Mac Gyver Lives! Man build motorcycle from broken down car to escape desert

AutoBlog.com ^ | Jeremy Korzeniewski

[njslim]

According to Merriam-Webster, ingenuity can be defined as "skill or cleverness in devising or combining" or "cleverness or aptness of design or contrivance." We'd say that's an apt description of a Frenchman named Emile who reportedly found himself stranded in the deserts of Northwest Africa after breaking a frame rail and a suspension swingarm underneath his Citroën 2CV.

What to do? Why, disassemble the broken hulk and build yourself a motorcycle from its pile of parts, of course! As the story goes, Emile was able to use the inventive machine to escape the desert, though not before convincing the local authorities that he wasn't an insurgent and paying a fine for importing a non-conforming vehicle...

[dblshot]

If I was stranded in the desert, I’d sure want a kick stand on my means of escape too.

[Born to Conserve]

Bullshit.

[Gabz]

Yea - in SAHARA by Clive Cussler (one of my favorite authors) the main characters Dirk Pitt/Al Giordano build a sand yacht from crashed plane

I loved that book! We're also Cussler fans in this house!

[camle]

looks cool, if it works. i really doubt the story tho. he can’t fix a slide rail,. but he can do all this without cutting torches, welders, etc...?

[a fool in paradise]

Anyone can build a motorcycle from a Citreon. Lets see him do that with a '69 Chevy Impala. 2012 Chevy Volt

[The Mayor]

cool!

[JaguarXKE]

I had the pleasure of meeting Clive and got Atlantis Found autographed. Cool guy and boy does he have a car collection!

[Fightin Whitey]

He left out the beer holder??

[lacrew]

“After looking at the bike, it was likely built in a shop.”

I agree...he allegedly had a cracked frame and a broken swing arm...something he couldn’t fix, yet he was able to build this?

And he even found time to add a kickstand!

[Michael Barnes]

Agreed...If you’r in the Sahara trying to escape, do you take the time to make a kick stand???

[dblshot]

If he had beer, why leave?

[ModelBreaker]

“I seriously doubt the “story” associated with this project. After looking at the bike, it was likely built in a shop.”

Either that, or he just happened to have welding equipment and some serious other machine tools in the trunk.

[Errant]

The Leatherman Wave - Git One!

[IronJack]

If he’s so all-fired clever, what was he doing driving a Citroen in the first place?

[Calvin Locke]

It's French. He left out the wine rack.

[newgeezer]

I read it on the Interwebs. So, it must be true.

[USMCPOP]

I never go anywhere without my portable Oxy/Acetylene welding & cutting rig. Unless I’m flying, in which case I take a hacksaw and several tubes of J-B Weld epoxy glue. Or at least a case of Duct Tape.

[BuckeyeTexan]

You’re such a skeptic. One time, my horse broke down in the middle of West Texas. I used the spare parts to build a camel and trekked on out. Sheesh! It ain’t rocket science. If I’d been wearing my spurs that day, I’d ‘a built me a helo and flown out. You work with what ya have.

[ClearCase_guy]

"Transportation wasn't my thing, but I did build a radio out of coconuts."

[Lx]

Which wheel is the driven wheel?