Novelties Page 2

The Megola motorcycle was produced in Munich in the 1920’s. Some 2000 were built, but only 10 fully working examples are still in existence, one of which is in the Guggenheim Museum in New York:
Is this where the idea for the soft tail came from 60 years ago?

Moto Shoe

Woody

Mower

1932 Helicron
In the late 1930s this one-of-a-kind Helicron was placed in
a barn and forgotten. More than six decades later this odd
lost little gem was rediscovered, rebuilt, and reintroduced
to the world. Although the manufacturer is unknown, it's
believed that this car was built in France 1932. Following
the first World War it was not uncommon for recently
displaced airplane engineers to look towards the automobile
industry for employment.
As in this example, a few entrepreneurs developed
propeller-powered cars with the notion that propeller power
was an efficient means of moving a vehicle. On this car, when
the wooden propeller is spinning at full speed and
efficiently, this little 1,000-pound boat-tailed skiff can
hit freeway speeds exceeding 75 mph. This is the one and
only Helicron in existence, owned by Lane Motor Museum in
Nashville, TN.

A young inventor has created a motorbike with a twist -- it uses two wheels but they are positioned right next to each other, giving it the illusion of being a powered unicycle.

Ben Gulak has spent several years building the electric Uno that uses gyroscopic technology -- like the infamous Segway commuter device -- to stay upright.
The bizarre-looking contraption has only one switch -- on or off -- and is controlled entirely by body movement. The rider leans forwards to accelerate to speeds of 25 mph and back to slow down. It has two wheels side-by-side and has been turning heads wherever it has been ridden.

Ben Gulak designed the Uno himself with the help of a simple 3D program. The green machine is so small and light it can be taken indoors and carried into lifts -- and is recharged by being plugged into the mains.

The wheels are completely independent, allowing the bike to turn on a sixpence and the technology takes the balance and guesswork out of riding a unicycle. Its 18-year-old creator is now looking for investors to get the Uno into production and onto the streets.

Ben, from Ontario , Canada , said: 'I was inspired to make the bike after visiting China a few years ago and seeing all the smog. Currently it has a top speed of 25 mph, but that will be increased greatly with bigger motors.' It has a range of about 2.5 hours and it is designed for the commute to work through busy towns