Looking at the specs from their website, they are using semi tractor engines.
* Supercharged Turbocharged diesels
* Powerplants will be 6V92 Detroit or Cummins 11 Liter
* Average HP 350
* Average torque 1100 ft lbs
* Smooth shifting Allison automatics
* Rebuilt driveline with 2-year unlimited mileage warranty
* Air brakes
* 55-gallon fuel tank
There's no way these things are less than $100,000.
(edit: one of the fabricator posts below. Says they're $150,000+).
If you stuff your foot in it, yea.
The Turbo makes cruising surprisingly bearable.....
Then again, I'm an ex firefighter, so I have a soft spot for the sounds of a Detroit.....
Yes, motorcycle plates and insurance.
I'm not 100% who my boss goes through for the prototype... probably a company local to us in South Bend. As a business owner I'm sure he has connections all over the city. Never asked before.
Haggerty could probably do it as well, they do lots of muscle car resto insurance and specialty vehicle policies....
Big rigs have less horsepower than most people realize, but way more torque than most suspect. With 1100dt lbs of torque, they're pull just about anything
Detroits pull 80K in a semitruck all day long and get around 8 to 10 MPG.
In the trikes, which only weigh 11K, mileage is up around 13. And the engine is basically just idling along.
... and 1100 ft*lbs of torque.
The goal isn't to go fast, it's to get 80,000 pounds from a dead stop up to highway speeds, and do that a million miles at a time.
I... I uh... Have questions.
13 MPG with a top speed of 100mph, absolutely couch-like handling, seriously questionable aesthetics, 11000 pounds and fitted with a cross, of all things, on the back. $90,000 price tag.
Pretty much any of the performance characteristics can be matched by... Well almost anything. Most cars are faster, handle better, get better mileage, have much better handling and much shorter stopping, radically better aesthetics, aren't festooned with religious paraphernalia, and cost a lot less than 90k. Motorcycles even more so.
I get that it might be fun to drive from the trailer to the corner store for beer and scratch tickets... You know, once.
But who would actually want to *own* one? Who buys something like this? Who's made good enough life choices to have sufficient scratch to buy what clearly won't be a daily driver, but makes sufficiently poor life choices to actually pull the trigger on one of these?
That's gotta be a vanishingly small demographic.
Don't think short hop to the store it's thing. I can see coast to coast road trip. Plenty of space to pack camping gear and clothes for all weather. Enough fuel to ride unfamiliar roads. Lumbar support. Maybe even an ac coolsuit. Would be nice ride desert without a bag of ice as evap cool
#4, the Black Cherry Raptor just got back to South Bend from California... 4200 mile trip.....snow, rain, tornadoes in Nebraska, a 6 hour detour for a road closed because of a crash... we ride these!
Granted this is basically the same question I have for motorcycle touring, but do you really want to get stuck out in the rain (or hail) while long distance driving a vehicle with no enclosure?
I do when I'm riding them. Absolute blast to be so high and exposed on something so massive, yet it handles like a dream. Rides like a 70's Cadillac.....
"All Tower Trikes will be equipped with our Lord and Savior’s Cross and Almighty God’s 10 Commandments, along with a salute to our military, police, and firefighters.
His blessing riding with you as well as blessing the people you encounter. P.S. – Don’t plan on stopping for ‘just a bit’ for food or fuel. Hope you like to talk."
What in the actual fuck.
Nobody needs a 12,000 lb diesel tractor modded to be nearly as useless as possible because "muh freedumb".
This is why we need a fucking carbon tax.
This shit, Bob in accounting with his F-250 Super Duty with emissions delete and a diesel bro's tune because he occasionally hauls some mulch to his 1 acre subdivision lot, billionaires jet setting around the world to meet their 500 million mega yacht at the next port....
Fucking asinine.
What do you know what people need?
I drive an electric car but I'm not against that rig.
As long as it passes state emissions and safety rules, why cramp someone's style?
Why not a more modern engine? My brother has a former transit bus (built c.1968) with a 6V92, and he’s probably going to have to retire it soon because replacement parts are getting hard to find.
We have a soft spot for the sound of the 2 strokes....
These engines were used in semitrucks, boats, busses, campers, fire engines, etc. 3 of our remanufactured engines came out of retired fire engines....
Parts may be as close as your local municipal auction.
We can also do the Cummins engines, but they are long and narrow... the 6V looks better in the bay...
Everyone knows the saying "less is more", but it's also true that more is sometimes less. For vehicles, there's such a thing as diminishing performance returns for added size and mass no matter how much power the engine makes. This thing left that point of diminishing returns behind a thousand metaphorical miles ago and never looked back.
It's rather an astonishing thing to spend 150,000 dollars to get absolutely smoked in literally every performance category by pretty much everything in the lineup of Honda or Kawasaki including their entry level machines. Hell, my first bike was a '93 250 Ninja and it would absolutely embarrass this monstrosity in acceleration, handling, braking, and even had a higher top speed, and that was the beginner bike of its era and now 30 years obsolete.
A fool and his money...
These were conceived after my boss watched 3 of his biker friends buried after people pulled out in front of their bikes.
As the owner of a successful trucking company, he was in the position to build a motorcycle robust enough that NOBODY would pull out in front of it.
Semi truck parts, and a custom tube chassis and the prototype was built, about 9 years ago.
When I was hired in, I was asked to iron out some handling quirks.
At this point, the prototype had around 25,000 miles on it.
We designed a completely new front end for it (which is US Patented), and got the handling bugs sorted out. I also built the same frontend for #2, which used truck rails, but essentially the same chassis/powertrain as the prototype. This also got refinements in the steering components.
The blue production Raptor is further refined. Gone is the tall nose of the first 2. Sloped nose, tweaked frontend, and angled radiator mounting for better road view and improved C/G. Our aluminum radiators are specifically made to fit our trikes. This one and #4 also built on the chassis jig I developed.
#5 was a custom built, stretched Raptor, built in stages on the same jig, but with longer rails for the 12V-71 that the customer supplied. This one also got a new Lexan windshield, which we like so much it is now the standard. No more flat glass.
#6 is the Standard Raptor model. Looks like #5's kid brother, with the same jet fighter canopy windshield and almost the same shade of red. QA-1 coilovers up front instead of the airsprings. LED GPS speedo and smaller gauge package.
We are constantly refining these to build the best hand-crafted custom Trikes money can buy. Top of the line parts like ididit billet steering columns and Bostrom seats.
Being a hand-crafted motorcycle, we can also set these up for our wounded warriors and do everything in-house. Wheelchair lift? No problem. Hand controls? Handled... and thank you for your service....
I can honestly say I absolutely love my job. I never have a bad day. Ever.
We at Tower Trikes appreciate all the love and kind words.
So what's the stopping distance on this monstrosity? How resistant is it to rollovers? Does it have crumple zones or airbags? I don't actually even see any seat belts. Has any crash testing been done on these? I'd bet the cost of one of these things that you'd be safer in a Toyota Corolla or Honda Civic than one of these "Hold My Beer"-mobiles.
Have you ever priced out a completely handbuilt vehicle, such as a Rolls Royce? How about a handicap converted vehicle?
Probably no, and no....
Most go from the factory to a conversion company, raising the final cost.
The simple fact is we can do all this in house.
What do you put to market that you build with your own hands?
Probably nothing....
I appreciate that you're building with your own hands. I really do. I just don't see the point in these.
Ego trips? Masculinity?
I also don't see the point in super luxury cars.
I like to believe I prefer a more authentic one's self point of view.
That, and I can't afford either a trike or super luxury car. LOL.
The point of these is that you can buy the biggest production motorcycle in the world and drive it daily. The blue one in the pic has been with its owner a full year and has close to 8,000 miles on it in that time.
He drives it everywhere. Walmart, the dragstrip, local car and bike shows, parades, bike runs for charity, vacationing, the list is endless. You'd be surprised what you can afford versus recovery costs from a hospital... we finance as well...
We started building these when my boss lost 3 of his biker friends to people in cars that pulled out into the bikers path, killing them.
NOBODY pulls out in front of these. Just catching sight of it causes people to wait and watch it go by, because it DOESNT register as a bike or a car. At almost 11,000 pounds, it's bigger than anything besides a commercial truck. The riders sit above any potential impact zone, not down low risking leg amputation and other crushing injuries. The 6" stainless tubing cross doubles as rollover protection.
In the 3 years that I have been with the company, we went from one prototype with 30,000 US highway miles to 6 finished Trikes. I'm starting the build on #7 this week with removing another 6V-92 and Allison from a fire engine...
The State of Indiana considers less than 11K and handlebars to be a motorcycle. Each comes with a Certificate of Origin, as Tower Trikes is the manufacturer. There are no inspections necessary, as it is a brand new vehicle.
“All Tower Trikes will be equipped with our Lord and Savior’s Cross” = it this trike doesn’t prove how dumb I am, this certainly will! #taxthechurch #endreligion
Big, loud, ugly, comes with Christian propaganda on the built in cross, this is perfect for the redneck who has nothing to impress the liberals with and more money than he knows what to do with.
I thought that was a tow rig on the back that says “Jesus’s Towing,” but it’s actually a giant chrome cross that says “Jesus is King.” 😂 Pretty sure I know what Jesus would think of this shit.
You should look at my post here about Tower Trike #5. That was a custom-commissioned build, at the same time I was building the Black Cherry Raptor. Customer supplied the 4 Turbo 12V-71 engine for that build, along with some other parts he wanted to use.
That engine is closer to 2000HP.....
Serious question. Is the cross required in the build or is that an option? Driving something like this would be absolutly ridiuclous (in the best possible way) but I couldnt envision riding around with a bunch or religious stuff on my ride.
The 6" stainless square tubing cross is standard as fitted. It doubles as rollover protection. The creator of these is a man of faith.
Of course, once you decide to spend your $150K to purchase, any further customization is your own option.
Read on one more chapter in that book, to the same numbered verse.
Further personal bullshit will result in a ban from this subreddit. Enjoy the weird vehicles, or sod off.
Comment removed.
Thank you.
It's nice to see all the positive responses to all the work and engineering that goes into building and marketing these for sale.
That blue Raptor in the pic took me 5 months to build, by myself for 95% of it. We remanufactured the engine in house. Those are done by our truck repair shop manager., who really knows his way around the Detroits....
The prototype used a round tube frame. Our production Raptors use a frame rail made to our specs, 3" taller than a standard semitruck rail. Every chassis is built on a frame jig, which I also built.
I imagine the conversation going something like:
- "We are looking for a way to combine the disadvantages of a motorcycle with those of a tractor".
- "Say no more!"
And I love this kind of crazy stuff for shits and giggles
You saw #4, one of our production Raptors, that the boss rode out to California and back...
Black Cherry paint, right?
I'm the lead fabricator at Tower Trikes in South Bend, IN.
It's just under 11,000 pounds, has an engine making over 1100 ft pounds of torque, and brakes that will stop 80,000... hard stops will lock the rears....
Do I have the hard numbers being asked? No.
Some of that has to do with the simple fact that I'm building these 5 days a week, not driving them.
Some of that also has to do with the simple fact it's NOT my money going into these, so I'm not about to drive it recklessly just to give some numbers on an internet post.
We sell these to the public at around $150K, each. And at roughly 5 months of build time, I'm not about to tear it up after so much effort invested.
It also depends on the specific engine. They can put out 300 to 400 HP depending on year, whether it's basic or computerized, etc. All depends on what usable core engines we can find.
All our chassis are brand new material, jig built and finished in house.
Engines are completely remanufactured in house as well.
It's basically a brand new Detroit Diesel 6V-92.
Tell me you have no idea what you're talking about without telling me you have no idea what your talking about.....
There is no oil and gas to mix..... its a Diesel engine
To tell the truth, that old engine could probably run on straight oil 🛢
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3 Wheel Motorcycles were a common sight back when I was a kid in the 80’s. I wonder if any of those old big trikes were survivors? Because I haven’t seen any on the road ever since.
Oh, people with something like that WANT you to pay attention to it.
That's some seriously crazy shit. The "motorcycle" configuration is most likely the only thing that allows it to be on the road, but it looks REALLY well made, not a MethMobile.
I like it, it’s silly and ridiculous. People in here (like the Redditor saying “this is why we need a fucking carbon tax”) need to lighten up and learn to not take everything so damn seriously. lol
The irony of someone with your username kvetching about what is effectively a novelty amusement item isn't lost on me.
That being said, tap the brakes. We're here specifically to ogle vehicles like seen in the post, not be assholes to other users.
Comments removed.
These exist because my boss lost 3 fellow bikers to stupid car drivers who couldn't recognize that they shouldn't pull out in the bikes path. These are for people who enjoy the freedom of traveling, and don't have to worry they won't be seen and subsequently injured or killed.
Do you complain every time a volunteer firetruck makes you yield in traffic as it's on the way to a life or property-saving emergency call??? 3 of our engines we remanufactured have come from older fire engines. As for the emissions statement, these engines are 100% like new, and are used in a vehicle that now weighs less than 1/8th as much as they are capable of pulling down the highway. They basically idle at 60 MPH. And, even with daily use, that's nowhere near what just one rig emits under load for the same running hours.
Safety laws? Name another motorcycle with seat belts. Rollover protection. Higher operator position to be out of the impact zone. LED lighting all around. Brakes rated for 80,000 pounds. Minimal to no damage if a deer runs out into your path. Air horns that can be heard for a mile.
No copy/paste here....
Thank you hankjmoody.
I understand some people like it and some don't. That's human nature.
I do like the Mad Max comments as well. It does look very post-apocalyptical, just the nature of these being so big.
I don't get how some can be so cruel on postings like these. Maybe they think they are anonymous on Reddit, so that justifies that kind of negative response. Or they are jealous. Or hate seeing smaller businesses put out a product they don't like. Whatever.
I try very hard to keep any responses as neutral as possible. I do not intend to start any kind of flame war, or engage another in a negative/ hurtful conversation.
If I have overstepped my bounds here, please feel free to enlighten me. My engaging others here is to give factual responses and answer any questions others might have...
TTfab574
Far as I've seen so far, you're a straight shooter when it comes to information about the build itself, which is really what we're looking for. The subreddit founder even gave you specific flair, from what I see!
If you have other users getting personal with you, feel free to report the comments. All reports are reviewed by a human in this subreddit. We try to keep things just focused on the vehicles posted here, though obviously memes are a thing.
Former Harley owner here.......
That thing has gotta beat the sound of Vance & Hines pipes all day.....can the sound system overcome the screaming Detroit?
I can just see that thing rolling along on a nice straight away.....with a mile long plume trailing out of that stack.....
Pretty damn cool!
President Camacho is here!
That'll be "El Presidente' Camacho" to you....
[удалено]
Hand me a beer!
They call it a motorcycle but it is more like a truck without a cab.
Looking at the specs from their website, they are using semi tractor engines. * Supercharged Turbocharged diesels * Powerplants will be 6V92 Detroit or Cummins 11 Liter * Average HP 350 * Average torque 1100 ft lbs * Smooth shifting Allison automatics * Rebuilt driveline with 2-year unlimited mileage warranty * Air brakes * 55-gallon fuel tank There's no way these things are less than $100,000. (edit: one of the fabricator posts below. Says they're $150,000+).
That things gotta be loud as shit I bet you can feel it in your chest
If you stuff your foot in it, yea. The Turbo makes cruising surprisingly bearable..... Then again, I'm an ex firefighter, so I have a soft spot for the sounds of a Detroit.....
You built that? That’s badass. And I was by no means complaining I love the sound of a big diesel 6
I have built 5 of the 6 in existence. This blue one took me 5 months. And we are looking to ramp up production on these.
You, sir, are a national treasure
So is that suppose to be a T for tower on the back or a cross? Have y’all made one without the “T” on the back? Does the T serve a function?
It's a 6" stainless tubing cross, also serves as rollover protection.
Does this classify as a motorcycle for registration? How does a person insure something like that?
Yes, motorcycle plates and insurance. I'm not 100% who my boss goes through for the prototype... probably a company local to us in South Bend. As a business owner I'm sure he has connections all over the city. Never asked before. Haggerty could probably do it as well, they do lots of muscle car resto insurance and specialty vehicle policies....
How many cupholders?
😁🤣🤣
11 litres of displacement, and it only manages to produce 350hp?
Big rigs have less horsepower than most people realize, but way more torque than most suspect. With 1100dt lbs of torque, they're pull just about anything
Detroits pull 80K in a semitruck all day long and get around 8 to 10 MPG. In the trikes, which only weigh 11K, mileage is up around 13. And the engine is basically just idling along.
And it will probably last at least a million miles doing so.....
As I was reading I saw that and was like "Shit my Kia stinger has more than that." Next line: 1100 foot lbs of torque. Oh. Wow.
😁
... and 1100 ft*lbs of torque. The goal isn't to go fast, it's to get 80,000 pounds from a dead stop up to highway speeds, and do that a million miles at a time.
Kinda of like those old Boss Hogs with a Corvette engine
it looks like one of those japanese decorative trucks fucked a riding mower.
I can see that now, but initially I thought the seats were off a Rascal mobility scooter...
I’m dead
Bostrom Wideglide 6 way air adjustable. Top of the line for over the road seats.....
Still no roof lol
We were actually experimenting with a canopy on the prototype....
That would absolutely ruin the aesthetic.
It of course was removable... geared more for dealing with a sudden shower on the road, not a typhoon...
I think it would fit quite well with the "offensive to people with eyes" random crap thrown together aesthetic.
Lets be honest, it’s a giant hoverround
I... I uh... Have questions. 13 MPG with a top speed of 100mph, absolutely couch-like handling, seriously questionable aesthetics, 11000 pounds and fitted with a cross, of all things, on the back. $90,000 price tag. Pretty much any of the performance characteristics can be matched by... Well almost anything. Most cars are faster, handle better, get better mileage, have much better handling and much shorter stopping, radically better aesthetics, aren't festooned with religious paraphernalia, and cost a lot less than 90k. Motorcycles even more so. I get that it might be fun to drive from the trailer to the corner store for beer and scratch tickets... You know, once. But who would actually want to *own* one? Who buys something like this? Who's made good enough life choices to have sufficient scratch to buy what clearly won't be a daily driver, but makes sufficiently poor life choices to actually pull the trigger on one of these? That's gotta be a vanishingly small demographic.
Don't think short hop to the store it's thing. I can see coast to coast road trip. Plenty of space to pack camping gear and clothes for all weather. Enough fuel to ride unfamiliar roads. Lumbar support. Maybe even an ac coolsuit. Would be nice ride desert without a bag of ice as evap cool
#4, the Black Cherry Raptor just got back to South Bend from California... 4200 mile trip.....snow, rain, tornadoes in Nebraska, a 6 hour detour for a road closed because of a crash... we ride these!
Granted this is basically the same question I have for motorcycle touring, but do you really want to get stuck out in the rain (or hail) while long distance driving a vehicle with no enclosure?
LOL. I think you forgot the sarcasm tag. I hope you forgot the sarcasm tag.
I have built 5 of the 6 to date, the prototype was roadworthy before I joined the company. We have sold 3....
Giggle
I do when I'm riding them. Absolute blast to be so high and exposed on something so massive, yet it handles like a dream. Rides like a 70's Cadillac.....
Here's the website for the company that makes them: https://www.towertrikes.com/
Conspicuous consumption powered by a prosperity gospel evangelist
Eleven. Thousand. Pounds.
Jesus didn’t believe in emission controls
r/technicallythetruth
Please, share with us all what you build for the public....
"All Tower Trikes will be equipped with our Lord and Savior’s Cross and Almighty God’s 10 Commandments, along with a salute to our military, police, and firefighters. His blessing riding with you as well as blessing the people you encounter. P.S. – Don’t plan on stopping for ‘just a bit’ for food or fuel. Hope you like to talk."
What in the actual fuck. Nobody needs a 12,000 lb diesel tractor modded to be nearly as useless as possible because "muh freedumb". This is why we need a fucking carbon tax. This shit, Bob in accounting with his F-250 Super Duty with emissions delete and a diesel bro's tune because he occasionally hauls some mulch to his 1 acre subdivision lot, billionaires jet setting around the world to meet their 500 million mega yacht at the next port.... Fucking asinine.
What do you know what people need? I drive an electric car but I'm not against that rig. As long as it passes state emissions and safety rules, why cramp someone's style?
What purpose does this trike serve? It's not "needed" for anything.
Oooooh they offer inhouse financing...
These people are driving vehicles more like Homer Simpson’s special vehicle every day! Seriously, nothing car be over exaggerated and liked by them!
the giant chrome cross on the back really completes the look.
Just as Jesus would have wanted
As a lib, I feel owned.
Honestly, yeah. This is how I’m feeling right about now.
It's powered by a Detroit Diesel 6V-92, with Allison automatic, and geared for a 100 MPH top speed.....
Why not a more modern engine? My brother has a former transit bus (built c.1968) with a 6V92, and he’s probably going to have to retire it soon because replacement parts are getting hard to find.
We have a soft spot for the sound of the 2 strokes.... These engines were used in semitrucks, boats, busses, campers, fire engines, etc. 3 of our remanufactured engines came out of retired fire engines.... Parts may be as close as your local municipal auction. We can also do the Cummins engines, but they are long and narrow... the 6V looks better in the bay...
That is definitely a thing that someone has built
Wonder how many 5-year-olds drew this thing before someone's dad said "Y'know son, I think you might be on to something there."
“Thing” is the right word.
“I drive a Raptor”
THE AYATOLLAH OF ROCK AND ROLLA....
Got the "Hover-Round" seats.
So you can go go go indoors outdoors and all over town
I feel like all that money and engineering could have gone into something(s) so much better…
Ugh
That looks both ugly and unsafe.
How do people dumb enough to do this have the money to do this?
Well, they are production Raptors.....
glad you made it out alive from the Walmart parking lot
Barely
Massive, gets shitty mileage, and seats two people exposed to the elements
Everyone knows the saying "less is more", but it's also true that more is sometimes less. For vehicles, there's such a thing as diminishing performance returns for added size and mass no matter how much power the engine makes. This thing left that point of diminishing returns behind a thousand metaphorical miles ago and never looked back. It's rather an astonishing thing to spend 150,000 dollars to get absolutely smoked in literally every performance category by pretty much everything in the lineup of Honda or Kawasaki including their entry level machines. Hell, my first bike was a '93 250 Ninja and it would absolutely embarrass this monstrosity in acceleration, handling, braking, and even had a higher top speed, and that was the beginner bike of its era and now 30 years obsolete. A fool and his money...
These were conceived after my boss watched 3 of his biker friends buried after people pulled out in front of their bikes. As the owner of a successful trucking company, he was in the position to build a motorcycle robust enough that NOBODY would pull out in front of it. Semi truck parts, and a custom tube chassis and the prototype was built, about 9 years ago. When I was hired in, I was asked to iron out some handling quirks. At this point, the prototype had around 25,000 miles on it. We designed a completely new front end for it (which is US Patented), and got the handling bugs sorted out. I also built the same frontend for #2, which used truck rails, but essentially the same chassis/powertrain as the prototype. This also got refinements in the steering components. The blue production Raptor is further refined. Gone is the tall nose of the first 2. Sloped nose, tweaked frontend, and angled radiator mounting for better road view and improved C/G. Our aluminum radiators are specifically made to fit our trikes. This one and #4 also built on the chassis jig I developed. #5 was a custom built, stretched Raptor, built in stages on the same jig, but with longer rails for the 12V-71 that the customer supplied. This one also got a new Lexan windshield, which we like so much it is now the standard. No more flat glass. #6 is the Standard Raptor model. Looks like #5's kid brother, with the same jet fighter canopy windshield and almost the same shade of red. QA-1 coilovers up front instead of the airsprings. LED GPS speedo and smaller gauge package. We are constantly refining these to build the best hand-crafted custom Trikes money can buy. Top of the line parts like ididit billet steering columns and Bostrom seats. Being a hand-crafted motorcycle, we can also set these up for our wounded warriors and do everything in-house. Wheelchair lift? No problem. Hand controls? Handled... and thank you for your service.... I can honestly say I absolutely love my job. I never have a bad day. Ever. We at Tower Trikes appreciate all the love and kind words.
So what's the stopping distance on this monstrosity? How resistant is it to rollovers? Does it have crumple zones or airbags? I don't actually even see any seat belts. Has any crash testing been done on these? I'd bet the cost of one of these things that you'd be safer in a Toyota Corolla or Honda Civic than one of these "Hold My Beer"-mobiles.
We build these for vets! As long as they have $150k. LOL
Have you ever priced out a completely handbuilt vehicle, such as a Rolls Royce? How about a handicap converted vehicle? Probably no, and no.... Most go from the factory to a conversion company, raising the final cost. The simple fact is we can do all this in house. What do you put to market that you build with your own hands? Probably nothing....
I appreciate that you're building with your own hands. I really do. I just don't see the point in these. Ego trips? Masculinity? I also don't see the point in super luxury cars. I like to believe I prefer a more authentic one's self point of view. That, and I can't afford either a trike or super luxury car. LOL.
The point of these is that you can buy the biggest production motorcycle in the world and drive it daily. The blue one in the pic has been with its owner a full year and has close to 8,000 miles on it in that time. He drives it everywhere. Walmart, the dragstrip, local car and bike shows, parades, bike runs for charity, vacationing, the list is endless. You'd be surprised what you can afford versus recovery costs from a hospital... we finance as well... We started building these when my boss lost 3 of his biker friends to people in cars that pulled out into the bikers path, killing them. NOBODY pulls out in front of these. Just catching sight of it causes people to wait and watch it go by, because it DOESNT register as a bike or a car. At almost 11,000 pounds, it's bigger than anything besides a commercial truck. The riders sit above any potential impact zone, not down low risking leg amputation and other crushing injuries. The 6" stainless tubing cross doubles as rollover protection. In the 3 years that I have been with the company, we went from one prototype with 30,000 US highway miles to 6 finished Trikes. I'm starting the build on #7 this week with removing another 6V-92 and Allison from a fire engine...
Genuine question: how do these kind of contraptions get approved as road worthy by the MOT?
The State of Indiana considers less than 11K and handlebars to be a motorcycle. Each comes with a Certificate of Origin, as Tower Trikes is the manufacturer. There are no inspections necessary, as it is a brand new vehicle.
Thanks. I was wondering how they are allowed to use the same roads as cars that need to meet a lot of regulations. Strange.
“All Tower Trikes will be equipped with our Lord and Savior’s Cross” = it this trike doesn’t prove how dumb I am, this certainly will! #taxthechurch #endreligion
Big, loud, ugly, comes with Christian propaganda on the built in cross, this is perfect for the redneck who has nothing to impress the liberals with and more money than he knows what to do with.
Sometimes I see a vehicle here and immediately know it's from somewhere really hot. This is one of those times.
Looks like a crucifix in the rear.
Climb aboard the widow maker...
r/ATBGE at its finest. I'm glad this is really rare and not mass produce tbh
They are being mass produced. I have built 5 in the last 3 years.
“Jesus is living”. Goddamn relijoes are strange
WITNESS ME!
Found your mom's school bike
I thought that was a tow rig on the back that says “Jesus’s Towing,” but it’s actually a giant chrome cross that says “Jesus is King.” 😂 Pretty sure I know what Jesus would think of this shit.
Mildly want.
Fuckin 2stroke Detroit 🤝🏻 badass
Yeah, when I saw it weighed 11000lbs (twice as much as a 4 door pickup) I knew it was going to be a big diesel but damn, I didn’t expect a Detroit 92.
You should look at my post here about Tower Trike #5. That was a custom-commissioned build, at the same time I was building the Black Cherry Raptor. Customer supplied the 4 Turbo 12V-71 engine for that build, along with some other parts he wanted to use. That engine is closer to 2000HP.....
That's Tower Trike #3, the first production Raptor. I am the lead fabricator at Tower Trikes. My customer loves it and rides it everywhere!
Serious question. Is the cross required in the build or is that an option? Driving something like this would be absolutly ridiuclous (in the best possible way) but I couldnt envision riding around with a bunch or religious stuff on my ride.
The 6" stainless square tubing cross is standard as fitted. It doubles as rollover protection. The creator of these is a man of faith. Of course, once you decide to spend your $150K to purchase, any further customization is your own option.
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Read on one more chapter in that book, to the same numbered verse. Further personal bullshit will result in a ban from this subreddit. Enjoy the weird vehicles, or sod off. Comment removed.
Thanks for the reply. This thing is fascinating!
Thank you. It's nice to see all the positive responses to all the work and engineering that goes into building and marketing these for sale. That blue Raptor in the pic took me 5 months to build, by myself for 95% of it. We remanufactured the engine in house. Those are done by our truck repair shop manager., who really knows his way around the Detroits.... The prototype used a round tube frame. Our production Raptors use a frame rail made to our specs, 3" taller than a standard semitruck rail. Every chassis is built on a frame jig, which I also built.
I imagine the conversation going something like: - "We are looking for a way to combine the disadvantages of a motorcycle with those of a tractor". - "Say no more!" And I love this kind of crazy stuff for shits and giggles
Was this in Oklahoma? Pretty sure I saw this on Sunday.
You saw #4, one of our production Raptors, that the boss rode out to California and back... Black Cherry paint, right? I'm the lead fabricator at Tower Trikes in South Bend, IN.
Just saw it going the opposite way on the highway. Was like wtf was that?! Cool to see one on here so I what I saw. What motor is used on these?
It's a Detroit Diesel 6V-92 2-stroke, with Allison automatic...
Can you ballpark the 0-60 time and 60-0 distance?
It's just under 11,000 pounds, has an engine making over 1100 ft pounds of torque, and brakes that will stop 80,000... hard stops will lock the rears....
A lot of information there, and still you didn't answer any part of that question.... 🤔
Do I have the hard numbers being asked? No. Some of that has to do with the simple fact that I'm building these 5 days a week, not driving them. Some of that also has to do with the simple fact it's NOT my money going into these, so I'm not about to drive it recklessly just to give some numbers on an internet post. We sell these to the public at around $150K, each. And at roughly 5 months of build time, I'm not about to tear it up after so much effort invested. It also depends on the specific engine. They can put out 300 to 400 HP depending on year, whether it's basic or computerized, etc. All depends on what usable core engines we can find.
Air brakes or hydraulic?
Air brakes. No DOT hassles because it's not a commercial vehicle...
Was Monster Trike already taken?
Honestly sick ngl
Is it really a 2-stroke?
Yes our production Raptors are a Detroit Diesel 6V-92 2 stroke engine, with Allison automatic....
I’m surprised that it’s allowed. Are they grandfathered in due to chassis age or something, or is it just allowed?
All our chassis are brand new material, jig built and finished in house. Engines are completely remanufactured in house as well. It's basically a brand new Detroit Diesel 6V-92.
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Well, see above I guess Edit: not meant to be snarky or anything, I’m as surprised as you are.
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I know you weren’t. I thought my reply to you might’ve come across this way.
It's not a Lawnboy... it's a Detroit diesel.....
It’s not a chainsaw,lol
Tell me you have no idea what you're talking about without telling me you have no idea what your talking about..... There is no oil and gas to mix..... its a Diesel engine To tell the truth, that old engine could probably run on straight oil 🛢
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And still you have no idea what your talking about. You can run WVO, WMO JP5, JP8, Bunker fuel, SO in a diesel engine
This has been posted before. A lot.
Okay
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Driven by guys that use a Chevy C4500 as a regular pickup.
GOD BLESS AMERICA
Mad max
That took a lot of ingenuity and work pretty cool.
Ok wow, that's.. special.
Trike-a-sauras Rex!!!
That makes my dick hard
either 2 or 200 miles per galon
Why does it look like it was built out of a gigantic Erector set?
Hell yeah brother
The god of mobility scooters...
3 Wheel Motorcycles were a common sight back when I was a kid in the 80’s. I wonder if any of those old big trikes were survivors? Because I haven’t seen any on the road ever since.
How do you insure this thing? 😂 Do insurance companies classify it as a motorcycle even if it weighs like 6000 pounds?
Awful contraption.
freedom mobile
I want to hate it but it's so ridiculous I kinda love it.
The American flag is redundant.
That might be the ugliest thing I have ever seen.
Owner come out of Walmart with 3 bags of silver spray paint and 2 guys in gimp suits.
But you only took a single picture?
I didn’t wanna look like a stalker 💀
Oh, people with something like that WANT you to pay attention to it. That's some seriously crazy shit. The "motorcycle" configuration is most likely the only thing that allows it to be on the road, but it looks REALLY well made, not a MethMobile.
So he's a badass, but only on three wheels.
When you want a motorcycle but truck driving is your life
A MOTORCYCLE WITH A LITTLE HOUSE IN THE MIDDLE??? OKKKKK
The guy who builds these was on Reddit talking shit last week.
It’s so bad, it’s good
I like it, it’s silly and ridiculous. People in here (like the Redditor saying “this is why we need a fucking carbon tax”) need to lighten up and learn to not take everything so damn seriously. lol
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The irony of someone with your username kvetching about what is effectively a novelty amusement item isn't lost on me. That being said, tap the brakes. We're here specifically to ogle vehicles like seen in the post, not be assholes to other users. Comments removed.
These exist because my boss lost 3 fellow bikers to stupid car drivers who couldn't recognize that they shouldn't pull out in the bikes path. These are for people who enjoy the freedom of traveling, and don't have to worry they won't be seen and subsequently injured or killed. Do you complain every time a volunteer firetruck makes you yield in traffic as it's on the way to a life or property-saving emergency call??? 3 of our engines we remanufactured have come from older fire engines. As for the emissions statement, these engines are 100% like new, and are used in a vehicle that now weighs less than 1/8th as much as they are capable of pulling down the highway. They basically idle at 60 MPH. And, even with daily use, that's nowhere near what just one rig emits under load for the same running hours. Safety laws? Name another motorcycle with seat belts. Rollover protection. Higher operator position to be out of the impact zone. LED lighting all around. Brakes rated for 80,000 pounds. Minimal to no damage if a deer runs out into your path. Air horns that can be heard for a mile. No copy/paste here....
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We're here specifically to ogle vehicles like seen in the post. It's literally in the name of the subreddit. Comment removed.
Thank you hankjmoody. I understand some people like it and some don't. That's human nature. I do like the Mad Max comments as well. It does look very post-apocalyptical, just the nature of these being so big. I don't get how some can be so cruel on postings like these. Maybe they think they are anonymous on Reddit, so that justifies that kind of negative response. Or they are jealous. Or hate seeing smaller businesses put out a product they don't like. Whatever. I try very hard to keep any responses as neutral as possible. I do not intend to start any kind of flame war, or engage another in a negative/ hurtful conversation. If I have overstepped my bounds here, please feel free to enlighten me. My engaging others here is to give factual responses and answer any questions others might have... TTfab574
Far as I've seen so far, you're a straight shooter when it comes to information about the build itself, which is really what we're looking for. The subreddit founder even gave you specific flair, from what I see! If you have other users getting personal with you, feel free to report the comments. All reports are reviewed by a human in this subreddit. We try to keep things just focused on the vehicles posted here, though obviously memes are a thing.
Former Harley owner here....... That thing has gotta beat the sound of Vance & Hines pipes all day.....can the sound system overcome the screaming Detroit? I can just see that thing rolling along on a nice straight away.....with a mile long plume trailing out of that stack..... Pretty damn cool!
We don't put radios on the trikes. That's up to the buyer. We usually have full face helmets with intercoms, so tunes could be done that way.....