Amazing 1929 Harley Features Pulsejet Power

A Bit Sketchy

We've seen our fair share of bonkers two-wheeled (and sometimes three-wheeled) builds over the years, some with more power than most people would be comfortable with. That group often includes either massively upgraded V-Twins or even an automotive-derived V8, but this wild 1929 Harley is powered by something a bit more exotic, interesting, and a bit scary - a pulsejet engine. Even better, this wild machine is set to be auctioned at Mecum's upcoming Kissimmee auction.

Photos: Mecum Auctions

Famous Name

This wild build was conceived by a fairly famous person, too - Bob Maddox, who has strapped pulsejets to bicycles, motorcycles, go-karts, and himself, at least when he decided to jump out of an airplane one time. As for this vintage Harley, Maddox put it together around a decade ago with the intention of going fast.

Photos: Mecum Auctions

Unique Piece

The pulsejet is an interesting piece for a number of reasons, partly for the way it operates - by combining air and fuel in large quantities and then igniting that mixture in pulses, which in turn propels whatever it's strapped to. It'll also run on pretty much any kind of fuel you want to throw at it, including low-grade pump gas.

Photos: Mecum Auctions

Big Downsides

There are, as one might imagine, downsides, however - the pulsejet is wildly inefficient, and it's incredibly loud - in fact, Maddox wears ear plugs when he starts them up to avoid hearing loss. Regardless, that's a small price to pay for piloting one of the coolest bikes in history, no?

Photos: Mecum Auctions

Solid Performance

In terms of output, this particular pulsejet doesn't exactly light your hair on fire, but it is respectable, at least - churning out 250 pounds of thrust, with a 0-60 time of around five seconds and a 120 mph trap speed in the quarter-mile. Not exactly jet engine numbers, but not bad, either.

Photos: Mecum Auctions

Fun Factor

It may not be terribly practical, comfortable, or even reasonable to ride, but this wild vintage Harley build makes up for that by being one of the coolest things you'll ever see on the road. And for that reason alone, we have no doubt that someone will jump on it when it hits the auction block next month.

Photos: Mecum Auctions

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