Motorcycle specifications Al HackelHackel-Wright Chopper 1700 2023 Anti-molar

the custom bike is the perfect vehicle for all kinds of customization (hence the name), eccentricity and mechanical delirium. Its cult motorization is the V2, but many Geo Trouvetou have grafted on propellers of all kinds. Sometimes even the bewildering fruit of their imagination and/or creativity.

take Al Hackel. This American is neither an engineer working for a manufacturer, nor a tuner. Quite simply, he's a gifted enthusiast who wanted to build himself a chopper with an improbable engine: a HUGE single-cylinder, in crazy dimensions. Its block reaches 1700 cm3! Almost as big as a Harley twin.

let's take a look at the hierarchy of monos. Currently, in series production, this type of engine in large, muscular displacement reaches 692 cm3 at KTM and 659 cm3 at Ducati. Suzuki reached 779 cm3 for its DR 800 S "Big". To see bigger, you have to look to the designers, such as Franz Langer, who modified an NSU Konsul 500 engine to create his 2000 cm3 block installed in his Bison motorcycle; or Claus Mees, who reached madness with his HG 3000 and its piston moving in 3034 cm3.

its spectacular figures can't stand comparison with the Hackel-Wright for one simple reason: quality and finish. Al Hackel's chopper is spectacularly clean and essential. The high level of assembly and the attention paid to every part of the bike testify to a concern for the artistic rather than the mechanical. Elegance and simplicity sometimes go too far. The machine has forgotten the notion of trust, leaving the front wheel without a braking system. Only a car drum installed in the rear wheel can try to slow the machine down.

what's more, this engine is so "clean" and polished that it seems to be the forbidden fruit of an old-time aeronautics enthusiast. In fact, its genesis is somewhat similar to this idea. To design this exceptional "bruiser", Al came across an aircraft engine cylinder head while surfing eBay. Using this component from a Wright R-975-46, our Illinois designer built everything around it, including the crankcase, connecting rod, crankshaft and everything else needed to bring the creature to life. For the piston, he adapted one from another aircraft engine, a Continental O-470.

the gas mixture is born in a Weber double-barrel carburetor, then passes through exceptionally long ducts. Then imagine the incredible piston strokes, the forces generated and the crazy vibrations. The energy expended is unknown, as Hackel did not measure the watts of his berlingot. From the power of the original Wright engine, we can awkwardly estimate a 60 hp potato... and a torque distribution that would move a vertebra. The power is then transferred to an old 1947 Harley 4-speed gearbox via an external chain. Another chain finishes the job down to the rear wheel.

the Hackel-Wright Chopper also makes a big splash with its well-built tubular steel frame and impeccable welds. It's clear that Al has mastered his craft. A beautiful parallelogram fork guides the whole thing, while the rigid rear will only spare your lumbar vertebrae thanks to the duo of springs under the seat.

the small fuel tank holds just 9.5 liters of fuel, preferably 100 octane, for airplanes. This surreal motorcycle can easily join the clan of machines driven by passion to an indefinable point of excellence. In a world where performance, marketing, profitability, strategy and industry don't exist - just the motorcycle in an ultra-personal interpretation.

M.B. - Photos: Instagram Al Hackel