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Personal Info:
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Custom Truck Engine Trike
$23,000 2008 Barrett-Jackson Auction Scottsdale AZ
Jesse is a master bike builder. So it's no surprise to see him conquer the challenge of transforming a semi truck, of all things, into a diesel-fueled 3-wheeled trike. Team member and co-owner of Blastolene Brothers in Santa Cruz said the toughest obstacle in this build was the front end. "The steering and mounting of the front wheel. There were a lot of design changes and a lot of thoughts about the design. A lot of mental effort was expended on that front end. And the final solution was great because it really utilized the truck parts, including a piece of the front axle and the steering box." The team also had problems adjusting to changes in the design. It went from being a 2-wheeled chopper to a three-wheeled trike. The axle of the semi soon became the front end of the trike. "Failure is an impossibility to a Blastolene Brother. It was merely what design would be executed, that was the only challenge. We had three or four different options for the front end; we just had to choose one." This kind of determination on the team led them to victory on this build. In the end, Jesse and his team a tremendously loud trike, whose main body consisted of a 3,000-pound Peterbilt semi engine.
THE TEAM: Jesse James, custom-bike builder/designer, West Coast Choppers, Long Beach, CA, Randy Grubb, glass artist, engineer and co-owner, Blastolene Brothers, Grant's Pass, OR, Michael Leeds, artist and co-owner, Blastolene Brothers, Santa Cruz, CA, Bernard Juckli, Jay Leno's chief mechanic and former aircraft mechanic, Los Angeles, CA, Dan Owens, head machinist, Panavision, Wenatchee, WA, and Robert Vaughan, maintenance engineer, Vanguard Plastics, Wylie, TX.
VEHICLE SPECS: Height: 59.5"; Width: 88"; Length: 158"; Ground Clearance: 3.5"; Weight: approximately 4,000 pounds. Artist: Michael Leeds, artist and co-owner, Blastolene Brothers, Santa Cruz, CA. MONSTER SPECS: Special Welds: Special welds were performed on Jesse's custom-built side pod and the fabricated gas tank. Body Modifications: A 3,000-pound Peterbilt Motors Company semi served as the trike frame. The semi's air brakes, foot pedals, air horn, five-speed transmission, clutch and steering box were also used.
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