You know, when you look at certain vehicles, knowing nothing about them, you can just tell their country of origin. When you look at a Mercedes-Benz, it looks German. There's something about a Citroën or a Renault--they just look French. And when you see a 1200-pound motorcycle with a big V8 engine, it can be from only one country: the good old U.S. of A.

America has a surplus of V8s; we have more of them than we know what to do with. In other countries, a four-cylinder is sufficient, a six is a big deal. But a V8 is American power. When Ferrari first got a V8, the hot-rod guys said, "A Ferrari with a V8? You mean a Camaro?" So, since we have so many V8s, why not put them to good use, like sticking them in motorcycles?

And that's what the folks at Boss Hoss have done. This is the American entrepreneurial spirit. Monte Warne, the guy who started Boss Hoss, was a crop-duster and an aircraft mechanic. He came up with an idea--building V8-powered motorcycles--in 1990 and turned it into a successful enterprise. He began with a small-block Chevy engine and has since gone large: My bike has a 502-hp, 502-cu.-in. big block. I tell people, "The 350's my wife's bike."

The guys at Boss Hoss didn't invent this idea. Aviation and automotive pioneer Glenn Curtiss did it first, back in 1907. And remember that 1950s black-and-white picture of the enormous road hog? You know, the fat guy wearing a motorcycle cap, going down the road. There's just something so genuinely American about it.

Surprisingly, as big and heavy as it is, the Boss Hoss seems to work quite well. The sitting position is actually quite comfortable. From an engineering point of view, it's extremely well thought out. It doesn't overheat. It stops fine. It's not in the least bit dangerous. It doesn't vibrate, things don't crack or break off; it's really quite road-worthy. The weight is down fairly low so it handles much better than it has any right to. I've used this analogy before, but it's like square-dancing with a fat lady. The fact that she does it at all is astounding. People say, "Look at that. It's unbelievable!"