Tractor factor—it’s a term I like to use to describe a motorcycle’s ability to trundle over any type of terrain. From loose gravel, mud, sand, rocks, roots, and ruts, there are quite a few motorcycles off the top of my head that I would say have excellent tractor factor.
Of course, there’s the Yamaha TW200, which is the closest thing to an actual two-wheeled tractor. But other bikes such as the previous generation Royal Enfield Himalayan 411, as well as the Kawasaki KLR650 and even the Honda XR150L have quite a lot of tractor factor in my opinion.
But clearly, all these bikes pale in comparison to an actual tractor motorcycle. And no, that thing doesn’t just live in your imagination. Someone actually decided to build it.
YouTuber Kenny Paton of Paton Machines says that he toyed with the idea of building this thing two years ago, but only now decided to make it a reality. As you can see, it’s truly a one-off build, making use of what looks like some really old farming equipment. The tractor motorcycle features a giant front wheel and sort of reminds me of a high-wheel bicycle or a penny-farthing from the 1800s—only this thing is meant to ride off-road and is powered by a combustion engine.
So, how does this thing work? Well, clearly, this thing required quite a bit of fabrication to get up and running. It gives off a very backyard-built vibe, and Kenny made use of a bunch of scrap parts and supplies he had lying around—very typical of DIY farm projects, so it’s really cool.
The first order of business was figuring out the drivetrain, and with a bunch of calculations, it was determined that this thing could hit a top speed of about 15 miles an hour—plenty fast for something that’s quite literally a shed-built rustbucket.
And so, after faffing around with a bunch of pulleys, sprockets, and chains, and clearly struggling to put it all together, Kenny was able to come up with a decent-looking drivetrain. And despite how difficult it was to assemble, it’s at least capable of putting power down to the back wheel.
In essence, the tractor motorcycle features a sprocket mounted to the back wheel. It’s connected via chain to a smaller sprocket just ahead of the back wheel, and said sprocket is connected to a large pulley which is in turn connected to the engine via a belt—in this case, some rope just for testing.
Once everything is put together using an actual belt, it could actually work and give the tractor motorcycle enough mechanical torque to pretty much run over anything.
What do you think of this completely bonkers custom creation? It looks like it weighs a ton and doesn’t exactly look like the most stable thing out there. Nevertheless, it’s totally badass and a clear testament to how much you can do with the stuff you already have laying around.
Would you take this thing for a spin? I know I sure would. Let me know in the comments below.
