Here’s an, um… slightly upgraded 125cc MBK. It’s not going very fast. Probably gets horrible gas mileage. Can’t be used to sneak up on someone, yet it has the potential to make the craziest scooter tuner’s head spin. WICKED!
Click the title link to see the French comments translated.
30. June 2007 at 12:30 am
Did I hear anyone say Tim. the Tool Man, Allen?
30. June 2007 at 6:06 am
…And this guy IS insane… launch this puppy in traffic!!!!
30. June 2007 at 9:40 pm
That’s the new Italjet Dragster!
1. July 2007 at 8:03 am
They claim it has 530 HP. I wonder how much of that one can actually use on a 3 wheeled scooter 70HP? 80HP?
Very nice efforts!
3. July 2007 at 1:28 am
I doubt they’d ever realize more than a fraction of the horsepower potential like that. The problem with jet propulsion is that a jet engine produces a constant level of thrust. Power is thrust times the airspeed through the engine. When the bike is at low speeds, the engine airspeed is only what it can suck through on its own, so power is limited. The faster the bike goes, the higher the speed of incoming air and the more of the engine’s power potential is realized. Efficiencies for pure turbines usually peak at speeds of hundreds of miles per hour.
A more effective approach would have been to attach a turboshaft engine to the rear wheel. There’s a company down in the swamps of Louisiana that built huge “sportbikes” powered by Allison turboshafts from helicopters. The turbine’s power band was broad enough that they only needed two gears. Fuel efficiency was very poor, of course.