Rocky Mountain Boss Hoss Cycles

[Els]

By way of what's put on these internet boards and the people I've met over the years at different rally events and get togethers, it seems there's many reasons and motivating factors. Although my reasons are shared by some, most seem to have V8's for reasons different than mine and visa versa. I guess what I'm driving at, there are many different things that motivate one to buy, enjoy, keep, or get rid of these V8's.


Elliot

[CanuckHoss]

I saw Monte's #1 in Sturgis in 1990...it was interesting.

But over the next 5 years I saw a few running the interstate at Sturgis and pulling into restaurants and it just was bloody fascinating to me to watch them...I thought they were super cool!

In 1995, the first year of demo rides I hung around the demos for an hour trying to get the balls to do a demo and finally my wife said "if you don't do it now you never will"...so off I went.

Came back 10 minutes later and knew a V8 was going to be had someday. I was actually very surprised at the bike as all guys are.

Not until 2000 did I get my first V8....a Big Brute...had loads of fun...became a dealer in Western Canada for them and after waiting a full year for the 3rd one. paid in advance I may add, I sold it and bailed on Big Brute. I immediately flew to Dyersburg to talk with Monte and the rest is history.

Getting into the V8 bike thing changed my life completely as it caused me to pick up routes from the bald headed prairies and move to a city of 1,000,000 where there was a better potential market.

Had I never done the demo I would still be sitting on the prairies farming and would have missed a whole lot of action and meeting great people. I love what I am doing

[Ric]

I am a die-hard motorcycle enthusiast through and through. To a point where I take offense when someone considers my motorcycle a 'toy'. To me, it's a critical part of who I am, and every adult year of my life finds me riding whenever I can, rain or shine. That being said...

I rode an old Shovelhead for 30 years. That old scoot, endured several engine overhauls, many busted parts fixed and replaced. All on a minimal budget. My plan was simple. Feed my children, pay the rent, keep the bike running, feed me last.

At the ripe old age of 16, I was helping my Dad solve an Air Conditioning problem at a Honda motorcycle shop. I was in the attic area where they stored unwanted bike parts, to trace where the control wires went from the Roof top AC down the the thermostat in the show room downstairs. Up in that attic, I noticed a couple of BSA bikes in various stages of disassembly, and noticed a laminated poster leaning up on it's side against one of the Beezers... it was a home made V-8 bike in black and white. It had two sets of rear shocks on the home made swing arm... and two set ups of front suspension as well... likely to carry the weight of an all iron V8 motor. It looked like a contraption right out of the 'Road Warrior" movie.... I LOVED THAT BIKE!!! I begged the guy to give me the poster, but he didn't know who it belonged to... so I was denied.

[Ric]

So, after going through the typical Honda, Yamaha, Triumph and Norton phase... I bought that old Shovelhead new. I had to sell possessions to get up enough coin to make the down payment.

Many years later... I saw a Boss Hoss bike at a motorcycle show in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Turns out it was actually Bryan Wards bike. I didn't know him then. A couple of years later, I stumbled across a couple of Youtube files of Boss Hoss, that rekindled that V8 bike dream. By now, it's a beautifully refined machine! A buddy in Calgary told me that he saw a guy riding a Boss Hoss 350, which blew him away... at Sturgis. Then later that day someone on a 502 showed up. He talked about it every time I went down to visit him. Then I discovered that they were LEGAL in Canada, and Barry Radu had a shop in MY PROVINCE!

A few phone calls later, Barry pretty much talked me into buying the '06 502 over the '07 385HP SB, he had on the floor. Both were about the same price, I think Barry just wanted the BB to go to the right rider. He's one of the most awesome dealers I've dealt with in all my bike shops bizznazz I've dealt with. Thanks BARRY!!!!

[Bryan]

I've been riding a long time and always enjoyed the big long trips and still do today. But remembering back to the old harley days. I remember having to basically "herd" the bike down the road. You always had to run at WOT to pass another car or to pull a hill. But at the same time I couldn't imagine riding anything else. I couldn't imagine a Goldwing or a Yamaha even though they had more power, blah, blah, blah.........Then one day I saw the Boss Hoss that Barry was riding and he allowed me to test ride it. And that was it. I was hooked big time. Now here I am, 6 years and 160,000 KM later and I am still on the same bike and probably will be for quite a while yet. I would not trade my Boss Hoss for any other brand out there. I have to agree with Ric: It's part of my life and who I am and while I still have my health and an income nothing is going to change that.

David, The best to you with your new venture in Colorado!!

Bryan

[CanuckHoss]

Almost every customer that I have sold a Boss Hoss to have been great guys, Bryan and Ric included.

The only exception is a drunk from here that I added a color matched batwing last summer to his trike...he still owes me $1,000 that he had promised to pay the day he picked it up with the fairing...in July. Well come riding season he will be in for a big surprise when he comes out of a bar and finds he no longer has a fairing.

PS..anybody notice that my signature pic is actually Ric's 502 before he bought it from me???

[AR]

I spent some time at Diesel Bike Lees' in Denver, Colorado today. Lee has his Cummins diesel powered bike up and running now and looking great! Check out this in your face Mad Max sumbitch.

[youtube]kcN4SrNmPrY[/youtube]


Diesel Bike Lee

Man that is incredibly cool. You could plant an acre of rapeseeds and make your own diesel fuck how many a year is he planning on producing? .

[AR]

this shit tickles me pink. The best bit is they retain some semblance to the original Boss Hoss, a bit of the frame here, some front end there, the original controls. That Euro mad man with the V12 Aston martin job did the same thing.

I need a beer in the shower to calm down. aaarrrr!

[KrautV8]

Els, I hear ya man. I guess the conversation I would like to hear would be stories like what motivated different people to buy a V8 bike and maybe even some stories about what resistance or negative comments they heard along the way. Haha. I know not everyone loves them like I do. Maybe there are some interesting comments along those lines that would make good reading.

For me the two biggest deciding factors was the fact that it IS a big bike and that I could do my own work on mine. I had grown tired of being cramped up on bikes that were too small. I ride with a passenger the majority of the time. I have always been more of a sport touring rider and baggers didnt really appeal to me. I saw the large frame of the Boss Hoss and began to think that might be the bike with the room on it that we needed.

The second deciding factor for me was as the other bike manufacturers began to supply bikes that had to be hooked up to a laptop to tune them and continually buried their parts in so deep and only their tools could take it a part was a big turn off for me. I didn't like having to take a day off from work to take a bike in for service, leave it there 3 weeks, take another day off to go and get it and pay a 600.00 bill. I could see the simple design of the V8 bikes and knew I could do most of the maintenance myself and have now for 13 years.

The appreciation for the horsepower and the fun I have with my other V8 friends are also a big part what keeps me involved now. WM

I bought it for almost the same reasons like you, Mike. It's big, fits me well, it's something completly different, and I can do my own work on it. Also, like you, I barely take a second look to non V8 bikes. Sometimes people think that might be arrogance, but it isn't - I'm simply not interested into other bikes. I don't know anything when it comes to new Honda or Yamaha models for 2009 or 2010 etc - the only bikes I'm interested in are V8 bikes. I love the power and the sound underneath me, the massive weight of these V8 monsters, and I can't get used to that feeling, it never became boring. If possible and if my wallet would be bigger than it is, I would buy a Vanquish and a V8 Chopper in addition and I would have some ole Hot Rods, too...for the same reasons I bought the Boss Hoss....hahahaha

Olaf

[KrautV8]

this shit tickles me pink. The best bit is they retain some semblance to the original Boss Hoss, a bit of the frame here, some front end there, the original controls. That Euro mad man with the V12 Aston martin job did the same thing.

I need a beer in the shower to calm down. aaarrrr!

PIr, another reason I started this thread was to hopefully get some comments about what people would like to see in a new Boss Hoss dealership. The two previous attempts to bring Boss Hoss motorcycles to the Denver area were unsuccessful for one reason or another. A couple of things that come to mind are a place to put your helmet and jacket and a comfortable place to sit down for a few minutes. A V8 destination where you can ride in and hang out with your friends or visit with potential customers would be great. I'm excited to see what David will do that's not been tried before. There are over 1 million people in the front range area of Colorado and the population is exploding over the next 10 years so there is a lot of potential there that is untapped. WM

ps. I can already hear Ron and Shane saying "support your single moms" & strippers would be great. I'll have to talk to David about that one!!

If it were my business, I would try to attract as many Boss Hoss riders to my shop area as possible. Most of us bought a bike, not because they have read about one, not because they saw one on TV, they bought it because they SAW one riding. You got to see and hear that baby to get infected.

Beside that, I think a dyno stand would be a good investigation for a new business. Let only Boss Hoss owners test and tune their bikes for free - all others have to pay. That sure keeps the V8 owners coming and make others see the bikes out on the road.

Olaf

[CanuckHoss]

="W1LDMAN

A couple of things that come to mind are a place to put your helmet and jacket and a comfortable place to sit down for a few minutes. A V8 destination where you can ride in and hang out with your friends or visit with potential customers would be great. I'm excited to see what David will do that's not been tried before.

When I opened my shop I wanted it to be a "Destination" (hence the name) where people felt comfortable to drop their helmets as you say and have a coffee or two...to me that is very important.

[V-MAN]

Always room for another good dealer ... WELCOME David and good luck to your new shop.

[Ric]

We are waiting for Barry to open up a bar in his showroom... so you can drink your fill while waiting for his techs to put on yet one more back tire. And he should have a real sexy waitress there too. That'll keep us occupied too, when Barry takes our bikes out for a three hour test ride.

Theres a thought for Rocky Mountain Boss Hoss too!