Leno's Jet Bike 2 Update Video "Sweet"

[rajflyboy]

Here it is:

http://www.jaylenosgarage.com/at-the-garage/motorcycles/jet-bike-update-2/

[MadMax96]

The Lexus dealer I take my car to has one for sale in yellow along w/ some other random bikes people traded in.

I think most people have no idea what that bike really is.

[caddydaddy]

The company who built it:

http://www.marineturbine.com/motorcycles.asp  

[scott19]

Nobody ever argues about what motorcycle has the best start up sound, probably since this one wins hands down.

[JamieK]

What a thrill it'd be to take one of those out for an afternoon.

[D-Mac]

Just listening to that thing start up gives me goosebumps.

[rajflyboy]

I love the sound too!

Nothing like a Jet Engine

[veefer800canuck]

As a technological exercise, I dig it. "Okay, let's strap a jet engine to just about anything, because we can."  

OK, I hear them and "get it". Just like the first guy that ever built a V-8 Pinto, just because no-one else had, and he had this crazy idea to "just do it". (or other such wretched HP excess applied to a shopping cart, or whatever)


Otherwise, it's fugly, and you need a trailer full of kerosene to follow you around wherever you go as the thing is so damn thirsty.

The wheelbase is atrocious, I'd really like to see a pro rider attempt just ONE decent corner on a recetrack with it.

And what Jay said about the throttle lag? Spot-on. Turbines are designed to (mostly) run at a fixed speed, with little variance.

They love to run nearly full-out, and that is where they are most efficient. As soon as you slow them down, HP drops off sharply, and if you measured the Brake Specific Fuel Consumption  (fuel Vs HP) you'd be astonished just how truly awful it is when the turbine is slowed from it's very narrow efficient operating band.

I think it's a very expensive and useless crazy piece of fast butt jewelery.


For the money, give me a Desmosedici.

[vulcanbill]

Any time that one of the great features of a bike is that you're still alive after riding it, I'm going to take a pass.  Honestly, there is nothing about that bike that is appealing to me as a bike.  I remember being at 155 on my big CBR and thinking there was absolutely no need to ever go that fast again on a motorcycle.  Of course, I no longer have a bike that will do that safely (HA) so it's not an issue.  

I see the engineering creativity needed to make it and if there's a market, go for it.  But purely from a motorcycling perspective, long wheelbase, unpredictable throttle response, and the fact that you'd need a team of people to change the oil...if it even has oil...    

Meh.

[Rincewind]

For the money, give me a Desmosedici.

I'm with Veefer800 and Tom Cruise on that one.  

[Leanintree]

Take it to the salt flats and hand it to a man with a death wish. Get video.

(and yes, the startup on that critter makes my pant's dance)

LT

[coho]

I suspect that the "still alive after riding it" feature is probably due to the extreme loudness of the pipes.
It probably saves the lives of several dozen people every time it's fired up.

[atadaskew]

For the money, give me a Desmosedici.

Rich guys, like Leno, have one of those too. As well as whatever else you can imagine.
"For the money" is a foreign concept to people who have a LOT of money...

Leno has shown up to the Rock Store several times on the turbine bike.  And it really is something when he fires it up and takes off...

[JimWilliamson]

He says it has 8 or 9 thousand miles on it in the ten years he's owned it.
I'm surprised any of those numbers are that high.

Don'tcha hate it when you have to stick a disc brake on your turbine to slow it down so you can get a good shift...  

"Even at idle in second gear you're going 68 miles per hour"

I wonder what it'd do on the salt flats?

[2DFlyer]

I think it's a very expensive and useless crazy piece of fast butt jewelery.


For the money, give me a Desmosedici.

Yeah.  But he already has one of those. And one of those.  And one of those.  And one of those.  I guess that's what you do when you have more money than you know what to do with.

[dietDrThunder]

OK, I hear them and "get it". Just like the first guy that ever built a V-8 Pinto, just because no-one else had, and he had this crazy idea to "just do it". (or other such wretched HP excess applied to a shopping cart, or whatever)


Otherwise, it's fugly, and you need a trailer full of kerosene to follow you around wherever you go as the thing is so damn thirsty.

The wheelbase is atrocious, I'd really like to see a pro rider attempt just ONE decent corner on a recetrack with it.

And what Jay said about the throttle lag? Spot-on. Turbines are designed to (mostly) run at a fixed speed, with little variance.

They love to run nearly full-out, and that is where they are most efficient. As soon as you slow them down, HP drops off sharply, and if you measured the Brake Specific Fuel Consumption  (fuel Vs HP) you'd be astonished just how truly awful it is when the turbine is slowed from it's very narrow efficient operating band.

I think it's a very expensive and useless crazy piece of fast butt jewelery.

If you got it, then you wouldn't go on to point out how impractical it is. I'm pretty sure nobody buys one of these because they think that it's a practical or useful motorcycle.

It's fun, it's excessive, and it's different. That's it. I mean really...is there really a serious conversation to be had regarding the practicality of a jet powered street bike?

Really?

[veefer800canuck]

I'd still take the Ducati over the Why Too Kay bat-cycle thingy.

It's cheaper too.  

[Leanintree]

is there really a serious conversation to be had regarding the practicality of a jet powered street bike?

Really?

Yes. But only if it's yours. This is why there's Ferrari and Corvette owners that have the hat, jacket, t-shirt, keychain, driving gloves and everything down to the man-thong with the logo of their car on them. Because owning a fine machine of that caliber is a serious business there young man. It's the finest thing of it's type, and it's important that young whippersnappers and the guys down at the Rogain clinic recognize that having this sweet whip means that I'm a success, and I undoubtedly get more poon-tang than they do, so it's important for you you to recognize me as an alpha male and that I'm all that you ever will aspire to be. This is why it's serious business for me to tell you all about how good this fine machine is, and smirk when I see you pack up on your ratty old 4 color ZX11 with 250,000 miles. Because even though you can wheelie at will, I have a glove box full of Viagra in case I find my next ex-wife at the next Hooters Car Nite.  

Corvette owners that drive their cars and don't dip themselves in the culture are of course exempt from the proceeding statement.

LT

[steve.m]

Take it to the salt flats and hand it to a man with a death wish. Get video.

(and yes, the startup on that critter makes my pant's dance)

LT

hmmm...jet intake immediately behind the front wheel.  i'm guessing it's never been run on the flats becasue the engine would suck up so much crud it'd kill it.

Yes. But only if it's yours. This is why there's Ferrari and Corvette owners that have the hat, jacket, t-shirt, keychain, driving gloves and everything down to the man-thong with the logo of their car on them. Because owning a fine machine of that caliber is a serious business there young man. It's the finest thing of it's type, and it's important that young whippersnappers and the guys down at the Rogain clinic recognize that having this sweet whip means that I'm a success, and I undoubtedly get more poon-tang than they do, so it's important for you you to recognize me as an alpha male and that I'm all that you ever will aspire to be. This is why it's serious business for me to tell you all about how good this fine machine is, and smirk when I see you pack up on your ratty old 4 color ZX11 with 250,000 miles. Because even though you can wheelie at will, I have a glove box full of Viagra in case I find my next ex-wife at the next Hooters Car Nite.  

Corvette owners that drive their cars and don't dip themselves in the culture are of course exempt from the proceeding statement.

LT

 

[veefer800canuck]

hmmm...jet intake immediately behind the FRONT wheel.  i'm guessing it's never been run on the flats becasue the engine would suck up so much crud it'd kill it.

FTFY