James Bruton’s experimental electric motorcycle replaces ordinary tires with two rigid circus walking globes. Omni wheels drive the globes, letting the bike move sideways, pivot, or travel diagonally—while electronic controls work to keep it upright. It is a maker-built demonstration, not evidence of a road-ready motorcycle.
What are the “circus balls”?
They are rigid, hollow walking globes, one mounted at each conventional wheel position. Rather than rolling on a tire’s narrow contact patch, each sphere can move in more than one direction. Cameron Coward’s Hackster.io article captures the unusual idea with the question: “But what if you didn’t have to tip the bike to turn? And what if the bike could move in any direction?” Hackster.io
How does it move?
Omni wheels sit between each globe and the frame. Their arrangement drives the sphere in different directions, so the contact between ball and ground is not restricted to forward or backward travel. With both globes driven, the bike can move laterally, pivot in place, or travel at an angle, in addition to moving forward and backward.
Bruton’s project transcript describes three wheels around each ball, with two powered and one acting as an idler in the arrangement he discusses. That description helps explain the design choices, but it is not a full set of build instructions or a specification for reproducing the assembly. James Bruton’s project video and transcript
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Why does it need electronic balancing?
A conventional motorcycle’s tires and geometry contribute to how it balances and steers. These freely moving spherical wheels do not provide the same familiar behavior, so the bike relies on active electronic control to stay upright. Hackster reports that a Teensy 4.1 development board handles balance calculations, with an inertial measurement unit (IMU) sensing orientation and ODrive motor modules receiving commands over a CAN bus. The project transcript identifies the IMU as a BNO086.
That control system is central to the concept: the globes make unusual movement possible, but they also leave stability dependent on sensors, computation, and motor response. The available descriptions do not provide control-system tuning values or measured stability data.
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What went into the build?
The frame and mechanisms combine aluminum extrusion, 3D-printed structural parts, and custom-milled aluminum plates. The creator’s account also names PCBWay for custom fabrication and 3D Fuel for filament as sponsor relationships described in the project video; those mentions do not establish current commercial or affiliate arrangements. The bike was taken to a basketball court for tuning and demonstration.
How does it compare with an ordinary motorcycle?
This is a conceptual comparison based on the designs described, not a measured head-to-head test.
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| Aspect | Conventional motorcycle | Bruton’s ball-wheel bike |
|---|---|---|
| Stability and steering | Uses conventional wheels and steering; the rider leans the bike to turn. | Depends on electronic balancing; the described concept can change direction without leaning in the conventional way. |
| Directional movement | Primarily travels forward or backward, with turns made through steering. | Omni wheels driving the globes allow sideways, diagonal, and pivoting movement as well as forward and backward travel. |
| Mechanical and electronic complexity | Uses familiar motorcycle wheel, steering, and balance systems. | Adds custom sphere-drive assemblies, sensors, a balance controller, and motor-control electronics. |
Is it road-ready?
The reported demonstration took place on a basketball court, where the bike was tuned and shown moving. Hackster described its performance as good but imperfect. Neither the article nor the project transcript supplies controlled figures for speed, range, or stability, or establishes that the machine is certified or suitable for public roads. The demonstration shows an inventive mobility experiment, not a production motorcycle or a validated road vehicle.
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