Rumors from various European motorcycle mags indicate that BMW is considering getting back into the scooter game. The Bavarian company's last foray into scooterdom resulted in the C1. Being that this was BMW Motorrad, its scooter would need to be different from everyone else, and indeed it was. Featuring a full roof, roll bars and seat belts along with ABS brakes, BMW claimed that C1 riders were safe enough that they did not need to wear a helmet. Unfortunately, though, not everyone agreed and low sales numbers resulted in the innovative machine's cancellation in 2002. Now, BMW is said to be considering a three-wheeled machine, which could allay some of the safety fears which ultimately led to the demise of the C1.
Rotax is also rumored to be involved, offering an 80 degree, four-valve per cylinder, liquid-cooled, V-Twin engine in three different sizes and ranging from 33 to 75 horsepower. The machine is said to retain the C1's windshield and roof and add BMW's paralever rear suspension design. BMW: You've got our attention, now please don't disappoint.
Back before Chrysler was bought by Cerberus, you could always count on the automaker to roll out something truly special at the Detroit Auto Show. Whether by stampeding an entire herd of cattle through downtown Detroit or putting motorcycle bits all around the V10 engine of a Viper, Dodge has always found a way to capture people's attention. The Viper-inspired Tomahawk motorcycle was especially memorable. It seems that some are still miffed that Dodge never offered the fabled bike as a regular production machine, though a few were in fact created and sold as non-runners. Now a company (or companies, who knows?) in China has decided to offer a motorcycle based on the design of Dodge's original concept. We should stress that this is in no way a replica, as the original V10 engine has been replaced by a single cylinder 150cc engine and CVT transmission from a scooter. It's not street legal and also cannot be sold in California. As with all small-bore motorcycles and scooters coming from China with questionable origins, we really cannot recommend you purchase one for yourself with visions of riding it to work. If you just want to see it in your garage though, it'll surely work as a rolling sculpture quite nicely.
Those of you considering a motorcycle for its undeniable visceral thrills, or even its fuel savings, should consider another option which could add a bit more practicality to your new two-wheeler: the sidecar. Sure, you'll lose out on some performance -- both in a straight line and in the twisty bits -- but you'll easily make that up when the coolness factor is counted in. What, you don't think sidecars are cool? How wrong you are, and oobject has fifteen bits of proof for you to consider. From fully enclosed luxury to rocket-shaped sidecars, there are plenty of options to choose from. How about one modeled after a fighter plane? Covered. A land-speed record sidecar? Check.
Even though those novelty sidecars are pretty awesome pieces, the good ol' plain-jane sidecar steals the show as far as we're concerned. Whether hung off the side of a older BMW airhead or a retro Stella scooter, three-wheeled travel just doesn't get much cooler than with the rounded-front and high-windshield of the classic motorcycle sidecar.
As you may have noticed, we've been featuring more two-wheeled content lately as interest in motorcycles and scooters has risen rather dramatically along with the increase in fuel prices. While we can appreciate the reduced cost of operation that sometimes goes along with choosing a motorcycle over four-wheeled transport, the enjoyment some of us get from bikes easily eclipses our desire to save at the pump. After all, this particular blogger has been riding since the days of buck-a-gallon gas. Still, the growing trend of drivers dropping half their wheels in the name of gas conservation deserves close examination and has even caught the attention of Consumer Reports. In fact, a recent survey conducted by the group has found that a staggering 26-percent of respondents have considered downsizing from four wheels to two. According to CR, their team is intently studying this two-wheeled phenomenon in an effort to become acquainted with the products on the market, how often they are ridden and the newly-found fuel savings of their riders.
Though it's usually the adventure touring crowd that excels at turning their motorcycles into rolling technology test-beds, we've recently run across a Yamaha Vino scooter that has been fully farkled. Featuring an on-board computer based around a VIA mini ITX form factor motherboard that's cleverly been hidden under the stock Vino's seat, this rolling geek-mobile packs in WiFi, Bluetooth, USB, GPS, FM radio, a TV tuner and a front-mounted camera in its diminutive frame. With the full-spec computer, pretty much anything should be possible right from the road using this scooter. While this is certainly a cool project, we have a few questions regarding its durability. How long will the acrylic plate that makes the structure for the computer hold up? Perhaps most importantly, how long will the scooter's battery be able to power all this technology? In the name of science, of course, we graciously offer our services for a road trip on the machine to find the answer to these all-important questions.
Rumors of Michael Schumacher racing on two wheels in the MotoGP series have been bouncing around like a Ferrari-red rubber ball. First came the initial speculation, coupled with denials from both MotoGP and Ducati, the team for whom the retired F1 champ was rumored to ride. The rumor-mill was set a-churnin' again, however, when Schumacher's longtime manager Willi Weber responded that "anything is possible".
The runaway speculation, however, has been emphatically put to rest as Schumacher himself has outright denied the possibility. "It is an absolute lie. At the most, I can race on a scooter." Well there you have it – case closed. Schumacher will compete next season in the International Vespa Championship. Or maybe he meant on a Ferrari Segway? (Yes, we are joking.)
The Hummer brand is all about strength and capability, but for some reason the smaller and less capable the Hummer, the better it sells. Talented motorcycle sketch artist Oberdan Bezzi must have had this in mind when he penned the Hummer H2 450 scooter, because the mini-cycle would likely fit in the pickup bed of the upcoming H3T. Bezzi borrowed several Hummer design queues for his moped, including the Hummer gas cap, chunky sheet metal, and we're guessing the seven bar grille. In this instance, the 2 in H2 stands for the amount of wheels and the 450 stands for Bezzi's imaginary 450 cc powerplant.
While we love Bezzi's imaginitive drawings, we're afraid his Hummer-branded scooter made some of our neurons misfire. We don't care how knobby the tires are, scooters and mud just don't mix. Hummer doesn't make scooters for the same reason we don't see Harley Davidson-branded roller skates. Jeep did make the Compass, but we digress. We'd change that opinion, however, if Governor Schwarzenegger drove the two-wheeler to all of his public speaking engagements.
