Design Development

...of a new type of motorcycle that would have the capability of traversing
rough terrain as well as reaching a speed of 300 miles per hour.



The first thing any designer does is research the item to be designed. I soon suggested
that this multi-role machine would need two real-world bikes to be the muscle underneath.
I further suggested a Honda shaft-driven street bike and one of their dirt bikes.

The  Bike was constructed by Gene Winfield's 'Rod and Custom Construction, Inc.'
and when they got a dirt bike, I asked it I could take some shots of it and a rider
so I might have something, in my design process, from which to sketch.  
That's Gene, himself, holding the bike and my rider-model.




First Concept
I wanted to give this bike a look to suggest that it could (somehow) generate enough
power to propel it's rider to 300 mph, as required in the show's premise.  This is the
earliest sketch, in the series, that I could find,..apparently not having documented my
usual initial scribbles..




Second  Concept
This is mostly a refinement of that first direction.  Right away, I was concerned about
incorporating streamlined wheels, and a back section of the seat that would rise up, at
high speeds, in order to support the rider.  I also designed the back wheel support in a
way that it might cover the (proposed) two different drive systems.  I imagined that the
bike would morph between the two extremes,. high suspension/handle bars and chain
for dirt, morphing down to low suspension/handle bars and shaft for high speed street work.




Final Design
The producers unexpectedly fell in LOVE with a set of wheels they'd seen in some magazine and just had
to have them on Streethawk.  I explained that it relegated the 'super-drive' system to a standard chain drive
and they didn't have a problem with that.  Subsequently, this next & final design included their special wheel
& brake system and was approved.  From that point a 'line' version of the drawing was blown up to full size
and used to construct the body of the show vehicle.

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