Parker Brothers Choppers: If you build it, they will come

As you’ve probably guessed by the ‘Green Machine’ three wheeler, Florida based Parker Brothers Choppers aren’t your usual brand of southern state bike builders. Self confessed movie nuts Shanon and Marc have carved a niche within the chopper niche by building replicas of ‘movie star’ bikes and machines to showcase their passion and technical prowess.

The most successful of the firms bikes is undoubtedly the Tron Light cycle.

A bike that’s identical to the 2010 Hollywood movie prop except that this version isn’t a motionless fibreglass dummy but an actual working, rideable motorcycle. Though judging by the You Tube clips, it’s not the kind of thing you’d want to ride often, even down to the chip shop.

 

 

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Parker Brothers have given up trying to sell it and are instead giving it away…

The three wheeled Green Machine is similarly both impressive and ludicrous. The front wheel drive trike is based on a childs pedal powered go cart ­ instead size 13 Clarks pushing pedals, a Harley 1340EVO motor and six speed transmission running two long chains drive the 47 inch front wheel. Like the toy, steering is operated by two levers that pivot an articulated rear axle.

The obvious questions is why? The Lightcycle raffle indicates well heeled customers looking to buy unridable machines are few and far between, and we can’t imagine the market for scaled up childrens toys is any more profitable.

But by building ‘the impossible’ Parker Brothers hope to kindle a reputation that will be noticed by Hollywood film studios, a far more lucrative if not more reliable clientele. Though as one of the viewers on the Parker Brothers You Tube channel points out, “if you want to break into Hollywood, don’t live in Florida”.