Anyone following this guy and his steam bike?

[Ton-up]

Steam powered drag bike. Done this today-
60ft. 89 mph 0.81
330 ft 180 mph 2.02
660 ft 203 mph 3.17
1000ft 193 mph
1320 ft 183 mph 5.51
Steam power!

Force of Nature - Steam Rocket Bike

'Force of Nature' is a steam powered 'Rocket' motorcycle built by Graham Sykes for drag racing, record breaking, exhibitions and events.

www.force-of-nature.com

Graham Sykes

Graham Sykes. 5,105 likes · 2,920 talking about this. Designer, builder and rider of The Force of Nature Steam Powered Rocket bike.

www.facebook.com

 

[oldbikedavey]

Steam powered drag bike. Done this today-
60ft. 89 mph 0.81
330 ft 180 mph 2.02
660 ft 203 mph 3.17
1000ft 193 mph
1320 ft 183 mph 5.51
Steam power!

Force of Nature - Steam Rocket Bike

'Force of Nature' is a steam powered 'Rocket' motorcycle built by Graham Sykes for drag racing, record breaking, exhibitions and events.

www.force-of-nature.com

Graham Sykes

Graham Sykes. 5,105 likes · 2,920 talking about this. Designer, builder and rider of The Force of Nature Steam Powered Rocket bike.

www.facebook.com

Oooo-errrrr.....

 

[Tinbasherdan]

Was talking to him last month at straightliners, genuinely nice bloke and an incredible guy engineer. Mad as a box of frogs though seen it run a few times, terrifies me

 

[Erie Fred]

It's not Furze ?

 

[Erie Fred]

Was talking to him last month at straightliners, genuinely nice bloke and an incredible guy engineer. Mad as a box of frogs though seen it run a few times, terrifies me

Sounds like EJ Potter......

 

[Keithmac]

It's my ex boss's mate.

He's been building drag vehicles for decades.

Has his own engineering company and an extremely clever bloke!.

That steam bike is all his own work.

Frightening really as technically he is sat on top of a bomb!.

 

[jmp49]

Frightening really as technically he is sat on top of a bomb!.

Technically when you add enough nitro or boost, every dragbike is a bomb. And no matter how much nitromethane in the mix or boost, its never quite enough

 

[Erie Fred]

I looked thru both links and didn't see how it actually works.

There was a guy in Mexico that was putting Hydrogen Peroxide rocket
engines on everything. Steam was the output.

Or does this motorcycle have a boiler of some sort ?

 

[Keithmac]

I looked thru both links and didn't see how it actually works.

There was a guy in Mexico that was putting Hydrogen Peroxide rocket
engines on everything. Steam was the output.

Or does this motorcycle have a boiler of some sort ?

I believe it comes with its own "trailer", the steam is generated on the trailer and that pressurises the vessel in the "bike".

The bike is detached just before the run.

Might have changed now but that's how it used to work.

 

[bricol]

I believe it comes with its own "trailer", the steam is generated on the trailer and that pressurises the vessel in the "bike".

The bike is detached just before the run.

Might have changed now but that's how it used to work.

Sounds similar idea to old fireless steam locomotives.

 

[jmp49]

There's some newish drag cars now running low times on compressed air stored in bottles instead of a turbo or supercharger.
With a fibre reinforced bottle as storage charged with a high pressure compressor in the pits, the weight penalty is far outweighed by loosing the drag from the blower or weight/characteristics of a turbo.
It only has to have enough volume for the engine's total air requirements for the 1/4 mile in the 5-6 second region...

 

[Erie Fred]

There's some newish drag cars now running low times on compressed air stored in bottles instead of a turbo or supercharger.
With a fibre reinforced bottle as storage charged with a high pressure compressor in the pits, the weight penalty is far outweighed by loosing the drag from the blower or weight/characteristics of a turbo.
It only has to have enough volume for the engine's total air requirements for the 1/4 mile in the 5-6 second region...

IIRC seeing something in an older magazine how Don Garlits or one of the others back then did similar.

 

[Morris]

I looked thru both links and didn't see how it actually works.

There was a guy in Mexico that was putting Hydrogen Peroxide rocket
engines on everything. Steam was the output.

Or does this motorcycle have a boiler of some sort ?

Super heated pressurised water and Laval nozzles.

 

[Morris]

Force Of Nature Steam Rocket Bike - CPE

we have supported the Force Of Nature Steam Rocket Bike project. The project aimed to produce the fastest Steam powered vehicle ever.

pressure-vessels.co.uk

 

[onlymeagain]

Steam powered drag bike. Done this today-
60ft. 89 mph 0.81
330 ft 180 mph 2.02
660 ft 203 mph 3.17
1000ft 193 mph
1320 ft 183 mph 5.51
Steam power!

Force of Nature - Steam Rocket Bike

'Force of Nature' is a steam powered 'Rocket' motorcycle built by Graham Sykes for drag racing, record breaking, exhibitions and events.

www.force-of-nature.com

Graham Sykes

Graham Sykes. 5,105 likes · 2,920 talking about this. Designer, builder and rider of The Force of Nature Steam Powered Rocket bike.

www.facebook.com

Saw him last year at Santa Pod.
The numbers are scary, bearing in mind he only has enough steam for 1.9 seconds, which means he is coasting for 3.61 seconds and can still complete a 1/4 mile if 5.51

 

[Melvyn Best]

Guy I was an apprentice under set a world record at Santa Pod around 1977 for a quarter mile . He rode an electric bar stool, I don’t know what his terminal velocity was, he probably reached the end of the strip just in time for last orders!

 

[Tinbasherdan]

Saw him last year at Santa Pod.
The numbers are scary, bearing in mind he only has enough steam for 1.9 seconds, which means he is coasting for 3.61 seconds and can still complete a 1/4 mile if 5.51

He’s put a bigger tank on it now, so it’s gaining more grunt!

 

[Keith 66]

There's some newish drag cars now running low times on compressed air stored in bottles instead of a turbo or supercharger.
With a fibre reinforced bottle as storage charged with a high pressure compressor in the pits, the weight penalty is far outweighed by loosing the drag from the blower or weight/characteristics of a turbo.
It only has to have enough volume for the engine's total air requirements for the 1/4 mile in the 5-6 second region...

Similar to old Torpedo technology, high performance ic engine with its air supplied from a Hp air tank. Only has to run a certain distance!