Slingshot Meets the 'Hairy Bikers'

When Vincent Haworth rolled into tiny Riverton, Kansas (pop. 929), in his custom Slingshot back in May, he knew his ride would turn some heads and raise questions. Indeed, a group of eight people immediately approached him, and they spoke with distinctly British accents.

“You guys aren’t from around here, are you?” Vincent laughed during the encounter outside The Old Riverton Store, a historic market on Route 66.

“They were fascinated with the Slingshot. They said, ‘Hey mate, what is this? Whoa, we’ve never seen this before.’ They were asking me all kinds of questions, like what is it? What is it called? Is it a motorcycle?”

It turned out two of the men in the group are hosts of a popular BBC program called “The Hairy Bikers.” Contrary to what that title might conjure, the hosts – Si King and Dave Myers – are highly regarded chefs and cookbook authors. Their program features them traveling the world on motorcycles to experience local cuisines.

‘Lights, Camera…’

While traveling and filming along historic Route 66, the Hairy Bikers and their production crew stopped in rural Kansas because the Old Riverton Store’s deli is highly regarded worldwide.

After lunch, Vincent said, the crew re-approached him and asked, “’Hey mate, do you mind if we act like we didn’t talk before, and we put you on film?’ So they re-interviewed me and asked the same questions about the Slingshot.”

The BBC website says the Route 66 episode will be broadcast later this year. “It was a cool experience. I hope I make the cut,” Vincent said.

Endless Customizing

Vincent’s Slingshot is a 2015 base model that he purchased in 2018 and has been customizing ever since. “I have done all the mods myself. It was literally stripped down to nothing when I bought it, and I learned about customizing from the Slingshot forums online. I saw what people were doing and it looked like a lot of fun. I liked the idea of putting my own stamp on it.”

It has custom wheels, additional lighting, and some interior upgrades – so far. Vincent is a banker in the Kansas City area, and he drives his Slingshot to work every chance he gets.

“It’s been the best purchase I’ve ever made. I’m loving it,” he said. “Part of [its appeal] is the unique style, and also when people see it – they smile! The expressions on their faces are so worth it, especially the kids. They love it and are fascinated by Slingshots.

“I love it. It’s my baby.” 

Ready to plan your own Slingshot road trip? Test drive a Slingshot today to get a jumpstart on your next adventure.