Harley-Davidson developing corner-carving trike
Click above to view HD's 2006 patent drawings for a leaning trike
Harley-Davidson introduced its first official trike in years earlier in 2008 and now looks to flip things around a bit with a new reverse-trike that leans into corners. Rumors indicate that the huge American Motor Company will bring the corner carving trike in concept form to a motorcycle show set to take place next month in Cologne, Germany. If that debut indeed takes place, the machine is likely to be powered by the liquid-cooled Revolution V-Twin engine from the Rod series as opposed to the 45-degree air-cooled mill powering most of its bikes. We've known that the company has been working on this design for the past few years, filing patent drawings way back in 2006. The market is definitely ready for it now that Piaggio and Can Am have toed the waters. We look forward to seeing just how accurate these rumors prove to be next month. Thanks for the tip, Moose!
[Source: Wired]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Torrent 6:06PM (9/29/2008)
I look at this article and what do I see?
A Can-Am Spyder looking back at me.
I might get low ranked, but....
No one likes 3 wheeler motorcycles. It's like the buyers kinda want a motorcycle, but also kinda want an ATV, so they get the best of both worlds...
kinda lame tbh.
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JAZ 6:34PM (9/29/2008)
Three wheel bikes:suck. End of story.
Dile M. Brown 3:38PM (9/30/2008)
About time someone took this concept and delivered it in a motorcycle format. Many riders do not have strength or even legs to ride a motorcycle. Now the yearing can be fullfilled if this model is built.
Allan 6:18PM (9/29/2008)
I hope it doesn't look like that drawing... that one makes it look confused.
As for the "no one likes 3 wheeler motorcycles" idea... well, you might not like them but someone does. Can-Am is selling these to someone. Regular bikers might scoff at them - but many of them also had a hard time "accepting" sport bikes. It may just take some time.
They certainly gather quite a bit of attention anytime I've seen one around here.
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David 11:35AM (9/30/2008)
No, it's the "trike conversions" that truly baffle me -- both why people do them, and why people think they're desirable.
It's just completely beyond me why they are lusted after.
Xander 6:18PM (9/29/2008)
I could so go for a bike like this (yes over my two wheel SV650) unfortunately it's going to be even more expensive then their already overpriced two wheelers. Unless one of the Japanese 4 jump on the bandwagon these type of machines will be out of reach or at least hard to justify for those of us up north who are lucky if they can ride for half of the year.
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hohohoho 6:33PM (9/29/2008)
Torrent, your right low ranked! Your comment stinks.
Can am spyder absolutely though, but your wrong about trikes. They make the most sense. Worlds safer than motorcycles. Interesting all the harley guys call the can am every name in the book and now those same people will soon be riding there very own! Albeit overpriced as hell. I do like tha fact this leans, but when it starts costing as much as a very nice car or a great used car, count me out. The can am is about the most I would spend. All the spyder needs is better touring abilities - cross country. A lot of guys say it gets uncomfortable.
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tankd0g 8:48PM (9/29/2008)
Rear wheel trikes are not safer than motorcycles. When a rear tire goes down on the trike it immediately yanks you into the other lane, when you turn the bars too fast on a trike or try to steer and throttle at the same time it under steers into the ditch. If you lift a rear wheel on a trike you'll get a tank slapper going that your 250 lb. body is not going to be able to settle down. Honestly I don't know how these are even legal.
Dan 6:45PM (9/29/2008)
This is not like the Spyder, which does not lean and needs a lot of electronic nannies to work. It's more like the Piaggio scooters in concept but with the tires set wider.
Yamaha showed a quad concept last year that leaned with four tires. That was really something... I'm not sure what, but something...
The main problem with wide trikes is there's no way to miss anything on the road.
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Moose 6:49PM (9/29/2008)
No Problem, Jeremy, you're welcome.
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BoxerFanatic 7:00PM (9/29/2008)
I like the idea of three wheels, especially two forward.
However, I saw a can-am trike the other day in my home town, and my wife thought it looked "dorky". I disagree, but whatever.
The Can-Am has square profile tires, and not really set up to carve by leaning. it is more of a four-wheeler, minus a rear wheel, for the street, than a carving motorycle with an extra front wheel.
But this HD one looks too much like a modified motorcycle, the Tilting Motor Works V-max, as well. Both look like fun, but a modification, rather than a unified new design.
Plus it looks like it might have too high a center of gravity than it could have, by designing an existing motorcycle into a three-wheel solution, rather than designing it up from the contact patch.
Why not build something more like the Aprilia Magnet concept? Something you sit IN, not on, more like an open-wheel race car.
Combine this with the Formula Vee race car that Autoblog profiled last week. A BMW motorrad 1200cc air/oil cooled boxer engine and rear drivetrain and suspension behind the driver, who sits in the chassis like a race car. Two front wheels that articulate for tilting, and conical-tire turning, like a bike with a REALLY low center of gravity.
I have it in my head... but no money, or fabrication experience to turn it into reality.
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tankd0g 8:48PM (9/29/2008)
The Spyder is just a snomobile for the road. Great for drag racing, I guess. Not much good for anything else.
GearHeadWiki 6:28PM (12/10/2008)
That looks like a severe amount of fun.
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jason 7:35PM (9/29/2008)
This is f____kin queer. Only a giant blubbering vag would ride a 3 wheeled bike.
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Reader 8:46PM (9/29/2008)
Nice.
Artie Lange 12:24AM (9/30/2008)
Your comment should not have been low ranked. Trikes are for old men who don't have the coordination to ride a motorcycle. They are worse than mopeds. I would rather be seen on a Vespa.
MikeInNC 7:53AM (9/30/2008)
Maybe no one has seen this bike which certainly doesn't look wimpy: http://www.exilecycles.com/index.php?section=25
MajorGeek 8:12PM (9/29/2008)
I own and love my Harley, but would rather have this then the Harley version which will most likely manage to weigh 900 pounds:
http://www.gizmag.com/the-brudelli-leanster-remarkable-car-bike-fusion/10089/
"The Brudelli is a new variation on the Motorcycle which takes advantage of a two-wheeled front end to offer a dynamic riding experience that delivers the leaned cornering of a motorcycle with the precision steering and traction of a multi-wheeled vehicle."
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Keith 8:17PM (9/29/2008)
I think if they can make it weatherproof for the rider, safer then a standard motorcycle and look decent they would sell a lot. If they don't have all 3 of those attributes I would think it would be fairly pointless.
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David 11:34AM (9/30/2008)
I think that this new species that you speak of, is also know in other circles as a "c-a-r".