Jump to content

Is it a car or motorcycle??


Recommended Posts

  • Member Contributer

I came across this on a US series, "Chasing Classic Cars".  It has two wheels and a motor, but you sit "in" it vs on it and you do not have to balance - it does that itself.  Note that it does have outriggers to keep from tipping over.   For a design more than 50 years old, it's still quite interesting.  It never caught on - probably for one because it takes quite a while - 15 minutes - for the gyro to spool up to about 3,000 rpm.  For another despite being self-balancing, it still seems quite possible to get in to trouble with it.  So, if one worked at the motor vehicles licensing bureau, would this be licensed a motorcycle, or a car (and would you be allowed to lane split - ex considering would you want to)?  One other thing I realized, is that snagging one of the outriggers on something would end quite badly.  An interesting, but in the end unsafe and impractical design. 

 

https://www.lanemotormuseum.org/collection/cars/item/gyro-x-1967

 

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've never seen that before.  Very interesting, and very cool.

 

I wonder if the BMV (or DMV) would consider the outriggers to be wheels, and therefore this is not a 2-wheeled vehicle, which otherwise would be classified as a motorcycle.  Also, I think different states have varying laws on what constitutes a motorcycle.  For example, is a Harley or Goldwing trike a motorcycle?  How about a CanAm Spyder or the Slingshot?

 

I also wonder if - given advances in technology like computers and sensors that help things like a Segway self-balance - this type of vehicle would be more feasible today.  Electronics would take the place of the gyroscope, maybe making the whole thing lighter and more efficient.  Sensors would also help the outriggers engage and disengage automatically.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Member Contributer
4 hours ago, TimC said:

 

 

I also wonder if - given advances in technology like computers and sensors that help things like a Segway self-balance - this type of vehicle would be more feasible today.  Electronics would take the place of the gyroscope, maybe making the whole thing lighter and more efficient.  Sensors would also help the outriggers engage and disengage automatically.

 

Those are great points.  A Segway is an amazing piece of technology.  Maybe we'll see something like that in the future.  It would be perfect for small villages with narrow streets.  If seeing it unaware  for the 1st time there would likely be a "WTH is that??" moment.  The developers of this were definitely forward thinkers. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That Honda self-balancing motorcycle...wow!  Very impressive stuff.  But what bothers me is the company is capable of producing some amazing technology and vehicles, yet they continually play it safe these days.  It's just kind of sad the company has lost its edge.  (Sorry for the minor rant.)

 

We're already seeing advances in motorcycle technology drifting over from the automotive world.  Blind spot detection, adaptive headlights, and TFT dashes with Bluetooth so you can see your phone's navigation app on your motorcycle display, just to name a few.  Tech like this is mostly relegated to big (and expensive) touring machines for now, but how long until it filters down into more average bikes?  Mercedes Benz was one of the first companies to offer automatic braking for collision prevention, and it was only available in their biggest, most expensive cars.  Now you can get the same tech in many normal cars, trucks, and SUVs.  Premium features you could only get in a Lexus for years are now standard in a Toyota Camry or even a Corolla.  Many of us don't want a ton of technology in our motorcycles, but some change is inevitable.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Member Contributer

Honda self-balancing motorcycle.  Hmm, balancing is the easy part.  Emergency braking can be a hard part, but ABS is getting more advanced all the time.  What we need, especially for Harleys and squids, is anti-target-fixation technology.  In other words, a bike that will turn on its own when they are panicked and frozen!   😝

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Member Contributer
5 hours ago, TimC said:

That Honda self-balancing motorcycle...wow!  Very impressive stuff.  But what bothers me is the company is capable of producing some amazing technology and vehicles, yet they continually play it safe these days.  It's just kind of sad the company has lost its edge.  (Sorry for the minor rant.)

 

We're already seeing advances in motorcycle technology drifting over from the automotive world.  Blind spot detection, adaptive headlights, and TFT dashes with Bluetooth so you can see your phone's navigation app on your motorcycle display, just to name a few.  Tech like this is mostly relegated to big (and expensive) touring machines for now, but how long until it filters down into more average bikes?  Mercedes Benz was one of the first companies to offer automatic braking for collision prevention, and it was only available in their biggest, most expensive cars.  Now you can get the same tech in many normal cars, trucks, and SUVs.  Premium features you could only get in a Lexus for years are now standard in a Toyota Camry or even a Corolla.  Many of us don't want a ton of technology in our motorcycles, but some change is inevitable.

yeah, they need to do stuff like the +1300bhp V6 used in the '88 McLaren/Honda F1 cars. Then bring that cutting-edge stuff to street bikes! All these advances in electronics & software, wouldn't be hard to add to bikes to do anything and everything.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Member Contributer

Riders have been working on "sit in-out rigger motorcycles" since 1910... nothing new there...

 

 

 

MonoTracer Video

 

Historical view of the Monotracer...

 

1910 first Monotracer

1950 NSU Flying Hammock
2009 MonoTracer

Peraves MonoTracer

 

FirstMonotracer.jpg

NSUFlyingHammock03.jpg

NSUFlyingHammock00.jpg

MonotracerHondaTrackBike.jpg

PeravesMonotracer56Degrees.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Member Contributer

The guy in the yellow "bike" looks like he is trying to get a knee down.  😁

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Member Contributer
8 hours ago, DannoXYZ said:

yeah, they need to do stuff like the +1300bhp V6 used in the '88 McLaren/Honda F1 cars. Then bring that cutting-edge stuff to street bikes! All these advances in electronics & software, wouldn't be hard to add to bikes to do anything and everything.

It's already being done.

https://www.wired.com/2015/06/new-ducati-stability-system-makes-crashing-near-impossible/

 

The new 2021 Multistrada has front radar, adaptive cruise control, and blind spot radar built in, BMW too in 2021. Accelerometer abs, wheely and traction control since 2015. Will be on most bikes in the next 5 or 6 years i would expect. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Member Contributer

As much as I'm the guy with the older car with limited electronics, and I think that my riding skills are generally decent enough to not need this MOST of the time... I totally see the value, and how it will absolutely be a part of all bikes in the future... similar to how seatbelts, abs, traction control, etc has become a standard for all cars to reduce risk of significant injury/death

 

We can hope that it will lower our insurance rates at least... nahhhh we all know better than that 😁

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Member Contributer

I guess I'm on the fence with all this electronic control stuff. I know it could keep some accidents from happening, but at the same time

I feel that skill should enter into the equation somewhere. I'll have to admit that I'm really ambivalent about it. Peggy's Spyder has a lot

of electronic controls and they can be a pain sometimes. You end up riding a certain way to keep from activating the "Nanny" as it's called.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Member Contributer
21 minutes ago, FJ12Ryder said:

I guess I'm on the fence with all this electronic control stuff. I know it could keep some accidents from happening, but at the same time

I feel that skill should enter into the equation somewhere. I'll have to admit that I'm really ambivalent about it. Peggy's Spyder has a lot

of electronic controls and they can be a pain sometimes. You end up riding a certain way to keep from activating the "Nanny" as it's called.

 

I agree.  A modern muscle car is far quicker / faster than the 60s / 70s vintage cars,  but there's much less of a visceral feeling of being connected to the road and the vehicle itself.  And some of it borders on the ridiculous - "blind spot assist" or automated backing up - how about just looking or learning to drive it in all conditions?  It becomes much less interesting when it's all done for you. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Privacy Policy.