Don’t call him green: Jesse James’ hydrogen dragster
For a guy who’s set himself on fire, flown shotgun in an F-16 fighter jet and crashed a monster truck into a house on his Spike TV show, “Jesse James Is a Dead Man,” and grew a homemade TV show into a cultural phenomenon, a motorcycle shop into an empire and his marriage to Sandra Bullock into a Hollywood tale come true, thats saying something.
Read article on Brand X: Jesse James goes green -- oops, make that fast (Spencer Weiner / Los Angeles Times)
James’ dragster set the land-speed record for a hydrogen-powered dragster, beating the record set by BMW.
Read article on Brand X: Jesse James goes green -- oops, make that fast (Spencer Weiner / Los Angeles Times)
Although he was attracted to the challenge of building an ultra-fast, zero-emissions vehicle, James says he was even more attracted to an ultra-fast, zero-emissions vehicle that would make people angry, or, at the very least, confuse them. He is a guy who built his career with a welding torch in one hand and a chromed “ape hanger” handlebar in the other, and now he is ... an environmentalist?
Read article on Brand X: Jesse James goes green -- oops, make that fast (Spencer Weiner / Los Angeles Times)
James’ record-setting hydrogen vehicle is powered with compressed hydrogen from his welding supplier, Praxair. The tanks were built into the chassis of his streamliner -- one on either side of the cramped cockpit and another just behind his head. The three bulbous tanks not only look like powder kegs, but hold at least as much explosive power.
Read article on Brand X: Jesse James goes green -- oops, make that fast (Spencer Weiner / Los Angeles Times)
James is the owner of West Coast Choppers in Long Beach, a custom bike shop that caters to a star-studded clientele of actors, athletes, rock stars and anyone else who can afford the $80,000-to-$300,000 machines.
Read article on Brand X: Jesse James goes green -- oops, make that fast (Spencer Weiner / Los Angeles Times)
James also operates the eco-friendly Cisco Burger diner next door to his custom motorcycle shop in Long Beach.
Read article on Brand X: Jesse James goes green -- oops, make that fast (Spencer Weiner / Los Angeles Times)
James’ diner is solar-powered and the burgers and salads are served on real china with real silverware rather than throwaway Styrofoam and plastic. Deliveries are made in an eco-friendly Toyota Prius.
Read article on Brand X: Jesse James goes green -- oops, make that fast (Spencer Weiner / Los Angeles Times)
