Are tilting 3 wheelers a possible new direction for custom builders? As the Piaggio MP3 begins to get a lot of attention and a few other vehicles like the Brudeli 625 start showing up, the idea of a twin front wheel motorcycle with some form of tilting mechanism built in could be an interesting area for custom builders to show a bit of creativity. There have been more than a few trikes built over the years with motorcycle engines of various sorts but these are basically 3 wheel cars, you steer the wheels the same as a car without any tilt involved. The Piaggio adds tilting wheels to the equation and will soon introduce it to the mainstream as the MP3 goes on sale worldwide.
Custom builders could use a new idea or two, the custom chopper seems to have run its course. There may be a few creative ideas floating around and I’m sure we’ll see some interesting bikes but that trend is getting tired. Our story of Wendell Jones with his single side front suspension and the CX500 engine turned sideways shows there is a lot of creativity out there but a lot of builders need something new to fire up their imagination. Why not a tilting 3 wheeler?
When custom builders started the wide tire trend, they quickly ran that about as far as it would go, 360s and now possibly a 400 rear tire, form has gone far beyond function. Why not a trend that actually adds something? This wouldn’t look very cool on some stretched custom but think about it on something a bit more sporty. It could work.
There’s probably a lot of resistance to an idea like this and I’m not suggesting everyone would like it or want to try it, but there might be a few guys out there, looking for inspiration for their next project. This could be it. What do you think?
Steve says
I’d say there’s lots of room for developement of this idea. It could lead to quite a revolution in terms of sporting use if properly executed. As could this:
http://news.windingroad.com/auto-news/mystery-trike-spotted-bmw-ktm-you-decide
Bryce says
Wendell’s single sided suspension would be particularly suitable to doing something like the Piaggio MP3.
By the way, go out and ride one first chance you get, it’s a trip.
chris says
i agree 100% i have been working on a three wheeler (design only – nothing physical yet) for the last year and half or so. one of my topmost goals is to make the tilting function and frame exceptionally simple to encourage just the type of customization you’re talking about. i think one of the very best ways to encourage sales of any TYPE (not just a specific model) of motorized vehicle is to in some way demonstrate it’s aftermarket potential. or make it so basic it encourages a legion of people anxious to try to build something better.
Bob Horn says
You’ll find lots of individuals messing with such things here:
http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/tilting/
Alejandro Martinez says
Tilting three-wheelers look fun to ride, but for real performance (which I prefer) the tilt kills the cornering capability and limits performance. This is due to the necessity of a rounded tire ( = small traction) and not a flat tire as used on cars. I would like to see the tilt of the body while car tires stay firmly planted on the ground with that huge traction patch to better grip the road. Kind of like a hopped up T-Rex with a tilt. In combination with the tilt, how about a superman style riding position to give the sensation of flight while riding. Now that would be a fun ride. Just a thought of creativity…seemed like you wanted out of the box thinking.
Steve says
:…tilt … the body while car tires stay firmly planted on the ground…”
Yet another variation!
jamesbowman says
Alejandro I disagree with you a rounded tire for racing such as on a cafe motorcyle can perform awsome because the cornering forces are directed into the road as opposed to just laterally giving far more cornering force, On a standard type of vehicle the inertia just wants to continue in a straight line, but here it is vectored into traction if done properly as in a typical motorcycle except you have three contact points for added stability and more grip. I am toying with the idea myself and have constructed a small model and it works well, an rc prototype is in the works.
I was seriously toying with the idea a prone riding position, but it does have some draw backs i.e. in a head on collision long range comfort etc… However motorcycles have the same disadvantages in many cases.