Modern Vespa

I started to translate this using babel fish and wanted to post the pictures but figured that the picture can be viewed on the site

http://www.cyberscooter.it/modelli/piaggio/redazione/mp3125250_3.htm

It appears that Piaggio was not the first to think of the 3 wheeler.


Jon

After to have uncovered the innumerevoli qualities of Piaggio MP3, the question rises spontaneous: possible that nobody has thought to us before? In the sense that the solution of the three balancing wheels does not demand futuristic technologies or deep sconfinati economic, it seems therefore strange that until the 2006 no company, inventor or designer it has worked in this direction. And in fact it is not therefore, know the readers to it of CyberScooter well who will remember the services on the Aprilia Los Angeles and NVC3, or on the Italjet Scooop or the Tartatre without to forget the proposal Ublò di Renault or the Autostudi A-Trix. But studies and prototypes of this type are much more numerous and sink their origins in far ages also. Naturally we are speaking exclusively about vehicles with three balancing wheels (in English tilting three wheeler), inasmuch as of ' semplici' three wheels the world is full, pack-saddles to think the Bee, always of Piaggio, or to the sidecar (exists some also balancing) and to the trike! Given the vastness of the proposals we will concentrate on the models with the two posizionate wheels front, solution adopted from Piaggio MP3, because thought more it rations them and effective of that inverse one. A particular thanks goes to Max Hall and situated its aggiornatissimo maxmatic.com, inexhaustible source of information and point of reference for the world of the three wheels.


Ernst Neumann - Neander Difficult to date or to establish who for first has realized a vehicle of this type, even if from my searches it seems that the German Ernst Neumann, holder of the Neander, of it has realized one in the first post-war period. Mr. Neumann, artist and constructor, are a premonitory one in fact of 2, 3 and also 4 wheels, its are in fact of originate them quite microcar motorized Harley Davidson. The cue of departure of the vehicle that you see in photo (1948) seems more an car that a motion but the outline to balancing wheels is however similar to adopted in the MP3, and could therefore adopt it like ' father ispiratore'. Between the other Neanden Motors it is a still active and always nonconformist brand inasmuch as it realizes one ' cruiser' with motor upset-diesel engine... LINK MaxMatic Ernst Neuman Neander Motors

Mother Hearth News - Mother Hearth 3VG After a sure number of proposals with wheels bound together to the posterior one, finally in 1983 the staff of the American magazine Mother Hearth News proposes a vehicle with two balancing front wheels. As he is imaginable from the name of the car, Mother Hearth, the fine head physician is to obtain a microcar for mobility characterizes them most possible echo-compatible, therefore light and economic. The three wheels, rather than four, are chosen because they diminish the weight, while the balancing system allows one advanced guidabilità to the four. The chassis is in tubes to the cromomolibdeno, the auto body in glass fiber and the motor a bicylindrical one of industrial origin from 16 horses with change to continuous variation. It can catch up the 50 hour miles with a consumption between the 35 and 53 miles to the gallon. It is one proposed, also perhaps provocative in the comparisons of the gigantic sedans, but such it will remain. LINK 3VG Part 1 3VG

Part 2 Wolfgang Trautwein - Vespa, Honda a year after is the German inventor, Wolfgang Trautwein, to realize the prototype that more than every other can be considered ' nonno' of MP3, in fact the line of departure is that one of a Vespa, to which it comes applied a system to double wheel, simple and effective. The steering system is to modulate and therefore abbinabile to different vehicles, in fact we see it mounted on a Honda CX500C, exacta to the fairing of the model Silver Wing then (the scooter does not put into effect them) and available also in one version totally covered. These realizations help to think us next to the possible future developments of MP3, even bind together you to the bicylindrical Piaggio. LINK Vespa Honda CX 500


Unicar Corporation - Unisport In the half of years eighty is California to giving the NATO them to a vehicle indeed bizzarro, calls Unisport and uses a complete motorcycle, from the posterior wheel to the cannotto of steering, to which it front applies rising of two-seat cabin with a complex system of rolling. The result is an exaggerated vehicle from the interasse, but that it can use any practically motoveicolo like ' propulsore'. It will come also produced for a pair of years. LINK MaxMatic 1 MaxMatic 2


James Sulman and Mike Richardson - Tracer the answer in 1997 is Australian, edited by James Sulman and Mike Richardson that realizes Tracer, the Millennium Motorcycles, one species of torpedo in able aluminum to tilt itself laterally until 37°. It uses still one Honda CX 500 like ' propulsore', a po' as it happens in the Unisport, but the dimensions are more contained and the advanced performances. They have been some realizes three various step evolutionary ones to you, the MKIII catches up the 160km/h with a consumption of 4,7 liters x 100km and hung approximately 300kg for one length of 3210mm. The continuous development and the Australian pair are quite thinking to one amphibious version.


LINK Millennium Motorcycles Paul Morrow - Zark 1500 Zark 1500 is only a design study, edited by Paul Morrow, but the possibility to transport two passengers with therefore a particular combination, of it has rendered its insertion obligatory.


LINK MaxMatic Mercedes-Benz - F300 Life Jet In 1997 the concept of ' three wheels basculanti' exits from underground thanks to the debut of Mercedes-Benz F300 Life Jet to the Frankfurt Motor Show. It is a large acknowledgment to the validity of the idea base that the planner Gunther Holzel realizes with the typical cure and the class of the brand. The mix between the divertimento of guide of a motorcycle with the emergency and the comfort of a sedan seem to a step from the productive truth. The motor is 4 cylinders 1600cc from 75kW, but hung 800kg and 3954 measure x 1730mm, therefore one vehicle cumbersome and still too much expensive for a development trades them, but it marks them is positive.


LINK Mercedes-Benz 3-wheelers Phil Foss - Three Wheeled Electric Tilter Entriamo in the new century with the vehicle of Phil Foss, a realization typically ' garage', than but introduce for before turn the propulsion electrical worker. It uses in fact a motor realized from Advanced DC, with marine batteries from 48 volts, that the maximum speed of 48mp/h concurs one. The greater limit is constituted from the autonomy, limited to 12mp/h.


LINK Phil Foss Phillip James - Tilting Vehicle Always fruit of the inventiveness and the dream of a single man is the Tilting Vehicle di Phillip James, Australian. The vehicle is a po' ' grezzo', but from the layout simple and the contained measures. Ecological economic and, can be observed while the video from the situated one of its inventor completes evolutions directly unloading.


LINK tiltingvehicle.com tiltingvehicle.net Honda - Hermes From Japan arrives little plans, but one is worth for all even if the author is Swedish. Tommy Forgren realizes this study of design for Honda, Hermes is called and beyond to the double front balancing wheel position of guide never seen previews one before: with the head in ahead, the busto supported to the vehicle and a particular advanced handle-bar. In more all the body of the vehicle it is to ' geometry variabile' that is lowers and allonge to growing of the speed, while it returns almost in erected position for the parking. The propulsion is to hydrogen, the wheels are to disassato hinge and the innovation concentrated one is so ahead from rendering of (for hour) the production unthinkable.


LINK Tommy Forgren Video Italjet - Tartatre, Scooop With 2000 is the istrionico Leopoldo Tartarini, Italjet holder to only show for before the time (in video), its Tartatre. It mounts a Piaggio motor from 180cc it uses wheels from 12"and it can be tilted automatically in curve until 45°, while once firm filler in vertical position. The plan evolve and to the Hall of Milan 2001 arrives Scooop, written with three ' o', like the number of the wheels. The product is cured in every detail and finally it is spoken about production. The price comes also fixed: to 7.500.000lire for the version from 150cc (Piaggio of course) and the availability for spring 2002. The accessories are shown also: between the others a windshield-canopy and the kit ' snow' in order to transform it in motoslitta. Unfortunately the financial problems and the successive failure have left the acquolina us in mouth. LINK TARTATRE CyberScooter Italjet Video


LINK SCOOOP CyberScooter Italjet Futurmodel Aprilia - Los Angeles Ritorniamo to 2000 and the Motorshow of Bologna for an other Italian proposal, this time is the Aprilia di Ivano Beggio and Los Angeles is a prototype of the Intelligent Mobility Motorized Lab. Piaggio Master 500 remembers the Atlantic vaguely then, is cured, rifinito and evoluto and has the electrohydraulic block already in order to make less of the support. One does not speak about production, but about accessories, ABS, GPS and one version covered with reclinabile canopy. It will remain a prototype, unfortunately, also in this case it is the lack of economic liquidity to remove the possibility to us to guide it on the roads, but by now the way is marked.


LINK CyberScooter ChannelBeta Derbi - Stealth Between the motorcycle companies to explore this tipologia of product, go numbered also the Derbi Spanish (hour to the inside of the Piaggio Group), than always to beginning millenium it proposes this study of the Norwegian Eivind Halseth. The model is aligned to the proposals Italjet and Aprilia, but connotoato in way decidedly more sportsman, like Derbi tradition.


LINK Norske I.D. Aprilia - Magnet Arriviamo to 2004 in order to conclude this (partial) history of the three balancing wheels (2 front ones) and is still Aprilia to astonish. The inspiration is the Formula the 1 and ' molla' pleasure of guide. The author is designer the Finnish Heikki Naulapaa, that he realizes Magnet like thesis of Bachelor, after three months of stage to Noale. Beyond to the balancing system controlled hydraulically, Magnet is distinguished for the hybrid propulsion with motors to magnets allots to you in the wheels, binds together you to the bicylindrical one to V from 550cc of the R-SXV. Weight and barycentre ridottissimi, with a not indifferent power succeed to transmit of the guide excitation, also only from the model in scale.

in 1986 I picked up a book in Germany that had pictures of both a PX200 and PK three wheeler. I even think they looked better than the MP3.

As they say..."everything old is new again!" Fashion, engineering, fads, scooters!

Those Vespa ones were done by engineer Dr. Wolfgang Trautwein.

If you can read German, you can read about it here.

More links to other Tilting Three Wheelers can be found here.

Derbi even did a 3 wheel concept called the Stealth.



I love this photo of a Honda Gyro on a race track.



This is an idea of what a tilting 3 wheeler with a pair of rear wheels could be like. It's a more complicated solution, requiring a differential, two drive chains, etc. More pictures can be found here.

I found another picture of Dr. Wolfgang Trautwein PK3 taken from its home at Auto & Technik MUSEUM SINSHEIM in German. It's on a blog for the Heinkel scooter
http://heinkelscooter.blogspot.com/2009/08/auto-technik-museums-at-sinshiem-speyer.html
The guy has a bunch of really cool pictures taken from the museum.

Note: The URL above has a period at the end, so you'll get a 404 if you don't remove it.

This post was not quite
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Try again, perhaps?

I fixed it, no more 404...

These Cushman predate the PK3 by almost 30 years

Since these 3 wheeled Cushmans don't lean, they're early versions of a Can-Am spyder.