Motorcycle specifications JRL Radial Chopper 2005 Bohington on the handlebars

From freedom to performance, motorcycles strive to create all kinds of emotions. R&D and communications departments work hard to satisfy, anticipate and even influence the market. And then there's the custom world, rarely satisfied by what mass-produced manufacturers have to offer. Finally, there are the marginalized, the hardened, the exuberant and the brainwashed. They go so far as to invent their own machines, sometimes beyond what is reasonable and/or conceivable. JRL Motors is one of these, going so far as to fit an airplane engine into an in-house chassis. Amazing!

Yes, yes, it's possible. In moderation. John Levey didn't set out to fit a Boeing or SR-71 engine into a hand-built motorcycle. He's content with a multi-cylinder engine that's more in keeping with the spirit of extravagance while provoking an indescribable fascination. The Radial Chopper's belly is huge, exposing as much as it can of a star-shaped 7-cylinder. A block that goes off in all directions, totally unreal in a bike. And yet...

The mechanical considerations are quite different. We speak the same language as for any motorized machine, but here, the exceptional aspect weights all the data. This engine is manufactured by Rotec Aerosport, an Australian specialist in the sector. JRL chose the R2800 block, with a cubic capacity of 2800 cm3. Far from the madness of over-vitaminized distillers, the radial heptocyclinder makes do with 110 horsepower at 3600 rpm, two valves and 2 spark plugs in each cylinder head, air cooling and tumbled timing. And it weighs in at a hefty 102 kilos - all the while being super-bulky at 810 mm. And that's not even mentioning the intake system..... Come on. There's only a 40 mm carburetor to feed the siblings. But when it comes down to it, who cares about its paltry output? Its purpose is visual, not just efficient. The sensations will also be there. This Bohington engine may only develop the same power as a 600 supersport, but it has a hefty 22 mkg of torque to rip your arms off.

On the other hand, coupling an aircraft engine to a motorcycle gearbox wasn't in the aircraft designers' plans. A gear system had to be created between the crankshaft and the secondary transmission. Then, grafting a part-cycle all around becomes almost classic.
While respecting a few codes of opulence. A huge rear tire, a fork as long as an ocean liner, large, refined handlebars, beautiful custom hand and foot controls, and a tank cut like a piece of art. Superb, and with a derisory range - around an hour according to the designer.

In the face of standardized production, some mercenaries dare to express an absolutely indispensable bit of madness. We've seen big V8s, V10s, a 3-cylinder Harley twin, a helicopter turbine, and now an airplane engine in a chopper. Some will go even further, to offer something that's tending to disappear: the impolitically correct.

M.B - Photos D.R.