Definately a conversation piece.  But it appears to rely on an external power supply, stretching the definition of 'motorcycle' a bit for my book . . .

Along with chain- shaft- and belt drive I can add rod drive as a new variation to the list though.  Probably not a fast ride, but torque is tunable with a twist of the pressure valve, and should increase linearly until the cylinders blow!

We can't ever fault someone for ingenuity, but I'm just not sure of the advantage of this cycle.

Looks like something we might see in the Henry Ford museum though.

Reidh

Build it and they will come."---At least, Jay Leno!

Question...If it were not for the 'suicide' front door, I would think that car on the right was a 36 or 37 Nash.  Anyone know different?

Rod

I don't know about the car.

It appears the 'boiler' has never been fired, or fitted with a shell.  Just as clearly, the front downtubes were routed forward and down to clear the boiler assembly.  I'm guessing a modest water tank would fit behind the seat, between the cylinders.  Or maybe that would be the fuel tank, and a water tank would fit where a normal motorcycle fuel tank goes.

The bike is resting on blocks where a centerstand would be, and the rear wheel is slightly off the ground for what is clearly an engine test with an external steam supply.  I think I see 'motion blur' on the rear wheel spokes and a little exhaust steam behind the rear wheel, suggesting that the first two pictures (duplicates?) were taken with the engine running.

Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA

Solid forensic engineering there Mike.  I foolishly hadn't considered the snapshot was from development work.  Wonder if she ever flew, and what was the intended on-board fuel source?

On a (distantly) related note, I spotted a beutiful tin-lizzie coming up behind me on the road one Sunday last year, obviously on the way to one of the many local drive-in car shows popular around here.  Problem was he was throwing so much white 'smoke' I expected he wouldn't make his destination.  He pulled up behind me at the light and all was made clear when I decifered "yelnatS" on his radiatorless bonnet in my rear-view mirror.  Tickled me to find the old puffers are still roadable!

A steam powered bike was designed and built in 2005/6 as a the result of a challenge in UK. It was ridden round a fairground "wall of death" at a steam rally in Cornwall in 2006. It did a dozen or so laps of the wall. One design requirement was that it dropped no oil/water whilst on the wall, for safety reasons. I believe £1000 was won as a result!