What is the most fun you can have on three wheels?
Getting some attention over on autobloggreen is this post on alternative forms of transportation. What you see here are close encounters of the three-wheeled kind. Included are the Lazareth Triazuma, Ural and Harley-Davidson sidecars and the Piaggio MP3. While these vehicles can be considered green due to their lower emissions and higher fuel mileage than cars, the Triazuma would be very exciting to pilot, being very close to the ground with amazing levels of acceleration and grip. Another set of builders has expirimented with the idea as well, making the SUB 3-Wheeler. With supercar acceleration and less fear of falling off, would you ride one to work?
[Source: AutoblogGreen]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
rodri 3:00PM (2/10/2007)
3wheelers seem to be cool. you get the excitement of a motorcicle and avoid a big problem: losing balance and falling. The best of both worlds, if you ask me.
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Bill P. 3:14PM (2/10/2007)
3-wheeled off roaders are no longer sold in America because of the liability problems from 20 years ago. I wonder if these will make it in a lawsuit-happy USA.
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Scott Eaton 3:24PM (2/10/2007)
One factor with three wheeled vehicles is whch end has the single wheel. The designs with the two wheels of a car upfront and single wheel in back seem to be more stable than the opposite.
That said, the SUB 3 is absolutely beautiful. I'd hit it.
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asolar 3:22PM (2/10/2007)
"would you ride one to work?"
Never! I would like to, but I don't dare. It does not matter how well you can drive, or how much attention you give to your driving, you still have no control over the other drivers. With so many other drivers paying little attention to what they are doing, I want a steel cage, a seatbelt and airbags to protecting me as much as possible from the inevitable collision.
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ct 3:36PM (2/10/2007)
Unlike the Piaggio MP3, that thing looks difficult to ride. In a car, the seats hold you in place. In a motorcycle, the lean angle keeps you on the vehicle. This thing looks like you'd have to fight every corner to stay on.
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david 4:03PM (2/10/2007)
judging by all the complaints from toyota suv's and tundra's ball joints breaking, toyota's been three wheeling for at least a year.
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vectorbug 4:05PM (2/10/2007)
I'd still like to get VW to make their concept 3 wheeler.
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JIm 4:59PM (2/10/2007)
Check here. Can-Am just intro'ed a 3-wheeler in San Diego a couple of days ago. For sale in the U.S. soon.
http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20070210/news_1b10cycle.html
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Thelis 5:40PM (2/13/2007)
In Holland we have aan manufacturer of a three wheeler which tilts in cornersjust like a motor and steers like acar. Look at http://www.carver-europe.com.
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Howard Kerr 7:12PM (2/10/2007)
"...These vehicles CAN be CONSIDERED as green due to their lower emissions and higher fuel mileage than cars."
Thanks to the "average" Americans infatuation/need for bigger and faster, motorcycles and motorcycle-engined vehicles are NOT always more fuel efficient than a car. I could be wrong, and I'm sure several people will tell me if I am, but even discounting hybrids, there are several cars available to car buyers that get BETTER gas mileage than at least half the Harleys sold today. Ditto for other brands of large-engined (750cc or LARGER) motorcycles.
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Danny 7:57PM (2/10/2007)
this thing look so cool, i want one when i will have money!!!
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http://geocities.com/vaiowallpaper/
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Jeremy Korzeniewski 7:57PM (2/10/2007)
Harleys get pretty good mileage, actually. You are 100% correct though, that motorcycles are getting worse and worse mileage as their engines and weight get larger and larger. Perhaps that is worth an editorial on autobloggreen... wait a few days - I'll put one up.
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Chris 11:10PM (2/10/2007)
there are several cars available to car buyers that get BETTER gas mileage than at least half the Harleys sold today. Ditto for other brands of large-engined (750cc or LARGER) motorcycles.
I hate to be the one to tell you this,But Motorcycle's Get way more gas mileage than car's or suv's that are not hybrid's, My motorcycle is a 1100 size motor and I get roughly 45-50 MPG's it depend's on how fast I go, And how long I travel at 70-80mph on the interstate. Around town or back road's cruising around 45-50mph I get 45-50 mpg. You show me a car,suv,or truck that is not hybrid that get's that much proven mpg, you can't. you can't go by the paper's on the vehicle's at the dealership's because they are wrong. If you want to see a nice three wheeler you need to check out the Stallion it is made by the people at the cherokee trike area in Greer South Carolina, It has the feature's of a three wheeler with a ford chasis that has been modified to fit it with a ford motor. It is liscensed and legal.
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jj 10:20PM (2/10/2007)
Looks positively useless.
Anyone who thinks the biggest problem with sport bikes is balance doesn't belong on a 3 wheeler anyway.
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zetha 5:23AM (2/11/2007)
my brothers diesel camry got that much, around 50 mpg dd. also, allot of vw diesel people can probably beat your 45-50 real world mpg :p
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BOB 5:29AM (2/11/2007)
OH JEEZ!!!! DOESN'T ANYBODY GET IT??
The reason to ride a bike to work is that you can zip in between the cars? The 3 wheels are wonderful, but they mean sitting in traffic, if you are in LA or any big city.
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Dr. Greenthumb 10:45AM (2/11/2007)
Okay, creating something just because you can is just plain stupid.
I live in the NY metropolitan area. We average 7 1/2 months of too cool to downright freeze your balls off weather a year, Boston close to 9 months. Exactly when is someone in Quebec supposed to ride this thing. These would be useless for more than 50% of every year once you get north of Virginia, North of the Great Lakes (Canadia) that's more like 80% of the year.
They'd be wonderful in the Pacific Northwest (Close to 300 days of rain per year). These would be really cool and practical in beach communities and caribbean resorts. Otheriwse, useless in a real world setting.
Folks, it's not a legitimate replacement for the automobile, if you also need to own an automobile when you buy one of these.
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Dr. Greenthumb 10:47AM (2/11/2007)
.....besides, would ruin all of my business suits.
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Kit 12:56PM (2/11/2007)
Of course its not a replacement for a car. Nobody in their right mind would think so. But as a second vehicle this sort of thing would be completely reasonable. More fun than a sports car, less chance of falling than a sportsbike when the road offers up some unexpected crud.
Modern watercooled bikes meet the most stringent emissions standards while providing performance thrills that shame 100 thousand dollar hard core sportscars. Sure, they could be even more efficient, but they cover a gamut from 60-80 mpg small displacement rides to 30 mpg giant killers.
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Jeremy Korzeniewski 1:09PM (2/11/2007)
Greenthumb - They have the same usability as motorcycles. There are plenty of people in New York and Boston that find plenty of time to ride motorcycles. No, they are certainly not car replacements for those who need cars for day to day travel. I know a few people who's only mode of transportation are scooters. Some have the lifestyle for it but most don't. I could use one of these. I ride my motorcycle about 8 months of the year in Ohio.
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