#scorpion

The history of motorcycle engines powering other vehicles goes back a long way. Look at the original Morgan 3 Wheeler, for example. Almost a century ago, J.A.P. bike engines were plunked onto the front of a strange piece of machinery with two wheels in front and one in the back. It proved to be popular and a rather high-performing vehicle in its time. For this Top 10 list we take a look at other applications for motorcycle engines. As you can imagine with a list like this, there are a wide variety of vehicles. Some are production cars, while others are one-offs or boutique items. And yes, even though this is Motorcycle.com, I want to get behind the wheel of every single one of these! So, if you’re a rep from one of the below companies (or are simply a kind soul who owns one), give me a jingle and let’s make it happen!

One of the first helmets I ever owned was a Scorpion. I don’t even remember the model number anymore, but I remember I bought it because it was all I could afford as a poor college student. It fit fine when I tried it on at the store for a few minutes, but the honeymoon period quickly ended by the time I rode home from the store – the shell gave my intermediate-oval dome a massive pressure point directly on my forehead. To add insult to injury, after only a few months sitting on my shelf, the liner started coming loose and the rubber seal between the visor and the shell started to come off. In the end, the experience left me with a sour taste in my mouth, and I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve worn a Scorpion since … and still have fingers left over.