Motorcycles

The loco steam-powered Black Pearl motorcycle from Revatu Customs

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The Black Pearl constructed by Revatu Customs blends a motorbike with a locomotive
The Black Pearl constructed by Revatu Customs blends a motorbike with a locomotive
The red wheels on the Black Pearl are a nice touch
If the target was to look like a train with the Black Pearl, it worked
This saddle of the Black Pearl may be a bit uncomfortable for prolonged use
Set on fire, wait to build pressure and you're good to go
This is what we call hard-tail
From this angle it's hard to believe the Black Pearl is a motorcycle
A bell and a steam horn, operated from the handlebars
The bike is named after the ship from Pirates of The Caribbean
This is the part of the Black Pearl that looks more like a motorcycle
Could this be a toolbox for the Black Pearl?
One can't help but wonder how this ride must feel in the summer heat
The view from the cockpit is unconventional to say the least
It is pretty obvious that Rene van Tuil (on the right) enjoyed The Pirates of the Carribean
The Train Wreck bike
View gallery - 17 images

The Black Pearl was unveiled at the Bigtwin Bike Show in Rosmalen, Holland, next to a poster of Captain Jack Sparrow. But unlike the legendary sea vessel of the silver screen, this Black Pearl is a land vehicle powered by a steam engine. Constructed by Dutch company Revatu Customs, the two-wheeled locomotive is a fully functioning motorcycle, albeit a slow one.

Although custom specialist Rene van Tuil, owner of Revatu, makes no effort to hide what inspired the name of his latest creation, it is a 2011 design by Colby Higgins that is likely to have sparked his creative flame. Named the Train Wreck Bike, industrial designer Higgins’ 3D rendering came about as he was exploring his “fascination with old fashion mechanics” and drew considerable publicity.

If the target was to look like a train with the Black Pearl, it worked

Staying faithful to the Train Wreck’s design, van Tuil built a motorcycle whose locomotive inspiration is obvious from every angle. The final transmission, an exposed crankshaft rotating the rear wheel by means of an eccentric pivot, mimics a steam train’s engine both mechanically and visually.

Adding a bell and a steam horn doesn't steer the mind away from trains either. A setup more familiar to the typical motorcyclist can be found at the front, where two shock absorbers connect the steering to the wheel through a trailing link structure, housing a drum brake assigned with the task of stopping the beast.

A bell and a steam horn, operated from the handlebars

More importantly, the Black Pearl is a motorcycle one can actually ride. There is no official technical description, no mention of horsepower, torque or weight figures. In fact the only thing we do know is its top speed: 5 mph (8 km/h). Barely enough to outpace a pedestrian, it probably won’t set the asphalt on fire (considering the irony of riding a burning boiler a few inches off the ground). What it certainly will do is ride unlike any other motorcycle.

Talking about touring on it may be a bit premature though, at least until we find out how much coal and water it can store. Shorter distances are definitely more feasible, as Rene van Tuil proves with the following video of him (briefly) riding the Pearl.

Source: Revatu Customs

View gallery - 17 images
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14 comments
Nairda
Lough it up, but in the post oil era these will become common again. Likely mated to electrics and advanced batteries.
Milton
Love it, Love it, Love it!
Freyr Gunnar
Nairda > Lough it up, but in the post oil era these will become common again
At 8km/h, any bicycle is much faster and requires no fuel to run (just a bit of Weetabix).
Stuart Wilshaw
Just the thing to roast your chestnuts on a cold winters day!
Deadpan
Ask the railroad companies about the viability of steam and stop paying any credible attention to the steampunk crowd for ideas. This is only going to get somebody killed when the unmaintained boiler explodes.
Nicolas Zart
Love it. This truly is a Steampunk vehicle. Way, way cool!
Buellrider
Bestus looking custom I've seen in a very long time. 4 thumbs up.
Griffin
Needs a bigger brass headlight...
Maybe a cow catcher spoiler out front.
bergamot69
Just as you thought that Theo Jansen's Strandbeests were the maddest (and oddly wonderful) thing thought up by a Dutchman, along comes this...
I'd like a pint of what he's smoking...
Bill Bennett
Loz needs to ride this puppy!