Ferrari F355-Powered V8 Motorcycle from Hazan Motorworks…
Maxwell Hazan of Hazan Motorworks is a living legend of motorcycle customization. Born in Long Island, New York, in 1981, and now located in LA, Hazan builds some of the most distinctive, compelling two-wheeled creations on the planet.
“As far back as I can remember, I have been obsessed with creating things, from boats to planes and cars I was always making whatever my imagination could think up.” -Max Hazan
He began building custom motorcycles as a hobby, working out of the back of my father’s woodshop while running an interior design and contracting company in Manhattan. Eventually he moved to a small shop space in Brooklyn and turned his bike-building dream into a full-time profession, relocating to Los Angeles in 2012.
“Every bike that I create is one of one, made by my own two hands here in my workshop, each bike is unique and never replicated. I push myself to make something new with every project and build the most interesting designs that I can think of in the most elegant way possible.”
Hazan is revered in the customs scene, and he’s one of the rare builders who attracts fans outside beyond the motorcycling world. For instance, the late, great Anthony Bourdain held Hazan’s work in high regard.
“You only need to look at [Hazan’s bikes} to understand the work he puts into them, that every piece is made by hand—it’s apparent at first glance. They ride unlike any bike I’ve ever experienced… But they’re also entirely functional. There are no extraneous design features on his bikes. Everything works, everything has a purpose. They’re pretty minimal and beautiful.” -Anthony Bourdain, Robb Report
Hazan is currently working on what might be his most mind-blowing creation yet, the “HF355” — a bike built around a Ferrari F355 V8 engine. The mid-engine F355 debuted in 1994 as a successor to the Ferrari 348. The 3.5L longitudinally-mounted 90° V8, designed by Paolo Martinelli, boasted a five-valve cylinder head, titanium connecting rods, 11:1 compression, and an output of 375 horsepower and 268 pound-feet of torque.
The engine’s 180-degree crankshaft produces equal firing intervals on each cylinder bank, which makes for an especially spine-tingling exhaust note. Car and Driver once said it sounds “more like a demented four-cylinder motorcycle” than a NASCAR at full song.
“Once you’ve discovered how readily the 3.5-liter V-8 spins to its 8500-rpm redline, you begin to exploit the car’s long, delicious blasts of power in each gear. The experience is intense, accompanied by the frenzy of a 40-valve engine with a full repertoire of scalp-prickling harmonics.” –Car and Driver
Of course, building a motorcycle around such a large, potent powerplant is no walk in the park. Much like Allen Millyard with his Viper V10 bike, Hazan has opted to use the engine as a stressed member, with a minimalist chassis that puts the big V8 on full display.
Highlights include a one-off underslung swingarm with a horizontally-mounted Öhlins rear shock, a seat unit that doubles as the oil tank for the dry-sump engine, custom stainless headers, and radiators mounted under the engine, which will be cooled by two electric fans and an electric water pump controlled by the ECU.
The wheelbase is 63 inches axle to axle — about the same as an adventure bike — and the bike weighs 501 pounds without bodywork.
“It’s about five inches longer than a sportbike, but I tried to get everything as tight as possible.”
As for bodywork, Hazan is thinking something along a MotoGP Moto2 bike. If the bike remains just north of 500 pounds, the power-to-weight to ratio is going to be insane.
“It’s pretty wild when you think about a modern sports car…would have to have 2500 horsepower to match this thing. So I’m looking forward to it.” -Hazan
Unlike Millyard, Hazan doesn’t have a YouTube channel where he documents the process of his builds, but he’s been posting some tantalizing teasers of the “HF355” on his other social channels. Our favorite so far? A bit of dyno testing at Rottweiler Performance:
“We were just doing some mapping here but the rear tire says it all… That’s a f*cking motorcycle…”
Make sure to follow Max Hazan at the links below to keep updated about the HF355 — we can’t wait to see it in action!
Follow Hazan Motorworks
Web: www.hazanmotorworks.com
Instagram: @maxwellhazan
Facebook: Hazan Motorworks
impressive but I’d much rather see Hazan apply his talents to something like the Aussie PGM v8 that is a much more capable motorcycle with a shorter wheelbase, comparable hp, lighter weight, & arguably a more unique sound