Remember Chris Barber? He’s the guy behind the Desmohog Harley/Ducati hybrid, the AlfaBeast and the Hill Climb Special. Well, he’s at it again, three different specials this time, all based on the Maserati V6. Not your everyday custom motorcycles, from a builder who likes to mix and match.
The Maserati V6 is more compact than the V6 engine he used in the AlfaBeast, and Chris is going to keep the moving parts hidden away for a very clean look. If everything works out as planned, we’ll see a street fighter, a hardtail bobber and a replica of the Laverda V6.
The Maserati Barber will have a wheelbase of 1620 mm and I hope will weigh less than 700 lbs. Transmission is via a 6-speed Baker Frankentranny, fitted with a kickstarter, the clutch assembly is Jims driven by a custom made 58 link primary chain. Oil in the transfer housing and primary drive case is shared with the sump oil; oil blown from the rear crank journal will enter the transfer housing and flow out to the sump, maintaining the same level as the sump. A Ducat ST2 alternator and rotor are housed in the case on the end of the transfer box.
As I told Chris, I like the way he thinks. Based on his track record with past builds, this should be interesting. I’m looking forward to progress reports and I bet you are, too.
Link: CrossBreed Cycles
dave says
I HATE MY JOB, I want to do this instead! Also had the privilege of the Laverda V6 in action at Mid-Ohio, what a bike!
Chris says
Same here….I have to go to work to pay the bill. This will be a long project if I keep up the day job
Roy Fileger says
I wonder why these things are built but once the project is a go why wouldn’t one use a Hossack front end like was built for the Ducati and shown on theKneeSlider?
Chris says
The Hossack front end is cool but he’s been working on them for a long time and I’d be starting from scratch and gong through a steep learning curve; I feel I’ve bitten off about as much as I can chew with this project.
CS says
Is the frame using the valve cover bolts as hardpoints? Or are those cylinder head bolts?
I don’t see either as a particularly good idea, but maybe I’m misinterpreting what those bolts are used for.
Chris says
They are the head bolts but it is not the only support for the engine, I think it will be OK, they are very heavy studs. Take a look at a Vincent motorcycle engine, that hangs from the cylinder studs. Also the frame design will probably change a bit once I start making it.
Hans says
Chris,
By looking at the drawning i suspect youre gong to use chaindrive.
Is shaftdrive an option or is it ruled outt due to overal bike lenght
Nicolas says
You can kickstart the V6 ?!?
chris says
I built an Alfa V6 bike with kickstart (it’s on my website) and it was easier to kick than a 350 Ducati single I once owned. It’s a heavy kick but doesn’t lock like a single and only needs to catch on one cylinder.
Nicolas says
Brilliant !
chris says
I was going to use a late Guzzi box but the engine runs the opposite direction to a Guzzi or any other shaftdrive bike plus I was worried about strength. I went with the chain to keep it short, plus I wanted a kickstart.
Paulinator says
This is a cool project. I’ve wanted to put a v6 into a bike since the first time I opened the hood on my Dodge mini-van. That little 3.8 was absolutely tiny for its 256 ft.lbs of torque. It measured 13 inches accross the valve covers (push-rod 60 degree). How wide is this beastly engine? Makes my bad hip ache just looking at the pictures…but I still wanna ride it 🙂
Chris says
The Dodge engine sounds ideal. The Maserati engine is very wide at about 20″ but it’s narrow at the bottom so ground clearance is not a problem also it’s very short; the heads are 13″ long. I’ve always wanted to put a Lancia Fulvia engine in a bike.
Martin says
Can You tell something about clutch and gearbox? Is it based on passenger car gearbox?
Chris says
The gearbox is a Baker six-speed and the clutch a Jims, they are both performance items for Harleys. The rest of the drive I designed to integrate the parts with the engine
Frank Grubesic says
Chris,
Have you thought about a Lancia 8.32 Ferrari engine project( built by Ducati).I had one of those cars, loved the sound.Keep up the great work and I’ll keep on buying lottery tickets.
Best regards, Frank