When you’re surrounded by motorcycle news day in and day out, very few stories make you stop in your tracks and go "no way." That’s how I felt when I first saw the Allen Millyard Dodge Viper V10 motorcycle back in the day. It’s a proper missile, powered by an actual 8-liter Dodge Viper V10 engine. But the fact that it was built by Millyard himself adds to its prestige.
For those who might not be too familiar with Millyard, he is one of the most prominent people in the motorcycling world. He’s an engineer, a television presenter, and more recently, a YouTuber.
The Millyard Viper V10 was built in 2009, which means Millyard owned the spectacle for over 17 years, riding it over 9,000 miles (14,500 km), including trips to Guernsey, the Isle of Wight, and a lap of the TT course on the Isle of Man. At a recently concluded H&H Classics auction in Solihull, the motorcycle went for £130,000 (US$175,272). Factor in the premium and additional fees, and the overall price came to a whopping £149,500 (US$201,563).
What does the new owner get? A V10 engine that produces 507 hp (373 kW) and 525 lb.ft (712 Nm). That’s Porsche 911 Carrera GTS and Jaguar F-Type R performance on two wheels.
That power comes from an 8.0-liter 20-valve pushrod V10 sourced from a second-generation (1990s) Dodge Viper GTS. It’s a massive powerplant weighing over 700 lb (318 kg) on its own, bringing the complete bike to just over 1,300 lb (600 kg).
Remarkably, there is no traditional transmission. Millyard chose a single, fixed ratio, relying entirely on the engine's massive, low-end torque. He also replaced the stock cast-iron flywheel with a custom aluminum unit after the extreme reaction torque nearly threw him off during initial testing.
Depending on the rear sprocket fitted, the bike's potential top speed can be geared anywhere from 160 mph (257 km/h) to a theoretical 270+ mph (434 km/h).
In practice, the bike's tested solo top speed was recorded at 207.101 mph (333.3 km/h) by MCN speed tester Bruce Dunn at Bruntingthorpe in 2009. Later, in 2023, Millyard and Henry Cole set a Guinness World Record for the fastest speed on a tandem motorcycle, hitting 183.5 mph (295.3 km/h) two-up at Elvington Airfield.
The suspension setup is, of course, custom-made, considering none of what was already on the market would be able to cope with a bike like this. That means there are 75-mm-diameter stanchions at the front. These come from JCB hydraulic cylinders – no kidding! The damper rods are from an Opel Omega, with the springs from Hagon.
At the rear, you’ve got two Yamaha R1 shocks adapted for the Viper V10, with hand-built, ceramic-coated headers featuring a high-temperature ceramic layer for heat shielding – the same thing used on space shuttles.
Prior to the auction, Millyard acknowledged that selling the bike was a "very difficult decision," even though it will help fund future endeavors. The motorcycle ultimately went to Tim Whittaker, who plans to lend it to the National Motorcycle Museum during the winter for visitors to admire.
"When I first saw the V10 Viper a few years ago, I immediately recognized I was looking at an incredible feat of engineering," Whittaker said. "With my background in automotive engineering, I couldn't quite believe that one person had designed and built something so extraordinary.
"When I heard it was coming up for auction, I knew it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I didn't want to see such an iconic motorcycle disappear into a private collection. It deserves to be ridden and enjoyed, and I'm looking forward to learning from Allen how to ride it properly."
It’s reassuring to know the Viper V10 will be owned by someone who intends to ride it, as opposed to polishing it and letting it sit in a garage. Although I’m sure he’d need some sort of heat-resistant pants to ride the thing without setting himself on fire.
Source: National Motorcycle Museum UK
