By Jacob Black , RideApart This is what you’re doing this weekend. What has a nine-volt battery, adorable aluminum can wheels, and is the r...
This is what you’re doing this weekend.
What has a nine-volt battery, adorable aluminum can wheels, and is the reason I won’t get anything done this weekend? I’ll give you a hint: It’s the amazing coke-can motorcycle built in this YouTube clip on the Million Gears channel.
People have been building toy motorcycle models out of scrap metal and household objects for years—that part is not necessarily new. The novelty factor on this one is wound up several notches by the fact it actually runs.
Whether you’re a motorcycle enthusiast, a devoted model maker, or just someone with a cat you like to annoy in new and inventive ways, seeing this mini motorbike meander around the room is going to make your heart sing. The pink rubber band belt drive connects the tiny electric motor to the rear tire, and off tootles this palm-sized pocket rocket.
Our hero in this clip has made his bike look like a muscle cruiser, but I think you could do it in the style of a retro café racer, like the BMW R NineT racer, or a Ducati Paul Smart Special. I especially like the way the builder fashioned a v-twin engine using ring pulls from cans as accents.
The video is six minutes long, and we guarantee you’ll be enthralled. If you’re like me, you’ll probably then lock up your calendar for the weekend and attempt something similar yourself. All you need is some glue, some tape, some scissors and a couple of old coke cans.
After that, you probably need skill, craftsmanship and a great deal of patience. Which is why my results will definitely differ from those in this video. As far as “ways to cut your fingers a lot and waste a weekend producing something that looks nothing like you intended” go – this one is my new favorite.
What will you model your toy bike after?
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