The Boss Hoss Trike is the three-wheeled product of Boss Hoss Cycles, the American firm from Dyersburg, Tennessee, that has been building vehicles around Chevrolet V8 car engines since 1990. It shares the engines, transmission and philosophy of the firm’s two-wheeled cruisers, but puts them on three wheels.
Boss Hoss Trike at a glance
| Maker | Boss Hoss Cycles, Dyersburg, Tennessee, USA |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1990, by Monte Warne |
| Type | motorised tricycle, three wheels |
| Engine | Chevrolet V8, 376–496 cu in (6.2–8.1 litres) |
| Big-block option | 8,230 cc (502 cu in), 502 hp |
| Gearbox | semi-automatic two-speed with reverse, second gear an overdrive |
| Drive | through a torque converter |
| Engine weight | over 250 kg on its own |
| Price in Germany | €45,800 to €75,500 for the V8 range |
| Built | about 300 vehicles a year by the mid-1990s; more than 4,000 sold by 2006 |
There is no Wikipedia article on the trike itself; the page is put together from the English, German and French articles on the company, which is short, so the article is shorter than usual.
History of the Boss Hoss Trike
A three-wheeler from the start of the range
Boss Hoss Cycles was founded by Monte Warne in 1990 in Dyersburg, Tennessee, and from the beginning its line was built around Chevrolet V8 car engines rather than motorcycle units. The company’s output has always included motorised tricycles alongside its motorcycles, and the trike is built to the same recipe as the cruisers: a large American V8, a semi-automatic transmission and a heavy, stable chassis.
From Boss Hog to Boss Hoss
The first machines appeared at bike shows under the name Boss Hog, but the H.O.G. name is protected in the United States by Harley-Davidson for its Harley Owners Group, and Warne was ordered to change it. Because the original name was already well known, the firm chose the closest alternative in the middle of 1991: Boss Hoss.
Engines and gearbox
The trike can be ordered with the same engine options as the motorcycles. Displacement runs from 376 to 496 cu in, or 6,160 to 8,130 cc; the French Wikipedia names the 5.7-litre ZZ4 with 355 hp and the 8,230 cc (502 cu in) big-block with 502 hp, and the 502 is the engine most often associated with the trike. Power reaches the road through a torque converter and a semi-automatic two-speed gearbox with reverse, the second gear being an overdrive.
Living with the weight
A Boss Hoss V8 weighs more than 250 kg on its own, and a complete machine can exceed 500 kg. On three wheels that mass is carried low, and the firm’s motorcycles and trikes alike are described as having a vibration damping effect, which together with eight cylinders and very tall gearing gives what has been called vibration-free acceleration. In Germany the V8 range was priced between €45,800 for the 5,700 cc version and €75,500 for the 8,200 cc model.
Design and features
- Three wheels: a tricycle built to the same formula as the firm’s V8 cruisers.
- Chevrolet V8: engines from 6.2 to 8.1 litres, with the 502 cu in big-block as the best-known option.
- Semi-automatic gearbox: two speeds and reverse through a torque converter, with an overdrive second gear.
- Low, heavy and smooth: the mass damps vibration and the low centre of gravity keeps the machine manageable.
Boss Hoss Trike versions
- Trike with the 502 big-block: the 8,230 cc version with 502 hp.
- Trike with the ZZ4: the 5.7-litre small-block with 355 hp.
- LS-series trikes: later Chevrolet LS engines from the same range.
The two-wheeled side of the range is described in the article on the Boss Hoss BHC-3. More machines from the firm are in the Boss Hoss collection.
Video: Boss Hoss Trike V8 502ci – Hot Rod Style 8228cc The biggest Engine ever
Video on YouTube.
Sources
- Boss Hoss Cycles, English Wikipedia: company history, motorcycles and tricycles, engine range, production numbers
- Boss Hoss, German Wikipedia: Boss Hog name change, engine weights, gearbox, German prices
- Boss Hoss, French Wikipedia: ZZ4 and 502 engine outputs, motorcycles and trikes
