Quadricycles: Another Case Where Four Is Two Too Many?

The Geneva Motor Show has brought out a few new rides that further blur the lines between car and motorcycle. The Yamaha Tesseract made distinct impression when the concept ‘bike’ showed up in 2007. Four-wheel ATVs have been around for a while and distinguish themselves from cars by having the pilot centrally located, straddling the engine in a ‘horse-riding’ position while steering with a handlebars rather than a wheel. As on-road vehicles these have only started to catch on outside of the USA. The NHTSA would define these vehicles as automobiles and require them to pass the same safety standards as any other automobile, including requirements for restraints, airbags and collision tests. These requirements wouldn’t make any sense on something more akin to a motorcycle than an SUV, but one can appreciate where rules are rules and as defined it is an automobile with four wheels in contact with the ground at all times. Regardless of U.S. marketability, the world marches on. Enter the Lumeneo Smera and the Sbarro Pendolauto. The Smera is a proposed cabin-enclosed electric vehicle that has four wheels but tilts similar to the idea behind the Piaggio MP3 and the Sidam Xnovo. The Sbarro Pendolauto is a much more sporty quad concept with the rider in the open air in a very low position that shouts corner-speed. The saying ‘four is two too many’ regarding the four-stroke engine is often recognized by fans of two-stroke powered motorcycles and the same could be echoed in regard to these four-wheelers. So, why a pseudo-cage when a bike is so much fun? Obviously the stability of four corners would be an asset as well as the additional grip offered by two additional wheels. The drawbacks would include the increased size and weight of the extra wheels. Size is a big deal to many scooter and small displacement fans that are frequent readers of 2SB, where we typically get excited about smaller being better. But the quadricycle concept does retain several aspects of the motorcycle that many people enjoy such as nimble handling, better fuel efficiency, the open air rush, leaning into turns and a smaller footprint when it comes to traffic and parking. The quadricycle concept for personal transportation is intriguing. If the NHTSA would redefine the motorcycle as a vehicle where the rider is centrally located and any passenger would be required to sit in-line with the pilot (or if the quad was given a class unto itself) we could possibly see things like this on the road in the USA. Surely the auto industry would have something to say about it. But maybe it could be an asset to them if they were to join in by scooping up one of the several fine ATV makers in the US like Polaris or Articcat and kick start their entry into the field. BRP is already on the case and half way there.

Thanks to Jalopnik and Gizmodo for the links.

Ford blocks publication of Mustang club calendar

This story about a Mustang Club being told by Ford that they were not allowed to publish photos of their own cars just seems like some sort of silly mix-up, but it’s probably only a matter of time before Piaggio tries the same thing. When Piaggio returned to the U.S., they sued several long-time Vespa shops, including dealers that had been around since the last Vespa invasion, for using “Vespa” in their name. They’ve also blocked several Café Press users and other folks selling Vespa merchandise. Every company has every right to defend their intellectual property, and block people from cashing in on their trademarks and copyrighted designs, but to crack down on a club of enthusiasts for publishing photographs of their own vehicles and preventing them from using a brand name to describe events or clubs is ridiculous. Sure, Harley-Davidson has lost some cash over the years to the underground biker community, but it’s that same underground biker community that’s kept their brand alive through thick and thin for a hundred years. The same could be said of Vespa enthusiasts, but in Piaggio’s never ending search for profits, it wouldn’t be surprising to see a similar crackdown soon.

Update: The matter has been resolved. Thanks, Becky! But this still doesn’t bode well for clubs and enthusiasts, I think we can expect more battles in the future.

LML: 4T PX, ET clones available soon?

The March 2008 issue of Scootering confirms earlier reports that LML (the Indian manufacturer of the Genuine Stella) is ready to start production of 4-stroke geared Vespa-PX scooters. The story, written by an owner of UK LML importers Eddy Bullet, reports that 125, 150, and 250(!)cc versions are in the works. On a recent trip to New Zealand, VCOA historian John Gerber met the local LML importer (Retro Scooter, who import the LML as the Belladonna) who also confirmed the news, though he didn’t mention a 250cc version. He reports the Belladonna is selling very well in New Zealand. Gerber also met an Indian scooterist living in New Zealand who had actually ridden the long-rumored LML Clipper (a clone of the Vespa ET-series).
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Josh Rogers hospitalized after crash

Scoot! Magazine publisher Josh Rogers was hit by a Lexus yesterday on Vespa Club Los Gatos’ monthly ride. He was airlifted to the hospital with a broken femur and his TGB Laser was totalled. He’s doing well, all things considered, but we’re very sorry to see him down and wish him a speedy recovery. Here’s more info at scootmagazine.com and some info on a fundraiser. Donations can be sent to http://scooter-relief.org/”>Scooter-Relief.org.