Okay, so I saw this crazy thing online – a motorcycle with just one wheel! I thought, “No way, I gotta try making one.” So, I started digging around.
Brainstorming and Gathering Stuff
First, I spent a good chunk of time just looking at pictures and videos of these one-wheeled contraptions. I needed to get a feel for how they even worked. I noticed most of them had a big, heavy wheel and a frame that kind of hung off to the side. I started sketching some rough ideas in my notebook, trying to figure out the basics.
Then came the scavenging. I hit up my local junkyard and found an old, beat-up motorcycle wheel. It was way bigger than I expected, but I figured it would work. I also grabbed some scrap metal – old bed frames, pipes, anything that looked sturdy enough.
Building the Frame
welding time!
- I don’t have any,I borrowed a welder from my friend.
- I started cutting and bending the metal to make a basic frame.
- I tacked everything together first, just to make sure it all fit.
It was a lot of trial and error, and honestly, it looked pretty ugly at this point. But hey, it was starting to resemble something!
The Wheel and Engine
The wheel was a beast. I cleaned it up as best as I could and checked the bearings – they were surprisingly smooth. Now, for the engine… I decided to go with a small, used lawnmower engine I found online. It wasn’t super powerful, but it was cheap and easy to work with. I mounted the engine to the frame, trying to keep the weight as balanced as possible. This was tricky, and I had to redo it a couple of times.
Seat and Controls
Next, I added seat and footrests.
- I fashioned a simple seat out of some foam and an old leather jacket.
- I rigged up a basic throttle and brake lever, connecting them to the engine and wheel with cables.
It wasn’t pretty, but it was functional.
The First Test (and Many Failures)
Okay, this was the scary part. I wheeled my creation out into my backyard, took a deep breath, and fired up the engine. I eased onto the seat, grabbed the throttle, and… promptly fell over. Again. And again. And again.
It turns out, balancing on one wheel is REALLY hard. I spent hours just trying to get the hang of it, making tiny adjustments to the frame, the seat position, everything. I fell so many times, I lost count. My neighbors probably thought I was crazy.
Finally, Some Progress!
But then, something clicked. I started to get a feel for the balance, for how to lean and shift my weight. I managed to stay upright for a few seconds, then a few more. I was actually riding it! It was incredibly wobbly and unstable, but I was doing it!
Still a Work in Progress
My one-wheeled motorcycle is far from perfect. It’s slow, shaky, and probably pretty dangerous. But it’s mine, and I built it. I still have a lot of tweaking and refining to do, but for now, I’m just enjoying the fact that I managed to make something that actually works. I’ll keep practicing and see if I can get better at riding it. Maybe one day I’ll even take it out on the road… but probably not.
