Bike parts make the wearable electric motorcycle suit cruise
Jake Carlini makes his own wearable electric motorcycle suit with repurposed bike parts that lets users ride in a planking position. The content creator decided to build his motorized outfit after crashing his own bike, from which he extracted the working parts to make a body-mounted system that lets him ride it again but without a seat or while hovering closely to the ground. The first step was salvaging the motor, which was built into the rear wheel. Instead of mounting the wheel on a frame, Jake Carlini attached it directly to his legs using painter’s stilt straps as braces. These straps held the wheel forks against his shins, allowing him to lock his legs into the motor assembly.
Next, he needed a way to carry the power source, so he removed his electric bike’s battery from its frame and placed it into the back pocket of a wearable vest. The pocket was too small, so he cut slits and reinforced the fabric with glue to avoid the heavy battery from falling out. The vest became the storage unit for the battery and wiring system. The suit also required steering, and without handlebars, balance was difficult, so he created a front-wheel section with added grips. Standard handlebars did not fit, nudging him to improvise by thickening a metal rod and attaching bike pegs and armrest pads. These bars let him rest his forearms while cruising.
all images courtesy of Jake Carlini
Planking position while riding with body support
Electronics from the bike, including the throttle and display, were transferred to the wearable electric motorcycle suit. The throttle was mounted on the right handlebar for acceleration control, while the display was hidden but accessible for checking power and speed. Wires ran along his arms and into the vest, where the battery and connectors were positioned. During testing, the content creator found out that the design needed strong core muscles to balance. The rear wheel strapped to his legs gave him propulsion, but without enough body support, the structure was unstable. To fix this, he adjusted the stilt straps for a wider surface area, giving his calves and shins more support. The aero bars also reduced the need for constant abdominal strength by shifting weight to his arms.
During tests, the wearable electric motorcycle suit reached speeds over 20 miles per hour. The rear wheel motor worked when powered by the relocated battery, and the throttle and display functioned as expected. Some of the parts Jake Carlini used were mainly recycled bike parts: the motorized wheel, throttle, display, battery, and metal frame pieces. Additional equipment included painter’s stilt straps, a vest with reinforced fabric, glue, screws, drilled holes, pegs, and aero bars. Standard tools like screwdrivers and pliers were used for assembly, and electrical wiring required careful trimming and simplification to remove unneeded brake and light connections. The project, then, represents a hybrid between vehicle and clothing, where instead of riding a machine, the rider wears the machine.
Jake Carlini makes his own wearable electric motorcycle suit with repurposed bike parts
the suit makes riders cruise in a planking position
the rear wheel strapped to his legs gives the creator propulsion and support during cruising
Jake Carlini installs his old bike’s motor into the rear wheel
the creator attaches the wheel directly to his legs using painter’s stilt straps as braces
