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Advanced Member
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Am I the only one who thought this is one of the more innovative ideas we have seen in a while? I think I want one. By the way Bombardier just announced they are changing their name to Can-Am reviving the old trademark.
Torqueman
Battle Creek, MI
V-Strom 06
Goldwing 03
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New Member
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Last Login: 6/18/2008 5:15:08 PM
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I thought it was a cool idea too. I just wish it incorporated the same set up as the Aprilia scooter to give the leaning action of a motorcycle. The only trike I would ever think of buying if and when the time comes.
Terry F2005 FZ-1, Silver AMA#526406 Concours Owners Group#792 ROK#80007477
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Starting Member
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| I think it's a great idea but probably won't sell well which is a shame. The only thing I think they should change is the traction control you should be able to turn it on or off.
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Senior Member
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| ok. from mere supposition and the little experience gained from riding various trikes of my youth, a honda balloon tires atv trike, a couple of hacks, and all the rest of it... i just dont get trikes. i cant counterweight a trike well enough to make it a sporting ride. the third track makes dodging potholes and debris compoundingly frustrating. gawd help you if you have to ride over something substantial. handling could get unbelievably wierd. the hole that a trike fills in traffic is so big that i wish for a cage. granted the two-wheels forward configuration make cornering less dicey than the the single wheel forward. the luggage/storage problem remains. urban parking could be just as difficult as for a small car. if it was a real gas-saver, it might pique my interest. the three wheels allow for auto-type tires that might give auto-like mileage/cost(thats appealing). not having to worry about snow/ice is appealing. lets address that lateral g-force spec. lets suppose that the .75g is realistic. if i get the device into some sort of drift/slide, and it hooks up suddenly; can i keep a grip and still opperate? can my passenger stay aboard? i have yet to lose a monkey out of my hack. no, i dont remember ever taking three for a sporting ride on my hack. "unlike a motorcycle, the average person could deal with the machine's handling almost immediately." to me, that statement is a very big 'maybe'. ok, its more like a, 'you've got to be kidding!' the article says that the motojournalists were given a few laps around a parking lot course. that does not indicate intuitive handling to me. and these guys/gals are used to driving/riding the odd piece of equipment. the sidecarists have thousands of stories about perfectly capable auto/bike opperators not being able to deal with sidecar dynamics, initially. many hacks will make a circle about the outboard wheel. no mention of the turning circle required for this trike. can you spell, "reverse?" my hack is a delight to me. i find it challenging in the most fun way in all environments. and the hack is very utlitarian. if the trike in question is a source of delerious fun for someone, who am i to poo-poo that? oh yeah, and is it just me who wonders what the first rain ride and a bunch of puddles is going to be like? that experience could add a lot of modifyers to the words 'hydroplane' and 'drowned rat'. and another thing... imagine pulling into the toll plaza and not being able to get out for the lack of traction.  i hope the manufacturer has the guts to pick me to test ride the thing for a month. maybe 3-4 months. i bet if i phoned kneebone and told him i would ride it in that little jaunt of his this coming august, he would be glad to see how it works. to keep my amature international motorsports journo status in tact, i could forgo the mcnews editorial payment and get a gas card for the test ride. hmmmm sure, it was a first impression. lets see it really tested.
nobody rides half as well as they know how.
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Just for fun, how many other three-wheelers (street legal ones) can we remember? There was the British Reliant (one wheel in front), the British Morgan sports car (one wheel in back), the German Messerschmitt (one wheel in back), the Lambretta and Cushman three-wheelers, the Harley ServiCycle used by police and meter maids, and doubtless many others. BMW made the Isetta, and I think some versions of it were three-wheelers. These were all off-the-shelf commercially produced vehicles. I deliberately omitted sidecars although some such as the present day Ural are sold completely assembled. Bombardier is now going to try their luck. More power to them.
Predictions are very difficult, especially about the future.
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Average Member
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All true Ibafran - handling characteristics are way different and somewhat dangerous to new riders. The only easy thing is that these rigs don't fall over on their own. At relatively slow speeds they are not affected as much as two wheelers by gravel, water, oil, etc. Once you get the speed up, then you deal with a whole new set of handling woes.
There is probably a small market of those who just want one, those who are older riders with lessening balance, those who are handicapped, and those whose passenger is not comfortable leaning on two wheels. Is it enough of a market? Hard to predict.
Now, let me get this right - is it one down, four up?
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Average Member
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I can say I am not investing in the company nor am I going to buy one. However, I think they are unique enough to have a market, not much of one, but a market nonetheless. The real challenge is going to have enough places for them to be serviced before they can really take off.
Torque - you're right, they are a real innovation -
The "Z" MAN - North Carolina
1995 BMW R1100R - MOA #115950
Olympia, Scorpion, Gerbings, & Alpinestars
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