Alt Bike Culture - My friend's bike... The Salamander

My friend has made some "improvements" his flaming rat. He has named it Salamander. It is built from an old Schwinn Tandem This was it in it's last form:

http://i115.photobucket.com/albums/n305/MUSTASKWIFE/Moped/IMG_0044.jpg

Here's the improved Flaming Rat:
http://i115.photobucket.com/albums/n305/MUSTASKWIFE/Moped/Bike-2.jpg

I took the Prison Bike over and showed it to him.
The Convict and the Salamander took to each other immediately.

http://i115.photobucket.com/albums/n305/MUSTASKWIFE/Moped/Together.jpg

It's plumbing:
http://i115.photobucket.com/albums/n305/MUSTASKWIFE/Moped/Tanks.jpg

Me riding it:
http://i115.photobucket.com/albums/n305/MUSTASKWIFE/Moped/Riding.jpg

And what it does.....
DISCLAIMER<<<>>> DO NOT FREAKIN TRY THIS!! THIS IS STUPID AND DARWINIAN> THIS MEANS YOU!!! WE ARE TALKING MAJOR "HOLD MY BEER AND WATCH THIS" ACTION I HAVE VIDEO AS WELL BUT WILL NOT POST IT BECAUSE IT IS TOO SCARY AND THE GUILTY WILL BE PROSECUTED























http://i115.photobucket.com/albums/n305/MUSTASKWIFE/Moped/Fire.jpg

Oh LORD!

Is this a commute bike? I can see where it could be really handy.

Nice use of original meaning of the word 'salamander', too!

East Hill

Oh I like that bike! even before the fire.

Nice use of original meaning of the word 'salamander', too!

I'm curious about this. the well drillers I used to work with in Texas called the diesel heater they used in cold weather a salamander, but I've never been able to track this usage down. What can you tell me about it?

A salamander heater is a jet engine looking device on wheels usually. It most commonly burns K1 Kerosene and has an electric blower. It must be use out side or in huge spaces as it it obviously not a vented system. (Think CO Poisoning) It sounds remotely like a jet engine when operating and throws out huge BTU's depending on the size of the unit. Here in the North East they can be found on most construction sites providing heat to structures under construction 250,000 BTU is a common size. They come as small as 50,000 BTU and I have seen 500,000 BTU units on big jobs. Cost varies but a 250,000 BTU unit is a round $400 new (I think)

Where can I buy one?

That's nuts :eek: ! Does the "plumbing" and it's effect act to propel the bike forward? Or are the flames simply to burn stuff with? Either way it's brillant :lol:

I'm curious about this. the well drillers I used to work with in Texas called the diesel heater they used in cold weather a salamander, but I've never been able to track this usage down. What can you tell me about it?

The word 'salamander' is apparently derived from Persian words meaning 'fire within'. It's thought that this is a reference to the belief that salamanders (which live in damp places, and are frequently found underneath, or in, hollow logs) were either immune to fire, or were spontaneously created from the flames of those logs as they were burned.

Some feel that the 'fire' could be in reference to the often brilliantly gaudy colouring of members of the salamander family, and others think that the 'fire' could be in reference to the bitter poison in the skin of most, if not all, salamanders.

The diesel heater 'salamander' is itself a reference to the animals.

Here in the Pacific Northwest you may possibly have seen this, the most brilliantly coloured of our salamanders:

http://www.washington.edu/burkemuseum/collections/herpetology/pvehic.htm

but the most common species we see is this one, the rough-skinned newt:

http://www.northwestherps.com/granulosa.html

At any rate, an apt name for a cool bike :) .

East Hill

At any rate, an apt name for a HOT bike :) .

East Hill

Fixed it for you ;)

that bike is SWEET.

Yeah, I've seen the salamander heaters here in Houston... used them to heat a huge indoor Remote Control offroad track and pits... very nice :D

Here I thought it was in reference to Fehrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. The firetrucks were called Salamanders.

Could you imagine cruz"n down the road and the guy in back of you is ticked off 'cause you are going to slow - and you give him a blast !!!!

A few of those and most folks would stay clear of you I think !


wll

But, can you direct it to the side?

If you bent the tubes you could...

http://i115.photobucket.com/albums/n305/MUSTASKWIFE/Moped/Tips.jpg

Very short clip with no giveaway images of people or places. Yes that's me laughing crazily like Mutley from the old cartoon.


http://i115.photobucket.com/albums/n305/MUSTASKWIFE/th_Fire.jpg (http://s115.photobucket.com/albums/n305/MUSTASKWIFE/?action=view&current=Fire.flv)

All I can think to say is "rad".

Is this a commute bike? I can see where it could be really handy.

Nice one, EH! :roflmao:

... Brad

Very short clip with no giveaway images of people or places. Yes that's me laughing crazily like Mutley from the old cartoon.

Your Mutley laugh makes the vid. Nicely done! :D

... Brad

could sure use the salamander having to commute in the dark and whatnot. talk about establishing visibility. :D

could sure use the salamander having to commute in the dark and whatnot. talk about establishing visibility. :D


You know, this could be a breakthrough for commuter bikes :p .

ACD, any idea how long that tank of propane lasts under normal [your definition of normal may not be the same as mine] commute conditions?

East Hill

well, damn if my earlier post wasn't foreshadowing. took a "nice" flight over the bars after running into a car door so thoughtfully opened right in front of me not an hour ago on my way home. currently residing inside various ice packs surrounding my elbow, knee and shoulder. it hurts.

well, damn if my earlier post wasn't foreshadowing. took a "nice" flight over the bars after running into a car door so thoughtfully opened right in front of me not an hour ago on my way home. currently residing inside various ice packs surrounding my elbow, knee and shoulder. it hurts.


Bad news :( .

Perhaps the Salamander should have optional FRONT discharge units as well.

Any damage other than road rash and bruises?

East Hill

Front units would be of no use, as it was a last second deal, though i like your train of thought. :o x-rays tomorrow and i just don't have the energy to examine the horse, i walked it home and put it away. the driver was very nice though, offered to call an ambulance or give me a ride, but i was too dazed to deal with it. be careful out there, folks.

Oooh, I'm guessing you got all the contact info, it sounds as if there's going to be at least a few medical bills to be paid.

Let us know how it turns out.

East Hill

Sorry about your accident. Glad you were able to still motivate on some level. Get looked over real good. East hill the propane lasts a long time as it only fuels the pilot lights. The main event however is not exactly efficient. I would guess 30 seconds of burn to the gallon. That assumes someone had the cohones to hold the valve open that long. I posted this for amusement only. Please don't try to duplicate. We are professional idiots.

^^^
I will not duplicate! I've done enough other crazy things in life :) .

East Hill

ooooh.... niiice bike!

and...

Alternate use for the term Salamander:

Wolf Range Co. Broiler, Salamander, Nat Gas, 36":
Stainless steel front. Side and top finished in black epoxy powder coat paint. Six 11,000 BTU/hr. bar type burners, 66,000 BTU/hr. total input. Infinite heat control valve. Pilot ignition system. Twelve stainless steel radiants provide uniform heat. Chrome plated trigger grip control handle provides positive positioning of the broiling carriage. Heavy duty nickel plated broiling grid measures 27-1/2"w x 13"d. Removable full width spillage pan. 3.4" top gas connection and gas pressure regulator. (http://www.cooking.com/products/shprodde.asp?SKU=707468)

Note to self... don't draft that guy.

I. WANT. ONE!
Ghost Rider's gone low RPM cousin, Ghost Cyclist. that would scare the crap out of superstitious/drunk/high people in San Francisco.

The Salamander is one of the coolest bikes I've seen.

In Portland the Chunk 666 guys do crazy fire bikes on 4th of July. Up and down the street, shooting bottle rockets and roman candles. Some of the bikes are totally on fire and the rider has flame proof clothes and a respirator. Safety glasses are recommended for spectators. ****ing wild fun having.

Having been knocked down by a hit-run driver two weeks ago, I think I need to convert my bike into a Salamander. Add a proximity sensor and whammo, any driver who gets closer than six feet gets fried.

Awesome.

My friend is done with the Salamander and wants to build another one. He asked me about selling it. What do you guys think about the legal implications of his selling such a thing???

Aaron

Far be it from me to try to play a lawyer! However, I don't think I would sell it to anyone under the age of 21...if you know what I mean. I also think I would try to do as much rear end covering as I could with something in writing. How much of the mischief making equipment could he remove?

East Hill

I thought only Reser's Foods in Western Oregon made bombs that bad :love: :lol: :eek:

He could remove all of it but that kind of defeats the purpose..LOL He wants to make a steathier version with no exposed hardware and thus no clue that it does anything "unusual" so to speak.

I think I'd be leary of selling it without putting some stern warnings in the bill of sale that the seller is not responsible for any mis-use, or abuse, but I don't know how that would hold up in court.

I really don't know what the liability issues would be with something like that...

East Hill

Here I thought it was in reference to Fehrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. The firetrucks were called Salamanders.That was most likely a reference to the old meaning of the word, too. Some definitions from Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary...

1 a : an animal somewhat like a lizard formerly held to be able to live in fire b : a mythical and not clearly defined animal having the power to endure fire without harm c : a being inhabiting the element fire in the medieval theory of elementals especially as formulated by Paracelsus -- compare GNOME, SYLPH, UNDINE

3 : any of various articles used in connection with fire: as a : a metal disk or plate heated and held over a food (as pastry or pudding) to brown the top of it b or salamander stove : a small portable stove having no chimney and often burning coke or oil that is used to keep materials (as concrete or plaster) from freezing during the construction of a building or to provide temporary heat for a greenhouse in cases of emergency c : a small portable incinerator (as a wire basket) d dialect chiefly England : a large poker e : an iron used red hot for igniting certain substances (as gunpowder)

5 : a mass of unfused material (as metallic iron or partially reduced ore) in the hearth of a blast furnace -- called also shadrach, sow

Definitions 2 and 4 are about real animals.