Pulsejet-powered bicycle, for those leisurely commutes

There's just something about people strapping jet engines to things they have no business being strapped to that brings a twinkle to our eyes, and Robert Maddox's pulsejet-powered bicycle is no exception. Maddox actually sells pulsejets on eBay ranging from fourteen to over a thousand pounds of thrust, and the fifty-pounder in this video is capable of moving his bicycle at a whopping 75MPH. Sure, it's loud, but at least it's more practical than that jet-powered Port-a-Potty. Video after the break.

[Via AutoBlogGreen]

[Shadowise @ May 22nd 2008 6:39AM]

Me... wanty....

[Flashpoint @ May 22nd 2008 8:03AM]

Sure it looks cool

But, its a suicide machine.

Imagine getting up to 75mph and not being able to stop. Keep in mind, if you slam on the brakes out of fear, the bike will flip over and make you do a somersault.

I think a better adaptation would be a go-kart with 1 or 2 of these. But, you gotta remember that when a vehicle is traveling this fast, it becomes dangerous.

[Shinigami @ May 22nd 2008 8:06AM]

Tell the world you're coming! WIth a unique
BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ
sound you'll be heard MILES away!

I really hope you won't use it...

[tom @ May 22nd 2008 8:32AM]

Great propulsion! I needed some safety feature too

Air bags?
ABS?
3-point seat belts?

[Sporkinum @ May 22nd 2008 11:17AM]

Someone say suicide machine?
[b]In the day we sweat it out in the streets of a runaway american dream
At night we ride through mansions of glory in suicide machines
Sprung from cages out on highway 9,
Chrome wheeled, fuel injected and steppin out over the line
Baby this town rips the bones from your back
Its a death trap, its a suicide rap
We gotta get out while were young
`cause tramps like us, baby we were born to run[/b]

[peshue @ May 22nd 2008 2:47PM]

I think going 75 on a bicycle is more of a problem than the stopping. They just aren't built for those speeds. But that's not the point, it's freakin' cool.

[Timmy P. @ May 22nd 2008 4:15PM]

I think the break pads would burn out at 75mph. So i wouldn't worry about flipping. I would worry about hitting a wall with out means of stopping. But why not throw some wings on it to evade the wall !!

[vcx @ May 22nd 2008 6:55PM]

I'm more worried about the jet blast from the exhaust nozzle. Instant face melt for any vehicle traveling behind the bike.

[DiscoCat5 @ May 23rd 2008 2:05AM]

@flashpoint.... im fairly certain going at that speed, braking would be futinle and you wouldnt do a flip, maybe a 40km/h but at 120km/h, either your pads would disintergrate thus being worthless, or if they did work, and you locked your brakes your tyres would shred and you would slide crash.

[The Apple @ May 22nd 2008 6:41AM]

Are you serious?!?!?!?

[The Apple @ May 22nd 2008 6:43AM]

Wouldn't that make the bike pull Right Really fast during "Take Off"
How could you keep that in a straight line?

[Leoedin @ May 22nd 2008 6:49AM]

The offset of the engine isn't really great enough for much to happen. There will, of course, be a little pulling to the right, but I would imagine the riders body position and slight adjustments of the handlebars (probably subconcious) would make up for that.

[The Apple @ May 22nd 2008 7:06AM]

Ok Thanks, just thought that because of the HUGE amount of thrust and the lack of it on the Right.
+ The engine weight.

[ClydeSeal @ Jun 13th 2008 10:22PM]

Just add a second jet engine on the right side to even it out, and make it go twice as fast! Then you can kill yourself twice as fast too!

[Jaque-o @ May 22nd 2008 6:48AM]

Does it come with traiing wheels? in that case i'm gonna be sooo cool riding that metal stallion

[a ham sandwich @ May 22nd 2008 9:02AM]

thats what she said

[Josh @ May 22nd 2008 10:02AM]

err... you're doing it wrong...

[Noshino @ May 22nd 2008 10:39AM]

"err... you're doing it wrong..."

That's what she said...

[Jaque-o @ May 22nd 2008 6:50AM]

training wheels..

I, for one, would welcome the edit button overlords

[Kizorblade @ May 22nd 2008 7:00AM]

I'll take three.

[Shawin @ May 22nd 2008 7:21AM]

Just add wings.

[rock99rock @ May 22nd 2008 9:43AM]

Drink redbull.

Then check your blood pressure.

[Buzz @ May 22nd 2008 7:22AM]

As for "pulling to the right" Solve this with two engines, and make it go much MUCH faster.

I'd like to see a dual engine version :D

[Chuck @ May 22nd 2008 7:24AM]

It would be more ammusing if it were a fixed gear.

[Bert Lagaisse @ May 22nd 2008 7:27AM]

Jeremy Clarkson did it at MPH 2006 with a smaller jet engine from an RC plane. I guess we Europeans keep things smaller ;-) And the engine is behind the driver ... as it should be ;-)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_nYMwd9dmUw

[bjorn_ahlm @ May 22nd 2008 7:31AM]

That was a turbo-jet engine.

[plexyglazz @ May 22nd 2008 7:34AM]

Great, a V1 on wheels!
I dub thee: "BlitzBike"!

[Narcosynthesis @ May 23rd 2008 6:09AM]

The doodlebike?

[Bad Beaver @ May 22nd 2008 7:39AM]

I guess the Darwin awards are always running. Sure, go ahead, your bike sure was designed for these speeds, just do it, man...

[Eric @ May 22nd 2008 7:51AM]

Well, my bike has hit 50+ going downhill.

Of course, it cost more than my first 2 cars (combined), so I won't be strapping a buzz bomb to the side, either.

Most bikes on the pro tour will easily do 60 or better on downhill runs.

[JAmerican @ May 22nd 2008 7:55AM]

Looks like something out of Bioshock!

[Andir3.0 @ May 22nd 2008 8:05AM]

Yeah, because video game developers don't get their ideas from anyone and completely come up with this stuff off the top of their heads.

[Twitchy @ May 22nd 2008 8:16AM]

It ain't no jetpack, but until they are readily available whaddayagonnado?

[Jim @ May 22nd 2008 8:35AM]

Yeah, but what kind of mileage does it get?

[devGuy @ May 22nd 2008 9:26AM]

And what does that do for your 'carbon footprint'?

[pfromg @ May 22nd 2008 11:46AM]

some things are more important than your carbon footprint.
like riding a rocket bike at 75 mph with no breaks.Nothing is more important than that, if this planet is ever to be saved.

[Armoured @ May 22nd 2008 9:01AM]

I'm surprised it actually worked, and went straight.

But yeah, it's pretty stupid and dangerous....just get a motorbike.

[James @ May 22nd 2008 9:38AM]

If a couple wings were strapped to this beauty, I wonder if it would be able to fly... As a child, I once dreamed of a flying bike. Too much ET, I imagine. But still, it could possibly be feasible...

[rock99rock @ May 22nd 2008 9:45AM]

Great visual.

[Josh @ May 22nd 2008 10:03AM]

now i can impress all my friends at grade school...

[Jason @ May 22nd 2008 10:43AM]

the kid in me has to chuckle as that sounded like one enormous long fart.

[Iridium @ May 22nd 2008 11:09AM]

I doubt the parts on that bike were made for going 75mph. You'd have to be insane to try that.

[Dorf @ May 22nd 2008 11:34AM]

Who doesn't want a large strap-on?
---pulse engine that is.....

[Reto @ May 22nd 2008 12:15PM]

This should be in the ACME catalog..

[david_topping @ May 22nd 2008 6:05PM]

It is but it's now out of stock, some guy called W Coyote ordered all of them.

[urbanpeasant @ May 22nd 2008 1:00PM]

Bah! We can't solve all of our problems by putting jet engines and rockets on them! Rocket powered kayaks, port-a-potties, what's next? Rocket powered enemas?

If you'll excuse me, I have a painful product to patent.

[Brian @ May 22nd 2008 4:44PM]

Nice!

[Cygnus @ May 22nd 2008 9:15PM]

So... When the cops ask, just tell them it's for helping you get up -really- steep hills.

[Chris Taylor @ May 23rd 2008 1:48AM]

Half a Gallon PER MINUTE at WOT ! and thats for the 50 pounder!