Rocket design enthusiast, Tom Pickens, recently mounted a 200-pound thrust engine onto his two-wheel bike (pictured left) and successfully used this enhancement to thrust him and his vehicle from 0 to 60 in five seconds. Tom Pickens is president of Orion Propulsion. His firm developed the hybrid rocket propulsion system used in SpaceShipOne, winner of the X Prize.

The rider operates a control interface using four regulators. The left and right handle bars each have a thumb-accessible button, one directs power flow from the battery pack to an igniter. The other continuously applies N20 to the rocket as long as the button is pressed. The ignition system is activated by a toggle switch on the battery pack and a left-brake lever coordinates throttle.

Tom Pickens' next undertaking is a rocket-equipped pickup truck.

Via (CNN)
Orion Propulsion