In the rugged landscapes of northern Idaho, approximately 70 miles from Spokane, Washington, a group of creative minds at Grind Hard Plumbing Co. is bringing to life an outlandishly ambitious project. This endeavor involves the construction of a colossal motorcycle reminiscent of a batpod, equipped with a KTM motor, monster truck wheels, and an unconventional hydraulic steering system.
Grind Hard Plumbing Co., known for their viral success in converting a Barbie car with a Honda engine back in 2018, has since taken on various daring projects. These include the world’s fastest snow bike, the world’s fastest shopping trolley, a 100-horsepower micro jet boat, and many more, accumulating an impressive 360 million views on their YouTube channel. Their latest venture involves the fusion of a motorcycle and a monster truck, creating what they describe as “the most absurd, Mad Maxy, apocalyptic choppery thing ever.”
The core of this unconventional creation lies in a KTM 1190 Adventure V-twin engine, generating around 150 horsepower, and two massive 46-inch wheels adorned with heavy-duty mud tires. The steel tube trellis frame, featuring single-sided swingarms, holds this eccentric machine together. Ethan Schlussler, a member of the Grind Hard team, explains the objective: “Is it going to perform well? Almost certainly not. But it’ll be really entertaining to try.”
The team opted for a hydraulic steering system to address the challenge of steering a machine with comically massive wheels. The unconventional setup involves hydraulic lines running along a front swingarm assembly, connecting to a drive piston actuated by the handlebar and a slave piston near the wheel hub. However, initial experiments with narrow-gauge hydraulic lines resulted in a peculiar steering damping effect, jokingly referred to as “the closest thing to Bluetooth steering.”
Undeterred, the team replaced the lines with larger ones and proceeded with a test ride. The suspension exhibited decent performance, but steering proved to be a challenge due to the flat profile of the enormous mud tires. Despite encountering an unexpected encounter with a fence post, the bike emerged undamaged, and the team remains undeterred in their quest to complete this monstrous creation.
As Schlussler sums it up, “We look forward to seeing it complete and being taken to ‘full send’ in a subsequent video.” The Grind Hard Plumbing Co. team continues to defy convention, showcasing their boundless creativity in the realm of unconventional motorized wonders.