Nashville man buys a street-legal land-speed motorcycle from Facebook Marketplace and discovers a major issue

A street-legal land-speed motorcycle listed on Facebook Marketplace was all it took to set one Nashville YouTuber on a very questionable adventure.

The plan sounded simple: buy it and ride it home.

But vehicles built for land-speed records aren’t exactly known for comfort.

Let’s just say things didn’t go entirely to plan.

It’s technically street-legal

The bike itself wasn’t an ordinary motorcycle.

Built around a high-powered GSX-R engine and originally designed for land-speed racing, the land-speed motorcycle featured a stretched, low-slung body with a sidecar-like layout.

It looked more like something built to break records than an actual road-going vehicle.

Despite that, it had just enough equipment to technically qualify as street legal.

When the host of YouTube channel Bikes and Beards, Sean Kerr, climbed in, it was clear this wouldn’t be a relaxed cruise home.

The riding position was cramped to the point of absurdity, forcing him onto his knees with almost no padding and barely any room to move.

Even basic controls became a challenge, from reversed shifting to limited visibility in the mirrors.

Comfort quickly went out the window, replaced by a constant battle to stay in position.

Then came the heat

Midway through the journey, a burning smell started creeping in, raising the obvious question: was the land-speed motorcycle on fire?

Thankfully, the issue turned out to be slightly less catastrophic, but still ridiculous.

Apparently, the exhaust ran so close to the rider’s foot that it began melting his shoes.

This forced a roadside fix involving aluminum foil as makeshift heat protection.

As if that weren’t enough, the Facebook Marketplace ride itself proved borderline terrifying.

With three wheels hitting bumps at different times, every imperfection in the road led to unsettling levels of instability.

When riding at highway speeds, driving it felt like wrestling a machine that was out of control.

The street-legal motorcycle wasn’t exactly designed for the street

Despite the odds, he eventually made it back home.

Unfortunately, that was when he discovered an even bigger problem: a failing clutch system.

It had been steadily getting worse throughout the trip, making it harder to shift and nearly impossible to find neutral.

By the time the bike hit the track for testing, performance had dropped off significantly, with slipping and power loss ruining any real chance of seeing what it could do.

In the end, the Facebook Marketplace bargain ride was undeniably cool.

However, between the heat, handling, and mechanical issues, it proved that just because something is street-legal doesn’t mean it is meant for the street.

If you want to watch his adventures in full, check out his video below:

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