For some motorcyclists, it’s the efficiency of two-wheeled transport. For others, it’s the dynamic feeling of linking turns. And then there are those who prefer power to practicality and engine noise to overall comfort… It’s this lattermost group who created a niche for the beast you see before you — a 1996 Boss Hoss — to thrive in.
Founded in 1990 by Monte Warne, Boss Hoss Motorcycles specializes in taking small and big block Chevy V8s and shoehorning them into a motorcycle-esque package. If such a concept sounds cumbersome, you’d be right — they weighed in at over 1,100lbs and they sported a square-profile car tire at the rear. What’s more, the small block bikes only got 25 miles to the gallon, and shifting duties were taken care of via a one-speed manual transmission (featuring a standard hand clutch).
Ride-ability aside, early examples are quite rare. Boss Hoss offered the package as a conversion kit in 1995 and it started building bikes in its Dyersburg, Tennessee factory from 1996 onwards. They’ve upped production to around 300 bikes a year, so runners from those early years are few and far between.
This example (VIN: 1B9TBVC2XTD28000) has undergone a full restoration – according to the seller, the title showed 66,000 miles in 2010, but the speedo has since been swapped out and it currently shows ~11,000 miles. Personally, I’m not sure which to be more impressed by – the fact that someone put 60k+ miles on one of these hogs or the fact that the seller reports to have owned six!
Find this Boss Hoss for sale in Miami, Florida with a BIN of $17,500 or best offer here on eBay.