Tadpole motortrikes.
-
- Posts: 7898
- Joined: 7 Mar 2009, 3:31pm
Tadpole motortrikes.
What advantage do the motorbikes on the TdF gain from their two front wheels?
I suppose there must be an advantage to offset the increase in weight and complexity?
I suppose there must be an advantage to offset the increase in weight and complexity?
It's the same the whole world over
It's the poor what gets the blame
It's the rich what gets the pleasure
Isn't it a blooming shame?
It's the poor what gets the blame
It's the rich what gets the pleasure
Isn't it a blooming shame?
Re: Tadpole motortrikes.
Apparently they can be pushed harder in corners without slipping when compared to a scooter with a single front wheel. Not an advantage for TdeF. I imagine the reason they have appeared this year is as a result of a sponsorship deal.
Re: Tadpole motortrikes.
Yep,more rubber on the road at the front which is safer,especially in the wet.
But they're plug ugly and not as elegant as the Piaggio three wheel scooters
But they're plug ugly and not as elegant as the Piaggio three wheel scooters
-----------------------------------------------------------
"All we are not stares back at what we are"
W H Auden
"All we are not stares back at what we are"
W H Auden
-
- Posts: 7898
- Joined: 7 Mar 2009, 3:31pm
Re: Tadpole motortrikes.
Thanks, Reohn2 and Tatanab.
It's the same the whole world over
It's the poor what gets the blame
It's the rich what gets the pleasure
Isn't it a blooming shame?
It's the poor what gets the blame
It's the rich what gets the pleasure
Isn't it a blooming shame?
Re: Tadpole motortrikes.
do they have any roll stiffness, i.e. is the tilt action sprung at all? If it is, then such machines might be more stable at low speeds. This might be important for a camera bike; they tend to topple over if they are forced to stop suddenly on a steep hill.
cheers
cheers
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Brucey~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Brucey~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
-
- Posts: 5327
- Joined: 27 Oct 2012, 9:13pm
Re: Tadpole motortrikes.
Nearly twice as much mass over the front of the bike ... this has all the hallmarks of a solution looking for a problem to solve .... not the first time Yamaha have gone down an innovative dead end with suspension ..GTS1000 anyone ...... they do like an engineering challenge ....
“Quiet, calm deliberation disentangles every knot.”
Be more Mike.
The road goes on forever.
Be more Mike.
The road goes on forever.
Re: Tadpole motortrikes.
Not that I know of. They have a push button lock position to hold them upright when parked, I do not know if this is operable at low speed. The old Ariel 3 (other configuration of three wheels) had torsion bars to hold it upright. The problem was that you had to make a positive decision on whether to steer it like a trike or lean it like a bike - against those torsion bars. I imagine that if these had any form of sprung tilt they too would have a constant battle.Brucey wrote:do they have any roll stiffness, i.e. is the tilt action sprung at all?
Re: Tadpole motortrikes.
tatanab wrote:Not that I know of. They have a push button lock position to hold them upright when parked, I do not know if this is operable at low speed. The old Ariel 3 (other configuration of three wheels) had torsion bars to hold it upright. The problem was that you had to make a positive decision on whether to steer it like a trike or lean it like a bike - against those torsion bars. I imagine that if these had any form of sprung tilt they too would have a constant battle.Brucey wrote:do they have any roll stiffness, i.e. is the tilt action sprung at all?
Plus the Ariel 3's rear wheels didn't lean,only the front one.
-----------------------------------------------------------
"All we are not stares back at what we are"
W H Auden
"All we are not stares back at what we are"
W H Auden
Re: Tadpole motortrikes.
tatanab wrote:https://www.letour.fr/en/news/2019/with-yamaha-the-tour-de-france-rolls-on-three-wheels/1276061
Them needing a centre stand would indicate that they don't lock in the upright position
-----------------------------------------------------------
"All we are not stares back at what we are"
W H Auden
"All we are not stares back at what we are"
W H Auden
Re: Tadpole motortrikes.
cycleruk wrote:£13,500.
more than a very posh sports bike with a mere two wheels....
Yamaha Niken reviewed here
https://www.motorcyclenews.com/bike-reviews/yamaha/niken/2018/
They say that the machine falls over when stationary just like a normal motorbike.
It also weighs 263kg which makes it one of the heaviest machines that you can buy (with that kind of application in mind).
I don't imagine that engineers from Honda, Suzuki and Kawasaki will be burning the midnight oil trying to develop their own version, but you never know....
cheers
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Brucey~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Brucey~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- Tigerbiten
- Posts: 2503
- Joined: 29 Jun 2009, 6:49am
Re: Tadpole motortrikes.
I've just looked up and watched a review of it on u-tube.
Here -> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqP5mwCeySM
Verdict: Good grip on the front but not so good at the back. Also heavy at the front. It will make a good sporty tourer but not if you want super zippy.
Luck .......
Here -> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqP5mwCeySM
Verdict: Good grip on the front but not so good at the back. Also heavy at the front. It will make a good sporty tourer but not if you want super zippy.
Luck .......
Re: Tadpole motortrikes.
Maybe, sponsorship aside, the possibility of increased front grip gives braking security. They are surrounded by unpredictable cyclists and choosing the best line and braking point may not be an option. I think the were used at Roubaix and the Strada Bianca
Re: Tadpole motortrikes.
mattsccm wrote:Maybe, sponsorship aside, the possibility of increased front grip gives braking security. They are surrounded by unpredictable cyclists and choosing the best line and braking point may not be an option. I think the were used at Roubaix and the Strada Bianca
Used on Tour de Yorkshire too.