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Thread: Let's discuss... Elio.

  1. #11
    Bad Taste novicius's Avatar
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    I like reverse trikes but so far the Campagna Motors T-Rex is the best I've seen.



    Just needs to have an enclosed cabin and a *far* more realistic price tag.

    Actually, BMW needs to make an S1000RR-powered enclosed trike with ABS, airbags & stability control (so it can be sold in the U.S.)...
    Last edited by novicius; June 30th, 2014 at 07:23 AM.

  2. #12
    Consultant KillerB's Avatar
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    TTAC has been covering this thing for a while. They have secured the old GM plant in Shreveport, Louisiana for manufacturing.

  3. #13
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    Yeah, but turns out they haven't. No paperwork has been signed, it's all promises. They almost lost it a month ago, and they won't be prepared to occupy it for months. Someone could absolutely sweep in and snatch it up, like what happened in Michigan, like what almost just happened there.

    WRT to the Lean Machine, someone did end up making it:



    The Carver One.

  4. #14
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    Lean Machine looks good, but not the Carver One...

    Anyway, I think Elio has the right idea... trike configuration is not only taking a legal advantage of avoiding the red tape of meeting car regulations, but it's also an aerodynamic advantage too. Inline seating like that pretty much reduced the frontal area by half... thus they're able to immediately double hwy MPGs... from the typical fuel efficient 40mpg to 80mpg by just using off the shelf technologies.

    What kinda threw me off a bit was that I originally thought Elio is RWD with some sort of motorcycle powerplant..., but instead, it's actually FWD! So I suppose their 3wheel configuration is purely to take advantage of the legal loophole. But perhaps having just a single rear wheel saves them weight? Also, with less parts, chances are it'd be cheaper?

    Unless it's just so horrible to drive, I'd certainly consider getting one as a commuter... since I do about 60miles/day! With such a cheap initial price and great gas mileage... they have to seriously mess it up with their engineering in order to not have me as their customer.
    Last edited by Crazed_Insanity; June 30th, 2014 at 09:33 AM.

  5. #15
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    Billi, 3 wheelies are not as stable as 4.
    Interestingly they are not as stable as 2 when cornering. (But more stable when stopped)
    They do tend to roll over. Made worse the closer the centre of mass is to the single wheel. Putting a 2nd person behind nearer the rear would make it less stable and more likely to roll over.

    As for regs, it's a double edge sword. Here if you fall under motorcycle rules then you need a motorcycle license and helmet. That's considered a bigger pain than passing car regs.

  6. #16
    Bad Taste novicius's Avatar
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    Hawt.


  7. #17
    Bad Taste novicius's Avatar
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    I want this, even if it's only 15 HP.



    Btw, how much do clothes cost in the Matrix?

  8. #18
    mAdminstrator Random's Avatar
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    Rear 3/4 on that one says "Slave I" to me.

    <-- nerd.
    Whoomah!

  9. #19
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    There is a two wheeled vehicle somewhat similar to the gm one however I cant remember the name. Its got training wheel like things that drop down when you stop to balance it.

  10. #20
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    Quote Originally Posted by Dicknose View Post
    Billi, 3 wheelies are not as stable as 4.
    Interestingly they are not as stable as 2 when cornering. (But more stable when stopped)
    They do tend to roll over. Made worse the closer the centre of mass is to the single wheel. Putting a 2nd person behind nearer the rear would make it less stable and more likely to roll over.

    As for regs, it's a double edge sword. Here if you fall under motorcycle rules then you need a motorcycle license and helmet. That's considered a bigger pain than passing car regs.
    Good point... if Elio is classified as a bike, would the occupants be legally expected to wear helmets? Personally I wouldn't mind, but for sure people who really care about their the looks of their hair would!

    Regarding stability, I agree with you that trikes are not as stable. But I think 2 wheels at the front should be way more stable than the other way around, right? Since most of the time when we turn... we would decelerate and shift cg forward. On track or autoX, you would often see cars lifting up their inside rear wheel during hard cornering too, right? So perhaps the ideal 3 wheeler would be the reverse configuration of GMs lean machine. 2 wheels in front and with a pivoting 3rd rear wheel in the back... so the driver won't roll with the vehicle as bikers do during cornering!

    Anyway, reduction of # of wheels should reduce aero drag as well..., but if you install good fairings and minimize wheel exposure to the flow, # of wheels probably won't make that much of a difference in aero drag... Most important thing is that inline seating configuration to reduce frontal area. Either make it really narrow... or really low like supercars.

    BTW, that 15HP Hawk future car really looks awesome!

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