What do you do when six cylinders just isn’t enough? And, why should the Boss Hoss get all the V8 fun when it comes to motorcycles? Haven’t we all secretly desired an eight-cylinder motorcycle in our garage – if not for just a fleeting moment?
I’m not sure that I would have an affirmative answer to any of these questions, but that doesn’t mean that I think the PGMV8 is any less of an awesome motorcycle.
The brainchild of Paul G. Maloney in Australia, there is a certain amount of crazy that comes hand-in-hand in making a 2.0-liter V8 motorcycles with 334hp and 158 lbs•ft of torque, and it’s the kind of crazy this world needs more of. This is exactly the kind of crazy that the PGMV8 is selling.
If it makes you feel any better, Sir Alan Cathcart says that “it is hard to over-emphasize how thoroughly practical and totally rideable the PGM V8 is in real world conditions.”
We are not sure if “practical” is what were looking for in a 300+ horsepower motorcycle, but it is good to know that one can noodle around town getting groceries and chasing butterflies, before whacking the throttle open and giving that Newton fellow a run for his money.
At 533lbs at the curb, the PGMV8 isn’t the lightest sport bike around, but that is a respectable weight when you consider that the very comparable Kawasaki Ninja H2 tips the scales at 524 lbs, and makes only a mere 228hp (scoff).
Top-shelf components are found on every corner of the machine, including Öhlins FGRT301 forks, and an Öhlins TTX Mk2 shock.
Meanwhile, the wheels are forged aluminum pieces from Marchesini, and the bodywork is made from carbon fiber – obviously. The exhaust is by Akrapovic (and seems to have evolved over time), and we are quite impressed with the TFT dash.
Brembo GP4 brake calipers are at the front, stopping dual 320mm discs, while a Brembo P4 caliper is on the back, mated to a Yamaha YZF-R1 swingarm. Holding the 90°, 1,996cc (77mm x 54mm), eight-cylinder motor is a chrome-moly chassis with an aluminum subframe.
We can’t seem to find word on pricing (there is some suggestion that it retails for $180,000 AUD), though we would imagine that the PGMV8 is one of those “if you have to ask…” sort of affairs.
One thing is for certain though, you will not run into anything else like it on the road.
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