A Cuban built a tricycle powered by the engine of a generator plant from scratch and took to the streets of Havana with his vehicle.
The unique mode of transport was recorded by the user Yan Leyva and went viral on Instagram on Sunday, under the title "Locura." It lasts just 28 seconds, but it was enough to spark an avalanche of admiration, comments, and laughter on social media.
"This definitely overwhelmed me because the partner came with a power plant engine, yes, with that which provides electricity to your home. They built a kind of racing tricycle because it was so fast," Leyva describes in the video.
"The partner is riding without a helmet, with electric motorcycle mirrors and disc brakes. Front suspension with a link. No, this guy is an engineer, really," he commented.
The vehicle, entirely constructed from recycled parts and scrap, is powered by a stationary OHV engine of approximately seven HP and 200 cc, similar to those used in 3,500-watt generators.
A commentator with technical knowledge explained that these engines "are known for their durability, strength, and low fuel consumption" and emphasized that "the ingenuity of the Cuban people is unmatched in history."
Another user claims to have sold the plant to the clever driver and recounted his surprise. "That guy bought the plant from me and told me it was for that. I didn’t believe him, and look, now I see him here."
A third person saw him in action: "I saw him on Zanja Street the other day. He was going full speed, and sparks were flying where the engine was."
The final result inevitably recalls the post-apocalyptic vehicles from the film series Mad Max, those machines built from functional scrap in a world devoid of resources.
Cubans themselves noticed it: "We're ready for a Cuban Mad Max movie," wrote one commenter. Another described it with surgical precision: "It's as if a bicitaxi and a power generator had a threesome with a scooter."
Spatial references were also present. "The Cuban doesn't go to the moon because they aren't given the chance," wrote one. "The partner made Artemis II and they didn't give him credit," noted another. And someone made the most striking statement of all: "If they let us, we will fix the thermoelectric plants ourselves".
Behind the humor lies a harsh reality. Public transport in Havana is virtually paralyzed due to fuel shortages, with routes suspended, empty stops, and dozens of abandoned and rusted buses in depots like La Fortuna.
Gasoline in the informal market is priced between 2,500 and 5,000 Cuban pesos per liter, approximately eight to ten dollars, while pensions do not exceed 2,000 pesos per month.
In the face of that collapse, the people of Havana have increased their use of electric tricycles, bicycles, and adapted motorcycles. In Ciego de Ávila, only two out of 135 bus routes were minimally operational last March.
This "racing tricycle" is not the first viral invention that has arisen from this necessity. A Cuban adapted a Fiat Polski to run on charcoal, and another video showed several compatriots moving a motorcycle with just half a liter of gasoline.
"Necessity is the mother of all invention," summarized a commentator with Stoic philosophy.
The tricycle driver, for his part, rides without a helmet on 23rd Avenue in Havana, while NASA, according to another user, "is looking for him."
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