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No we are not talking about Star Wars neither are we playing a cheek-in-bone joke with the Jetsons.

The phenomenon of building a flying bike/vehicle has been making the rounds ever since we took to the sky. Many have attempted in creating wacky and insane personal flying machines, pods, vehicles but none of them has actually been able to take it to the sky successfully.

The FBike as it has been termed, is a collaborative effort between a bunch of Czech companies and enthusiasts and is still very much in its early stages of development. The project began in the autumn of 2011 with a proposal to create an e-bike, but enthusiasts from Czech firms like Technodat, Evektor and Duratec set their sights on loftier designs instead. Inspired by the stories of Jules Verne and Czech author Jaroslav Foglar (who penned a trilogy of works featuring a flying bike invented by a young apprentice locksmith).

The proposal for the FBike was to fit a number of electrically-driven propellers to the custom frame of a two-wheeler that would allow the pilot to rise above the traffic for as long as the batteries would hold out. Gyroscopes & accelerometers would be housed in an on-board control unit for keeping stability in check and automatically adjusting the speed of each propeller for a smooth and steady flight. It’s also expected that the FBike would be capable of a flight time of approx 3 to 5 minutes.

The FBike team states that the vehicle is not expected to ever go into production, it’s just being created for marketing purposes. The first flight tests are expected to take place in mid-August, as of now we just have to keep our fingers crossed.

For more details about the FBike … click on the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=yiLZh3lluBg#!

Chuck Miller a resident of Anchorage, Alaska undertook an outstanding journey which involved 49 states, covering a total of 13,000 kms in 10 days on his BMW motorcycle, to raise money for Big Brothers/Big Sisters charity in the US state.

Chuck chose the Big Brother/Big Sister charity because he was touched by the amount of hard work and dedication they used to put in their work which was catered towards kids having drug-related issues. Due to their commitment, kids in their program were 46% less likely to use drugs and 30% were more likely to finish their high school, making the life of kids a better place. On the trip he encountered a full range of conditions, from 36 degrees to extremes of 116 degrees. He carried two complete sets of gear, one for the warm weather and one for cold one. He encountered harsh terrain, heat, rain along the trip.

The trip has made a huge difference on Chuck and his charity as he has managed to raise $10,000 so far. ASRC Energy Services, an Alaskan company sponsored to him to cover all his expenses, so that what ever amount he manages to raise will all directly go to the charity.

His journey came to a stop in Mount Vernon, where he visited his parents, Carl and Georgia Miller, before heading home.

Photo Courtesy: Chuck Martin

In the world of motorcycles, custom choppers have always had a very special niche, with their beauty, power and exclusivity.

And where some designs are awesome, others are simply down right bad-ass. This one is no exception – it showcases just to what extent a master designer can go to create his work of art.

Vasilatos Ianis has been designing works of art like these for nearly two decades. He loves vehicle design and has the incredible ability to create amazing vehicle concepts which particularly focus on the wheels, and the possibilities that lie within, to make them both striking and absolutely functional. The Indian Gorilla V4 is a concept which has been incorporated with Indian motorcycles, one of the most iconic brands in the world and features a hubless design.

The ideology behind the master piece is the integration of technology taken from the rich history of Indian motorcycles and the futuristic approach of hubless design. The bike is a combination of a muscular bike with delicate detailing which incorporates a retro styled instrumentation panel, ventilation grilles and numbered cylinders. The motorcycle is powered by a massive V4 engine. Big exhaust pipes, sporty riding position, 32 inch tires, large amount of chrome parts and external tubular frame structure, all combine to make this bad boy a dream bike for enthusiasts.

For more information on Vasilatos Ianis’ Indian Gorilla V4 concept, check out the July 2012 issue of Bike India, on stands soon.

Istvan Puskas, a Hungarian motorcycle enthusiast actually took the term ‘custom’ a little too real and spent the last two years chopping his dream chopper from you guessed it… wood.

Puskas has build this one-of-a-kind beauty almost entirely out of weather-resistant black locust wood, and not just as a showcase but as a fully functional machine. Wood isn’t the only unusual material used to create this special chopper. The handlebars and exhaust pipes are made from cow’s horns instead of chromed steel, and deer antlers has been used as decorations. A small Fiat donated the engine while a small wooden barrel serves as a gas tank.

 

It’s not clear whether the agricultural machine expert from Tiszaros couldn’t afford to buy himself an ordinary chopper, or if he just wanted to create something that would gain lots of attention where ever he went. Though some people might disagree with the fact about it being a fully fledged motorcycle, the level of craftsmanship that went into the building this master piece is impressive.

You’ve heard of BMW sedans, sportscars and motorcycles, but how about an electric bicycle sporting the revered blue propeller logo?

Allow us to introduce the BMW i Pedelec concept then. Mr. Ian Robertson head of marketing and sales, BMW, presented the new i Pedelec folding pedal-electric bike at the launch of the first iStore on July 25 on South Park lane in London. Apparently, the company plans to launch around 200 i Pedelec electric scooters in London this summer as part of its fleet for the 2012 Olympic games.

 

The three-speed 42-volt electric hub motor of the bike’s 16-inch rear wheel will only provide motor-assist up to 25 km/h, after which you will have to pedal on your own. The motor delivers 20Nm of torque and can feed some juice back to the battery during braking or when riding downhill. The i Pedelec’s lithium-manganese battery pack is said to offer between 25-40 km per charge, depending on usage of rider. The bike is said to weigh less than 20 kg, due to the lightweight and strong aluminum & carbon fiber frame. It reportedly takes four hours for a full recharge. BMW says that its green commute solution doesn’t need to be insured or registered, and the rider is not required to obtain a license or wear a helmet.