Sarlin's Cycle
Sarlin's cycle
A Good Way to Let Off Steam.
Ed Remitz
When David Sarlin tweaks his two-wheeler's throttle, it responds with instantaneous peak torque and incredulous peeks from onlookers.
That’s because David rides a bicycle powered by Vesuvius, a steam engine he designed and built. Maybe David has created a motorcycle. More likely, he’s c^astructed a two-wheeled identity d^Ps. And he compounds the perplexity because Vesuvius is detachable.
Sarlin doesn’t delight in pushing the definition of what a motorcycle is to an extreme. He’s simply a fellow intrigued with steam power. Vesuvius is the child of his lengthy love affair with steam. After all, a bicycle is a cheap test bed if you want to power a vehicle with steam.
Despite the volcanic namesake, Vesuvius’ performance wouldn’t rival a lava flow. Sedate. At “something less than 1/2 horsepower,” the steamer will run at 16 mph and average 10 mph, and pull a 10 percent grade. It uses any gasoline, but prefers white gas; averaging 5 5 mpg (or six miles to a tank).
The 1/2-gallon water tank is tapped with a manual and engine-driven pump. Water consumption is 5 mpg. For camel-like cruising, an optional water t^k attaches to the bike’s tail end. With a^^et weight of 38 pounds, the power plant can chug a bicycle three miles. Of course, you’ve always got your pedals....
From his apartment in Berkeley, California, David describes his brainchild. The engine straddles the bicycle’s front wheel. A few turns of a knob disengages the engine for normal bicycling. The entire system is detachable within three minutes. Since the mounting bracket attaches to holes on the bicycle, the bike needn’t be modified.
The engine, which has a 1 3/8-inch bore and 1 1 /2-inch stroke, is directly connected to a four-inch, spoked-aluminum flywheel. The flywheel rolls against the bicycle’s front wheel, providing a friction drive. The engine is only suitable for bikes with 26 or 27-inch flywheels.
The copper boiler is a near copy of
tused in an 1884 steam velocipede t by Lucius Copeland. It takes 15 minutes for the boiler to reach its operating pressure of 100 psi. “That’s the interesting phenomenon of steam engines,” says David. “The boiler has stored power for quick bursts of speed but can’t sustain power output faster than the rate of steam production. A steam engine, technically, has its highest torque at no speed.” Firing the boiler is done with a solid fuel tablet. The burner is taken from an Optimus camping stove. At 105 psi, a safety valve erupts with a cloudy blast that may plume upward 1 5 feet.
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The boiler casing, water tank, fuel tank and smokestack are made of brass.
David reckons the unit has 10 pounds of copper and a half-pound of silver solder in it. He hopes to replace some pocket silver by selling plans for Vesuvius. The package contains a 25page folder with complete plans, parts list, construction notes and a history of steam bicycles. Cost is a sterling $9.50. Write to David Sarlin, No. 2F, 2321 Russell Street, Berkeley, CA 94705.
You’ve got to be a super enthusiast to tackle this project. Sarlin figures he spent $370 for parts and $120 for labor on his engine. And that was with gratus technical help and gracious parts deals. He would charge $2000 to build one for a customer.
“If you built everything yourself, and bought the fittings and had some machining background,” David instructs, “it would take 750 hours to do it.” If you don’t have the skills, that $2000 figure looms. “Compare it to this, though,” David emphasizes, “for a frame of reference. A steam locomotive model enthusiast thinks lightly of plunking down $2000 for a foot-long model of some bygone steam engine.”
The comparison to model steam engines is well taken. Many of Vesuvius’ parts are similar to model steamers. Too, the technological level with which Sarlin’s engine and old-time engines were built is the same.
“You know,” Sarlin adds, “the people interested in this want to do their own work. They enjoy the building of it as much as anything.”
Over 60 people have been intrigued enough to buy the plans. “Four people,” David says, “have directly bought the 22 special castings from me. Flywheels, crank pillow blocks, water pump throttle valve. Mainly engine components I’ve had to design.”
The visibility of the more than 850 engine parts was Sarlin’s aesthetic approach with Vesuvius. “This is one of the very few steam units,” he says, “where you can watch it run. The moving parts are all exposed.”
Sarlin says the handling of his bicycle is affected only slightly with the engine > aboard. The unit’s weight rests back of the front axle.
The only handling problems may be tl^e caused by wracking laughter. [J^Pd relates the experience of idling at a corner while talking to curious onlookers. A black man came by on a bicycle and was asked from the crowd if he wanted to race. “If John Henry didn’t make it,” he replied, “I don’t think I can either!” John Henry, you’ll remember, is the black character of a railroad song. He raced a steam drill, won, and dropped dead.
Vesuvius gives voice with prim puffs and wheezes. “The burner does make a slight rumble, though,” David adds. “The whistle, of course, is pretty loud. The escaping steam is so cool you can put your hand in it.”
Sarlin, 32, is an agricultural engineer. His steamy love affair began at age 10 when he saw a steam motorcycle in a San Francisco museum. At age 15, he attempted to build a steam engine for a y^cle but his funds and technical CT¡pertise weren’t up to the task.
Then, in 1966, he began seriously collecting historical and technical literature on steam-powered vehicles. He began writing for several journals on steam power. And, in 1969, he wrote an article on steam motorcycles for CYCLE WORLD. Currently, he’s com-
piling material for a book on twowheeled steam vehicles.
In December, 1971, he began designing his engine. Birth was completed in June, 1972. Aiding this rapid delivery was his unemployment at the time. Lots of time for tinkering.
About the future of steam power, David says, “The uproar over pollution may see steam engines come into use.” He feels that with today’s technology and materials, a feasible steam motorcycle can be developed. “This steam bicy-
cle,” he says, “was built mainly for the intrigue of having a steam vehicle. It was built with technology from bygone days. And it’s fulfilled its objectives. But it doesn’t represent the latest developments in steam power. There are several people working with modern concepts, quite seriously.”
There’s only one hazard with riding behind Vesuvius-. If you’re propelled by steam you’re not a rider but an engineer. You could get steamed up about that. E3
