The Nine-Cylinder Motorcycle

Troy Siahaan
by Troy Siahaan

Most would think a radial airplane engine is best left for airplanes. Frank Ohle is not one of those people. This mad fabricator from Germany found himself in possession of a Rotec Radial R3600 airplane engine and decided the best place for it was not in the sky, but in fact on the ground, in a motorcycle.

Being the skilled handyman he his, Ohle fabricated a custom frame to fit the radial engine, painted it, added suspension, brakes and the rest of the details and built himself a completely functional chopper — powered by a nine-cylinder radial airplane engine! All in the span of 18 months.

Check out the video below, courtesy of our German friends at Motorrad Magazine, to see (and hear!) Ohle’s creation in action. It’s in German, but the bike sounds awesome no matter what language you speak.

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Troy Siahaan
Troy Siahaan

Troy's been riding motorcycles and writing about them since 2006, getting his start at Rider Magazine. From there, he moved to Sport Rider Magazine before finally landing at Motorcycle.com in 2011. A lifelong gearhead who didn't fully immerse himself in motorcycles until his teenage years, Troy's interests have always been in technology, performance, and going fast. Naturally, racing was the perfect avenue to combine all three. Troy has been racing nearly as long as he's been riding and has competed at the AMA national level. He's also won multiple club races throughout the country, culminating in a Utah Sport Bike Association championship in 2011. He has been invited as a guest instructor for the Yamaha Champions Riding School, and when he's not out riding, he's either wrenching on bikes or watching MotoGP.

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