While the Honda Innova uses a 125 cc engine to deliver 9 horsepower, a Dutch enthusiast by the name of Allert Jacobs invented a motorcycle that can grab 214 MPG. It is essentially a streamlined version of the Inova. Having converted the vehicle to a recumbent bike by moving the seat down on the step-through frame, Jacobs proceeded to move the foot pegs. Having added a fairing, he increased the top speed to around 69 mph. With a taller gearing set, this had the effect of raising the fuel economy to 156 mpg.
Then again, he wasn’t ready to stop there. He took a while to design and build a full motorcycle fairing, which actually splits just behind the windshield so that he could enter. Though it looks extremely unstable, Jacobs claims that the bike can handle a 40 mph crosswind if it came down to it.
Perhaps some of this has to do with the fact that the fairings are extremely streamlined well developed to the point of almost appearing alien. On the other hand, it doesn’t appear to be visually quite as strong as a standard motorcycle. This might be due to the paradigm that people expect bikes to fall into, but then again, this is an area where one should always dare to be different.
His ultimate goal is 235 mpg. While this might sound a bit strange, he seems to have based it on metric measurements. In the metric system, 235 mpg comes out to 1 liter for every 100 kilometers. That’s certainly an honorable goal to meet, and considering Europe’s extremely high fuel costs, it might make more sense than one might think. Then again, riding along in a little pod has to be enough to please bikers who also happen to be science fiction fans.