Remember that feeling of terror when a five-year-old version of you climbed aboard your tricycle before careening down a giant hill? That’s nothing compared to what François Gissy must have felt climbing aboard this adult-sized trike powered by a water tank pressurised to 6,000 PSI.
When the valve holding back 132l of pressurised rain water inside the carbon fibre-wrapped tank was released, the tricycle accelerated to 100km/h in just over half a second. But by the time that tank was completely emptied, the tricycle, built from motorcycle and go-kart parts, reached a top speed of 261km/h. Somehow a motorcycle helmet just doesn’t seem like enough safety equipment.
[YouTube via Popular Mechanics]