To quote the great Rick James, "Cocaine is a helluva drug," which is what I imagine was going on when this...vehicle was created way back in the 1980s. Honestly, it might've been the brainchild of a bender so epic, it'd put Mr. James' own reputation to shame, as drugs is the only answer I can come up with in regards to its creation.
But in fact, what we have here is Owosso Motor Car Company Pulse Autocycle, and it looks like a mishmash of a bunch of different vehicles, including a submarine, a motorcycle, a catamaran, and a plane. I mean, how would you describe it?
What's wild, however, is that this isn't the only one in existence. It's not some cooky, one-off, home-built machine of fantasy built by someone like John Delorean but without John's sense of restraint. And that's saying something if you know anything about John Delorean. No, the company mad a bunch of these things and then, presumably, sold them off to willing customers.
And one just showed up on Bring a Trailer, meaning you could be one of those willing customers.
According to the listing, "This 1985 Pulse autocycle is one of approximately 326 examples produced by the Owosso Motor Car Company between 1985 and 1990. Chassis #162 was purchased by the original owner out of New Jersey before being put into storage circa 1987. It was sold to the the second owner in 2017 prior to being acquired by the seller in 2019 and refurbished by 2 Wheels Heaven of Orlando, Florida, as part of a project completed in 2023."
The Pulse Autocycle was powered by a motorcycle, however, as it used a Yamaha 399cc four-stroke parallel twin. Cooler still, the Pulse Autocycle used an electric reverse system that's not unlike modern hybrid hypercars that feature an electric reverse due to them not having traditional gear sets. So yeah, the Pulse Autocyclce is basically an Aston Martin Valkyrie.
When it went in for a restoration, the Florida shop also refreshed the engine, did a bunch of maintenance and replacement work, and more. However it currently is sitting without its engine in the vehicle for...reasons. It does have a clean Florida title, though that doesn't mean much because it's Florida.
"The Pulse and Litestar that preceded it were designed by Jim Bede, who was known for designing small, lightweight experimental aircraft and kit planes to which the vehicle bears more than a passing resemblance," according to the listing, adding "Billed as a Ground Cruising Recreational Vehicle (GCRV), Bede’s autocycles were initially built by the Scranton Mfg. Co. in Iowa from 1983 to 1984 and marketed as the Litestar. Production was later shifted to the Owosso Motor Car Company in Michigan in early 1985 prior to the Pulse name change around mid-year."
That Ground Crusing Recreational Vehicle moniker, however, is wild and doesn't truly state the insanity of this machine. Again, it looks like a plan/boat/catamaran. Especially with those outriggers that are straight out of Moana.
At the time of writing, the current bid on Bring a Trailer is for $7,100, and that feels like a bit of a bargain, but also a lot for such a death trap. That said, you'd be the talk of the town at your local motorcycle meet-up, or your local MUFON convention. So there's that.
