Utopian Commuter - Hybrid HV-X ?

[no_akira]

Going on from the thread about the ideal commuter, where the VTR250 came out as a strong contender with its monster type good looks.

I still kinda want more than just the good looks, it also needs to have stella mpg. The Honda Innova gets about 124 mpg from stock. So really it needs to better this figure somehow. So I've been thinking, what about a 250cc hybrid commuter, is there one ??

Have managed to find this link to a Yamaha concept from 2009 -
http://www.ridethewildwind.co.uk/2009/10/yamahas-hv-x-hybrid-motorcycle/

It looks good, more motorbike than scooter, the electric motor looks a bit of a beast though.

There is also this dutch guy called "Allert Jacobs" who has made a Honda Innova Recumbent with a hard fibre-glass shell cover and is clocking up 200+ mpg.
http://www.velomobiel.nl/allert/Recumbent motorbike.htm (http://www.velomobiel.nl/allert/Recumbent%20motorbike.htm)

Its a very professional looking shell with some nice design touches. I especially like his use of 2008 vw passat rear lenses ! His site has got some good information about rolling resistance / aerodynamic drag.

Looking at what this guy has done makes me feel the Bike manufacturers are holding out on us. A bit of collusion with its bessie mate, the oil industry.

[Stonesie]

That is even more impressive than it looks (the Innova recumbant) 233 mpg... but it's US gallons.

1 US gallon = 0.83267384 Imperial gallons


so 233 / 0.833 = 279.7 uk mpg:smt104

If a man in a shed can do that, then why can't the big names??

[mattSV]

I wouldn't fancy it in a side wind though!

[no_akira]

I suspect his more than just a tinkerer. If you look at the professional quality of the finnish plus there is alot of skill gone into the build. If you look at this link which shows a profile section
http://www.velomobiel.nl/allert/Recumbent%20motorbike_bestanden/image011.jpg - its pretty thick in places. So it must add some weight to the bike.

[Bluefish]

If a bloke in a shed can do that, why is there nothing anything like it in production?

[no_akira]

why is there nothing anything like it in production?

Its funny you should say this....

What Allert has done is prove a concept, more gains can be had from removing "air resistance" than trying to muck around with Rolling resistance (RS) or hybrid engines.

His also shown that the thin little wheels of the Innova can handle a little bit of extra weight. But with just the 1 wheel up front things can get a bit hairy with a little bit of wind.

So if RS doesn't matter why don't we add another wheel up front to improve stability ?

because what you then get is....... "a Piagio MP3" !
http://www.visordown.com/motorcycle-news-new-bikes/piaggio-mp3-yourban-review/17301.html

Now imagine Allerts handy work on one of these ???

I've always dismissed these little contraptions being a 2 wheel purist but i'm starting to get why Piaggio have been persisting with them.

I think Piagio see these as a cracking, thin wheeled stable platform on which they can start adding aerodynamic fibreglass shells. Remember you read it here first.

REVISION: I've just been looking on t'net, all the main manufacturers seem to be jumping on the 3 wheeled scooters bandwagon. I think i've just had an epiphany.

Only just tonight i've seen the Gilera Fuoco down a local street, looking very Transformer like.

Welcome to the post "credit crunch" future !

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/17863650/the_future.jpg