Hello ladies and gents this is the viking telling you that today we are talking about
HALESON STEAM POWERED
The Haleson Steam Powered motorcycle is exactly as unusual as it sounds. Appearance-wise, it looked something like a regular bicycle, with a platform between the wheels where the paraffin-powered steam boiler sat, driving a 200cc engine.
Not many modern drivers would feel comfortable with a potentially explosive boiler between their legs, but in 1904 when the Haleson was first launched, it was actually pretty popular.
This weird creation was the brainchild of William Hale of Bristol in the UK and was in production until 1914, by which point technology had moved on, making the idea of a steam-powered motorbike obsolete. This neat-looking steam-bike was built by an engineer, Mr William Hale of Hanham, Bristol, in 1914. The Haleson was a conventional motorcycle produced from 1903.
In 1914, a special steam-powered version was built. It has a flash boiler- the fat vertical cylinder at the front- fired by paraffin, the steam driving a 200cc single-cylinder engine with side-valves. Drive from the engine was by belt with no need for clutch or gearbox due to the inherent flexibility of a steam engine.
This machine is claimed to be the only known steam-powered motorcycle in the world capable of running on a regular basis; I think Mr Hudspith might have something to say about that.
And as always have a chilled day from the viking
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