Max Hazan’s 400bhp Ferrari-engined motorcycle sells for $500,000
Built in Los Angeles by custom bike builder Max Hazan, the Ferrari-engined HF355 produces 400bhp, tops out at a claimed 187mph and has just sold for more than $500,000.
Los Angeles custom bike builder Max Hazan has revealed his latest creation, a hand-built motorcycle powered by a Ferrari F355 V8 engine, has just sold for more than $500,000 – around £375,000.
Built over an 18-month period in California, the one-off machine uses a naturally aspirated 3.5-litre Ferrari-derived V8 producing around 400 bhp, revving to 8,500 rpm and driving through a six-speed sequential gearbox. The finished bike weighs a claimed 585 lbs (265 kg) dry and is geared for a top speed of 187 mph.
The project reportedly began after Hazan spotted the Ferrari engine listed on eBay while searching for, of all things, an engine for a BSA! After seeing it in person, he realised the engine was smaller and more compact than expected, convincing him the idea could actually work.
Named after the Ferrari F355 donor car, the HF355 ditches a traditional motorcycle frame entirely, instead using the V8 engine as a fully stressed chassis component. A chromoly trellis front section bolts directly to the engine, while the rear suspension and transmission mount straight to the back of the motor.
Unlike many modern customs, much of the bike was designed and fabricated by hand using manual mills and traditional machining equipment. Hazan even had to repeatedly redesign custom spline shafts linking the Ferrari crankshaft to the gearbox after early versions failed during testing.
The electronics were also built from scratch. The original Ferrari systems were removed in favour of a bespoke fuel injection and ignition setup controlled by an AMP EFI MS3Pro ECU.
Visually, the bike is just as extreme as its specification suggests. The bodywork consists of 16 individually made carbon fibre panels shaped by hand before being resin-infused using aerospace-style manufacturing methods. Hazan also worked with a composites specialist connected to SpaceX during development.
Suspension comes from Öhlins, with FGR forks and a TTX rear shock, while braking is handled by Brembo GP4X calipers and lightweight Marchesini wheels complete the package.
Despite the bike’s outrageous layout and performance figures, Hazan says it remains surprisingly manageable at lower speeds, although he admits things become considerably less civilised once the throttle is fully opened.
Images: Hazen Motorworks
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Simon (AKA Toad) has been working within the motorcycle industry for more than twelve years, and a member of the motorcyclist family since birth. Growing up around British-built single and twins, it was inevitable that a life on two wheels was on the cards, from a very early age!
