
With so much power on tap the brakes on the Hoss played an important role. Stopping a motorcycle that weighed 1030 lb and produced 345 bhp is no small feat. The bike used twin disc brakes on the front and a single disc on the rear. Though they couldn't match the engines performance they were able to bring the Hoss to a stop in a reasonable distance.
The Hoss was both a pleasure and terror to ride. At highway speeds the V8 was hardly working at 2500 rpm but if you cracked the throttle open the bike would accelerate like a scalded dog which could be scary if you were among the uninitiated.
The Boss Hoss was all about straight line speed. The bike was not much for turning so when maneuvering the Hoss you had to take that into account. The bike's creator, Monty Warne, claimed the bike had a top speed of 165 mph which is very credible based on its power numbers.
Whether you loved it or hated it the Boss Hoss was truly an extreme machine and one of the most powerful street legal motorcycles ever built.