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The Kneeslider

Doers Builders and Positive People

Pulsejet Powered Bicycle

By Paul Crowe

Pulsejet bicycle from Bob Maddox
Pulsejet powered bicycle from Bob Maddox

Feeling depressed because you can’t afford a turbine motorcycle? Don’t despair, you can have a pulsejet bicycle instead. It may not be quite as impressive but if you tell folks you have a jet bike without giving them too many details, they’ll think you’re a real rocketman. πŸ™‚

Robert Maddox builds pulsejet engines. Pulsejets, for those of you not up on your aviation history, were the power used by the infamous German V1 buzzbombs in WWII. The buzzbomb got its name from the buzzing sound of the pulsejet engine and the engines Bob builds, true to form, sound exactly like you would expect.

He’s selling the engines and the photo here shows one attached to a bicycle, though he’s attached them to go karts and all sorts of other things. This version puts out 50 to 60 pounds of thrust, enough for 75 mph or so on the bike but he builds bigger ones, too, up to 1000 pounds of thrust, for your larger projects.

He has some videos and it’s very cool how they glow red when running, you might want some heat protection on your pant legs but there’s a pretty high cool factor here. Experiment at your own risk.

Link: auction has ended

Posted on May 14, 2008 Filed Under: Alternative thinking, Motorcycle Builders

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Comments

  1. Mark Savory says

    May 14, 2008 at 1:06 pm

    Does anyone have a URL or contact info? Definitely interesting and would be fun to play with for awhile.

  2. Steve says

    May 14, 2008 at 2:17 pm

    This definitely not the sort of thing to start up and ride through the neighborhood early on a Sunday morning, or any other morning for that matter.

    The guy has an interesting imagination to come up with bicycle mount. I, however, prefer to have my jets mounted in something a little more aerodynamic, like a T-38 Talon.

  3. OMMAG says

    May 14, 2008 at 2:18 pm

    Speechless………

  4. taxman says

    May 14, 2008 at 2:40 pm

    what type of fuel? i see the bike has a fuel tank.

  5. ROHORN says

    May 14, 2008 at 2:50 pm

    If loud pipes save lives, then this one should provide eternal life………

    A J85GE-5 does, indeed, work best on a jet (ex AT-38B mechanic…)

  6. Jeff says

    May 14, 2008 at 3:44 pm

    yeah, like that’s safe….

  7. Micky says

    May 14, 2008 at 3:59 pm

    watch out for Doodlebikes!!!

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fxuUjlTzLy0&NR=1

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SFv1Yu-KxZ8

    Might wanna watch you legs with the engine glowing red hot, least you not gonna be cold

  8. Azzy says

    May 14, 2008 at 4:09 pm

    usually these pulse jets run on LPG, or good old propane tanks. This one probably runs on kero, since he says it needs a fuel pump, the kero is injected in with an automotive injector.

    At 1/2 gallon per minute.. I dont think he is going to reach the 400 or so MPH limit a pulse jet has πŸ™‚

  9. GenWaylaid says

    May 14, 2008 at 5:10 pm

    If I ever discovered I had inoperable cancer, I’d build something like this in a heartbeat. If at first you don’t succeed, at least leave a crater.

    P.S. See the big duct in the background? I’m guessing that’s the jetbike’s big brother. That thing looks like it could move some metal.

  10. JC says

    May 14, 2008 at 6:39 pm

    “If loud pipes save lives, then this one should provide eternal life………”

    The neighbors might kill you, if the cantilever rim brakes don’t melt and kill you first.

  11. wizee says

    May 14, 2008 at 11:59 pm

    first Y2K turbine engine, now pulse engine, what next? rocket engine that someone bought from NASA?
    hmmm.. i wonder…

  12. Steve says

    May 15, 2008 at 1:00 pm

    Next option for the terminally ill or terminally insane would be the JATO (Jet Assisted Take-Off) bottle mounted in the trunk of your car. I remember suburban legends about such doings. The car was going so fast that the driver failed to negotiate the 5 degree right bend in the road….

    But, then as I just stated, I think it has been done already.

  13. Walt says

    May 15, 2008 at 4:37 pm

    The most dangerous two wheeler since the Harley covered in porcupine skin.

  14. Tim says

    May 15, 2008 at 8:53 pm

    Steve, pretty sure that Mythbusters proved that the Chevelle with the JATO rocket was nothing more than urban myth. Fantastic story but didnt work in practice. IIRC they ended up with two or three JATO’s on the beater car they were using and still couldnt break orbital velocity. Im such a sucker for Kari Byron it is disturbing…..

  15. Tim says

    May 15, 2008 at 8:54 pm

    Lets hope those are V or Z rated bike tyres, too. I’m sure such a safety conscious designer would have thought of that….. πŸ˜‰

  16. will says

    July 21, 2008 at 11:52 pm

    I love the dangerous look of the bike. It would be my luck to lay it over and the ballistic projectile engine would come loose and impale some other motorist or someones house.

  17. Murray says

    October 22, 2008 at 12:22 am

    “If at first you don’t succeed, at least leave a crater”
    That’s great! Is it yours?

  18. Grant Connor says

    December 14, 2008 at 9:38 pm

    First, Helmet and leathers; next, a heat shield from gasket material and sheet aluminum. Note that the engine is offset from the bike centerline so adjust the steering and use a drag chute to slow before applying brakes. Use mountain bike pads on aluminum rims or 8″ disc brakes once below 30 mph. Oh yes don’t forget the fairing.

  19. Dan says

    February 18, 2009 at 7:46 pm

    Where do I get plans to build, or the pulse jet itself.

  20. The Baron says

    April 20, 2009 at 4:11 am

    Dude, at least put some disc brakes on that thing. . . . !

  21. Gaza Duna says

    August 27, 2009 at 4:58 pm

    I’m really sure that the person who put this together had “SAFETY” in mind. Who cares…it looks like it would be a lot of fun. Obviously this isn’t made to ride on a daily basis, but I am sure that in a controlled environment it would be a real “BLAST”.
    If you have ever the heard the pulse jet in operation, it is something to discover. Riding one must be deafening.

  22. Vikinglander says

    December 5, 2009 at 2:57 pm

    Should have a pulsejet on each side…. um, you know, for balance…
    If you’re going to be nutty(in a good, interesting and death-inviting way), why go half measures…

  23. lostboy1 says

    January 29, 2010 at 12:12 pm

    Ditch the bike and put a seat on it “ride the bomb”

  24. 123 says

    February 14, 2010 at 6:59 pm

    http://images.google.com/images?q=Slim+Pickens+Bomb+Ride

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