Friday Fudge

Welcome to Friday Fudge – a weekly round up of the more ‘unusual’ motorcycle related stories that are just too silly to post on their own, but raise a much bigger chortle when you slap them all together and take the piss.

Speeding things up

When is a 1,250 horsepower helicopter engine not enough?

In Richard Brown’s case, it’s not enough when you’re trying to set a land speed record. Brown set a one-way land speed record at Bonneville in 1999, and he’s trying to do it again with a cleverly designed motorcycle. No, a 1,250 horsepower turbine engine was not enough for this speed-mad character; he’s taken a helicopter engine, modified it from a shaft drive output to a thrust output, and then added an afterburner, and dropped it into his bike. Oh, and he’s added a couple of stabiliser bars in case something goes wrong.

For now, Brown is still testing his bike, but he’s hoping to run it in Bonneville in 2013. That is, if he doesn’t launch himself into orbit first.

Dial M for Motorcycle
Motorcycle riders constantly pan cagers who are on the phone while driving. We have to wonder what they’d say about their fellow riders if they started motoring around like the guy in this video.

How’s your vision?

Of course, cell phone use isn’t the only reason cars collide with motorcycles; often the driver says they just didn’t see the biker.

That’s why the Utah Highway Safety Office came up with this useful vision chart. We think they should be posted everywhere – at least in motor vehicle departments during driving exams.

Story source: Bikes in the Fast Lane

Finally legal

It seems that Jorge Lorenzo is preparing for motorcycle life outside racing.

Lorenzo recently announced to his fans that he just passed the written test for his motorcycle license. That’s right – the 2010 MotoGP world champ doesn’t even have the paperwork to allow him to ride on the street.

Of course, Lorenzo still has to pass the riding exam to get his license, and that’s certainly not a shoe-in. We’re not suggesting he isn’t technically capable, but the instructor may not be happy if he shows up for the test on a MotoGP machine without turn signals or a headlight.

An Alaskan summer

Remember that video we showed you last year of the Alaskan dirt riders extending their riding season into the frozen winter?

Well, a recent cold snap had us wondering what they were up to, so we checked out their YouTube channel. Alas, there wasn’t any more madcap winter riding, but they did have a mildly amusing compilation of their summer exploits, including yet another spot-on Bruce Brown voiceover impersonation – and starring, of course, the Metamucil Mulisha and their Yamaha BW350.