The Kneeslider

Doers Builders and Positive People

Pulsejet Powered Bicycle

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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. 🙂

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.

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Posted on Filed Under: Alternative thinking, Motorcycle Builders

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Comments

  2. 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.

  5. 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…)

  8. 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 🙂

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

  12. 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.

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

  16. 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.

  18. 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.

  21. 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. 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…