With all of the recent interest in the Piaggio MP3 and other tilting three wheelers, I thought I would revisit the Aprilia Magnet, a design project from a couple of years ago that never went beyond the concept stage but, to me, looks better than many of the more recent attempts to create a vehicle of this type. The design is the creation of Heikki Naulapää, a Finnish designer now working in Helsinki. The Aprilia Magnet was his degree project for the Royal College of Art. The Magnet went from sketches and Photoshop to 3D software, then a model was built for the Royal College of Art show in 2004 where it won “Best Design Project.”
The Aprilia Magnet was designed to have a Formula 1 driving position, the lean of a motorcycle and a half outside feeling with the exposed seating. Power was to come from either a 550cc Aprilia V-twin engine or alternatively, electricity driving the electro magnetic drive system at each wheel, the source of the name “Magnet.” It was designed to carry either one or two people and if you look at the images, you can imagine the feeling of driving this along a road filled with high speed sweeping curves. I think it would be a fantastic sensation.
If you have never seen this before you may wish to stop at his site and browse through the many images of the concept including photos of the completed model. It looks good, really good, and some of the companies thinking about tilting three wheelers these days should give Heikki a call and see about building this.
Link: Heikki Naulapää’s site – link inctive
More images below:
Duke says
That looks like it would really be uncomfortable. You’d have some pretty kickin’ abs holding that position. How about a backrest?
sfan says
This is, by far, the most interesting and innovative 3-wheel concept I have seen.
chris says
i’ve seen this before. it’s the holy grail of my motorized world. the first time i saw it, i spent hours trying to demystify the tilting mechanism only to come to the concluion that – it was just for show. far as i can tell there is no actual method of getting it to tilt other than the designer said it would. no matter – Brudeli solved that. now someone just needs to make one that’s feet forward. i’ll buy 3. honest. that is – if someone builds one before i do. this thing is beautiful.
todd says
Pretty neat but I think my wife would be pretty annoyed about the second or third time her foot slipped off the pegs and wrenched backwards – if she could reach them… All the more reason to ride (drive) solo.
I like it, it makes me want to build that go-cart I’ve been thinking about.
-todd
chris says
okay, just to prove myself wrong i revisted his site. for the 100th time. in one of the photo’s there is a list of functions and how they are performed. the tilting system would actually work. quite well probably. so i take it back. this may actually be better than Brudeli’s method. pity it’s controlled by a computer though.
Alejandro Martinez says
Nice pictures and explaning how it should work is not even close to reality. I will reserve final judgment when I see a working version.
It is too low and small. Trucks would never see you. Deadly combination. At least with a motorcycle you are up in a higher position and have some chance of getting seen.
Seat belts? The seat design would get your neck snapped in a rear impact.
What about lights, turn signals, rear mirrors? It is not even conceptually street legal.
Finally, reverse trikes with motorcycle tires have marginal performance. There is simple no traction.
But yeah, it “looks” cool….
GenWaylaid says
I think the core of the concept could work as a street-legal vehicle. It’s certainly possible to fit all the lights and mirrors required. The rear traction shouldn’t be an issue if this thing is intended to weigh about as much as a motorcycle.
There is some serious re-engineering to be done before the Magnet could go into production, though. All the gee-whiz-tech that doesn’t directly impact the riding experience would have to be stripped out. Dump the electric boost motors and the hubless wheels; de-spindlyfy the front suspension; maybe simplify the tilting mechanism to something like the Brudeli’s; put some actual functional fenders on there. I don’t see why a full backrest couldn’t be added.
Since the Magnet would register as a motorcycle in most places, it’s not required to have safety belts. A four-point harness would be in keeping with the F1 theme, though, as would a full suit of safety gear. Both are probably necessary.
That passenger seat is useless. There’s absolutely nothing to grip except the driver, which would get uncomfortable really quickly.
The height probably is the killer problem, though. Too low to be seen by large vehicles, too high to drive under them.
A larger, taller, more ergonomic tilting 3-wheel feet-forward vehicle with genuine seating for two might make an excellent highway cruiser.
Joe says
Its look solo Safer then with a passenger.
Is this 3 wheeler concept the new Trend of motorcycles??
I like it, its a whole other dimension of riding.
John McDowell says
Well, I like the idea of a three wheeler as a matter of “balance”, or lack of it on my behalf. I would think that a taller version would be better, but still low enough for a sensation of control. A version could be produced using today’s standard motorcycle engines, tires and wheels. Keep in mind the idea of more versitale seating to fit more people, ie. adjustable seats for both driver and passenger, and adjustable controls. I would like to build a simular three-wheel tilt model based on the tricycle called “go-one ” (www.go-one.us) with an optional enclosure/roof/windshield.
I my dreams, but a real possibility.
Coleman says
This is exactly why design is runing the world.
Speedmonster says
For all the guys above with their security and comfort suggestions on the Aprilia Magnet, I think they should add the backrest to their chopper and maybe even add a nice ashtray to their bikes.
This is a recumbent electric Trike for all the Hell Angels sake!
Evidently you haven’t read why the design was created and the target driver. We are talking somewhere between Formula 1 and Hayabusa here. Go buy an SUV and roll over on the first hard turn.