The Kite Bike Dream Is Dead

Screenshot: MWMX Show on YouTube

Sometimes, when you believe in yourself and the things you’ve built, you put yourself in situations that are very dumb and funny. It’s extremely Aussie behavior to attempt to sail your half-motorcycle half-hang glider contraption across a very wide river without any kind of contingency plan if things go awry. Kale Makeham’s revolutionary transit device, the Kite Bike, crashed right into the Murray river, the longest river in Australia, and he didn’t even have a floatation device or even a plan for getting the bike out of the river. Thankfully he was not hurt in the process.

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As Makeham said while treading water in full dirt bike gear, “Ah, for fuck sake. How the fuck am I gonna get this out? How the fuck am I gonna get this out? Fuck me.”

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I don’t know if the Yamaha YZ didn’t have enough grunt, Makeham didn’t build up enough speed, or the angle of attack didn’t provide enough lift, but either way, the intent was getting across the river, and that just didn’t happen. I especially appreciate how Makeham pinned the throttle wide open to try to get more speed in mid-air. Maybe he thought the exhaust pressure would push him far enough to end up on dry land, or just shallow enough water he could ride it out. That, uh, didn’t work either.

He says another episode of this adventure is coming, so maybe the dream is merely on pause. This revolutionary transit device might still work. I can continue to hope that one day I’ll be able to ride my motorcycle directly into the air and jump over rivers with ease. Let’s go Kite Bike.