Very few people have heard about the flying motorcycle. This unique cross between a bike and a gyrocopter is certainly different. They've been around for quite a while, but they've never really caught on as anything other than an amusing diversion. However, Dezso Molnar, an inventor in California, wants to bring more attention to these awesome vehicles.
He is working on his G2 motorcycle, a bike that uses a GSX-R1000, 162-horsepower motorcycle engine. The G2 features a tilting front end that has two small wheels instead of one, a configuration most flying motorcycles follow. The flying bike has been clocked at speeds of 138 mph during tests, but so far, Molnar has not taken his vehicle off the ground, flight tests are next on the agenda. He's also looking to get his awesome vehicle into races against other flying motorcycles and even flying cars.
Molnar is no stranger to this area. In 2005-2006, he was working on his GT motorcycle. The bike made more than 30 successful tests both on the ground and in the air, but ultimately he decided the design needed more work.
Why combine motorcycles and gyrocopters? Motorcycles are much easier to get road registrations for. The regulations surrounding cars and other vehicles are much stricter, so it is quicker and easier to use a motorcycle for these tests. Gyrocopters are fairly inexpensive, safe, and can be built very easily. They are also very safe: if the vehicle's engine stalls out while in mid-air, the way the gyrocopter is built means it slowly floats down to the ground. There's no fear of crashing. They also need as little as 50 feet of runway to get airborne.
In addition to the G2, Molnar is also working on designing an electric aircraft. He plans to release this design to the public so that many other inventors and entrepreneurs can add to the design. Who knows, in a few years, bikers might want to buy patches celebrating the G2 and its accomplishments as the first in a long line of flying motorcycles.
