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

Popular Science ^ | April 2003 | by Dick Teresi

[boris]

I briefly saw a shot of a motorcycle with a very unusual front wheel. The wheel was stationary and the tire ran in some sort of track around the periphery of the 'wheel'. I saw this in a 'flash' on one of those Discovery channel ads and never saw the actual show. Wish I could find out more about it.

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)...

--Boris

[plusone]

At 200 grand, how much will the insurance be?

[MississippiMan]

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.

Maybe a modernized version of the funky little ultra-mini car that was sold in Europe back in the sixties and seventies. I'm pretty sure BMW sold one. I've seen one but can't remember the name of the thing I'm talking about. The front opens up on the thing and you back into it to sit down. I'd love to have one. There's also the weird enclosed motor-trike that Domino's pizza had designed to deliver pizza in. They couldn't get affordable insurance for 'em and the idea fell apart. I've seen one of them too.

MM

[TADSLOS]

If you have to ask, you can't afford it.

[Jhoffa_]

A great way to get from one gas station to the next..

[Eastbound]

I knew I shouldn't have ripped up my CIA credit card. Bummer!

[Lx]

Very cool but for us old guys, a Kauwy 500 triple with chambers and a little porting will kill you just as fast. And I believe in getting value for my money.

[Jhoffa_]

Very cool but for us old guys, a Kauwy 500 triple with chambers and a little porting will kill you just as fast. And I believe in getting value for my money.

You're refering to a old Suzuki "water buffalo" here, aren't you?

[Lx]

No, although those Suzuki triples were nice. I'm talking about a 500cc Kawasaki triple two stroke, I think it was an H1, the one that had a distributor. I rode one and it must have felt like what those guys catapulting off of ships feel. I've ridden bigger and supposedly faster bikes but the scream, vibration and the fact that your front wheel is in the air for the first three gears is quite a rush.

With the correct mods, it would outrun a 750 triple. The downside was that it couldn't corner worth a damn.

[Jhoffa_]

One of the fastest older Kaw's I ever saw was the Z1. Guy up the road had one.

Never encountered a triple other than the two stroke, water cooled Suzuki.

[Lx]

Check out:
http://wsamel.50megs.com/cgi-bin/i/cycles/kawa500.gif

This is the one to own. You can't read it but it says electronic ignition on the side cover. It also has the stock exhaust. The later ones didn't have the distributor and were much milder. If you wanted to live, you put the disk brake front end on one from a 750.

Z1's get up and go too.

[lsee]

It's a Tron Lightcycle!

More concept drawings here Tron Movie Production notes

Bruce would be proud!

[IronJack]

I specifically called for a commuter vehicle with none of the drawbacks of a motorcycle. That means no mopeds.

[IronJack]

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.

[killjoy]

Maybe a modernized version of the funky little ultra-mini car that was sold in Europe back in the sixties and seventies

Check out the Smart Car:

http://www.thesmart.co.uk

It is a join venture between Mercedes and Swatch. If might be what you are talking about. They are quite popular in Europe and Asia.

[BOOTSTICK]

So let me get this strait. You pay $200,000 so some German engineer can kill you.

[Salman]

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 ...

The Izetta

[griffin]

"Wonder how much rubber I'd leave on the road"

All of it. Plus some aluminium and twinging flesh. Can I ride after you get done? :))

[griffin]

That isn't a 'samrt car'. It is a 2 door "Speck". Ask me. I know. I saw it on SNL! LOL! :)

[DoughtyOne]

There you go!