An eccentric dad has revealed how he turned a Henry Hoover vacuum cleaner into a mini ride-on motorbike.<br /><br />Systems engineer Allan Gallop, 35, worked with a team of enthusiasts to fit the broken appliance with a two-stroke 50cc engine, handlebars and new wheels.<br /><br />And the retrofitted machine can now achieve a top speed of 28mph - with hilarious footage showing a rider taking it for a spin along a stretch of tarmac.<br /><br />But the inventor joked that the converted appliance - dubbed 'Henry Hoofer' - still handles like a household cleaner around the corners. <br /><br />Allan, a dad-of-three, said: “Almost all the parts are recycled junk, with the exception being the braking system and tyres.<br /><br />"The top speed is currently unknown as no one has been brave enough to find out yet. <br /><br />"In theory, it should be around 28mph - but unfortunately he still handles corners as poorly as he did as a hoover."<br /><br />Allan, from Milton Keynes, Bucks., said he had struck upon the bizarre idea with members of a local charity group, called Men in Sheds MK.<br /><br />The members, many of whom are retired, fabricate individual and collective projects, using wood, metal and electronics at a workshop.<br /><br />And Allan said they had been speculating about what to bring to a national gathering of inventors when they struck upon the idea of converting the hoovers.<br /><br />He said: “I'm not sure who came up with motorised Henry Hoovers but it was an instant win of an idea. My brain immediately leapt to ‘put an engine in it’.<br /><br />"One of our members managed to secure around six broken Henry hoovers and when they arrived I realised that not only would a 50cc pocket bike engine fit but it could be rideable.<br /><br />"The work began in earnest by stripping down the Henry to just the outer shell and cutting away most of the bottom and internal support structure to take measurements. <br /><br />“I knew it would be a tight fit but on paper, it all worked out, so I began creating a frame from steel angle to mount the engine, steering and drivetrain."<br /><br />Allan said the hardest part of the design process was trying to fit the axle to the back of the hoover, which could support a set wheels. <br /><br />He said: "The biggest struggle with the build was the rear axle - it’s 10mm diameter as that was the only size I could find pillow blocks in that also fitted the frame<br /><br />“I was very fortunate that the shed had recently received a large lathe and milling machine as a donation and a fellow member was a retired machine shop teacher.<br /><br />"Between us, we managed to design and fabricate custom flanges and hubs to hold bolt the wheels, sprocket and brakes to with a high level of precision."<br /><br />Allan said the machine cost very little to produce as most of the parts had been collected from junk and other recycled materials. <br /><br />But he said if each component was purchased new, the motorised cleaners would cost around £400 to make. <br /><br />The prototype was finally completed early this year, and after Allan posted videos of the hoover on TikTok, it received half a million views.<br /><br />He added: “Well, it’s funny, isn’t it? I expected people to say ‘Look at this nutter riding a Henry Hoover<br /><br />"But before I knew it the video had hit a million views! Suddenly I find people talking about it.<br /><br />"I'm ecstatic at the popularity Henry has gathered because it brings some joy into the world, and that's what is really important.”
