A Ferrari V8 Engine in a Motorcycle? Yes Please!

Maxwell Hazen has shared the progress of his latest custom bike build, as he looks to slot the V8 engine from a Ferrari F355 into a custom-built frame.

So it might not be a ‘proper’ Ferrari V12, although, logistically, that’s not a sensible way to go given the engine's physical size - it’s just that nobody told Allen Millyard this when he was building his Dodge-powered V10 Viper motorcycle! The F355 unit though is a highly revered powerplant in petrol head circles, measuring 3,495cc, pumping out north of 370bhp, and even featuring a flat-plane crank.

So, that’s a lot of engine whichever way you look at it, but the bike the motor is being shoehorned into looks like it should be up to the task of taming the prancing horse from Maranello. First of all, unlike the aforementioned Millyard Viper, the Hazen bike looks altogether more sporty. The shorter engine has given the bike a more ‘normal’ length, meaning that the first sight of a hairpin bend shouldn’t be too much of a bum-clenching experience.

Secondly, there is the suspension, and Hazen is taking no chances on that front as what look like chunky Ohlins forks grasp the front wheel spindle. These are paired with Brembo Monoblock brake calipers at the front, which should at least help to haul up the hefty machine - the engine and ancillary parts are estimated to weigh around 300kg alone! At the rear of the bike, we find a custom-built swingarm, and while it’s not directly visible in the images, we can see an Ohlins remote pre-load adjuster hanging down in one of the images. Whether this is mounted conventionally and linked off the swingarm, or horizontally and actuated via a linkage is as yet unknown.

Sporty it may be, but finished it is not, and by the looks of the project, there is still a fair way to go before we see it in action. We will, though, be keeping an eye on Hazen’s social media channels to let you know when it is revealed!