Is it a bike?

[fishb8nz]

It's an interesting idea, the MonoTracer - A Beamer with body??

http://www.monotracer.ch/index.php?page=main&lang=en

http://eco.peraves.ch/bilder/Brno07/P7254130.jpg

[Speedracer]

Looks pretty sweet
but it's not a bike, it has air con, a clutch pedal, a cage... and a seatbelt and airbags!!!

I wonder how it stays up, there is one photo with 2 wheels popped out froim the side like landing wheels for an aircraft (continuing the aircraft theme probably)

Given it tops out at 250kmh with 130hp, it doesn't sound very aerodynamic, which I thought was the main reason for it's shape. And at 485kgs it's more tubby than a harley.

Not sure I would want to be in a crash with it either.... it may have a seatbelt and an airbag but there's no crumple zone that you get with a car or opportunity to fly over the handlebars that you get with a bike.

It's like a bike that's trying to be a car. Although it does look pretty sweet doing it, apart from looks it doesn't really appeal to me. I'd rather have a small car so I can cart heaps of stuff around or a cageless bike so I can enjoy the wind rushing past and the feeling of being skinny and manouverable compared to the rest.

[ital916]

Looks pretty sweet
but it's not a bike, it has air con, a clutch pedal, a cage... and a seatbelt and airbags!!!

I wonder how it stays up, there is one photo with 2 wheels popped out froim the side like landing wheels for an aircraft (continuing the aircraft theme probably)

Given it tops out at 250kmh with 130hp, it doesn't sound very aerodynamic, which I thought was the main reason for it's shape. And at 485kgs it's more tubby than a harley.

Not sure I would want to be in a crash with it either.... it may have a seatbelt and an airbag but there's no crumple zone that you get with a car or opportunity to fly over the handlebars that you get with a bike.

It's like a bike that's trying to be a car. Although it does look pretty sweet doing it, apart from looks it doesn't really appeal to me. I'd rather have a small car so I can cart heaps of stuff around or a cageless bike so I can enjoy the wind rushing past and the feeling of being skinny and manouverable compared to the rest.

I have a feeling that the top speed may be restricted to 250 km/h. Lots of vehicles in europe do it voluntarily. Looks cool, but I ride a bike not to be couped up in something. lol

[martybabe]

I don't know why but it looks more vunerable than a bike,interesting but not for me and whats the betting the landing wheels wouldn't deploy right in the middle of the high street or worse still,decide to come out when your cranked over.

I'll stick to what I know even if it is ferkin cold.

[Sully60]

At 52K euro they can keep it!

It would apear to me an interesting way to get round to get round Switzerland's choking power restrictions for motorcycles.
Though an 85hp 200kg bike would still be quicker to 100kmh.

They've put an interesting spin on the relative inability to move bodyweight by saying hanging off lowers your corner speed.

52 degree lean angle would be necessary if you wanted to be anywhere near a modern sprotbike thats nearly three times lighter and half the length.

I wonder if the 25 year bodywork warranty would take into account scrape marks after you finally wear through the jockey wheels?

[Skyryder]

Looks pretty sweet
but it's not a bike, it has air con, a clutch pedal, a cage... and a seatbelt and airbags!!!

It has two wheels and a handle bar. That makes it a bike.


Sure it's covered but no one says that a convertable is 'not' a car when the hood is down.


Skyryder

[2fst4u]

convertables arent a car when the hood is down- they are a substitute for the male genitalia

[No FX]

Two wheels + engine = motorbike in my book, just a very different take on one

[xwhatsit]

That is freaking sweet -- I've long wondered why you don't see these sorts of things (BMW C1 ignored, as it should be ). Popular Science wouldn't be the same without them!

Awesome.

[EJK]

Shit thats one safe bike to low-side... lol

[musicman]

Shit thats one safe bike to low-side... lol

Wouldn't lowsiding in that be like crashing a car with no brakes? Bodywork sliding on the road doesn't slow a bike down much, and the rider is strapped down with seatbelts in that thing...

It seems that you can do a sort of 3-wheeled cornering on that thing, by getting the retracted side wheels down at 52 degrees lean angle!

Hmm... I wonder if that thing wheelies...

[Insanity_rules]

That is a weird ride. I took a look at how it stays up and all, fascinating.

[Speedracer]

It has two wheels and a handle bar. That makes it a bike.

Two wheels + engine = motorbike

Therefore a scooter is a motorbike
A moped is a motorbike

...A segway is a motorbike??????

[Skyryder]

Therefore a scooter is a motorbike
A moped is a motorbike

...A segway is a motorbike??????

In the strickest sense of the word yes. Motorbike is just a shortened version of motorbicycle and that in the early stages of the development of the 'motorbike' is what they were called.

I'll give you the Segway thing though............point taken. Still a car does not have two wheels

Skyryder

[Speedracer]

In the strickest sense of the word yes. Motorbike is just a shortened version of motorbicycle and that in the early stages of the development of the 'motorbike' is what they were called.

I'll give you the Segway thing though............point taken. Still a car does not have two wheels

I've seen cars on 3 wheels
http://curbed.com/2007_09_PinkCar.jpg

And 2
http://www.dbridge.co.uk/images/310598-2-7-96dpi.jpg


Heheheheheh