A teenage physics student has built a high-end motorcycle replica almost entirely out of cardboard.
Hector Diego designed and constructed the working bike from scratch in just 55 days, inspired by online videos of similar creations.
Besides cardboard, he used rebar for structural support, metal tubing, pipes, and an electric motor to simulate piston movement.
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Wires, LED lights for the headlamp, and a switch completed the electrical system.
Hector sourced several large cardboard boxes to build the replica, which was modelled on the Honda CRF1100L Africa Twin.
“Cardboard wasn’t hard to come by here,” he told local media in Cuité, north-eastern Brazil.
“I used 15 kitchen range boxes, four large bicycle boxes, and two very large cabinet boxes.
“Three people I know gave me some of the kitchen boxes when I told them about the project. The rest I just picked up off the street.”
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A student of physics at the Federal University of Campina Grande’s Cuité campus, Hector says his maths and physics knowledge were key.
“To make it, you had to use trigonometry, breaking it down into angles, triangles, and rectangles,” he explained.
“To divide it correctly, you need to know the total measurements on a one-to-10 scale.
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“Everything matched up perfectly because after I’d done all the calculations and drawings, I checked the specs at the factory.”
Hector, 19, is not allowed to ride the replica on public roads.
“I looked into it, and technically you can move it around, but you can’t actually ride it because it’s a replica,” he said.
“I can push it around, take photos, make videos, but riding it isn’t allowed – it needs a chassis number and a licence plate.”
But he insists the bike is fully functional.
“The lights work, and the little motor I installed inside makes the pistons move,” he told What’s The Jam.
“I had already added a motor, and later I put in a small electric one to turn the rear wheel.
“But since the frame I built is a bit crooked and that wheel isn’t properly aligned, I’d need a real wheel for it to actually ride. Still, the bike can handle the motor.”
The response to his creation has been overwhelming.
“It’s been huge, really positive. Even Honda saw it and shared the video on TikTok,” he said. “And this guy said he was going to give me a motorbike.”
Hector hopes his work will inspire others to explore craftwork.
“My goal was also to inspire others, because I had someone who inspired me,” he said. “I just want to inspire others, over and over again.”
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