Dodge's Four-Wheel Motorcycle! (The Tomahawk)

Popular Science ^ | April 2003 | by Dick Teresi

[vannrox]

500-300-200. That's horsepower, miles per hour and thousands of dollars: the oversize numbers for Dodge's 4-wheel Tomahawk "motorcycle" prototype (named for the cruise missile), which the company says it may bring to market.

Dodge's Four-Wheel Motorcycle! (The Tomahawk)

by Dick Teresi

The biggest news out of DaimlerChrysler this spring is not a sport-utility vehicle or a sports car. It's a motorcycle. A big, weird motorcycle.

The Dodge Tomahawk is auto erotica for the customizer and power freak. An enormous 500-horsepower V10 Viper engine sits on a billet aluminum body, each part a one-off custom design, machined to order. The exhaust note reminds us of a light aircraft's, with enough crackle to rattle windows.

A noticeable departure is the four wheels. OK, a four-wheeled motorcycle is an oxymoron, but in this case the wheels are closely paired, giving the vehicle a motorcycle appearance if you squint hard. Dodge sees the four wheels as an advantage, noting that the bike stands up on its own. (Customers willing to shell out $200,000 should be happy to learn that they won't need to buy a kickstand as well.)

So what happens to this 4-wheeler when you lean into a turn? Similar designs have rolled up on just two tires when banking, then dropped back onto all four when the bike straightens out, sometimes with uncomfortable results. Thanks to an inventive suspension, all four of the Tomahawk's tires remain in contact with the road even when the bike is cornering. Yet it's no car. You lean and counter-steer, just like on a bike.



The bike's name was inspired by the Tomahawk cruise missile, and it may be equally ridable. Dodge first announced a top speed of 420 mph, then dropped that to "300+." DaimlerChrysler spokespeople proved unable to illuminate us further. Can we ride the bike to check the speed? we asked. "No." Can we talk to one of your company riders? "No." Can you give us some riding impressions? "No." Can we use your bathroom? "No."

Desperate for expertise, I called my brother, Joe Teresi, whose Easyriders Streamliner bike holds the world speed record: 322 mph on the Bonneville Salt Flats, set in 1990. Looking at photos of the Tomahawk, Joe was dubious. Dodge computed the Tomahawk's theoretical top speed only from horsepower and final drive ratio. Joe says this ignores other critical factors, such as frontal area and drag and the coefficient of tire friction to the ground. Joe offered Dodge the use of his Dyno-Drag, a motorcycle dynamometer/simulator, to ascertain the Tomahawk's top speed. When I relayed the offer to Dodge spokesman David Elshoff, he said, and I quote, "No." Elshoff did say Dodge would someday take the Tomahawk for a run at Bonneville.

Dave Campos, who was onboard the Easyriders Streamliner for the world record, predicted the Tomahawk wouldn't do well in the real world -- and that the rider would do worse. The Teresi/Campos bike was powered by two 91-cubic-inch Harley Shovelhead engines and enclosed in a fairing. The Tomahawk Viper engine is 505 cubic inches; the rider is exposed. Campos said he would be foiled by air resistance. At high speeds, "your back acts as a wing. It'll lift you right off the bike." Campos was also skeptical about the four-wheel steering, and said he doubted the bike would hit 200 mph. Still, he wishes the Tomahawk team luck at Bonneville. "Let nothing but fear stand in your way," he said.

Many bikes today are built for show, not go, and even if the Tomahawk never breaks 55, there are a lot of guys who'd like to trailer it to Sturgis or Daytona during Bike Week just to fire up that motor and drown out the Harley crowd. Or, as my brother says, "It's a nice engine stand for your Viper V10."

[PizzaDriver]

The Parent Company is German. Their only market will be Hollywood Libs & rich "know nothings".

[photogirl]

Biker bump

[Britton J Wingfield]

wow.

[Chewbacca]

There was an episode of South Park where Mr. Garison created a single wheel people mover. Funny episode.

[Billy_bob_bob]

No, no. You're paying the money for the German engineering talent that gets you up to around 200mph or so, and then the impact kills you when you miss your first curve.

[MississippiMan]

Something along those lines. I was thinking more of a tube framed with a fiberglass shell. Top speed of maybe 40-45 mph. Thousand cc rear engine hooked to a transaxle. Something that would do for a 10-mile daily commute, would keep you out of the rain, and would get mega mileage but still have enough zip to be enjoyable. Strictly a one-person urban transport, a bicycle with a roof.

The Domino's delivery vehicle was a lot like that if I understand you correctly. Very low-slung, only a few inches off the ground. Looks like something out of a futuristic movie.

MM

[MississippiMan]

Yes, very much like that. I love it!

MM

[spodefly]

I used to have a '72 H1 (500cc). It is indeed a 3 cylinder 2 stroke ... fast as hell in a straight line ... just don't try to turn or stop.

[MississippiMan]

Thoroughly checked out the Smart and while I'd almost certainly buy one if they were available over here, once I looked closer I see this is considerably larger than the thing I'm talking about. They probably don't make the thing I'm talking about anymore.

MM

[wcbtinman]

One hell of an ATV.

[JoeSixPack1]

take your pick, Corbin motors

[Ichneumon]

I would think some motorcyle manufacturer could strike gold if they developed a commuter vehicle that used motorcycle components but had none of the (perceived) drawbacks of a motorcycle. Sure, it would be nothing but a very small car, but you could probably sell a lot of them to green weenies, soccer moms, and bikers who couldn't hold up the big iron anymore. Mileage would be great, parking a breeze, and the zip of a 1,000 cc engine on the right frame and with a lightweight composite shell would be sporty enough to entice performance addicts."

Check out the Tango from http://www.commutercars.com/. I very mini two-seater (the passenger sits behind the driver), electric, which claims to have insane performance and handling because of its light weight, but good safety for several reasons (certainly safer than a motorcycle, anyway).

[Paul C. Jesup]

Well look on the bright side, at least they got good taste in anime and sci-fi.

[lavaroise]

That is awsome.

[Professional]

Your 5 pts could have been said about the Viper. The Viper put the enthusiast back into the Chrysler Co. This would make a statement that Chyrsler is hard core. The Dodge Neon had awesome success, in a strange way due to the Viper. And THAT is why they built it, image. That bike, WILL sell. It's cool, and all sorts of people have crazy money to throw around.

[lavaroise]

WEll, four wheels gripping the road in a turn makes for some awsome control and handling, with high g turns.

[uglybiker]

I am aware of experimental vehicles consisting of a single wheel in which the driver sits; I've seen a couple of concepts. This idea appears to adapt the rolling rim to a cycle (the one I saw, that is)...

http://www.americanroadshop.com/The_Monocycle/the_monocycle.html

[judgeandjury]

But doesn't calling this bike "The Tomahawk" offend somebody or other?

I sure hope so!

[IronJack]

All the vehicles depicted look like they'd meet my criteria. Apparently they're ideas whose time has not yet come ...

[BraveMan]