Motorcycle with double front wheels - photos

[Jon]

Had no idea this was a thing. Is this supposed to be an improvement on reverse trikes?





More: https://www.yamahamotorsports.com/sp...els/2019/niken


Previously:

Log motorcycle - video
Motorcycle sidecar horse trailer - GIF
Ride-on lawnmower motorcycle - photo

[KustomsbyKent]

More rubber on the road for better adhesion/less chance of sliding out of control, but gives the feel of a regular motorcycle.
Automotive engineering magazine recently did a feature on the engineering development done on this bike.
https://www.sae.org/publications/mag...tent/18autp11/

[dave_rupp]

Just returned from Paris, France and I would guess that 1 out of 4 motorcycles had two wheels in front and there were a lot of motorcycles. Never saw one close-up to determine brand. They didn't appear to be brand new bikes.

[NeiljohnUK]

Paris and other European cities with cobbled roads make life 'interesting' for STV's, adding the 2nd front wheel makes life a lot safer, most aren't this model but smaller engined scooter designs and 4 wheel designs are also available https://www.visordown.com/sites/defa...mage/76808.jpg

[tonyfoale]

There is a whole class of vehicles known as TTWs. or Tilting Three Wheelers.
In one way or another I have consulted on several such projects. Some have the two wheels at the front and some have them at the rear. Some tilt all the wheels and others only tilt the third wheel.

I first became interested in the genre when I saw a video of the "Lean Machine" swooping through a park. That was the brainchild of Frank Witchell(sp) of GM in response to a fuel crisis in the 70s.

I got a bit of a reputation in this field early on and was asked to write a chapter on them for R Q Riley's 2nd edition of his SAE published book "Alternative Vehicles for the 21st Century".

Here are a few pix.

Click thumbnails for fullsize pix.
Prototype of what became the Ariel 3. Ridden here by the late Vic Willoughby, a good friend and mentor. Honda bought the rights to it and made the Gyro.


Here I am testing the Spanish Calleja near Granada.


Testing the JeffcottMicro in southern England.


Enjoying a HD powered version in LA.


The GM Lean Machine. The device which first sparked my interest.


I planned to build this, but I never found the time. Power would have been from a BMW twin.


Even Mercedes got in on the act. Called the Life Jet.


BMW did not want to be left out.


Mother Earth News made this.


The P32, I consulted on this one.


The Tracer, made in Australia.


The Dutch made Carver. This was in production for a while but the company did not survive. I had some small input on this one.

[Jon]

WOW! I will never think of three-wheelers in the same light again.

[tonyfoale]

WOW! I will never think of three-wheelers in the same light again.

Here is a link to the 1st draft of the content for Riley's book which might be of interest.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/yxlo8mma1a...eport.PDF?dl=0

[Loose Ctrl]

RQ Riley has had some neat 3 wheeled vehicle plans. Mechanix mag had some too. Piaggio made one of those three-wheeled leaners and so did BMW. There was a kit car company that made one that used a Honda Civic FWD setup to power it. It look similar to the Polaris Sling Snot.

[Scotsman Hosie]

Here is a link to the 1st draft of the content for Riley's book which might be of interest.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/yxlo8mma1a...eport.PDF?dl=0

Amazing resource Tonyfoale — you da man!

[olderdan]

Tony your comment “I got a bit of a reputation in this field” highlights another of your many talents, extreme modesty.
I have been aware of your activities since the early sixty's, thanks for your photos of TTWs I was not aware of so many prototypes. Nice to see some motorcycle input to HMT.