Bob Maddox Pulsejet Bobber
Monday, November 15, 2010 
OK, this is getting a little silly. Bob Maddox, possible lunatic and the world's pre-eminent expert on pulsejets, has just finished his latest creation. Not content with his pulsejet boardtracker we featured previously on Pipeburn, he's gone and mounted a monster pulsejet with a split exhaust onto a bike he's calling the Harley Davidson Sportjet. Apart from a Harley-ish tank design I'm not quite sure what it has to do with Milwaukee, though it would seem about as safe as your average Harley and probably has the handling to match.
Bob says it's good for 250lbs of thrust and 200mph down a quarter mile. By the looks of the videos it's also good for digging ditches and melting pick-up trucks. As always with Bob's creations, the styling is bang on - check out the 1920s pin striping and the beautiful metalwork around the rear wheel.
With that said, I'm not sure how keen I'd be to ride a bike with no suspension, a sprung saddle and spoked wheels at 200mph. Hell, you be hard pressed getting me to ride the thing at 60mph. But that's just me - little ol' Mister “no thanks, I don't think I'll put that barely-controlled explosion box near my crotch” Jones.
via Wired
8 Comments | Andrew | tagged Bobber, bob maddox, pulsejet | in Bobber, Custom, Harley Davidson, Video |
Reader Comments (8)
looks like a deathtrap! where can i get one?
@KIK He sells them on Ebay, apparently - tho I just had a look and I can't see any on there ATM...
Silliest bloody thing I've ever seen!
I love a good pulsejet though. I really really miss my V1. Wonder where it went.
It's got a Sportster front hub , but personally putting Harley on the tank seems pointless !
Hey Paddy all the V1's ended up in England !
#59
He he he....definitely pretty original. He should have given it a German brand name though, + V-3 maybe?
Pretty cool except that I agree that no suspension on this thing isn't the smartest idea in the world. The worst part though, IMHO, is my pet peeve with any but the pure show-only bikes and that is NO FRONT BRAKE?!?
Hey, I'm all for fashion over function once in a while (e.g. stilettos with a mini) but no front brake on a bike is just asking for a date with the reaper man-especially on a friggin' jet bike!!!!
(yeah, I know he says under 20 second run time but with that power, is he going to use a parachute or something? going fast is great and all but being able to stop after-wards is kinda a good idea, too) : O
Actually, a few thousand V1s were airmailed to Antwerp as well. Those Germans, so giving.
There are many problems with this idea. Harley Davidson? Nothing about this thing says Harley but the fine writing on the tank. The problem I most find with this is that it is not really ground breaking, it does not help to solve a rising fuel issue(as it only drives for 20 seconds)it would ride like a metal bar and has no real safety measures and motorcycles have been doing speeds well over his limit for a while now. This just seems like a oversized bicycle with a bad idea strapped just bellow your twig and berries. Ya, it's cool, he built it himself, you can buy one on on ebay, right. But the big question I am asking myself is simply this, "why?" Please offer your comments.
ITS OBVIOUSLY A TOY