Tuesday, November 10, 2009

More Efficient Leaning In

One of the big pleasures of riding a motorcycle is leaning into the corners. Riding a motorcycle, you feel like you are carving turns while skiing. There is an art and a rhythm to carving out a path on a winding road that is very seductive.

On the other hand, riding a motorcycle in the wrong weather (rain, heat, or cold) can be tolerated but isn't the most pleasurable experience. Now I wouldn't want to give up the outdoor experience of a motorcycle, nor give up that perfect day when you feel you could ride forever, but as winter comes on in Michigan, I have been thinking more and more about an enclosed motorcycle to make riding possible in more conditions.

In addition to that idea, the fuel efficiency of a motorcycle, especially an enclosed one with small frontal area and excellent aerodynamics would make this a very earth friendly vehicle. I've already posted on the Peraves Cabin Motorcycles. I've got a few ideas my own to explore in the future. But in the meantime, its interesting to see that others are thinking along the same lines.

In the BMW video shown below, they mention a fuel economy of 2 liters/100 km. That translates into roughly 118 mpg, although they don't say what test was used to get this number. I'm not sure I'm into their style on this one, but the concept is neat.



The Nissan video doesn't seem to have any sound, which is appropriate for an electric vehicle. I guess the point of making a 4 wheel vehicle lean into the corner is that you can make it narrow, without having it roll over in a turn. I think the future is looking very interesting indeed.

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