Roadog

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

"Wild Bill" Gelbke was an aircraft engineer, and after working for Hughes and Grumman, decided to turn his talents towards motorcycles. In the early 1960s he relocated from Los Angeles to Chicago, and opened up his own shop.

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".

This is the link to learn more of this famous Wisconsin builder...http://www.walneckswap.com/miscpage_001.asp

Roadog

Unlike conventional motorcycles which had a tube steel construction, Wild Bill choose 4130 chrome-molybdenum tubing for the frame. Starting in 1962, he began to assemble this 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.

Roadog II

Roadog II was a complete rebuild of the original Roadog. It was completed in 1965, with some lessons learned from the original Roadog being employed. The front shocks were reduced from four to two springs. Also a crossbar was added to the hydraulic rams, making it easier to level the bike.

Because of the size and unusual drive characteristics of this bike, there were only a few people who were ever able to ride it. Buzz Walneck of Walneck's Cycle Trader, a publication famous for their variety of vintage and unusual motorcycles acquired the bike and rode it in 2005.

The Auto Four

The Auto Four was Bill's attempt at a production model.

SPECIFICS:

Engine: Inline 4 cylinder, liquid cooled 1275 cc British Leland engine with lots of torque and horsepower. The bike is not fast off of the line but has a vibration free cruising speed of 90 mph. Shaft driven to BMW universal mounted to rear wheel hub.

Ride: Harley suspension both front and rear.

Frame: Hand made frame, swing arm, gas tanks (2 & ½ gallon on the front and 12 and ½ gallon capacity on the back.

Lights: Brake lights in back are eight 1959 Cadillac bullet taillights. Yellow front running lights on separate switch. Truck styled turn signals in back and bullet light turn signals in front. Set of 2 GM head lights.

Seat and Saddlebags: Original Harley seat and specially made saddlebags

Tires: both front and rear are 5x16.

Weight: About 1000lbs.

Aftermath

In 1978, William Gelbke was killed in a domestic dispute. The bikes disappeared, only remembered by occasional reprints of photographs and posters. Finally in the mid 1990s they resurfaced, and are both owned by private collectors.

External links

* [http://www.factoryfat.com/wildbillgelbke.html Factoryfat.com]
* [http://www.msichicago.org/scrapbook/scrapbook_exhibits/roadog/index.html Appearance in 2001 at the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry]
* [http://www.roadog.com/roadog/wildbill.asp Walneck Swap]