It’s been a few years since we first remembered some ideas of one-wheeled vehicles. A unicycle may seem a bit ridiculous, far from being a practical way to get around… but we love them. Especially if they are like the Make It Extremewhose ideologists have replaced its 1,100 cc engine with an electric one.
They call it Project 149, which has not merely dismantled and rebuilt the previous contraption, but has improved the construction procedures and made many other adjustments to create “a more functional and advanced vehicle,” in the words of its creators.
The outer wheel, inner frame and components were all made from scratch. The 145 cm (57 in) outer wheel was wrapped in a tire made up of three motorcycle tires. The two engines were taken from a hoverboard and were placed on a kart tire, located under the seat type bananawith coil springs that absorb bumps.
The kart’s motorized wheel spins the outer wheel to move forward quickly. The motor controllers are connected to a throttle for “explosive torque,” they say. The battery pack is mounted on a frame at the front of the seat and below the handlebars, where you’ll find a Shimano brake lever and twist throttle. These guys have even installed a side stand for easy parking.
So has this new design changed our minds about the ridiculous and impractical nature of the unicycle? Not at all. It looks great, but it’s hard to control and very dangerous to ride. Despite all that, we still want one. They’re expected to upload plans to their website, should you want to create one of these strange spinning rollers yourself… assuming you have access to an arsenal of machinery and tools like they do:
