For more than thirty years, the folks at
Corbin Motors have created the finest in motorcycle saddles
and accessories, and now they have taken their products to
the next level with the new and exciting Merlin Roadster.
President and CEO of Corbin Motors, Tom Corbin, told us that
the concept of the Merlin derived from the company’s
production of the electric personal-commuter car, the Sparrow,
and that while they were taking the Sparrow to shows, they
were receiving comments from onlookers stating that it would
be really cool to have one of these with a motorcycle engine!
Well, Tom and his staff went to work to produce what is perhaps
the most beautiful roadster in the world—the 2002 Merlin.
The Merlin has a three-wheel design and is powered by a
massive fuel-injected 88 inch twin cam motor from Harley-Davidson.
This motor (TC-88B) produces 75 horses and 74 foot pounds
of torque with power delivered to the front wheels through
a four speed manual transmission. Don’t worry about
staying glued to the road either because you will be riding
on three 17” wheels equipped with 205/40/17 tires! In
addition, the Merlin is set up to handle just as it looks
and runs—fantastic! Corbin uses NASCAR frame-building
technology including a racing suspension with A-arms up front
to improve handling and stability. Concerning the chassis,
Tom told us that there is more metal in the chassis of a Merlin
than there is in most cars.
As we took a tour through the Merlin development area of
Corbin Motors, we got to see just how the creation of these
prototypes will eventually lead to high-volume production.
It was obvious that care and pride are here in abundance from
the pre-metal work to the welding, and then the milling that
goes into each Merlin.
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Other impressive features found on the Merlin are that it
is equipped with a 7.8 gallon gas tank, and with an average
of attaining 35 miles per gallon, you can cruise in style
for a long while. As far as safety goes, while driving you
are situated in a comfortable seat and held by a three-point
harness, as well as being surrounded by a full roll cage!
What kinds of customers want a Merlin? Damon Mamalis, President
of Extreme Motors in Sacramento, told us that women are extremely
interested in the vehicle. It gives them the freedom of a
motorcycle along with the thrill of a roadster at the same
time! Brian finally couldn’t stand it any longer and
took a test drive which he told us was absolutely great! Finally,
after his ride was finished, Brian inquired how someone could
acquire one of these special rides. To our satisfaction, we
found that the process of owning a Merlin is not difficult:
first you get a number and get put on a list, and after that,
when your number comes up, then they’ll build your car.
If you would like more information on the Merlin Roadster,
or any of Corbin’s other fine products, give them a
look on the web at www.corbin.com.
Back to Episode CRN0010
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