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Post by rockynv on Nov 9, 2016 5:24:41 GMT -5
Chevy 152 Cu In Inline Four coupled to a Powerglide 2 Speed Automatic and weighed 3,280 lbs. Had a hydraulically operated stand and could not be steered until you were going over 15 mph. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RoadogA - Officers mistakenly shot him after one of them tripped and fell when Gelbke tossed out his gun so Gelbke died where he lay as they rushed the man who tripped to the hospital or B - He came out shooting and died in the shootout, depending on which officer you spoke to. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wild_Bill_GelbkeAuto Four Production Model: |
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Post by spandi on Nov 9, 2016 6:37:42 GMT -5
That is just way too much, but I do like the idea of a small trailer in back. (One of these days I gotta build one and go scoot camping)
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Post by oldchopperguy on Nov 9, 2016 19:04:43 GMT -5
Rockynv,
Thanks for the update! Doggone, THAT monster SHOULD have had a Cummins Diesel in it! That MISERABLE little Chevy 4-banger I believe was dubbed the "Iron Duke" by GM and was originally used in the little Post Office right-hand drive "Jeeps".
I had one in a 1985 Buick compact and it topped out at less than 80-mph with the AC on, and couldn't get out of its own way. I could have beaten it from zero to top-end on my Kymco scooter!!! And it shook worse than a Harley 74. It DID give an honest 20 mpg which was "wonderful" gas mileage back then. Oh, yes... also, the alternator belt was SO long that if you tightened it enough that it didn't squeal, it tore up the alternator bearings... And Buick offered a top engine brace to tame the horrific shaking at idle. I put one on, and it helped... some. At 30,000 miles, it "spit" a head-bolt out onto the valve-cover. I had to rebuild the head and it was nothing but trouble. What a piece of junk.
I suppose the rumored monster weight of the Road Dog came from the urban legend that it had an 18-wheeler Diesel engine and tranny.
It was sort of a monstrosity, considering how nice the frame workmanship appears. I'd MUCH rather have a "Boss Hoss" with a 502" Chevy motor IF I wanted to wrestle a car-weight bike!
Thanks for posting... "Urban legends" don't usually equal their hype... Road Dog included... LOL!
Ride safe!
Leo
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Post by cyborg55 on Nov 9, 2016 21:53:11 GMT -5
It's junk ,,, both of them,,, I could kill both of them with a 250 rebel all I'd have to do is change the fork oil,,,or my lightly breathed on dr 350 Suzuki ,,,, one race from LA to San Fran and back,,, two laps of a real super cross track 390 miles of back roads 1/2 dirt,,, two laps of a mx track in San Fran and zip on back,,,$20,000 purse ,,, me on my dr whoever on the junk,,, I'd even kick Scotty Parkers ,, a total waste of time and money,, by someone that thinks they know motorcycling
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Post by rockynv on Nov 10, 2016 0:46:45 GMT -5
Leo - The 153 engine is entirely different from the later Metric Pontiac 151-cubic-inch (2.5 L) Iron Duke, but the two are often confused. The 153 is more of a commercial engine and was used by Willies in the Postal Jeep and Mercruiser in their marine out drive units.
Gelbke chose it since it was a proven engine for cross country touring and since it was a common engine used by the Postal Service parts would be available just about anywhere that had a US Post Office nearby. He was an aerospace engineer so it looks like he did his homework to find an engine that would be reliable and chug along down the highway for the long haul.
The 153 is still in use as a GM Vortec 3000 Marine/Industrial 4 now fuel injected and bored out to 181 cu in. In the original 153 configuration its still used in forklifts, pumps, welders and generators.
To be fair GM finally sorted out the Iron Duke and it ended up in a number of S10 pickups and Grumman used it in their Postal Delivery Vehicle.
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Post by oldchopperguy on Nov 11, 2016 0:48:10 GMT -5
Thanks, rockynv, have a bone!
I'm not so hot for an iron push-rod car motor in a bike unless maybe a Boss Hoss... LOL!
I did like some of the few Corvair-powered bikes from the sixties... The lightweight aluminum air-cooled flat-six actually LOOKED like a bike motor, and seemed to have some frisky performance... Some had around 200 hp.
These days, it seems a motorcycle SHOULD have a motorcycle engine... And a scooter should have a, ah... well... an ATV engine I guess... LOL!
I still feel the "Iron Duke" is best left to the era of shuddering, shaking "econobox" monstrosities of the dismal past...
Ride safe!
Leo
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Post by rockynv on Nov 11, 2016 5:38:25 GMT -5
Thanks, rockynv, have a bone!I'm not so hot for an iron push-rod car motor in a bike unless maybe a Boss Hoss... LOL!I did like some of the few Corvair-powered bikes from the sixties... The lightweight aluminum air-cooled flat-six actually LOOKED like a bike motor, and seemed to have some frisky performance... Some had around 200 hp. These days, it seems a motorcycle SHOULD have a motorcycle engine... And a scooter should have a, ah... well... an ATV engine I guess... LOL! I still feel the "Iron Duke" is best left to the era of shuddering, shaking "econobox" monstrosities of the dismal past... Ride safe!Leo Thankfully Gelbke didn't use the Iron Duke which was initially the new engineers failed attempt at automotive design. They slapped that one together quickly to distance GM from the failed Teflon coated aluminum Vega 4 cylinder engine debacle. Looks like GM will be having another round of mass layoffs now. Lee Iacocca was smart and pulled the engineers who designed the Slant 6, 318, 383, 440 and Hemi's out of nursing homes to design the new blocks for Chrysler. Those blocks are still the foundation of all the engines they use today though most designs that Mercedes came up with as replacements have been scrapped. |
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Post by wheelbender6 on Nov 11, 2016 10:55:46 GMT -5
GM needs to reincarnate Ed Cole (designer of the original small block Chevy that debuted in the 55 Belair).
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Post by rockynv on Nov 11, 2016 12:33:12 GMT -5
GM needs to reincarnate Ed Cole (designer of the original small block Chevy that debuted in the 55 Belair). Was that the 289 or was that in the late 50's Pontiac Catalina? |
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Post by oldchopperguy on Nov 11, 2016 21:19:10 GMT -5
GM needs to reincarnate Ed Cole (designer of the original small block Chevy that debuted in the 55 Belair). Was that the 289 or was that in the late 50's Pontiac Catalina? That iconic little Chevy small-block which I believe was Ed Cole's baby, began life in the '55 Chevy as the 265". By '57 it morphed into the 283" which became THE standard of the V8 world... The early 'Vettes (and a few Belair models) sported fuel-injection... the fabled 283 cid, 283 hp screamers.I'd bet my bow-tie that Zora Arkus Duntov (the "father of the Corvette") of 6-cylinder 1953/1954 'Vette fame had some input into the 265 too... The 283 was around for a LONG time... I believe it also was the basis for the 327" and later 350's and other newer Chevy mills. Actually, a rare handful of the first 265's were factory-installed into 1954 Chevies even though those were designed strictly for the skinny "stovebolt" inline six. It's rumored that the flat, "tucked-in" ram's horn headers on the 265/283 engines came about to fit them into the 1954 bodies. Just theory... no proof...
Small-block Chevies ruled the hotrod scene for decades with strong performance in a small package. Way back, there WERE a few small-block Chevy-powered drag bikes running impressive times!
Anybody old enough to remember the 1953/54 Corvette WAGON "Nomads"? Many "experts" say they never existed except as "concept cars" but they did! Around my Childhood Chicago home, there were at least 5... a red one, a black one AND a white one... and a local speed-shop had TWO... One a gasser and the other a tow car for it. Getting old is strange... I can well-remember those, but can't remember what I did last week... 
Ride safe, even if your bike has a big V8 motor!Leo in Texas |
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Post by rockynv on Nov 11, 2016 23:52:14 GMT -5
I had to double check. We had a 59 but it had the 287 and from the previous model years and not the newer 389 so it was very good on gas and still a very sharp looking car. Similar to this one in Aqua with the Cream White Hard Top.  |
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Post by oldchopperguy on Nov 12, 2016 18:53:00 GMT -5
I had to double check. We had a 59 but it had the 287 and from the previous model years and not the newer 389 so it was very good on gas and still a very sharp looking car. Similar to this one in Aqua with the Cream White Hard Top. Ah... THE original WIDE-TRACK! If I recall, the "Wide-Track" Pontiac was about 6" wider track than typical full sized cars. Made them a problem at times on service-station racks and car-washes... LOL! But DANG, would they corner! Sort of dominated NASCAR for some time! Memories, memories... Thanks for posting! Leo |
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Post by wheelbender6 on Nov 12, 2016 20:04:00 GMT -5
Yes. The 1955 265 Chevy had no oil filter, so you ran non-detergent motor oil, like a lawn mower. I believe the 283 Chevy v8 had a modern, spin-on oil filter.
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Post by wheelbender6 on Nov 12, 2016 20:12:01 GMT -5
Getting back to the 152 ci four. My 64 Chevy had a 194 ci six. I believe that the 152 was a 194 sans two cylinders.
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