Testimonials

The following email is rom Ric Mossip, dated June 2008. He bought a 2006 502 Boss Hoss from us in January 2008.

In 1976 I saw a poster of a V8 motor jammed into a motorcycle frame. It was obvious that it was someone's labour of love in the awkward looking machine. It's extended swing arm had two Harley shocks on each side... and the front end looked like something that Frankenstien would ride... two sets of front forks married together. It was a contraption that I found simply beautiful!

Well. that old Shovelhead hauled my arse all over North America. Many tales to tell as I burned a near Billion Gallons of fossile fuel. 30 years almost to the day. In the last couple of years, I've been researching an old dream of the unlikely. A V8 bike.

After a ton of research into Boss Hoss web pages of every dealer in the USA... I found a site that was a bit closer to home. I fired off an email of my intentions, and price range and was greeted by one Barry Radu on the telephone as I laboured on a job I was working on... It was about 7 pm on a Thursday... and he told me of two bikes he had on the chopping block. One was an 07' 350ci Hoss, the other a used 06' 502ci. Being the conservative sort that many know me to be... I promptly selected the latter.

I cast eyes on this marvel of human technology in his show room. (My first visit there) And I had the butterflies of a school boy waiting for the bully to kick his butt after the 3:00 O'clock bell! Barry was not on site at that time, but Josh was there to flash the beast up. He thumbed the starter button and a blast from the open headers filled the room with a sound only two decibels quieter than a Nuclear Blast! I almost ran out of the showroom! I was sold on this bike in a huge way. Well, lets skip to the part where I rode it for the first time. It was a cool day (aprox. 10 deg. C.) Barry accompanied me on this maiden voyage on Josh's Harley - which seemed pretty damned small beside this Boss. I was shaking like a bear crapping pine-cones!! But that all went away in the first two minutes. I was totally taken off guard that this 1400 lb machine was as easy to ride as my old Shovel. Yes, I must admit, I was still a bit shakey for a few weeks while I finally learned to relax and let the bike demonstrate it's superbe balance.

I told Barry, when he helped me load the bike up onto the trailer I rented (bound for Lloydminster Alberta), that I'd likely repaint the bike that was a metalic Rootbeer Brown... to my fav. motorcycle color (Black). I could sense a dis-ease in Barry when I said that... "My first apology' to Barry. He simply said with a veil of defense... "The color grows on you." So now I've come to love this Rootbeer Brown... and this color it shall stay unless something goes drastically wrong. I should keep tabs on Barry's painter, just incase.

Fast? Yes. Very. Barry made an interesting comment that rings more true now that I've experienced it for myself. "This bike has the kind of power that it doesn't know that mountain hills even exist." (Words to that nature.) It's TOO true! At cruising speed, this bike comes alive with the briefest controlled throttle input. You can pass a learjet up the steepest mountain road. After a few months of ownership, Barry asked me how fast I tried. Cautiously, I offered 280 km/h. I could sense a dis-ease in Barry when I said that... "My second apology' to Barry. He cast eyes at the ground and chose wise words that any minor problem encountered on the road would happen before you would even blink... and reminded me that those tires are only rated for 130 mph. I DID mention to him that it was a one-time deal... but I think he understands that once you sample a speed like that, it makes you realize that life could be as short as a grasshopper's against your windshield. Wise advice.

Cruise? Yes. Nice! I found that the best cruising speed on this particular machine is around 130 km/h... that's when it's @ 2100 rpm. And if one is aware of their sourroundings, it purrs along at 150 km/hr @ 2250 rpm.

Imagine! When someone asks you what kind of bike you ride when your helmet sits on the table of your local pub or restaurant... You smile and tell them... It's a Chevy. It's as reliable as a car or truck, it's more powerful than any motorcycle built in a factory. And if you are the shy type, it's best to park the bike at the back of any building... because you'll be like a movie star... people will come up to you with a myrad of questions. (Although, no one has asked me for my autograph yet...) If you like to chat... it's a definite ice breaker. I've had over 12 women that wanted to get a picture of me on the bike... but I tell them that I'd gladly take a picture of THEM sitting on the bike, only if they promise me to send me a copy. I got a few sent to me so far.

Will the girls flock all over you? Maybe. But if they do, it's because you are better looking than me. I've found that most women of all ages like what they see (in the bike, that is), but many of them don't really know what they are looking at. But when they Hear the bike, two things occur. Most gaze over in curiosity, because it sounds like a race car. Or... they roll up the window of thier cars, because of the annoying noise... So it's clear, It's better to attract the attention of those that look on with interest. Right?

Fuel milage? Yes. You will get miles out of the fuel. on the 502ci, it's been getting me about 22 mpg when I behave and cruise at around 130 kph. In town is a different story... it's difficult to track the mileage... but who cares? I also found that the rpms don't increase much at all in the mountains climbing steep hills and such... so the mileage still hovers around 22 mpg.

If you ever consider trying and buying a Boss Hoss, be it a 350 or a 502 (if they come available), you will likey not want to ride other bikes. If you are anything like me that is... I've heard of some that love ALL the bikes they own, and take their Boss Hoss out for a little rip, but still ride a Harley on a daily basis. Now that I've experienced the Boss... I don't ride anything else, unless a buddy want's me to ride their bike home while they catch a cab after too many in the pub.

I'm going to leave you with this final thought, I've ridden that old Shovel for 30 years, and will ride this Boss Hoss 502 until I'm too old to ride anymore. So if you are serious about a Boss Hoss, make sure you have the finances secure to buy one... because once Barry lets you ride one, it will be all you'll think about!

The following email from Bryan Ward, dated April 2002 was sent to me the day after I twisted his arm to demo ride my 2002 Boss Hoss in Bragg Creek, Alberta. It is complete and unaltered with the exception of fixing spelling errors. BTW...Bryan phoned me October 7th, 2002 and ordered a new 2004 Boss Hoss, I guess he should not have done the demo!!! Happens to anyone who rides these V8 cruisers.

"Well rider's, it's almost time to dust off the bike and get ready for this summer. I had mine out yesterday and rode to Bragg Creek, as did about 200 or 300 more.

I really have to brag about my day. When I got there, Barry Radu of Boss Hoss V8 Motorcycles was there with his V8 motorcycle. I had talked to Barry on previous occasions and I chatted with him again yesterday, mostly about this motorcycle. This "rocket" has a 350 cubic inch ZZ4 Chevy V8 engine in it with 385 horsepower. It also has a 2 speed automatic transmission. Then he asked me if I wanted to take it for a ride. My heart skipped a beat and the adrenalin started pumping instantly. I thought that I couldn't pass this up and of course I said yes.

After a brief lesson on how to operate the bike, I got on it and started it. By now I'm ready for a heart attack. There was about 50 people watching and I thought if I drop this 1100 pound bike in front of all these people, I'll never hear the end of it. Amazingly enough, the bike is very well balanced and is actually easier to lift off the side stand to upright than my Heritage is. Holding the front brake. I put it into gear, released the brake and it started to roll forward. I couldn't believe how easy it was to ride slow.

I got out to#22 and headed North, eased the throttle and in about 5 seconds I was at 70 MPH. Then I shifted to 2nd gear and cruised. Awesome!

I turned around at the golf course and got in behind 3 cars. I decide that I had to try this thing out. I dropped back to 1st gear at 60MPH and pulled out to pass. I didn't want to spin the back tire at that speed so I eased it wide open over about 3 seconds. After the 4th second the secondaries on the 4 barell carb opened and now I'm at 100 MPH. I shifted to 2nd gear and opened it up again for 2 seconds and let off at 130 MPH. By now my heart rate felt like 150 BPM and my eyeballs were rattling in my head.

As I slowed down to pullback into Bragg Creek, I was laughing uncontrolably. I've never ridden or driven anything like this in my life and I still have a grin on my face that probably won't go away for quite a while. If you've never seen or heard of this bike, go to www.bosshoss.net and check it out. This bike I rode yesterday is also for sale. You can call Barry at 850-6230.
Just to give you an idea what this bike is capable of : 0-60 MPH in 2 seconds. 0-100 MPH in 6 seconds. Top speed is over 220 MPH. The bike can also be ordered with a 502 Cid V8 with 502 HP. If you add nitrous oxide, it adds 145 more horses. If you have the need for speed, this is as good as it gets."

Bryan Ward
Cochrane, Alberta, Canada

UPDATE....The following email was recieved Wednesday April 14, 2004 from the above person who now has some miles on his new 2004 Boss Hoss and here is what he had to say....word for word:

"Back in April 2003, I had the opportunity to try out a Boss Hoss Cycle and it absolutely blew me away. In fact it impressed me so much that I ordered a new one from Boss Hoss V8 Motorcycles of Calgary in October 2003. The bike arrived in January this year and spent the winter getting painted and appearing in a few bike shows.

But winter is now pretty much over and I've had it out quite a bit already.

I've owned quite a few bikes over the years, but none of them even come close to this new Boss Hoss. This bike is by far the wildest thing I've ever ridden and of course the most fun. With a 385 Horsepower Chevy V8 motor between your legs you would have to believe that this bike would go like hell. And it does! How about 0-125 MPH in about 7 seconds in 1st gear? Then you would slow down and shift to 2nd and cruise at whatever speed you want as long as the law doesn't catch you. The bike uses a 2 speed automatic transmission built by Nesco with a reverse gear as well, and a wide Gates drive belt to the back wheel.

This bike gives you the best of both worlds. It is extremely fast (200+ MPH) for one thing and the second thing is, it's an amazingly comfortable cruising and touring bike. With a fairing and a windshield, you can run a lot of miles in a day without being totally bagged at the end of it. It's surprisingly quiet, even though it has headers and a wide open dual exhaust system. Headwinds and crosswinds are not an issue on a Boss Hoss. The bike has so much power, that you just give it some more gas and it cuts through the wind like a sharp knife. At 1100 pounds, crosswinds are barely noticeable. It's like driving a Mack Truck as opposed to a Volkswagen. The stability at highway speeds is excellent.

A lot of people think you have to be a big tall guy to ride this bike. Not true. Boss Hoss has built the bike with adjustable foot pegs, so you can place them where it's comfortable, depending on how long your legs are. With a seat height of 28" you certainly don't have to be 6'4" to ride it. There are even a few women who ride these bikes. It's surprisingly easy to lift off the side stand because of the low center of gravity. It's also very well balanced and very easy to ride at slow speeds, like in a parking lot for example. With the automatic transmission, it's as easy as driving the family car. To make it stop, it has huge Brembo brakes on it with twin 12 ½" discs on the front and a single 12 1/2'" disc on the rear.

Besides being a lot of fun to ride, it looks great too. I got a company called Paint Druid in Drayton Valley, Alberta to do the paint. (www.paintdruid.com) These guys are friends of Mike Lavallee, the guy who painted Jesse James Ford Excursion on Monster Garage. His website is www.killerpaint.com. Mike developed this airbrushed flame job and gave the recipe to the guys in Drayton Valley. There are about 8 or 9 different colours in the flames, as well as lots of clearcoat to help keep it looking good. The factory in Tennessee that manufactures the bike (www.bosshoss.com) did their part to make it look good too. There is a ton of chrome on it, including the alternator, water pump, oil filter, rocker covers, forks and a lot more. It also has polished aluminum wheels and radiator.

A lot of people find this bike intimidating because of the size, the weight and the power. It's not a bike for a novice rider and it's definitely not for people minimal common sense. You don't have to ride this thing at WOT (wide open throttle) all the time. You can get yourself into trouble real fast on this bike if you do stupid things. But if you respect the amount of power available at the slightest twist of the wrist, you will find it a truly awesome bike to ride. I can guarantee you that if you test ride one of these bikes you will be instantly hooked like I was. If you have no intentions of buying one of these beautiful bikes, then don't ride one. If you do, you will be tormented constantly until you own one. If you buy one you might as well sell your other bike(s) because you won't want to ride it / them any more. They'll just sit in the garage collecting dust. You'll be automatically drawn to the Boss Hoss every time you go out there!"

Bryan Ward
Cochrane, Alberta, Canada