I've seen these in "Motorcyclist" magazine, but I've now seen 2 in the last 2 days. Both were turning corners when I saw them. I'm not a fan of the Can Am Spyder for an able bodied person, as some of you know from my thread. But this thing looks neat.

Its a scooter, available up to 500cc. It corners just like a motorcycle with the 2 front wheels leaning and articulating. You've got to see it in action to believe it. Kind of like when the Equalean Sidecar came out 20 years ago.

Its shown on page 72 of the September issue of "Motorcyclist".

 

Here's a video of someone drifting one. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DFWjfGV4SRM

 

My XO has one that he rides the death out of. Says he can pull nice stoppies all day. Anyway, he swears the thing is incredible in twisties. He has 3 BMW's (1150 enduro thing, 1200 GT and another smaller enduro) and he hardly rides anything but the Piaggio. Not what I could see myself on but more power to those who can.

 

Yeah, I'd never give up my VTR for one, but it looks like a gas for around town stuff. It just squares off corners.

On You Tube they've even got Mick Doolan on one for the Down Under intro.

 

Just got the October issue of "Motorcyclist" today. They give the Can Am Spyder only 2 1/2 stars and say it will disappoint 2 wheel riders, but the Piaggio MP3 gets 4 stars. Maybe when I hit 80 I'll be ready for one of those.

 

Its funny seeing your initial post because I had the same exact 2 reactions when first seeing the MP3. I had read about the MP3 as well and really thought if I lived in a commuter city it would be a fun and practical way to get around and probably a little safer than a small bike would be. I really laughed when I read your line about the equalean side car - I still remermber seeing one on a episode of a silly tv show called CHIPS when I was a teenager and even reading a test on one in a cycle mag - and thinking WOW. I have never seen anything like it since, even on the used market but it would be neat thing to try. I know one of the big companies makes a sidecar mount that allows the bike to lean but not the car - not quite the same. And then sometime this year I saw a post from a relative of the guy who invented the equalean saying he had given the plans to a company (maybe corbin?) to try to remake a version of it.

 

Funny you should mention CHIPS. I missed the episode with the Equalean, but my ex-wife's best friend was married to Larry Wilcox, aka Officer John Baker, at the time the show was popular. He had all kinds of free toys in the garage given to him by Kawasaki, including a new 1980 Z1R.

 

Oh, great! I have something to look forward to - the sportbike of the scooter generation. I can hear the old women cackle.

"He was fast when he was fifty."

 

Safty first

 

That's just wrong.
I don't know why, but that reminds me of those 3 wheeled bicycles that "special" kids rode around the neighborhood.
All they need is the orange flag on a stick.

 

some people never loose the training wheels