Beer-powered motorcycle inventor: 'I don't drink'

BLOOMINGTON, Minn. (FOX 9) - Over the years, Ky Michaelson has made everything from a rocket-powered toilet to a jet-powered coffee pot.

But his latest invention is creating a different kind of buzz.

"One thing about this motorcycle is definitely different, and I like to be really creative. Do things that other people have never done in the past," said Michaelson.

Michaelson has built what he believes is the world's first beer-powered motorcycle in his garage in Bloomington.

Michaelson says instead of a gas engine, the bike has a 14-gallon keg with a heating coil inside.

Ky Michaelson with his beer-powered motorcycle

When he pours beer into the keg, the liquid heats up to 300 degrees, and when it goes out the nozzles in the back, the beer turns into superheated steam, which provides enough thrust to move the bike forward.

"The price of gas is getting up there. I don't drink. I'm not a drinker, so I can't think of anything better than to use it for fuel," said Michaelson.

Michaelson says he hasn't taken his homemade motorcycle out on the road just yet, but he has entered it into a few local car shows where it has won first place.

While the "Rocketman" as he is nicknamed has traded horsepower for hops power, he believes his motorcycle could reach speeds up to 150 miles per hour.

"It could be any kind of liquid. It could be Red Bull. It could be Caribou Coffee. It could be anything. But beer. Why not," said Ky's son Buddy.

Michaelson plans to test his beer-powered motorcycle on a drag strip sometime soon, but after a few demonstrations, it will probably end up in the museum in his house.

His bike may be more of a boozer than a cruiser, but Michaelson believes his unusual creation has raised the bar.

"We're right in the early stages, but we got it. We got it built, and I think it looks pretty cool," said Michaelson.