Kathy R Posted September 7, 2013 Share Posted September 7, 2013 reddit says this was from the 1930's. It's news to me. I can't help but want to try it. Link to comment
TEWKS Posted September 7, 2013 Share Posted September 7, 2013 Funny, I was passed in traffic just last night by one of these strange hovercrafts. First time ever seeing one, neat looking rig! Piaggiousa Pat Link to comment
johnlt Posted September 8, 2013 Share Posted September 8, 2013 reddit says this was from the 1930's. It's news to me. I can't help but want to try it. That looks like Whip riding that thing! Link to comment
lawnchairboy Posted September 8, 2013 Share Posted September 8, 2013 naw, cuz then it would be in the back of my F-150 headed to the shop. oh, that was another contraption. Link to comment
EffBee Posted September 8, 2013 Share Posted September 8, 2013 reddit says this was from the 1930's. It's news to me. I can't help but want to try it. Bet you could lane split on that sucker! Link to comment
kmac Posted September 8, 2013 Share Posted September 8, 2013 Seen a bunch of those large diameter center seat unicycles but none that old before. Then I have never noticed one with that off angle wheel. People complain about PTTR/PTTL on BMWs....I am guessing that would have a "pull" issue. Link to comment
MT Wallet Posted September 8, 2013 Share Posted September 8, 2013 reddit says this was from the 1930's. It's news to me. I can't help but want to try it. What happens when you lock it up at say 40 mph? A few fun loop de loops? Link to comment
upfisk Posted September 9, 2013 Share Posted September 9, 2013 My sister passed her mc safety course 2 years ago and is interested in a scooter so she doesn't have to shift. We went to the Scottsdale BMW dealership where she tried the Piaggio mp250 (the 3 wheeler) and the new BMW C600 sport scooter. Beemer scooter handled better, the Piaggio was heavy to corner she reports. Both were interesting to see. The Beemer weighs over 500#, can do over 100 mph, has 15" wheels, it's a substantial machine. Link to comment
enfoman Posted September 9, 2013 Share Posted September 9, 2013 http://www.eliomotors.com/ Very promising startup company that took a defunct Alabama assembly plant and came up with a new idea. The three wheeled car will get up to 84 mpg and would pay for itself in no time! includes heat, a/c, and am/fm radio. Check it out. No affiliation. I think it's pretty cool for it's intended market of commuters. Link to comment
OoPEZoO Posted September 9, 2013 Share Posted September 9, 2013 http://www.eliomotors.com/ Very promising startup company that took a defunct Alabama assembly plant and came up with a new idea. The three wheeled car will get up to 84 mpg and would pay for itself in no time! includes heat, a/c, and am/fm radio. Check it out. No affiliation. I think it's pretty cool for it's intended market of commuters. Thanks for posting that.......its very interesting. Being a 30K+ mile a year commuter always has me looking at good alternatives. It looks like they have a long way to go before they hit the streets, but I love the idea of it. I'll be keeping an eye on it to watch their progress. Link to comment
Whip Posted September 9, 2013 Share Posted September 9, 2013 reddit says this was from the 1930's. It's news to me. I can't help but want to try it. Where's Mitch so he can explain how that thing works? ....I will ignore the peanut gallery. Link to comment
Kathy R Posted September 9, 2013 Author Share Posted September 9, 2013 http://www.eliomotors.com/ 90% of my driving is within 30 miles of home, but I need to fit this guy in the back seat. (100+lbs) Some day I'll replace his 15 year old Buick. Link to comment
Charles Elms Posted September 9, 2013 Share Posted September 9, 2013 When you come to the toll both, exactly how many axles do you have to pay for? Link to comment
lawnchairboy Posted September 9, 2013 Share Posted September 9, 2013 considering myself ignored. Link to comment
DiggerJim Posted September 9, 2013 Share Posted September 9, 2013 Thanks for posting that.......its very interesting. Being a 30K+ mile a year commuter always has me looking at good alternatives. It looks like they have a long way to go before they hit the streets, but I love the idea of it. I'll be keeping an eye on it to watch their progress. Jump in - their crowdsourcing model is pretty benevolent. They have a refundable option where they put the money in escrow but you don't get the cool T-shirt & extra $ off for having given them non-refundable money. I'm a big fan of the way the Internet has opened up venues for people with good ideas to jumpstart them and have a few crowdsourced things I've invested in. Some solid hitters involved so less likely than some that I'm involved with that they're underestimating the difficulty of bringing it to market. Not really groundbreaking technologies involved - it's basically an enclosed Spyder but good enough to get me out of the big car 95% of the time. They were in NYC last month and it's pretty cool. They were on NPR a couple of weeks ago - looks like they're close to finalizing a backer for the credit card purchase option (you get the car for free & then use their credit card to buy all your gas - it charges you 3X of what's on the pump & uses the difference to pay down your car loan) which might help to connect with urban 20-somethings, new college grads, etc. For this one I'm in the non-refundable category (I get mine before all the people on the refundable list) and figure it's a way to provide positive karma to the universe. If it never goes anywhere, then I've still got the T-shirt & it cost me less than a weekend bike Rally Link to comment
Kathy R Posted September 9, 2013 Author Share Posted September 9, 2013 When you come to the toll both, exactly how many axles do you have to pay for? I don't think the differentiation for number of axels starts until you are past 2 or more. I've never gone through a toll that didn't charge my bike as if it were a car. However, I have been in a toll where the guy ahead of me paid for my bike Link to comment
Kathy R Posted September 9, 2013 Author Share Posted September 9, 2013 considering myself ignored. He may be ignoring you now, but he'll remember at an opportune time Link to comment
Matts_12GS Posted September 9, 2013 Share Posted September 9, 2013 http://www.eliomotors.com/ Very promising startup company that took a defunct Alabama assembly plant and came up with a new idea. The three wheeled car will get up to 84 mpg and would pay for itself in no time! includes heat, a/c, and am/fm radio. Check it out. No affiliation. I think it's pretty cool for it's intended market of commuters. Thanks for posting that.......its very interesting. Being a 30K+ mile a year commuter always has me looking at good alternatives. It looks like they have a long way to go before they hit the streets, but I love the idea of it. I'll be keeping an eye on it to watch their progress. Looks an awful lot like the Corbin Sparrow but I'd love to see one working well enough to commute through the forest of Expeditions and Suburbans near my Yuptopian home, I think I'd buy one as a daily driver and then get something silly as a weekend car Link to comment
OoPEZoO Posted September 9, 2013 Share Posted September 9, 2013 When you come to the toll both, exactly how many axles do you have to pay for? Two.....same as a car or bike. As a side funny, my Dad always got irritated when traveling on his Goldwing and pulling a small trailer. They charged him for 3 axles......same as a F150 hauling a large utility trailer Considering it will have to be registered as a motorcycle. I'm interested to see how they end up dealing with helmet laws and motorcycle license requirements. Link to comment
enfoman Posted September 9, 2013 Share Posted September 9, 2013 Considering it will have to be registered as a motorcycle. I'm interested to see how they end up dealing with helmet laws and motorcycle license requirements. Perhaps they will do a Snell impact drop test on the roof for helmet DOT approval! Just thinking..... can that be done? I would pull the trigger for a refundable deposit if they had their marketing shows a little more prolific. I would want to see and fit one before laying out the change for awhile. So far, the road show seems to just zig zag across the country with no rhyme or reason with one car to hit steady population centers on a weird whistle stop excursion. One week in the midwest somewhere. The next on the East coast and then they ship it to the gulf states. I think the Allman brothers band has a better gig route than the show Elio does. They gotta get guys like me some tangible eye candy to commit. Link to comment
kltk165 Posted September 10, 2013 Share Posted September 10, 2013 I like the idea of the Elio a lot. I'd buy one to commute and run errands. Anyone know what it weighs? 55hp out of a 3 cylinder .9 litre motor? I can appreciate that it will do 100 mph, but couldn't they find a way to get 70-75 MPG out of 100 hp? I'm a little concerned about acceleration on on ramps and the like. I've got 52hp in a G650GS single. And that's only getting 65 mpg. Link to comment
Bud Posted September 10, 2013 Share Posted September 10, 2013 No pic so it didn't happen but there was a great GS sidecar at the Dell's Rally. OH! Here is a link to a photo from their web site. It drew more attention than any other bike in the parking lot. Link to comment
DiggerJim Posted September 10, 2013 Share Posted September 10, 2013 Anyone know what it weighs? 55hp out of a 3 cylinder .9 litre motor? It's supposed to weigh 1100 pounds. That's a lot for a liter bike. But, there is some benefit to the aerodynamics of the vehicle. However, all of this is still speculation. Their motor is designed and a unit or two has been built but it's not in production yet. All of the performance claims are from computer modeling. We'll see how it turns out in real life. The two big things that they have to hit are the ability to drive it without a motorcycle endorsement and hitting the price point. At 7K it's a no brainer for a ton of people. At 15 it's not nearly as attractive when stacked up against a variety of used cars or even new Kias or other small cars. That's what led to the demise of the Sparrow - too expensive for not enough gain. If people need to get a motorcycle endorsement (especially on a real motorcycle) it'll cut the potential buyer pool by an order or two of magnitude. But it's an interesting idea and I threw down my gambling money to get a place in line & I'll be the first to sell the current car if it's real. Would give me a winter car and I've got a truck for hauling stuff & the wife has the minivan so we really wouldn't need my car too. Link to comment
bikebits Posted September 10, 2013 Share Posted September 10, 2013 Considering it will have to be registered as a motorcycle. I'm interested to see how they end up dealing with helmet laws and motorcycle license requirements. It shouldn't have to be registered as a motorcycle. There have been numerous other three wheeled vehicles that are registered as a car; Morgan three wheeler, Vespa Ape, Messerschmitt Kabinroller, Isetta (although it has two closely spaced rear wheels in most markets). The seating comes in to play as to how a vehicle is registered. If you sit in a seat and steer with a wheel, it's a car, as above. If you sit astride and steer with a handlebar it is a motorcycle (Harley Servicar, Can-Am Spyder). Link to comment
Guest Kakugo Posted September 10, 2013 Share Posted September 10, 2013 Didn't snap a picture but recently on a Swiss highway I passed a Goldwing 1500 sidecar with the following load: Mom riding Eldest son on pillion Two small children in the car The two youngest children didn't look too pleased being stuck in there and looked at their oldest sibling with envy! Link to comment
elkroeger Posted September 12, 2013 Share Posted September 12, 2013 Seen a bunch of those large diameter center seat unicycles but none that old before. Then I have never noticed one with that off angle wheel. People complain about PTTR/PTTL on BMWs....I am guessing that would have a "pull" issue. I think that lean is connected to the steering wheel. Note the chain and sprockets near the bottom - I assume that's a steering linkage. Turn the wheel, the thing leans, but you don't apparently... Link to comment
elkroeger Posted September 12, 2013 Share Posted September 12, 2013 What happens when you lock it up at say 40 mph? A few fun loop de loops? I'll take the optional ABS... Link to comment
Bill_Walker Posted September 13, 2013 Share Posted September 13, 2013 Good thing he was wearing that beanie. Link to comment
MT Wallet Posted September 13, 2013 Share Posted September 13, 2013 Didn't look like a lot of fun did it? Link to comment
Gregori Posted September 14, 2013 Share Posted September 14, 2013 With the getup he was wearing, the beanie, and the feet down whenever traveling less than 20 MPH, he fits a particular stereotype of 'rider.' He just wanted to fulfill the stereotype expectations in ending the ride by 'laying it down to avoid a crash.' (Either that, or he didn't read the sign that said "Always keep your hands and feet inside the ride.") Link to comment
Gregori Posted September 14, 2013 Share Posted September 14, 2013 The Snaefell Laverda Linky: [url=]http://thekneeslider.com/snaefell-laverda-sidecar-project/[/url] Link to comment
Bill_Walker Posted September 15, 2013 Share Posted September 15, 2013 The Snaefell Laverda Linky: [url=]http://thekneeslider.com/snaefell-laverda-sidecar-project/[/url] That strikes me as the sidecar equivalent of the 1920s automobile limousines that put the chauffeur out in the weather while the passengers rode inside, like this: Link to comment
Twisties Posted September 16, 2013 Share Posted September 16, 2013 I thought this one was Mitch. Link to comment
lkraus Posted September 19, 2013 Share Posted September 19, 2013 Saw this in the parking lot at Lake Louise near Banff, AB last Friday: Click for more and larger pics. Sorry about the lousy framing, I rushed the shots and the sun was reflecting on the phone screen. The notes under the windshield wiper(!) include "Fridge on?" Had an ADV sticker on the back. Anyone know anything about this rider? The more I look at the pictures the more questions I have. Link to comment
Ponch Posted September 19, 2013 Share Posted September 19, 2013 That's an answer in search of a question. Link to comment
60av8tor Posted September 19, 2013 Share Posted September 19, 2013 Saw this in the parking lot at Lake Louise near Banff, AB last Friday: That's the motorcycle version of "Hoarders". Link to comment
Kathy R Posted September 20, 2013 Author Share Posted September 20, 2013 The more I look at the pictures the more questions I have. Me too! Link to comment
MacGruber Posted September 20, 2013 Share Posted September 20, 2013 I'm not sure if this rates as noteworthy or just cringe worthy. (No, I didn't take this) Link to comment
elkroeger Posted September 22, 2013 Share Posted September 22, 2013 The more I look at the pictures the more questions I have. Me too! Yeah, like "will it fit in the dumpster?" Link to comment
Kathy R Posted September 27, 2013 Author Share Posted September 27, 2013 Those are the shiniest white walls I've ever seen Link to comment
Bud Posted September 29, 2013 Share Posted September 29, 2013 A Jet Ski conversion. Wonder if it still floats? Link to comment
Huzband Posted September 30, 2013 Share Posted September 30, 2013 Saw this in St. Augustine a while back. Link to comment
Kathy R Posted October 4, 2013 Author Share Posted October 4, 2013 I wonder if he has earplugs for that? Link to comment
Kathy R Posted October 4, 2013 Author Share Posted October 4, 2013 I'm having trouble identifying this model and year? Link to comment
Selden Posted October 4, 2013 Share Posted October 4, 2013 One of these was parked outside a meeting room in the Googleplex today: It's called a "conference bike." Link to comment
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