The TMC Dumont is a hubless concept motorcycle built by Brazilian customizer and former racing driver Tarso Marques, powered by a 300 HP Rolls-Royce Continental six-cylinder aircraft engine and rolling on a pair of 36-inch spokeless wheels. It is one of the most extreme custom motorcycles ever shown, conceived less as a practical ride and more as a rolling sculpture that blurs the line between a motorbike and a flying machine.
What is the TMC Dumont motorcycle?
The Dumont is the latest creation from Tarso Marques, a former Formula 1 and IndyCar driver who now runs TMC, a custom house that has already produced several wild car and motorcycle builds. Marques describes the bike himself as a hubless motorcycle with an airplane engine, and that single line captures the whole project. The machine is named in honour of Alberto Santos-Dumont, the aviation pioneer and Brazilian national hero, and the homage runs deep: Marques set out to make the build 100% Brazilian, sourcing and manufacturing it without any foreign supplier. According to Robb Report, the concept took roughly fifteen years of imagination and research, with the final build spanning about seven months once the right engine was found.
Why does it look like a Tron bike?
The spokeless rims are what make this futuristic motorcycle look like it rode straight out of Tron. The 36-inch hubless wheels are among the largest ever fitted to any motorcycle, and because the structure attaches to the base of the rim rather than a central hub, the bike appears to float. As New Atlas notes, the carbon-fiber and aluminium chassis sits between those enormous wheels to reinforce the flying-machine motif. The cinematic effect is real, but the numbers are not from a movie: a 300 HP engine makes the on-screen light cycles look like 50cc scooters.
What engine powers the TMC Dumont?
At the centre of the frame sits a 300 HP Rolls-Royce Continental V6 lifted from a 1960s aircraft, the motorcycle airplane engine that gives the Dumont both its name and its character. This is not a tourer or even a practical bike. The towering 36-inch wheels sit high enough to obstruct the rider's forward view, and the rear wheel runs dangerously close to the rider's back. The point was never daily usability. The Dumont is a statement piece, and the show circuit agreed: it took Best of Show at Daytona Bike Week, the preeminent stage for the craziest concepts on two wheels.
Where to find custom motorcycles like the TMC Dumont
The Dumont belongs to a small world of boundary-pushing custom builds where engineering meets art. If you are drawn to one-off machines like this, explore the full TheArsenale motorcycles collection, home to rare and bespoke two-wheelers. Standouts include the DRC-017 The Brain Eraser, the radical Devil by VV Motorcycles, and the Custom Honda Ruckus by DorbyWorks x TheArsenale.
Ready to add a true conversation piece to your collection? Browse the TheArsenale motorcycles collection and find the custom build that speaks to you.
