BMW in a shell

[Bender]

 

strange thing showed up at the track this morning..... Built from a bmw.

[Castaway]

So much for dragging knee

[Bender]

The outriggers retract once it gets moving.  

[birdrunner]

Cool,  

since a HUGE % of energy used is simple to overcome drag,  this thing should be very efficient.

[Andrew]

Neet, but at $85k I could buy a few nice bikes.

[falconati]

No seat massager?  No thanks!  

[Oxblood]

You may as well be driving a car.

[three west]

oh, I SOOO wanted one of those when I was a kid.  Every year at Oshkosh Pulse had a booth between our campground & the EAA grounds & I would stop every day.

http://www.autocycles.org/

[Fourstring]

That CD player better have Flight of the Valkyries on loop or the whole exercise is moot.

[919]

Looks pretty cool and I'm sure it's very fuel efficient but part of the MC allure for me is being outside the bubble.  I'm also not a very big fan of the feet forward seating position.  

That said, if I was there I also would have taken a picture, and given a chance I would take a test ride.

[Blunder]

It answers a question I'd never think to ask.  

[swimmer]

Still not a pleasant way to experience an FD failure.

[mellow_gold]

Pretty neat and I can see using it for commuting in foul weather.  I wonder how the safety of it compares to a motorcycle in a crash?

Also, why is it so slow? 0-60 in 5.7s? Weak.

[dorklord]

Pretty neat and I can see using it for commuting in foul weather.  I wonder how the safety of it compares to a motorcycle in a crash?

Also, why is it so slow? 0-60 in 5.7s? Weak.

Because it weighs in excess of 1000 pounds?

[Geoff]

Looks like an egg. Must get awfully hot inside.  

[Rincewind]

I have seen those at rallies and on the road around here.  Certainly beats a car in that it leans the proper way.  

[Flyer]

I'll bet it's great on fuel, particularly on the highway, and it looks practical.  
Needs a small vent window for jettisoning the BBs though...

[birdrunner]

I bet it has lots of places to hide your stash.

[cbsnbiker]

Needs a small vent window for jettisoning the BBs though...

 

[Orson]

There's a reason Italians never design anything like this

Italians design practical stuff  

[Giaka]

You may as well be driving a car.

Cars cant lane split.

[Windblown]

Looks like it would feel a bit like flying a jet. Since I'm quite certain I'll never get to fly a jet, might be kind of cool.

Of course at 85,000 dollars there isn't a chance in hell I'll ever find out.  

[Emerson00]

I love it.

It addresses most of the concerns Joe Schmoe public has about 2-wheeled transportation.

It's only expensive now because the market is currently almost nonexistent. Wait until they start getting accepted into the mainstream. With US gas prices rising, and likely to continue, this thing might just be approaching its time very soon.

With a window/vent(s) open I think it'd be similar to riding in my full face helmet. Same motions/ sensations, with improved efficiency, safety, weather-adaptability... Helluva lot more fun, than a car, to drive!

I might not buy one, but for reasonable pricing, I know a couple dozen friends and family who would.

 

[antvq]

When I looked at the pic I swear I had seen this on the Discovery channel years ago.  They are called the ECO-Mobile.    Seached for the website and it looks like this was made by them.

They sell the Super - Turbo - ECO.  

Empty weight 455 kgs (1035 lbs).
Accel. 0-100 km/h 4,9 sec. Top speed 315 km/h (195 MPH +).

http://eco.peraves.ch/ndexe.htm

And the link to the Monotracer they make....

http://www.monotracer.ch/

[Rogue]

Cars cant lane split.

Neither can that thing!

[Kootenanny]

I love it.

It addresses most of the concerns Joe Schmoe public has about 2-wheeled transportation.

It's only expensive now because the market is currently almost nonexistent. Wait until they start getting accepted into the mainstream. With US gas prices rising, and likely to continue, this thing might just be approaching its time very soon.

With a window/vent(s) open I think it'd be similar to riding in my full face helmet. Same motions/ sensations, with improved efficiency, safety, weather-adaptability... Helluva lot more fun, than a car, to drive!

I might not buy one, but for reasonable pricing, I know a couple dozen friends and family who would.

 

Here's what'll happen:  The idea becomes more popular, but Joe Public isn't gonna buy something that leans, so BRP will build a Spyder with a bubble.  That'll become popular, so popular in fact that eventually, they'll want to add features such as a fourth wheel for "extra stability."  And seats for better comfort.  And hey, side-by-side seating, to make it easier to talk to your passenger.  And maybe a glovebox for stashing stuff, and a rear seat for the kids...and suddenly, we'll all realize that we were ahead of the curve to start with...

[shah269]

Nice but what about that Dutch design, the Carver?
Two wheels in the back one up front?

[Blunder]

Here's what'll happen:  The idea becomes more popular, but Joe Public isn't gonna buy something that leans, so BRP will build a Spyder with a bubble.  That'll become popular, so popular in fact that eventually, they'll want to add features such as a fourth wheel for "extra stability."  And seats for better comfort.  And hey, side-by-side seating, to make it easier to talk to your passenger.  And maybe a glovebox for stashing stuff, and a rear seat for the kids...and suddenly, we'll all realize that we were ahead of the curve to start with...

It's been done.

[Major 662]

I have seen those at rallies and on the road around here.  Certainly beats a car in that it leans the proper way.  

I'll bet #62's friends didn't give him a hard time after that lap.