sturdy aluminum frame
For instance, Furze???s twenty-five seater cannot accommodate a full load of passengers at once since the concentrated weight will cause the middle section to sag to the floor.
How can both these be true? It's not very sturdy if the middle of it sags to the floor.
This story is much ado about absolutely nothing, this bike will never run and all it shows is that the builder has lots of spare metal tubing around, not that he can build the longest motorcycle. This isn't a motorcycle, it's a sculpture with an engine, nothing more.
In 2009, Colin Furze added his name to the record books by building the world’s longest motorcycle. But apparently, he felt that wasn’t enough since this past month he debuted a bike that stretched that record to a whooping 72 feet.
The new model, which seats up to 25 passengers, consists of one and one half 125cc mopeds and features a modified suspension and sturdy aluminum frame that allows for an extended wheelbase. Constructed as three separate parts in his mom’s yard, the bike can reach speeds of 35 mph.
Just about everyone is familiar with motorcycles that accommodate extra passengers using a sidecar, but there was a time when multi-passenger stretch motorcycles was a popular option for families prior to World War II. One production model, the 1937 Böhmerland Langtouren three-seater, was designed with two gearboxes, which actually enabled the passenger to change gears. The company also produced a version that seated four.
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On the surface, a motorcycle version of street limos sounds like a clever gas-saving idea. The problem, however, is that as a motorcycle is designed to seat more and more people, the mechanics of practicality break down. For instance, Furze’s twenty-five seater cannot accommodate a full load of passengers at once since the concentrated weight will cause the middle section to sag to the floor. Also, the 31-year-old plumber admitted to having a difficult time steering the vehicle even when riding it all by himself.
“When I first got on it I thought it would never work and at a slow speed it’s almost impossible to keep upright,” Furze told the Daily Mail.”It wobbled a huge amount as I drove along and apparently the back of the bike was weaving around all over the place.”
“But once you get going it becomes a bit easier, although it is a real strain on your arms as it has such heavy steering,” he added.
Even so, he was able to cruise about a mile in the contraption, which should be enough to satisfy the requirement for inclusion into the Guinness book of world records.
For consideration, he submitted a videotape of the feat and has recently confirmed that it’s now an official world record.
(via Daily Mail)
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