A team of YouTubers has pulled off an extraordinary engineering experiment, stripping down a broken Harley-Davidson and rebuilding it to run entirely on twin micro-turbine jet engines.
The unconventional project was built by Matt from Warped for the Bikes for the Bikes and Beards channel, after receiving a non-running Harley with a dead engine from Sean Kerr. The finished machine ditches the traditional internal combustion engine and mechanical drivetrain entirely, relying purely on jet thrust to move.
How the Jet-Powered Harley Works
Unlike a standard motorcycle where power is routed through a gearbox and chain to the rear wheel, this custom build uses physics a bit differently:
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Dual Micro-Turbines: Mounted securely beside the rear wheel, each turbine generates an estimated 336 Newtons of thrust.
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Thrust-Driven Motion: The bike moves forward directly from the force of the jet exhaust, eliminating the need for gear shifting.
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Performance Testing: During test runs, the team successfully pushed the unique machine up to 97 kmph, though they noted that the bike has the potential to go even faster.
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Retained Controls: While the propulsion system is entirely futuristic, the builders kept the original Harley switchgear and displays, retrofitting them to control the new setup.
A Demanding and Complex 400-Hour Build
Turning a standard cruiser into a jet-propelled machine was no easy feat, requiring over 400 hours of custom fabrication.
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Custom Fabrication: The team had to hand-craft dedicated turbine mounts, safety housing structures, specialized electronics, and a custom fuel system.
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Safety Challenges: Working with micro-turbines introduces unique risks. The build video highlights the necessity of heavy containment shields in the event of a turbine failure, as well as managing residual fuel lines that keep feeding fuel even after a manual cutoff is triggered.
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Weight: Kerr estimates the heavily modified bike weighs around 159 kg, though this has not been independently verified.
Summary
The final result isn’t a practical commuter bike or a replacement for a stock Harley-Davidson; instead, it is a fascinating engineering experiment. According to its creators, riding it offers a completely alien experience—devoid of conventional engine vibrations and gear shifts, and replaced by the steady, powerful thrust of jet turbines.
