“Once rolling, the V-REX’s straight-line behavior is about what you’d expect from a 9-foot long, fat-tired cruiser…“
Former Motorcycle.com editor Kevin Duke’s 2008 review of the utterly bonkers Travertson V-REX runs some 1,500 words, but, really, the above sentence is all you need to know about the £44,000 novelty bike. It was big. It weighed a lot. It didn’t like corners.
A few years later, rather than disappearing into post-Great Recession obscurity along with all the OC Choppers gluttony of the age, the bike was “updated” to become the moto you see here: the V-REX 2. I’ve put the word “updated” in quotes because, on the whole, the only difference between the 2008 V-REX and the 2011 V-REX 2 was the presence of a seat that’s ostensibly large enough to hold a passenger, and a much saltier price tag: $53,990 (roughly $60,850 in 2025 dollars).
Arguably then, this example’s price tag of $25,000 (or best offer) is an absolute bargain.
Just by looking at it, you can probably guess that this is the sort of thing that comes out of Florida – Fort Lauderdale, to be specific. Though its designer, Christian Travert, was originally from France. Vive la différence. Travert was inspired by a sci-fi image from Australian graphic designer Tim Cameron. He was looking for a new challenge, having previously played a major role in creating Jay Leno’s 350hp Y2K Jet Bike, which was powered by a helicopter’s jet-turbine engine.
And, indeed, creating the V-REX was a challenge. Cameron’s designs were just figments of fantasy and imagination, not ruled by the laws of physics and bike-building. But, ultimately, Travert pulled it off and the finished product was first revealed at, you guessed it, Daytona Bike Week.
Powered by the 1247cc liquid-cooled Revolution V-twin engine that drove Harley-Davidson’s underloved V-Rod, the bike has a 79.2-inch wheelbase and a dry weight of 670 lbs. Its unique front end is effectively a rear swingarm monoshock set-up. Yet, in a 2009 Cruiser magazine review, Andrew Cherney suggests the bike isn’t as difficult to ride as its looks.
Adding to the uniqueness of this particular example is the fact that it was, according to its seller, featured in Fast & Furious (aka the fourth film in the Fast & the Furious franchise).
With just 1,000 miles on the clock, this V-REX 2 is for sale for $25,000 or best offer in Henderson, Nevada, here on eBay.