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There is no such place as Amnesia, Iowa. The auction was at Anamosa, Iowa. I know this because I was an attendee.
 
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{{Infobox motorcycle
{{multiple issues|
|name = Roadog
{{Orphan|date=February 2009}}
|image =
{{No footnotes|date=July 2009}}
|alt =
|caption =
|aka =
|manufacturer = Wild Bill Gelbke<ref name="trib">{{cite news|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/2001/07/08/it-aint-nothin-but-a-roadog/|title=It ain't nothin' but a Roadog|last=Mueller|first=Jim|date=July 8, 2001|work=Chicago Tribune|access-date=14 April 2016}}</ref>
|parent_company =
|production = 1965
|assembly =
|predecessor =
|successor =
|class =
|engine = {{convert|2512|cc|cuin|1|abbr=on|disp=flip}} [[Chevrolet 153 4-cylinder engine|Chevrolet I-4]]
|bore_stroke = {{convert|3.875|in|mm|3|abbr=on}}<br/>{{convert|3.25|in|mm|2|abbr=on}}
|compression =
|top_speed =
|power =
|torque =
|ignition =
|transmission = 2-speed [[Powerglide]]
|frame =
|suspension =
|brakes =
|tires =
|rake_trail =
|wheelbase =
|length = {{convert|17|ft|cm}}
|width =
|height =
|seat_height =
|dry_weight = {{convert|3280|lb|kg}}
|wet_weight =
|fuel_capacity =
|oil_capacity =
|fuel_consumption =
|turning_radius =
|related =
|sp =
}}
}}


'''Roadog''' is a motorcycle built by engineer and motorcycle enthusiast [[Wild Bill Gelbke]] between 1962 and 1965. A total of two were built. Gelbke, who had attended engineering school in Wisconsin and at [[University of Southern California]], had worked for [[McDonnell Douglas]] and also owned two motorcycle shops in [[Chicago]] and [[Hammond, Indiana]]. He wanted to create a motorcycle that was dependable and was able to cruise at highway speeds comfortably for long periods.<ref name="walneck">{{cite news|url=http://www.walneckswap.com/miscpage_001.asp|title=What in the World is "Roadog"?|last=Walneck|first=Buzz|work=walneckswap.com|accessdate=14 April 2016}}</ref> Gelbe constructed and welded the frame himself using 4130 chrome-molybdenum tubing, and equipped the machine with a [[Chevrolet 153 4-cylinder engine|Chevrolet 153]] engine and GM [[powerglide]] transmission.<ref name="trib"/> The shaft drive was constructed from a Chevrolet 1-ton truck differential that was cut in half.<ref name="trib"/> The complete bike is {{convert|17|ft|cm}} long and weighs {{convert|3280|lb|kg}}.<ref name="trib"/> Its great size and weight make the bike impossible for most people to steer until it is moving at a speed of at least {{convert|15|mph|kph}}, and when at rest it is held up by [[hydraulic ram]]s that are deployed by the driver.
The '''Roadog''' is the world's largest [[motorcycle]]. It is a hand-built, custom machine, and was built by one man, William "Wild Bill" Gelbke.


Gelbke was known for riding the bike up and down [[Cicero Avenue]] and [[Addison Street]] in Chicago in the 1960s, and he made regular cross-country trips on it from 1966 through 1978,<ref name="trib"/> logging over 20,000 miles in one year.<ref name="msi">{{cite web|url=http://www.msichicago.org/scrapbook/scrapbook_exhibits/roadog/index.html|title=Roadog|work=Museum Archives|publisher=Museum of Science and Industry|accessdate=14 April 2016|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20040224181329/http://www.msichicago.org/scrapbook/scrapbook_exhibits/roadog/|archivedate=February 24, 2004}}</ref> When he was killed by police in 1978,<ref>{{cite web |last1=Constantine |first1=Craig |title=Revealed |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wHSDST9VvU8C&q=history+channel+gelbke&pg=RA3-PA80 |website=Cycle World Magazine |date=January 2003 |publisher=Cycle World |access-date=3 May 2024}}</ref> the bikes were put into storage.<ref name="trib"/> Posters depicting Gelbke on a Roadog were a popular item among classic motorcycle enthusiasts; in the mid 1980s, motorcycle enthusiast and swap meet organizer Buzz Walneck began searching for the motorcycle, finally placing an ad in his monthly magazine [[Walneck's Classic Cycle Trader]], receiving a tip and discovering a bike at the home of Gelbke's mother. He purchased it and has displayed it at his swap meets and motorcycle shows.<ref name="trib"/> Walnek later sold his bike to the [[National Motorcycle Museum (Anamosa, Iowa)|National Motorcycle Museum]], where it was on display<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.nationalmcmuseum.org/roadog-lives-at-the-national-motorcycle-museum/|title = RoaDog Lives at the National Motorcycle Museum|date = 30 April 2016}}</ref> until being sold at auction in 2023. The other Roadog is privately owned by a Wisconsin man named Anthony Shablak, who "bought it to ride it" but has been unable to find an insurer to cover it.<ref name="constantine">{{cite news|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wHSDST9VvU8C&q=history+channel+gelbke&pg=RA3-PA80|title=Roadog Revealed|last=Constantine|first=Craig|date=January 2003|work=Cycle World|accessdate=15 April 2016}}</ref>
==The Builder==


Roadog introduced several firsts to motorcycle design, including dual headlights, automatic transmission with reverse gear, the hydraulic stands, and front and rear disc brakes.<ref name="msi"/> In 2001, Roadog was displayed in a special exhibit at the [[Museum of Science and Industry (Chicago)|Museum of Science and Industry]] in Chicago.<ref name="msi"/>
Born in Wisconsin, "Wild Bill" Gelbke graduated from college in Wisconsin as an electronic engineer and moved out to California for additional schooling at a Southern California University. After which, he worked as an aircraft engineer for McDonnell Douglas and Hughes Aircraft. It was during this time he decided to turn his talents towards motorcycles. In the early 1960s he relocated from Los Angeles to Chicago, and opened up his own shop, the Gelbke Motorcycle Co.


The Roadog was offered for sale at an auction which took place on September 9, 2023, in Anamosa, Iowa.
He had a vision of what motorcycles of the future would become, and decided to make a prototype. This was the genesis of what he called "Roadog".


It was later purchased on a second chance offer by Sean Kerr of the YouTube channel Bikes and Beards, announced via YouTube video on October 20, 2023.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NHJ7PtgXSZ|title = I Bought the Legendary "ROADOG" Motorcycle(to Ride)| website=[[YouTube]] |accessdate= 20 October 2023}}</ref> Kerr brought the Roadog to Matt Walksler of the Wheels Through Time Motorcycle Museum<ref>{{Citation |title=Can We Revive AND RIDE The World's Biggest Motorcycle? (17 feet long) |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3hP6kHerS-E |access-date=2023-10-21 |language=en}}</ref> to refurbish it to running and driving condition. Kerr won the honors of first driving the bike, then Walksler, with the latter referring to the experience as "the scariest thing [he's] ever done".
Unlike conventional motorcycles which had a tube steel construction, Wild Bill chose 4130 chrome-molybdenum tubing for the frame. Starting in 1962, he began to assemble his custom motorcycle. It was powered by a 152 cubic inch (2.4L) four-cylinder engine from a [[Chevy Nova]] II. It featured a two-speed Automatic [[PowerGlide]] transmission and included a reverse gear. The bike also had shaft drive.


Walksler ended up buying the bike from Kerr, and it is expected{{When|date=December 2023|reason=is it currently? i cant find any info about this, and the previous revision that im working from says that its going to in the future. pls add}} that the Roadog will be displayed at Wheels Through Time.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Wheels Through Time Museum |url=https://wheelsthroughtime.com/ |access-date=2023-10-21 |website=Wheels Through Time |language=en-US}}</ref>
When it was finished, the Roadog weighed a phenomenal 3,280&nbsp;lbs. Due to its enormous weight, Gelbke couldn't use a conventional [[kickstand]]; instead, he installed four [[hydraulic ram]]s, one at each corner, controlled by the rider.


== References ==
Featuring a 126&nbsp;inch wheelbase, and a length of over 17 feet, the massive bike had a turning radius of 110 feet.
{{reflist}}


[[Category:Motorcycles designed by Wild Bill Gelbke]]
With the intent of making it a cruising bike, Gelbke immediately took it on the road, covering over 20,000 miles the first year. The bike was seen in most of the Southern United States, making trips to Los Angeles, Texas, Louisiana, and New Jersey.
[[Category:Motorcycles introduced in the 1960s]]

==Roadog II==

<!-- Commented out because image was deleted: [[File:Roadog 2.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Roadog II. Notice the cans of [[Blatz Beer]] covering the fork ends]] -->

Roadog II was a complete rebuild of the original Roadog. The second motorcycle was completed in 1965, with some lessons learned from the original Roadog being employed. The front shocks were reduced from four to two springs. Also a crossbar was added to the hydraulic rams, making it easier to level the bike.

Because of the size and unusual drive characteristics of this bike, there were only a few people who were ever able to ride it. Buzz Walneck of Walneck's Cycle Trader, a publication famous for their variety of vintage and unusual motorcycles acquired the bike and rode it in 2005.

==The Auto Four==
The Auto Four was Bill's attempt at a production model. There were 7 or 8 built in total.

SPECIFICS:

Engine: Inline 4 cylinder, liquid cooled 1275 cc British Leland engine with lots of torque and horsepower. The bike is not fast off of the line but has a vibration free cruising speed of 90&nbsp;mph. Shaft driven to BMW universal mounted to rear wheel hub.

Ride: Some had a similar suspension to the Roadog and some used Harley suspension both front and rear.

Frame: Hand made frame, swing arm, gas tanks (2½ gallon on the front and 12½ gallon capacity on the back.

Lights: Brake lights in back are eight 1959 Cadillac bullet taillights. Yellow front running lights on separate switch. Truck styled turn signals in back and bullet light turn signals in front. Set of 2 GM head lights.

Seat and Saddlebags: Original Harley seat and specially made saddlebags

Tires: both front and rear are 5x16.

Weight: About 1000&nbsp;lbs.

==Aftermath==

In 1978, William Gelbke was shot and killed by local police in a [[domestic dispute]]. The bikes disappeared, only remembered by occasional reprints of photographs and posters. Finally in the mid-1990s they resurfaced, and are owned by private collectors. The Roaddog once again has resurfaced in 2013. Steve "Doc" Hopkins has bought it and has placed it in his museum for the public to see at Doc's Harley-Davidson of Shawano County. Doc was also able to purchase one of the Auto Four and that is also in the museum for the public to see.

The original Roadog surfaced and was featured in [[Motorcyclist (magazine)]]. Contributing author John Burns rode Roadog, promptly tipping it in a cul-de-sac; the bike suffered minimal damage. One of Burns' comments on its handling characteristics was "You have to be an Olympic weightlifter to move the bars while standing still; once moving, you have to be an Olympic weightlifter to move the bars".

==External links==
*[http://www.factoryfat.com/wildbillgelbke.html Factoryfat.com]
*[http://www.msichicago.org/scrapbook/scrapbook_exhibits/roadog/index.html Appearance in 2001 at the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry]
*[http://www.roadog.com/roadog/wildbill.asp Walneck Swap]
* [http://www.walneckswap.com/miscpage_001.asp What in the World is "Roadog"?]
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[[Category:American motorcycles]]

Latest revision as of 00:56, 21 November 2024

Roadog
ManufacturerWild Bill Gelbke[1]
Production1965
Engine153.3 cu in (2,512 cc) Chevrolet I-4
Bore / stroke3.875 in (98.425 mm)
3.25 in (82.55 mm)
Transmission2-speed Powerglide
DimensionsL: 17 feet (520 cm)
Weight3,280 pounds (1,490 kg) (dry)

Roadog is a motorcycle built by engineer and motorcycle enthusiast Wild Bill Gelbke between 1962 and 1965. A total of two were built. Gelbke, who had attended engineering school in Wisconsin and at University of Southern California, had worked for McDonnell Douglas and also owned two motorcycle shops in Chicago and Hammond, Indiana. He wanted to create a motorcycle that was dependable and was able to cruise at highway speeds comfortably for long periods.[2] Gelbe constructed and welded the frame himself using 4130 chrome-molybdenum tubing, and equipped the machine with a Chevrolet 153 engine and GM powerglide transmission.[1] The shaft drive was constructed from a Chevrolet 1-ton truck differential that was cut in half.[1] The complete bike is 17 feet (520 cm) long and weighs 3,280 pounds (1,490 kg).[1] Its great size and weight make the bike impossible for most people to steer until it is moving at a speed of at least 15 miles per hour (24 km/h), and when at rest it is held up by hydraulic rams that are deployed by the driver.

Gelbke was known for riding the bike up and down Cicero Avenue and Addison Street in Chicago in the 1960s, and he made regular cross-country trips on it from 1966 through 1978,[1] logging over 20,000 miles in one year.[3] When he was killed by police in 1978,[4] the bikes were put into storage.[1] Posters depicting Gelbke on a Roadog were a popular item among classic motorcycle enthusiasts; in the mid 1980s, motorcycle enthusiast and swap meet organizer Buzz Walneck began searching for the motorcycle, finally placing an ad in his monthly magazine Walneck's Classic Cycle Trader, receiving a tip and discovering a bike at the home of Gelbke's mother. He purchased it and has displayed it at his swap meets and motorcycle shows.[1] Walnek later sold his bike to the National Motorcycle Museum, where it was on display[5] until being sold at auction in 2023. The other Roadog is privately owned by a Wisconsin man named Anthony Shablak, who "bought it to ride it" but has been unable to find an insurer to cover it.[6]

Roadog introduced several firsts to motorcycle design, including dual headlights, automatic transmission with reverse gear, the hydraulic stands, and front and rear disc brakes.[3] In 2001, Roadog was displayed in a special exhibit at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago.[3]

The Roadog was offered for sale at an auction which took place on September 9, 2023, in Anamosa, Iowa.

It was later purchased on a second chance offer by Sean Kerr of the YouTube channel Bikes and Beards, announced via YouTube video on October 20, 2023.[7] Kerr brought the Roadog to Matt Walksler of the Wheels Through Time Motorcycle Museum[8] to refurbish it to running and driving condition. Kerr won the honors of first driving the bike, then Walksler, with the latter referring to the experience as "the scariest thing [he's] ever done".

Walksler ended up buying the bike from Kerr, and it is expected[when?] that the Roadog will be displayed at Wheels Through Time.[9]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d e f g Mueller, Jim (July 8, 2001). "It ain't nothin' but a Roadog". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 14 April 2016.
  2. ^ Walneck, Buzz. "What in the World is "Roadog"?". walneckswap.com. Retrieved 14 April 2016.
  3. ^ a b c "Roadog". Museum Archives. Museum of Science and Industry. Archived from the original on February 24, 2004. Retrieved 14 April 2016.
  4. ^ Constantine, Craig (January 2003). "Revealed". Cycle World Magazine. Cycle World. Retrieved 3 May 2024.
  5. ^ "RoaDog Lives at the National Motorcycle Museum". 30 April 2016.
  6. ^ Constantine, Craig (January 2003). "Roadog Revealed". Cycle World. Retrieved 15 April 2016.
  7. ^ "I Bought the Legendary "ROADOG" Motorcycle(to Ride)". YouTube. Retrieved 20 October 2023.
  8. ^ Can We Revive AND RIDE The World's Biggest Motorcycle? (17 feet long), retrieved 2023-10-21
  9. ^ "Wheels Through Time Museum". Wheels Through Time. Retrieved 2023-10-21.
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