Riders are all excited about Yamaha’s announcement this morning of the new Star Venture, but I suspect that’s because they forgot the majesty of this sidecar that was built for an Anheuser-Busch non-alcoholic energy drink called 180 Degrees. It was their attempt to take on Red Bull, and I think you know how it ended. Per the seller, Motorvation built five sidecars as part of a promotional campaign and because the drink never took off the vehicles were sold to the public. This example comes with the original “rocket” hack that will fit a passenger and a custom built hack with a Mercedes grill, cargo area, and room for 2 dogs.
The bike is a V-Star 650, which featured a 40 ci, 70 degree V-Twin. Despite the smaller engine, this was a big bike – when it was released it was longer than a Harley-Davidson Road King. It was a user-friendly motorcycle with surprising finish for the price. For more, check out this review on Motorcycle Cruiser. The V-Star had a much better run than 180 Energy – from what I can tell it was shuttered in the late 2000s. For an explanation of why that might be the case, check out this humorous “Extinct Beverage Tasting” story from Chefelf.
This example has 4,300 miles and is said to be in excellent condition, so find this promotional sidecar for sale in Sacramento, California for $6,200 here on Craigslist.
This bike-uriousity brought to you by Frank S!