
Man, stranded in the desert, makes a motorcycle from his broken car - jcubic
http://hackaday.com/2012/05/21/man-stranded-in-the-desert-makes-a-motorcycle-from-his-broken-car/
======
nicholassmith
I understand why people are calling 'hoax' on it, but it is really possible,
especially given that area of Morocco has an average temp of about 18C
according to the internet. If he built himself a shade from the shell as the
first stage he'd be pretty good for surviving the aspects of dehydration.

Plus anyone who's ever been near a 2CV know you could probably drill through
the metal with a pencil if you tried hard enough.

Edit: some more info on why it's possible.

\- 2CV weighs roughly 560kg, they were built to save weight all round so the
body panels, frame work and mechanical components were built 'light' (read
thin, no carbon fibre here).

\- The engine will have been heavy, but it's a relatively small simple block,
it won't have been easy but "give me a fulcrum and I will move the world".
It's doable, I'm pretty sure if I bug the petrol heads I know I'll find one
who's done it on something similar or tell me how it's done. Edit: brohee
(<http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4008052>) posts that the engine is 66kg,
which isn't super ridiculously heavy. Find someone who's around that weight
and see if you can pick them up.

\- If you're going on a desert holiday, taking water is a smart idea. 14 days
water would be about 8/9 gallons for a man weighing 12 stone (I think, unless
the 'recommended minimum water per day' calculation I found is useless). That
seems like a lot, it's about 4 of the jugs used on water coolers, so he might
have rationed it out and had less.

To round it off for you naysayers:
<http://citcity.citroen1.info/2CV/water.htm> if multiple people can make boats
out of them to race about a local lake there's every possibility someone could
figure out how to make a bike.

(and yes, I'm locked into a 2CV research spiral now)

~~~
dclowd9901
The hoax people are calling surround the fact he somehow fabricated a
motorcycle from his car with a broken swing arm, but couldn't simply fabricate
a new or fixed swingarm.

~~~
nicholassmith
From the people who've read the French that's not the only thing that was
broken.

GitHub is littered with people who came up with crazy solutions rather than
fixing the problem in the existing. Hacking is not limited to just software.

~~~
saraid216
I wonder how many otherwise intelligent people died reinventing the wheel
before before they were able to do it from the safety of civilization.

~~~
nicholassmith
Possibly thousands, with the propensity of wheels for exploding.

In a more serious note that's the benefit of living in our civilisation, we
can experiment and do what we want to even if it has no measurable long term
or commercial benefit. Or if someone got there first, why not have a go, could
pay off (for example, SpaceX had a go)

------
Aissen
So, I'm a french native and I read the story. Here are simple facts:

\- it's from 2003, and at the time all the magazines were talking about it - I
don't remember it.

\- the guy was a few tens of kilometers of a city/village — he could have come
back on foot in less than a day, but chose to stay to protect his car (haha !
;-)) and his equipment.

\- He had lots of resources (food/water), so he decided to stay, and build the
project he probably have been dreaming for a long time.

\- the guy wasn't a newbie in mechanics and knew the car (a very well known
french brand) by heart. He also happened to have all the tools necessary in
his car.

~~~
Timothee
Correction: the events took place in 1993 but it was published in 2003. (see
<http://chameaudacier.free.fr/moto1.html>)

------
screwt
For all the people expressing doubt, please:

\- read the original story [1], in full. Google translate is your friend if
you can't read French.

\- find out a bit more about the 2CV car before commenting. It really is a
very simple vehicle.

Ovi256's explanation [2] also gives a bit more context.

This story is emminently believable. And an impressive hack!

[1] <http://chameaudacier.free.fr/moto2.html>

[2] <http://news.ycombinator.org/item?id=4007857>

~~~
brohee
<http://french.cars.free.fr/moto2cv/index.htm>

is a much better article about what was really done.

------
robomartin
I hope Myth Busters read HN. This would be a good one: Can you take a 2CV and
turn it into a motorcycle and river-crossing barge.

~~~
xd
2CVs where the first cars I ever stripped apart .. you can see in the pictures
where he has one of the drive shaft brake hubs strapped up and the other side
is placed in direct contact with the wheel to drive it .. simply genius. No
question this is real and would work .. however the jury is out on it being
constructed in the desert in 12 days .. but I'd put my money on it being true.

~~~
wazoox
The concept of transmission by friction with the tire comes directly from the
Solex, another highly hackable vehicle that any young Frenchman born between
1930 and 1980 would be quite used to: <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solex>

------
Steko
A lot of people seem to be extrapolating "stranded in the desert" into a scene
out of Survivorman or some Hollywood movie or The Little Prince.

Alternate title: "Mechanic camps not far town, repurposes broken car as
motorcycle"

------
sbmassey
Even more amazingly, he made a boat from another broken 2CV on another
occasion in Africa. My, those 2CV's sure do break a lot.

<http://chameaudacier.free.fr/bato1.html>

~~~
giardini
I'm starting to get the picture here. Emil Leray just happens to
serendipitously have the tools available to convert a 2CV to whatever he needs
at the moment. I thought we would have to wait for nanotechnology for this to
happen, but apparently Citroen got there first with the 2CV.

I think we've found the solution for lunar colonization: we'll launch Emile
into a moon orbit with 5 or 6 2CVs and let him figure it out from there. Only
downside: official language of the moon will be French.

~~~
ktizo
This has already occurred, is just that the French are keeping it secret until
they have finished the final alignment checks on the giant laser. I think they
plan to unveil it for the London Olympics by burning the words Vive la France
onto Boris Johnson live on TV during the opening ceremony.

------
xd
From memory the 2CV had brake drums attached to the gearboxs differential CV
shafts, you can see this in the pictures and he has strapped one up which puts
all power into the other side allowing him to drive the wheel by placing the
brake drum in direct contact with the wheel.

Later version of the 2CV had discs .. I wonder if it would have been possibly
if he had that configuration.

------
noonespecial
If happen to have the tools to turn you car into a friggin' motor bike in the
middle of the desert, wouldn't it have been easier just to fix whatever went
wrong on the car in the first place?

~~~
AkThhhpppt
The swing arm and one of the two main structural parts of the chassis broke.
He'd want to have a welder with him.

------
waivej
I have to admit, I had a shred of doubt. Though I can see myself doing this
exact project. I would absolutely add the kick stand and license plate. He
probably also wanted to make it look cool.

Camping in the desert isn't outrageous either. Anyone that's spent a week at
Burning Man tinkering with art cars and construction projects can appreciate
the challenge. You're there with a partial tool kit, enough water for 10-12
days, and appetite for a creative project. The one thing out of my comfort is
the "war zone".

------
frontier
When I read this I just thought (assuming he couldn't just Macgyver the
original problem) why didn't he just dig a hole, bury the 'expensive' tools,
walk back to civilization, buy the spare part, return, fix, dig up tools, be
on his way!

~~~
astrodust
There's no spare part when you break the frame of a car. Burying is probably
an option, as was probably just pushing the damned car the 10km distance (<1km
a day over twelve days).

Then again, he did think, in classic programmer units, that it would take only
"three days" to make it work.

------
waivej
It looks like it would perform very poorly (a bit like a recumbent tricycle
project I abandoned.) It has a really long wheelbase and a lot of weight up
high. I bet the steering was less than ideal too.

I wonder if he would have been better off keeping the front axle/engine
assembly intact and adding a single trailing wheel.

------
leftnode
The man just happened to be named Tony Stark.

~~~
cellis
Reminds me of _Flight of The Phoenix_ more than Iron Man

------
matthiasb
The guy actually got a ticket for riding a vehicle which is not conform with
the local legislation ;-) <http://chameaudacier.free.fr/pv.jpg>

That pic is so funny, don't miss it: <http://chameaudacier.free.fr/moto8.html>

That would be a great subject for analysis by the owner of this blog I like to
read: <http://www.hackerfactor.com/blog/>

------
S_A_P
I'm having trouble believing that one person can accomplish this in 12 days
with few tools could disassemble a car and build something even remotely
drive-able without a welding torch, engine jack, and countless other tools.
Was he stranded in the desert in the way that I imagine?(no water, sand dunes
everywhere) Or did he end up in some desert town that had basic facilities for
him to do this type of work?

Even the most skilled machinist would have a tough time doing this. Seems
implausible.

~~~
gouranga
A Citroen 2CV is pretty much tinfoil with an engine attached. It's definitely
feasible even with hand tools.

With respect to survival, if you head into a desert, you take supplies galore.
The 12 days was probably due to the heat so you can only work at dusk/dawn and
seek shelter during the day to conserve water/rations. 2CV is very simple and
can carry a lot of stuff. It's nearly ideal.

I take a 72 hour pack and am happy doing 50mi+ on foot if i go more than 10mi
from home after a couple of experiences being stranded in rural areas in the
UK. Imagine what that guy was carrying in the desert!

------
waivej
BTW, this would be an awesome event. Everyone camps in a desert with a 2CV (or
collection of parts) take a week and have a race/parade back to some location.

~~~
kaybe
This event has a similar spirit: <http://www.4ltrophy.com/> (french) /
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/4L_Trophy>

They're using Renault 4s, and it's not mainly about hacking, but still.

------
sparknlaunch12
Looks like something out of Mad Max or Water World. It sounds like a hoax just
by the fact - why didn't the guy just fix the car instead of building a
motorcycle? Also, don't think he followed the desert survival guide (1):

"Stay as hydrated as possible before going out.

Take along food that packs the most nutrition in the least size and weight.

Wear wicking fabrics with a UPF of at least 30 as a base layer, and take along
one warming layer (wool or fleece) and one windbreak layer.

Many deserts are prone to dust storms - protect yourself.

Travel at night when possible.

Try to stay as warm as possible at night.

Be wary of nocturnal animals that can harm you."

Typically you are meant to stay with the vehicle.

<http://www.wikihow.com/Survive-in-the-Desert>

------
rokhayakebe
By the way, it seems he used the reverse gear, which means there would be no
need to shift.

~~~
ComputerGuru
If I'm not mistaken, the only reason you don't have to shift a reverse gear is
just because there's only one of it (you're not supposed to be able to do
150mph in reverse in a car that can do 150mph normally).

If you had a one-speed car, you wouldn't have to shift gears if you were in
"forward," either.

------
kghose
Also, I would like to add to the general skepticism. A kick stand? Really?

~~~
GigabyteCoin
He even took the time to attach a license plate again:
<http://chameaudacier.free.fr/moto3.html>

Something tells me this was planned.

~~~
mkr-hn
The last thing you want after a 12-day ordeal in the desert is a four-hour
wait at the DMV to get a new plate.

------
Luc
Supposing it's a true story, here's the region where he took his 2CV off-road:
[http://maps.google.com/maps?q=agadir&hl=en&ll=28.294...](http://maps.google.com/maps?q=agadir&hl=en&ll=28.294103,-10.991135&spn=0.549587,0.611115&sll=33.85217,-4.801025&sspn=8.289195,9.777832&t=h&hnear=Agadir,+Agadir-
Ida-Ou+Tanane+Province,+Souss-Massa-Draa,+Morocco&z=11)

Looks deserty to me!

Plus, his 2CV was loaded with tools, and they are really quite simple
mechanically....

------
xd
When I was young, I really really wanted a motorbike and at the same time my
dad collected 2CVs which for some I would strip for parts .. this guy would
have been my hero back then.

------
bryanlarsen
vladsanchez is right, but he's been hell-banned, so I'll rephrase his comment:

This is the sort of thing that would make a great Mythbusters episode.

------
zoidb
would be awesome if it was true

~~~
bnegreve
What makes you think it is fake ?

~~~
debacle
It's very likely that it's fake. It's very difficult to survive in the desert
for twelve days, even if you have adequate water, let alone survive _and_ find
the energy to build a motorcycle, as rudimentary as this one might be.

Finally, in a few of the pictures the supposed engineer of this contraption is
shown in a thong. I don't know about you, but if I were in an arid place the
last thing I would want is my skin exposed to sun and the air.

It may be a real motorcycle, and that's cool, but it's very unlikely it was
built under the conditions discussed in this article.

~~~
todsul
"It's very difficult to survive in the desert for twelve days..."

My co-founder survived in the Desert for 52 days after crossing the Gobi
Desert entirely on foot in 2011. Not all deserts are 50C every day and
explorers can be quite hardy. Also, they often wear clothes to cover all
extremities, including gloves to cover fingers.

~~~
debacle
Not all deserts are 50C every day, but all deserts are _dry_.

~~~
saraid216
He had supplies with him. He wasn't living off the land.

~~~
plink
Yes, after eating his photographer he called the front desk to extend his stay
until the licence plate and kickstand were assembled.

------
periferral
Credibility of this is very doubtful indeed. Even if the 2CV was easy to deal
with mechanically, the task of doing this in itself is a challenge in the
middle of the desert. Add to that he didn't plan on breaking down and had
tools + food/water to last him the trip. Then you take the precision of the
work itself. He even bothered to add a license plate and he managed to level
it as well.

------
seanp2k2
As a long-time fan of Junkyard Wars, I approve :)

------
antidoh
Was the guy an RC motorcycle designer?

------
drone
The part that sets off my incredulity here is that the whole purpose was "he
had a lot of tools that he didn't want to get stolen." I have a hard time
believing that bike can hold more tools than one could carry, or otherwise
drag with a simple sled.

~~~
einhverfr
The picture suggests to me that the "bike" if you could call it that is
actually more of a two-wheeled open car. The changes are remarkably minor. I
suspect it could hold the tools just fine.

------
Freestyler_3
If that picture above article is the motorcycle...then that guy sure didnt
build it to survive.... I mean why would you need a standard??? (im reffering
to the thing that keeps it standing straight) that doesn't work well in sand
either,

------
djbender
I want to believe.

------
tif
There's a (very short) video of someone riding it near the bottom of this page
on the adventure rider forums:

<http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=773613>

------
ken
What makes it seem fantastical is not the facts of the story itself, but that
it's so similar to the plot of a 1965 Jimmie Stewart movie -- and seems to
make no mention of this.

------
studio816
+1 for a true hacker!

------
elorant
MacGyver would be jealous!

------
georgieporgie
The part that made me dubious was that he had sufficient hacksaw blades and a
rat-tail file, but no hand drill. I'm having a hard time thinking of why one
would pack blades and a file, but no drill...

But hey, I figure this is the type of guy who knowingly puts himself into
risky situations with sub-par transportation for the sake of testing his own
resourcefulness. I do that sort of thing, too.

~~~
wisty
This was 1993. Battery powered hand drills may not have been so common. They
certainly wouldn't have been so cheap.

~~~
ars
Hand drill: [http://www.garrettwade.com/a-real-solid-hand-
drill/p/89B04.0...](http://www.garrettwade.com/a-real-solid-hand-
drill/p/89B04.01/)

They are human powered.

------
obilgic
lol, one simply can't move that engine by himself...

~~~
brohee
Weakling.

A 2CV motor is at most (later versions with 600cm3 motor) 66kg heavy.

See <https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moteur_de_Citro%C3%ABn_2CV>

