Meet the Hayabusa Beast: The Insane Piaggio Ape That'll Blow Your Mind!

When it comes to custom builds, one thing becomes crystal clear: If there's a vehicle, someone will inevitably fit a Suzuki Hayabusa engine into it. And that's precisely what has happened to this unsuspecting Piaggio Ape. If you're wondering why on earth someone would do such a thing, well, you've already missed the point, my friend.

Now, for the uninitiated, the Piaggio Ape is a charming little three-wheeled commercial vehicle that has been around since 1948. Picture a busy bee buzzing around the streets—it's called an Ape in Italian for a reason. Over the years, the Ape has evolved and become an integral part of daily commercial life in many Asian and European countries. In India, you can find Apes available for sale in 2023, running on either diesel or compressed natural gas. Its less colourful descendant, the Piaggio Porter NP6, has four wheels instead of three.

But let's get back to the star of the show: this particular Piaggio Ape. Forget about diesel or CNG, because it's now powered by a gutsy Suzuki Hayabusa engine with a displacement of at least 1,298cc. The specific generation of the Hayabusa engine remains a mystery, but that's inconsequential. What truly matters is the mind-boggling power-to-weight ratio this build boasts.

According to its current owner, the stock Piaggio Ape weighs around 500 kilograms (or a hefty 1,102 pounds). Now, let's talk Hayabusa. The first-gen engine pumped out a claimed 172.5 horsepower at a screaming 9,800 rpm, while the second-gen upped the ante with 194.4 horsepower at 9,500 rpm. Torque followed suit, climbing from 101.93 pound-feet at 7,000 rpm to 114.3 pound-feet at 7,200 rpm. These second-gen power figures remained consistent until the fourth-gen Hayabusa came along in 2021, where they saw a slight decrease. 

Now, to clarify, the current owner of this Piaggio Ape, residing in northern England, isn't the mad genius who built it. That's probably why he can't provide too many details. The operation still involves good ol' foot pedals and a clutch that manual transmission drivers will be familiar with. He mentions a sequential gearbox but conveniently forgets to say how many gears it has. Since the Hayabusa had a six-speed gearbox from the beginning, it's safe to assume that the original builder kept things simple and stuck with that. Why overcomplicate matters, right?

While the Ape underwent a heart transplant, its interior remains untouched. Step inside, and you'll find a cosy little bench seat. The metal shell is solid but thin, offering zero sound dampings. And seat belts or harnesses? Nah, not in this beast. Sure, there are doors, but dropping a metal lid on your tuna can dent it, won't it?

In a captivating video featuring presenters from British motoring YouTube channels Motor Addicts and EvilGT, they take turns being passengers with the owner of this insane Piaggio Ape. They get driven around like they're on a hair-raising amusement park ride, reaching ludicrous speeds that feel even faster given the nature of the vehicle they're in. The owner claims to have pushed it up to about 150 miles per hour on a drag strip in the past, which probably feels like 200 in that tiny beast.

So, if you had the chance to ride in this crazy Ape, would you take it