A pair of engineering wizards, husband and wife at that, have given the world a new speed record for steam powered motorcycles. At first glance, their creation, dubbed “Force of Nature,” looks more like a rocket on two wheels than a real motorcycle. And that's exactly what it is, in reality, and its builders are absolutely certain: this is just the beginning.
Spouses, British and very fast
Graham e Diana Sykes led their “Force of Nature” to record a record time of 3.878 seconds over 200 meters, with a recorded exit speed of 163.8 mph, or 264 km/h. On board the steam dragster was Graham, who reported how the bike continued to accelerate, topping 290mph well past the finish line. “We still have a lot of potential to exploit, and I am sure we will make even better times in the coming months,” the team writes in his blog.
A rocket on two wheels
Take a look at the video for yourself: the bike is a real dragster, and Graham sits on it Superman style, knowing he's riding a high-pressure cylinder filled with superheated water. Unlike most drag bikes, there is no need for a wheelie bar; there is no traction on the rear wheel, so the bike doesn't try to lift itself.
When the light turns green, Graham hangs on with all his might and tries to keep his two-wheeler upright as steam shoots backwards from a pair of nozzles and the bike hurtles forward. Acceleration is brutal.
Beyond steam
Speaking of rocket bikes, why stop at steam? The fastest two-wheeler of all time was a peroxide-powered motorcycle hydrogen, led with extreme courage by the French Eric Teboul. His bike clocked in at 6.000 pounds of thrust, with a power-to-weight ratio of 10:1. Teboul's latest attempt, which clocked 4.976 seconds at 290.51 mph (467.53 km/h), is an event to behold.
Perhaps the next challenge for Mr and Mrs Sykes could be to surpass Teboul's record. But for now, let's enjoy the full-speed steam of this lightning-fast duo.
