Mine would be the 4th or 5th Radial Engine I built in my early teens using Honda C100 49 cc pushrod cylinders ,heads, rocker gear & cast my own camshaft & had it ground,cast the alloy crankcase using melted down used 350 chevy pistons & the crank was a 5 cylinder nightmare gabbing it.The oiling system was the hardest to apply , I used a Honda SL125 Carb.carving the prop took ages.My Grandfather was a Pioneer aviator & Died in a Biplane Crash(he wasn't piloting) he used to tuned model T's & one of his planes he tuned, a Dehavalind gypsy moth set altitude record at the time.Love that smell of burnt caster oil. I did this about 1975.Trev New Zealand.
@@jawatino3797 Thanks if that's directed to me.I started off trying a model using Cox .049 Babe bee cylinders & pistons - building the crank with it's 1 master Conrod was the most difficult - my Dad knew an old school tool & die maker who came in very handy. I used an OS 25 throttle & wired all the glowplugs together,, it was a 5 cylinder two stroke radial ,man you should've heard it scream.Trev nz
Doug... thats because like a V8 the powerstrokes are usually overlapping when cylinder is on its exhaust stroke another 1 or more are on the power stroke depending on how many cylinders..fighter pilots prefered them because if an inline V12 lost a cylinder it would shake itself to bits were as a corncob could loose a whole jug or 2 & still get you home. Trev New Zealand 🇳🇿
@@trevinskiking2165 Aircraft engines are not designed for high torque.. Only 12 cylinder engines have power strokes that overlap dummy... thats why V-12s don't need a flywheel!!!!
@@sandervanderkammen9230 Don't call ME a dummy ya dipstick ! V8's as well as radial engines if they've got enough cylinders do.Props are a Flywheel you condemning moron go pick on some more your size in the playpen ! Jeez & he thinks he knows the obvious & has a crack because it's me! The insulting south African/Dutchman whatever - won't disclose his nationality but insults mine..Trev New Zealand 🇳🇿🤔
@@sandervanderkammen9230 ..And Aircraft engines are NOT designed for high torque... you're wrong there the Very opposite : THEY ARE SLOW REVVING TORQUE Machines to swing a prop , you don't know what your taking about. Jesus 1 born every minute.😐🇳🇿T
As there was reports of a few radial engines powering motorcycles when the few were built as FWD could have been that rare when finding one today in original condition could be like the saying to find a bone needle in a haystack as the saying the radial engines were like the saying they were that rare when the saying the engines were like hen teeth.
If the engine is rotating around a stationary crank then the fuel has to be delived via the crank and in the case of the rotaries shown here the exhaust exits from the same location - a form of 2 stroke engine, I think. The same goes for a special arrangement for sparks. If the engine stays still the fuel, sparks and exhaust can be delivered in a conventioal manner as in the 18 cylinder beauty shown at the end. Great video - thanks.
An often overlooked important difference between a radial engine and a rotary is the fuel and ignition systems. On a radial the carburetor feeds the cylinders as on any modern piston engine, with a intake ring, which is a manifold- and an intake valve. This isn't possible with a rotary engine because the carburetor would be spinning along with the cylinders. So a rotary engine has a specialized fuel inlet at the bottom of the cylinder which feeds the fuel air mix through the crankcase. Some rotary engines have only an exhaust valve such as the gnome Monosoupape aircraft engine, where fuel enters through a bottom port. All radials use an intake valve and an exhaust valve, a stationary carburetor and can be throttled. A rotary also has no throttle and its speed is controlled by either the load itself or an ignition cut out.
HI Dave cool explanation ...i was wondering how they dealt with the ignition on those rotary engines ...i understand that the noise of a world war one aircraft coming in to land was the cutting in and out of the ignition as there is no way to fine tune the fuel and i suppose a rotary engine would have to be two stroke ..but the spark eludes me
Bearing in mind its size and shape, placing a radial engine in the middle of the driven wheel would seem optimal. But why, in the first example, was it placed in the front wheel? This arrangement means that all piping must be flexible and electrical connections longer, as well as vastly increasing the mass to be turned, and massively increasing understeer and scrubbing on corners. Placing it inside the rear wheel would avoid all of these problems, and place the centre of mass further back. Any oversteer would be predictable but avoidable.
There is a electric motor for the front wheel of a bicycle now. While considering the application i had the same thoughts, albeit with a little less knowledge
Contrary to what one comment here says: not oversteer but understeer, which is the problem commonly seen in front engine front wheel drive cars but applies just as much to a motorcycle with front engine front wheel drive. Who knows, he might have just gotten autocorrected
Cj T I have ridden electric bicycles with motor in the front. For an ebike this works pretty well as long as the rider is aware of its limitations. My bike had enough torque to spin the front wheel (causing loss of balance) if the surface was wet or covered in dirt/gravel so I was always extremely gentle accelerating except on dry clean pavement. I also had a good front-rear weight balance due to electrc motor being in the front wheel and battery being above the rear wheel. With more torque, or if it were used mainly off pavement, I'd view the front wheel drive setup as pretty dangerous.
Not destroyed,as yet! It’s still in pristine condition,in the Sammy Miller motorcycle museum. Well worth a visit if you are in the South of England.(specifically,Bashley,in Hampshire). One of the finest collections of veteran, vintage and classic motorcycles in the world!
Just FYI: The engines that are mounted in the wheels that spin. They are NOT radial engines. They are rotary engines. They came out before the radials and tho they look similar and sound almost the same but the Radial is a far superior engine. Nice little video even if it is miss labeled.
The Megola has a rotary engine, not a radial. They're very similar, but in rotary engines the pistons rotate around a stationary crankshaft, while a radial engine has fixed pistons and a rotating crankshaft. And a Wankel Rotary is something else altogether, it has no pistons and is the one used in the Mazda RX series.
The Megola has a rotary engine NOT a radial engine. This makes it the only rotary engined motorcycle. A rotary engine has the cylinder rotate around a fixed crankshaft. A radial engine has the crankshaft rotate in the middle of fixed cylinders.
@@luisbarrocas7964 No it isn't they might look similar but they are very different. Cooling, lubrication, fuel system, ignition and more are all different.
The person who wrote the headline has done no research at all. They even missed Fritz Gockerell's own rear engined bike he made before the Megola. There was a very small production run in Britain of the Redrup engined bikes as well. Have a look, there's one at Sammy Miller's museum.
@@callmeanythingbutlatefordinner It doesn't have clutch? If it had a clutch, neither would be an issue. Need to stop? Hold the clutch. Engines seizes? Hold the clutch. It might still launch you off the bike if you don't react fast enough though, but it's better than nothing.
Very interesting and fascinating! However, a slight correction is in order. The first two bikes shown with the engine in the front wheel... these are rotary engines, NOT radial. Very easy to tell the difference. In a radial engine, the cylinders are stationary and the pistons, eccentric crank, etc., move inside. In a spoke-type rotary engine, the crank and etc. are stationary and the cylinders rotate. This type of rotary engine was used in early bi- and tri-planes; a notable example is the Sopwith Camel. That last engine, the 18-cylinder radial, was quite fascinating! I have never seen a two-row radial engine that small before! Must be capable of rather high rpm. I'm willing to bet the timing is a royal you-know-wbat, though! Thank you for sharing. ☺👍
I remember seeing one on an airplane in Carlisle air museum and thinking how impressive it was. It was also claimed to make over 500hp and didn't look a lot of weight.
Remember that rotary engines, i.e., engines that rotate ABOUT the crank shaft (NOT radial or inline engines that remain stationary while the crankshaft rotates as in modern engines), were the principal engine employed in many First World War military aircraft used by both sides. So, in the years after the war, these engines were plentiful (and likely cheap) and well-understood. They were lighter and ran cooler that radial and inline engines. It's a wonderfully creative idea.
On the megola, this is not a radial engine, but a rotary engine (the wankel IS NOT a rotary engine, only a rotary PISTON engine)...But you miss the first rotary engine motorcycle: it's the 1893 Felix millet 5 cyl rotary in the rear wheel
Wankel's early prototypes had rotating combustion chamber as well as the trochoid, so could accurately be termed 'rotary' engines. This arrangement made it impossible to change the spark plug without completely dismantling the engine.
The novelty is cool, but I assume centrifugal forces make this motor less powerful and more prone to breaking? The power strokes are all fighting the centrifugal forces. Not sure if the compression and exhaust stokes are counterbalancing the forces fighting the intake and power strokes.
@@tarstarkusz old engine airplanes designed similar to this actually spun with the propeller. So I would assume the people who created them would have thought of that.
+Dalton... That it works is not the same as saying it is the most efficient way of doing it. Also, those engines weren't spinning, they were attached to the plane in a fixed position. These engines wouldn't work trying to spin at the same speed as an air plane propeller.
First bike is a rotary. Radial engine: crankcase and cylinders are stationary and the crankshaft rotates.. Rotary engine:crankshaft stays stationary and the crankcase, cylinders, and pistons rotate. Period, there are no other explanations.
@@bredbeddledehautdesert4561 Yes, at the time they were called rotary engines because the cylinders rotated. But they were still radial engines. Changing the name because you lock a different part and make the other part turn doesn't make it a different engine. You're just using it in a different way. What we now call rotary engines are completely different.
@@bredbeddledehautdesert4561 "ro·ta·ry en·gine noun an engine that produces rotary motion or that has a rotating part or parts, in particular. an aircraft engine with a fixed crankshaft around which cylinders and propeller rotate. *a Wankel engine.* As I said, the mait difference between the radial engines and the original "rotary" engines is how the were mounted. They were still radial, they just had the crankshaft locked so the entire engine spun. In other words, the different name was because of how the engine was used, not to any real difference in the engines themselves. Where as the Wankel is a true rotary.
Some of these look like *rotary* engines to me. And no - radial and rotary isn't the same. And listen kids. No matter how many times you call the *Wankel* engine "rotary" it doesn't change the *fact* THIS type of aircraft engine was called that *first* .
“Hmm, I’m just going to put my engine and carburetor inside or near the wheel where there’s a lot of motion and things could come lose over some time and break the bike and perhaps even break me as well”
@@snoriarseniev5558 have a look at rotary aircraft engines. During ww1 this is exactly what they did. The crank was bolted to the firewall and the prop to the case. I think it was mostly for cooling.
Yes, at the time they were called rotary engines because the cylinders rotated. But they were still radial engines. Changing the name because you lock a different part and make the other part turn doesn't make it a different engine. You're just using it in a different way. What we now call rotary engines are completely different.
@@lordgarion514 they are NOT the same. I don't care what the common vernacular is. A radial is not a rotary, and a rotary is not a radial. I would've failed my faa test if I said that shit
Well kind of, harleys do have single pin cranks but they utilize a knife and fork rod configuration vs the master/slave rod setup found in radials. And boy oh boy do i love my harley garbage! 😁
@@BagpipekilR Right, they are basically two cylinders cut out of a radial. Don't get me wrong, I respect all bikes, Im just not a fan of certian brands and types. I did like the Pro Street Breakout they made, that was a very cool looking bike. In my eyes were all brothers of the road.
What nut job thought putting the engine inside the front wheel was a good idea? That much rotating mass will not want to lay over into a corner at speed! I suppose there's a reason why that idea is long dead...
Jason Harris The Megola actually handled quite well for its time. Keep in mind that the definition of laying over in a corner was different in the 1920s when few roads were paved and few motorcycles could go over 50mph. People were far more interested in stability than in lean angles.
If the cylinders move around a stationary crankshaft, it's a rotary, not a radial. Wankels aren't the first engines to be called rotary engines. On radial engines, the cylinders are fixed and the crankshaft rotates
Iariwoo When the Megola was built, few motorcycles had clutches. If you had to stop, you killed the engine. Keep in mind that there was very little traffic, few stops and no traffic lights at the time. Later versions did have a clutch.
The first two engines displayed were rotary aircraft engines that were popular during WWI with a lot of aircraft manufacturers. If you want to know how it works there are a few videos that explain
That effected exists whether it is driven or not, as long as it's spinning. This effect actually helps bike stability. Though the extra weight would indeed affect how steering feels.
interesting clip. Just one point in that the first bike is not fitted with a radial engine at all. It is in fact a Rotary engine which makes things even more interesting in that the engine rotates around the stationary crankshaft or in this case the wheel axle. That would present more than a few problems when stopping. I would love to see just how they handled the clutching of the engine if at all.
The crankshaft of the Megola was not stationary, but rotated counter clockwise (if that's a correct expression) to the wheel in a ratio of 1 : 5, i.e., the crank turned five times faster than the wheel.
When the Megola was made, almost all radial engines were rotary, ie rotating cylinders and stationary crank. Also, it would be difficult to package a radial engine not inside the wheel, so it just follows....
Radial engine was an utter failure ... If engine is placed on front tire .... It is very hard for the driver to move handle because of shaking and weight and torque produced
no the handle was not the problem, but the speed controll was close impossible and if the motorcycle stops did the engine stops...the all firt rotary engined motorcycle was the 1893 Felix Millet (5 cylinder)
Mine would be the 4th or 5th Radial Engine I built in my early teens using Honda C100 49 cc pushrod cylinders ,heads, rocker gear & cast my own camshaft & had it ground,cast the alloy crankcase using melted down used 350 chevy pistons & the crank was a 5 cylinder nightmare gabbing it.The oiling system was the hardest to apply , I used a Honda SL125 Carb.carving the prop took ages.My Grandfather was a Pioneer aviator & Died in a Biplane Crash(he wasn't piloting) he used to tuned model T's & one of his planes he tuned, a Dehavalind gypsy moth set altitude record at the time.Love that smell of burnt caster oil. I did this about 1975.Trev New Zealand.
I admire clever and brave people like you.
I admire clever and brave people like you.
@@jawatino3797 Thanks if that's directed to me.I started off trying a model using Cox .049 Babe bee cylinders & pistons - building the crank with it's 1 master Conrod was the most difficult - my Dad knew an old school tool & die maker who came in very handy. I used an OS 25 throttle & wired all the glowplugs together,, it was a 5 cylinder two stroke radial ,man you should've heard it scream.Trev nz
I Could have geared 5 Cox engines together but that would have been cheating & a nightmare to Start
Cheers.
@@trevinskiking2165 aaa
So basically, if someone wants to steal your front wheel, he got a bonus.
He would have alot harder of a time stealing it tbh
Hahaha LOL Bro....
yeah a free engine
@@not_the_trifecta966 i will take the while bike then ...
a self propelling front wheel
Shout-out to the camera man going back in time to get these shots. 😤💪
Homie needs a raise
That would be one hell of a Top end rebuild
The precession of that front wheel rotary must play havoc with the steering
Very popular in board track racing where procession was not problem.
So do you get a check engine light if your tire pops???
The original audio of the recording would sound cooler. Thank u very much for uploading this awesome video 😊
Thank you.
I love these old radial engines, they have a tremendous amount of torque
Doug... thats because like a V8 the powerstrokes are usually overlapping when cylinder is on its exhaust stroke another 1 or more are on the power stroke depending on how many cylinders..fighter pilots prefered them because if an inline V12 lost a cylinder it would shake itself to bits were as a corncob could loose a whole jug or 2 & still get you home. Trev New Zealand 🇳🇿
@@trevinskiking2165 Aircraft engines are not designed for high torque..
Only 12 cylinder engines have power strokes that overlap dummy... thats why V-12s don't need a flywheel!!!!
@@sandervanderkammen9230 Don't call ME a dummy ya dipstick ! V8's as well as radial engines if they've got enough cylinders do.Props are a Flywheel you condemning moron go pick on some more your size in the playpen ! Jeez & he thinks he knows the obvious & has a crack because it's me! The insulting south African/Dutchman whatever - won't disclose his nationality but insults mine..Trev New Zealand 🇳🇿🤔
@@sandervanderkammen9230
..And Aircraft engines are NOT designed for high torque... you're wrong there the Very opposite : THEY ARE SLOW REVVING TORQUE Machines to swing a prop , you don't know what your taking about. Jesus 1 born every minute.😐🇳🇿T
@@trevinskiking2165 *4-stroke, 8 cylinder engines don't have power strokes that overlap dummy...
World's only front wheel drive bike ?
No there is other bikes with front wheel drive, but those are anyways very rare.
One of the first bikes I drove on 50 years ago was this model:
th-cam.com/video/27338-TJpD4/w-d-xo.html
MEGOLA were front drive Rotary Engines
As there was reports of a few radial engines powering motorcycles when the few were built as FWD could have been that rare when finding one today in original condition could be like the saying to find a bone needle in a haystack as the saying the radial engines were like the saying they were that rare when the saying the engines were like hen teeth.
Porkchop's Papi solex for example is also front wheel drive
If the engine is rotating around a stationary crank then the fuel has to be delived via the crank and in the case of the rotaries shown here the exhaust exits from the same location - a form of 2 stroke engine, I think. The same goes for a special arrangement for sparks. If the engine stays still the fuel, sparks and exhaust can be delivered in a conventioal manner as in the 18 cylinder beauty shown at the end. Great video - thanks.
An often overlooked important difference between a radial engine and a rotary is the fuel and ignition systems. On a radial the carburetor feeds the cylinders as on any modern piston engine, with a intake ring, which is a manifold- and an intake valve. This isn't possible with a rotary engine because the carburetor would be spinning along with the cylinders. So a rotary engine has a specialized fuel inlet at the bottom of the cylinder which feeds the fuel air mix through the crankcase. Some rotary engines have only an exhaust valve such as the gnome Monosoupape aircraft engine, where fuel enters through a bottom port. All radials use an intake valve and an exhaust valve, a stationary carburetor and can be throttled. A rotary also has no throttle and its speed is controlled by either the load itself or an ignition cut out.
HI Dave cool explanation ...i was wondering how they dealt with the ignition on those rotary engines ...i understand that the noise of a world war one aircraft coming in to land was the cutting in and out of the ignition as there is no way to fine tune the fuel and i suppose a rotary engine would have to be two stroke ..but the spark eludes me
They were 4 stroke but used total loss lubrication like a 2 stroke, usually castor oil delivered by an oil metering pump into the air intake.
I think the title should read:..... two rotary, two radial engined bikes.... the rotary's must be like riding a gyroscope!
Bearing in mind its size and shape, placing a radial engine in the middle of the driven wheel would seem optimal. But why, in the first example, was it placed in the front wheel? This arrangement means that all piping must be flexible and electrical connections longer, as well as vastly increasing the mass to be turned, and massively increasing understeer and scrubbing on corners. Placing it inside the rear wheel would avoid all of these problems, and place the centre of mass further back. Any oversteer would be predictable but avoidable.
Idk man
The oversteer, holy crap youre right. Death on 2 wheels.
There is a electric motor for the front wheel of a bicycle now. While considering the application i had the same thoughts, albeit with a little less knowledge
Contrary to what one comment here says: not oversteer but understeer, which is the problem commonly seen in front engine front wheel drive cars but applies just as much to a motorcycle with front engine front wheel drive.
Who knows, he might have just gotten autocorrected
Cj T I have ridden electric bicycles with motor in the front. For an ebike this works pretty well as long as the rider is aware of its limitations. My bike had enough torque to spin the front wheel (causing loss of balance) if the surface was wet or covered in dirt/gravel so I was always extremely gentle accelerating except on dry clean pavement. I also had a good front-rear weight balance due to electrc motor being in the front wheel and battery being above the rear wheel.
With more torque, or if it were used mainly off pavement, I'd view the front wheel drive setup as pretty dangerous.
That's some beautiful engineering . Damn near brings a tear to my eye!
the thumbnail engine would be destroyed by even a modest speed bumps.
When this bike was built they didnt have speed..
DEAN WATERS they sure had bumps
I saw the thumbnail and came only to make that comment.. thanks a lot.
@@thra5herxb12s when was speed invented?
Not destroyed,as yet! It’s still in pristine condition,in the Sammy Miller motorcycle museum. Well worth a visit if you are in the South of England.(specifically,Bashley,in Hampshire). One of the finest collections of veteran, vintage and classic motorcycles in the world!
That eighteen cylinder radial is a beautiful thing.
Very cool,such a awesome sound these engines produce
Just FYI: The engines that are mounted in the wheels that spin. They are NOT radial engines. They are rotary engines. They came out before the radials and tho they look similar and sound almost the same but the Radial is a far superior engine. Nice little video even if it is miss labeled.
The Megola has a rotary engine, not a radial. They're very similar, but in rotary engines the pistons rotate around a stationary crankshaft, while a radial engine has fixed pistons and a rotating crankshaft. And a Wankel Rotary is something else altogether, it has no pistons and is the one used in the Mazda RX series.
Thank you for your comment, Sir !
Rotor * not pistons lmao
Its rare
I didnt know that rotary engines had pistons lol
And initially in the NSU Ro80, one of the most beautiful cars ever built.
Nothing beats the sound af a radial!
What a beauty 😌😌 but I’m curious about how can it wait for the green light lol
Driving circles... 🙈😅
Turn it off ?.Trev New Zealand
Yeah they probably need clutch
They don't have traffic lights in new Zealand... more sheep than people.
I helped forge crankshafts for over 6 years and never have i seen anything that cool.
Loved the introduction. Interesting thing, a real part of the history. Thanks
the first 2 have rotary engines, not radials. the difference is obvious
The Megola has a rotary engine NOT a radial engine. This makes it the only rotary engined motorcycle.
A rotary engine has the cylinder rotate around a fixed crankshaft.
A radial engine has the crankshaft rotate in the middle of fixed cylinders.
It's more or less the same 👍
@@luisbarrocas7964 No it isn't they might look similar but they are very different. Cooling, lubrication, fuel system, ignition and more are all different.
The person who wrote the headline has done no research at all. They even missed Fritz Gockerell's own rear engined bike he made before the Megola. There was a very small production run in Britain of the Redrup engined bikes as well. Have a look, there's one at Sammy Miller's museum.
I WOULD NOT ride this as a front tire! If the motor siezes or fails for any reason, the front wheel will lock up and you're going to endo.
It would also be a pain in the ass if you have to prop up the front wheel and re-start it at EVERY stop light/sign.
Be fun though 😂
@@callmeanythingbutlatefordinner It doesn't have clutch? If it had a clutch, neither would be an issue. Need to stop? Hold the clutch. Engines seizes? Hold the clutch. It might still launch you off the bike if you don't react fast enough though, but it's better than nothing.
why not put it on the back wheel?
@@jacklarson6281 yeah seriously that what I'm saying
Just added a new toy to my wish list!
Me 2 😍 first 1
Very interesting and fascinating! However, a slight correction is in order. The first two bikes shown with the engine in the front wheel... these are rotary engines, NOT radial. Very easy to tell the difference. In a radial engine, the cylinders are stationary and the pistons, eccentric crank, etc., move inside. In a spoke-type rotary engine, the crank and etc. are stationary and the cylinders rotate. This type of rotary engine was used in early bi- and tri-planes; a notable example is the Sopwith Camel.
That last engine, the 18-cylinder radial, was quite fascinating! I have never seen a two-row radial engine that small before! Must be capable of rather high rpm. I'm willing to bet the timing is a royal you-know-wbat, though!
Thank you for sharing. ☺👍
Brave men who rode those bikes!
No clutch so it can't stop. Brilliant idea.
It was acceptable in Germany at the time because of low traffic density. For a brief period they did well in rolling start sand track races as well.
It must have been a design concept, so well suited for motorcycles. For it to have been so successful....
OLD is GOLD 👍👍👍
I remember seeing one on an airplane in Carlisle air museum and thinking how impressive it was. It was also claimed to make over 500hp and didn't look a lot of weight.
Ace want one
Como eu sonho ver essas obras de arte ao vivo.
In the U.S. there were a few motorcycles built using full sized radial engines out of ww2 airplanes. One of them was called Radial Hell.
Ahh, history of the toys we love. Not to much has changed.
Yes but I just can't trust this type of bike
Remember that rotary engines, i.e., engines that rotate ABOUT the crank shaft (NOT radial or inline engines that remain stationary while the crankshaft rotates as in modern engines), were the principal engine employed in many First World War military aircraft used by both sides. So, in the years after the war, these engines were plentiful (and likely cheap) and well-understood. They were lighter and ran cooler that radial and inline engines. It's a wonderfully creative idea.
Verdadeira obra de arte da engenharia mecânica. Parabéns! 🇧🇷 Brasil.
Excelente video muchas gracias por compartirlo 👍 SALUDOS DESDE ECUADOR 🇪🇨👌🇪🇨
very interesting video!!!!! thanks!!!!
Car News Central bf
Bf
*Interesting... but tragically flawed and very inaccurate, someone does not know the difference between a Radial engine and a Rotary engine.*
Car News Central d
Wow
@@doktorbimmer Your assuming they don't know .At least it isn't an L6 or V8.Always a keyboard warrior ?.Trev New Zealand
Amazing bike legendery....good
On the megola, this is not a radial engine, but a rotary engine (the wankel IS NOT a rotary engine, only a rotary PISTON engine)...But you miss the first rotary engine motorcycle: it's the 1893 Felix millet 5 cyl rotary in the rear wheel
leneanderthalien wankels don't have pistons. making the megola the rotary piston engine.
Yeah rotaries don't have pistons lmao
Wankel's early prototypes had rotating combustion chamber as well as the trochoid, so could accurately be termed 'rotary' engines. This arrangement made it impossible to change the spark plug without completely dismantling the engine.
+Carlos Leon *Then why is the word "PISTON" in the Wankel's patent name??? Someone needs to learn what a Rotary is.*
+Griffin Mackenzie *All Rotary internal combustion engines have pistons... you seem very confused about what a Rotary is.*
Woah. A fascinating engine. It's like a rotary engine without the rotors.
Um i justed started building my 6th radial bike?
YES,YES, YES !!! JRL CYLES , - I'm your big fan!
The novelty is cool, but I assume centrifugal forces make this motor less powerful and more prone to breaking? The power strokes are all fighting the centrifugal forces. Not sure if the compression and exhaust stokes are counterbalancing the forces fighting the intake and power strokes.
Um I just watched all your videos chronicling your complete builds. Awesome.
@@tarstarkusz old engine airplanes designed similar to this actually spun with the propeller. So I would assume the people who created them would have thought of that.
+Dalton... That it works is not the same as saying it is the most efficient way of doing it. Also, those engines weren't spinning, they were attached to the plane in a fixed position. These engines wouldn't work trying to spin at the same speed as an air plane propeller.
That engine in the front wheel is badass
First bike is a rotary. Radial engine: crankcase and cylinders are stationary and the crankshaft rotates.. Rotary engine:crankshaft stays stationary and the crankcase, cylinders, and pistons rotate. Period, there are no other explanations.
dl87z28 how do you know, maybe cylinders were rotating merely because they're attached to the tyre?
waiting for some dumbass to argue that a wankel is a rotary... all who argue dl87z28 is wrong, should read a little about ww1 aircraft.
@@bredbeddledehautdesert4561
Yes, at the time they were called rotary engines because the cylinders rotated. But they were still radial engines. Changing the name because you lock a different part and make the other part turn doesn't make it a different engine. You're just using it in a different way.
What we now call rotary engines are completely different.
No sir, a rotary is not a radial, and a wankel is not a rotary.
You could argue a rotary is in a radial configuration, but it is not a radial engine.
@@bredbeddledehautdesert4561
"ro·ta·ry en·gine
noun
an engine that produces rotary motion or that has a rotating part or parts, in particular.
an aircraft engine with a fixed crankshaft around which cylinders and propeller rotate.
*a Wankel engine.*
As I said, the mait difference between the radial engines and the original "rotary" engines is how the were mounted. They were still radial, they just had the crankshaft locked so the entire engine spun. In other words, the different name was because of how the engine was used, not to any real difference in the engines themselves.
Where as the Wankel is a true rotary.
Very interesting video I will agree also. I gave you a thumbs up and I also wish you and everyone else a happy holiday season.
Nice video.. Nice bike.. Love it..
The Men and your wonderful machines ...
Nelson from Brazil ...
wow great video
That is soo cool!
I never knew these bikes existed.
The " Verdell" looks like an old board track racer. Very cool.
If you are going to post at least get it right.
The engine in the wheel is not a radial its a rotary they look the same but dont work the same.
You tell em!!
Some of these look like *rotary* engines to me. And no - radial and rotary isn't the same.
And listen kids. No matter how many times you call the *Wankel* engine "rotary" it doesn't change the *fact* THIS type of aircraft engine was called that *first* .
Indeed, the Megola is a rotary type engine not a radial.. terrible video.
Magnifique avec de rare moto à moteur radial mais, aussi avec des moteurs rotatif comme la Megola de 1921! Merci pour cette vidéo splendide...
Thanks !
The first two engines in the video were rotarys like the LeRones used in WW2 aircraft. The other three were radials.
“Hmm, I’m just going to put my engine and carburetor inside or near the wheel where there’s a lot of motion and things could come lose over some time and break the bike and perhaps even break me as well”
same tech used in planes, its not a new thing.
Yes but the plane's rotary engine don't turn with the propeller.
@@snoriarseniev5558 Some does.
@@snoriarseniev5558 You don't know the difference between a Rotary and a radial type engine?
@@snoriarseniev5558 have a look at rotary aircraft engines. During ww1 this is exactly what they did. The crank was bolted to the firewall and the prop to the case. I think it was mostly for cooling.
It's really amazing brother ❤️
I wonder how fuel gets transferred to the motor built into a spinning wheel?
Matthew Wayer and how an exhaust connects to the cylinders
Maybe by the center of the wheel, i don't know
fuel and air are delivered through the crankcase. exhaust flows straight out of the exhaust valve.
@@noahlanday1305 the Q was how?
Large diameter hollow spindle doubling as a crankshaft
Wow this is awesome.
I have a question. Can we control the speed of the bike?
No, the bike decides what speed it wants to go
Does the spinning engine on the front wheel add lot of gyroscopic effect?
yes the gyroscopic effect made this bike extremly stable...
I gotta admit, a rotary engine in the wheel hub is pretty darn ingenious - but how do you idle and keep the engine running?
Why is it that no one seems to know the difference between a radial and a rotary engine?
Good comment sir.
I started looking through the comments to see if anybody would notice. I didnt get very far before I came to yours.
A lot is different lmao
Yes, at the time they were called rotary engines because the cylinders rotated. But they were still radial engines. Changing the name because you lock a different part and make the other part turn doesn't make it a different engine. You're just using it in a different way.
What we now call rotary engines are completely different.
@@lordgarion514 they are NOT the same. I don't care what the common vernacular is. A radial is not a rotary, and a rotary is not a radial. I would've failed my faa test if I said that shit
Harley Davidson's are a radial engine ...only 2 cyl worth of garbage..but it's still a radial engine. The rods are on the same journal/pin.
Well kind of, harleys do have single pin cranks but they utilize a knife and fork rod configuration vs the master/slave rod setup found in radials. And boy oh boy do i love my harley garbage! 😁
@@BagpipekilR Right, they are basically two cylinders cut out of a radial. Don't get me wrong, I respect all bikes, Im just not a fan of certian brands and types. I did like the Pro Street Breakout they made, that was a very cool looking bike. In my eyes were all brothers of the road.
Não senhor, o motor Harley Davidson tem vibrequins, é o único motor com vibrequins alinhados, mas o motor radial não tem vibrequins.
They sound really good
The first motorcycle can go straight, but can not turn right or left?
One of the coolest things I've ever seen! Thanks for sharing! 😉👏
What nut job thought putting the engine inside the front wheel was a good idea? That much rotating mass will not want to lay over into a corner at speed! I suppose there's a reason why that idea is long dead...
Jason Harris
The Megola actually handled quite well for its time. Keep in mind that the definition of laying over in a corner was different in the 1920s when few roads were paved and few motorcycles could go over 50mph. People were far more interested in stability than in lean angles.
Yes, the inventor put his hand in the spokes. Try stopping 200 pounds of spinning dildos
and the unsprung weight... jeez.
Wouldn't it behave like a gyro
Paul Davies yes. With lamb and that delicious bread
Fantastic ! 👍🏻
If the cylinders move around a stationary crankshaft, it's a rotary, not a radial. Wankels aren't the first engines to be called rotary engines.
On radial engines, the cylinders are fixed and the crankshaft rotates
वांडिश बाईक है भाई
when you hear a aeroplane but a bike pass you
So how do you pull away on that fist bike, and what do you do at traffic lights? It doesn't appear to have a clutch
Iariwoo
When the Megola was built, few motorcycles had clutches. If you had to stop, you killed the engine. Keep in mind that there was very little traffic, few stops and no traffic lights at the time. Later versions did have a clutch.
The Megola iser manual says you should "orbit" at a stop sign.
So what does that mean!!? lift the wheel off the ground, or ride around in circles!! :D
If you look closely it looks like theirs a kick stand in the front so I'd assume you lift the front tire
Simple: you don't stop at traffic lights! just keep going until you reach your destination
So with the acutal motor spinning wouldnt the oil stay at the ends and not cycle all through the engine? Just curious
Either is full of oil or with a separate chamber, I think is a two stroke so the fuel/oil is already injected into the crank case
The first two engines displayed were rotary aircraft engines that were popular during WWI with a lot of aircraft manufacturers. If you want to know how it works there are a few videos that explain
I wonder if the bike fights you when you try to turn. Wouldn’t this engine create a gyroscopic condition?
Good question.
That effected exists whether it is driven or not, as long as it's spinning. This effect actually helps bike stability. Though the extra weight would indeed affect how steering feels.
If is attached then only wind resistance, if it is balanced
The pistons have reciprocating motion, if you clock them then you'll cancell all the gyroscopic stability which makes the bike easier to handle
The only gain of gyroscopic resistance would be resulting because of the weight of the engine which creates a more important inertia
This was totally fantastic! thanks
interesting clip. Just one point in that the first bike is not fitted with a radial engine at all. It is in fact a Rotary engine which makes things even more interesting in that the engine rotates around the stationary crankshaft or in this case the wheel axle. That would present more than a few problems when stopping. I would love to see just how they handled the clutching of the engine if at all.
The crankshaft of the Megola was not stationary, but rotated counter clockwise (if that's a correct expression) to the wheel in a ratio of 1 : 5, i.e., the crank turned five times faster than the wheel.
Even for their size they sound badass.
Wow amazing
A rotor is a piston that produces power like any regular pistons engines. Difference is the the rotor spins in a centric an a regular piston don't.
The Verdel is fake, its not 1912 , more like 2000.. made by a chap near me in Gisburn near Clitheroe Lancashire
Michael Schofield so a reproduction?
No, it is a total fabrication. There was no Verdel Rotary built in 1912, or any other year
@@2bitmarketanarchist337 No not repro, it was the imagination of a talented engineer, he never wanted it to be portrayed as old
@@michaelschofield1537 Ah
Cool video. Now I want some narration and information. 😊
Me:Wankel eingine or this eingine?
Shrek meme:good question
Обалдеть....5- цилиндровый двигатель на велосипед.Обалдеть!!!!
I think the first bike would actually be referred to as a rotary motorcycle even though it's a radial engine. not trying to start an argument here.
Correct. Now maybe we can answer why Mr. Megola thought this was a good idea.
It's a rotary radial engine as used in many WW1 aircraft.
twe ak
Those airplanes used large displacement rotary radials designed for aircraft use by various manufacturers, they didn't use Megola's engine.
Because he was a crazy inventor who liked spectacular and unique machines maybe.
When the Megola was made, almost all radial engines were rotary, ie rotating cylinders and stationary crank. Also, it would be difficult to package a radial engine not inside the wheel, so it just follows....
How many revs the sound so incredibly beautiful!!! All these beasties
2:40 His loose pant leg is pretty close to that primary.
Hey Tino, what have you got there? A 5cylinder Frontwheel? Lol. Must be a very smooth ride
Radial engine was an utter failure ... If engine is placed on front tire .... It is very hard for the driver to move handle because of shaking and weight and torque produced
no the handle was not the problem, but the speed controll was close impossible and if the motorcycle stops did the engine stops...the all firt rotary engined motorcycle was the 1893 Felix Millet (5 cylinder)
There is a rotary race bike that was a production model. Late 1990s model I think .
What is a "radial engine Ever Built"?
And all of them looked as cool as!!! 😍
Beautiful 🇧🇩
That's some true engineering right there
Good call wearing dress slacks near a flying roller chain. Recipe for disaster.
My thoughts exactly! Get a guard on that thing!
And there was me thinking that front wheel was drive was relatively new. Thanks for posting.
my father has a NEW HUDSON 1914
Best sounding engines ever made.
the first bike has a rotary engine not a radial engine
Awesome video love it thanks
That shows crazy men exist not only in this generation😆