Unknown Choppers, a Texas shop building custom choppers and frames, was looking to fund a new project called Frantom-R, an aggressive looking and sounding enclosed trike intended to provide a driving experience like no other. motorcycle or trike. Its features include a full roll cage, seat with seat belt, touch screen radio, GPS navigation, a rear view video camera, etc. (watch video after the jump)
To raise money they turned to an online company called IndieGoGo. This company, launched in 2008, is a collaborative way to fund ideas. Founded on the principles of opportunity, transparency, choice, and action, IndieGoGo provides all the tools to raise money for any new project/cause/venture.
To turn its Frantom-R project from concept to production and market it faster, Unknown Choppers started a crowd funding campaign on this IndieGoGo website. In just 15 days (out of the total 45 days of the fund raising campaign ending April 6th) they have already raised more than $60,000 while their original goal was $50,000. The extra money raised will go towards more equipment to accelerate the marketing of the Frantom-R enclosed trike. Contributions start at $1 and each funding gives you perks like your name listed on their site, exclusive behind the scene updates during the build process, exclusive t-shirts and much more. So, if you want to participate, go to IndieGoGo Unknown Choppers. If you want to start your own crowd funding campaign for a motorcycle related project, let me know. I will be interested to report your progress in raising money.
Good for them- better to raise money from private investors than ram it down taxpayers throats, hello Chevy Volt…….
That looks cool. I want one.
If you remove all logic it totally makes sense! How much $$$ do you need?
P.S. Every time I see this thing I think of the car that Ace & Gary drove in that SNL cartoon series ‘The Ambiguously Gay Duo’ =)
Cool cars!
ah ha ha …..no. peace
‘Cause nothing instills confidence like 2 guys in masks asking for your money.
Who is the target market for this thing?
Love the video where both motorcycles are traveling the same direction, in both lanes, on what is obviously a two lane highway (having a double solid yellow no passing lines).
I bet they wore the masks because they both look 15 years young.
Can someone tell me how the 2 wheeled version stays up when it comes to a stop?
Looks like the light cycle from Tron with a cockpit and a 3rd wheel.
@ Magnum Bob:
Lol, as opposed to the 535 in Congress that just take it from us? 🙂
Wow, $60K, doubt it, they need $600K +
Go buy a CanAm spider and put a roof on it – pussy’s
very cool…futuristic thinking…
60K$ For what?!
The website seems like a cool idea and if they get funding well whatever I can’t really say anything if they just want to make a concept a reality. I just don’t get it I guess.
Would rather see something like this http://www.sub3wheeler.com/ be made into production. Maybe with a roof as a commuter car/bike thing. I want to build something similar since I drive so far to work and I love bikes. Maybe a turbo charged hayabusa engine or Turbo’d TC88. We get so much rain on the east coast (in certain parts) that riding to work sucks sometimes. Every once in awhile you are tied to a cage.
I’ve been to their shop and seen their frame building and bike building skills.
They’re smart, friendly young guys who know how to create something out of the ordinary.
I hope they pull it off.
OK so am I the only skeptic or does this look like: 2 young brothers started a website to raise money because their buddy did a neato rendering on a 3D modeling program. They tell all their friends and family about the new “project” they are working on and manage to get just over a grand in funds. Then someone (we’ll call him “dad’) actually decides to buy one and hands them 60K in cash. So now they are at :
$61,396
RAISED OF $50,000 GOAL
“dad’s” contribution aside they have raised a grand total of $1,396 of their $50,000 goal.
Not a shabby design. Their better bet is electric first. Cuts down on parts for the drive train. The battery packs would drop the center of gravity way down low. Their current design I suspect will have issues with the cooling of a petrol motor, as it’ll be in a relatively dead spot as far as fresh air flow goes. If the scoops on the doors and/or top are functional and direct air to the engine that could address that. I’d be interested in seeing what sort of a coefficient of drag it has.
And I bet it’d be a damn interesting time if you hit an armadillo or speedbumb.
Really guys, how could anyone call these motorcycles Maybe Paul Sr. REALLY!!!!!!! COME ON.
wow lots of haters here. if you don’t like the design that’s one thing, it may not be for everyone i agree, but c’mon give them some credit. they are trying to build a new vehicle and take it from concept to reality and it looks like its going to happen.
i’ve met these guys and visited their shop. they definitely have the ability to pull this off.
@Flying Piston – if you have been following their updates you would know they sold the 1st trike to someone in abu dhabi though their indiegogo campaign, so there goes your dad theory.
Love the IndieGoGo idea, imagine how much they could get from the current administartion? They that may come with some bad kharma, seems they all go under. I wish them well
@ stopHating My main point was that the one buyer aside the gogo site was only able to produce just over a $1500 when they had a stated goal of $50000 . Great for them they got a buyer but making a movie and making a bike are two different things. The reason you have a lot of skeptics is because this site is visited by a lot of guys who have been in the industry a long time and have seen lots of flash in the pan shops come and go. If they are legit they shouldn’t worry too much about criticizm and if not. then it still wont matter so go do your thing and prove us all wrong. I for one will be happy to be shown how wrong I was.
I think you are missing the point piston..I’ve been following these guys as well and from everything I’ve heard they do great work. The point of the gogo campaign was to reach the goal. Who cares how it was reached. 60k is 60k in my book. From what I can see they were relying on someone to buy the thing in order to realistically reach the goal. I think it was pretty ballzy to go that path. You are right in that it is a massive undertaking but look forward to seeing how this turns out.
Hey man like I said: I will be happy to be proven wrong, However experience tells me this sort of gimmicky thing rarely pans out. No need to argue on here time will tell what happens.