The Megola Motorcycle

The Megola had a unique design. It was driven by a Monosoupape rotary engine mounted within the front wheel. The engine, five cylinders with side-mounted valves, displaced 640 cc, a total size equivalent to many modern bikes. The crankshaft was the front axle, which remained stationary while the cylinders rotated with the wheel. A hand-controlled butterfly valve was located in the hollow crankshaft to regulate throttle. Power output was a meagre 14 bhp but was applied directly to the wheel. This arrangement produced a very low centre of gravity and provided for excellent handling.