Leno's Jet bike - SoFlaSportbikes.com

alecracing · 11-22-2006, 11:08 PM

http://www.popularmechanics.com/auto...76.html?page=1

Catch him if you can. Leno waves "bye" before cracking his 300-plus-hp jet-powered throttle.

Now think about it. This engine was designed to lift a 10,000-pound Bell Ranger helicopter. Now it's in a 460-pound bike. It only makes about 10 hp at idle and takeoff is no special thrill. The bike really pulls hard from about 50 or 60 mph, because turbines have to spool up. Then it's like the hand of God pushing you in the back. When you leave the line you've got maybe 40 hp. You go 10 more feet and you've got 70 hp. Then you've got 100, then 150, then as much as you dare. This thing will do a quarter-mile in 9 seconds.

I've ridden a lot of fast bikes but nothing pulls like this. It's shaft driven, not thrust driven, with a homemade two-speed transmission. You don't need more than two speeds because you've got those 450 ft.-lb. of torque. The shaft redlines at 6600 rpm. Don't even try to compute the power-to-weight ratio. It's better than a Formula One car's. The wheelbase is 71 in.?pretty long by motorcycle standards. And the steering is slow, but it handles okay. It's kinda like square-dancing with a fat lady: The fact that she does it at all is pretty amazing.

notman · 11-23-2006, 07:23 AM

here is the site if you want one

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

knowntofew · 11-23-2006, 09:04 AM

Got to love the Y2K

crisg555 · 11-23-2006, 09:39 AM

nice truck.

11-22-2006, 11:08 PM	#1
alecracing Senior SoFla Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Ft Laud Posts: 18,821	Leno's Jet bike http://www.popularmechanics.com/auto...76.html?page=1 Catch him if you can. Leno waves "bye" before cracking his 300-plus-hp jet-powered throttle. Now think about it. This engine was designed to lift a 10,000-pound Bell Ranger helicopter. Now it's in a 460-pound bike. It only makes about 10 hp at idle and takeoff is no special thrill. The bike really pulls hard from about 50 or 60 mph, because turbines have to spool up. Then it's like the hand of God pushing you in the back. When you leave the line you've got maybe 40 hp. You go 10 more feet and you've got 70 hp. Then you've got 100, then 150, then as much as you dare. This thing will do a quarter-mile in 9 seconds. I've ridden a lot of fast bikes but nothing pulls like this. It's shaft driven, not thrust driven, with a homemade two-speed transmission. You don't need more than two speeds because you've got those 450 ft.-lb. of torque. The shaft redlines at 6600 rpm. Don't even try to compute the power-to-weight ratio. It's better than a Formula One car's. The wheelbase is 71 in.?pretty long by motorcycle standards. And the steering is slow, but it handles okay. It's kinda like square-dancing with a fat lady: The fact that she does it at all is pretty amazing. __________________ There is nothing like a trail of blood to find your way back home

11-23-2006, 09:04 AM	#3
knowntofew Zen Track Master Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Racing 24/7 Posts: 11,141	Got to love the Y2K __________________ Did you know that if you spell HUH backwords it spells HUH? The road to enlightenment is down the path of self-destruction Former Soflasportbikes MOD some date-some other date... Sleep what is sleep?YES!!! 1 night of more than 3 hours sleep!!!

11-23-2006, 09:39 AM	#4
crisg555 Senior SoFla Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: South Florida Posts: 8,866	nice truck. __________________ Yummsters, Rockstar

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11-23-2006, 07:23 AM	#2
notman ------------ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: ooooooo Posts: 1,262	here is the site if you want one http://www.marineturbine.com/motorsports.asp