Game-Changer Electric Trike has it all, forget re-inventing

4LivesPerGallon

4LivesPerGallon

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Just saw this on YouTube, Chinese electric tricycle "Drop inspiration" - YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wp4HNzNQqHQ

Photo:
https://i.ytimg.com/vi/wp4HNzNQqHQ/hqdefault.jpg


Why is this a possible "game-changer"?

- Has side mirrors
- Has motorized weather-bubble top (i.e. "convertible" with power roof)
- Loud turn signal lights
- Is now in production
- Apparently selling in quantity in China
- Has side door
- Seems to be appelling to young people in China, but could be a "mobility scooter", also, imo
- Could be used for universities, student rentals, in monsoon season and rainy cities, too.
- Nothing like this before, seen in China.
- Running fast on a winter road, at 13 minutes into the video.
- The enclosed cockpit has solved the "wet" and "cold" weather passenger comfort issues in previous "egg trike" designs, like these:
https://www.google.ca/search?q=egg+shaped+electric+trike&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj53-7zzrfJAhXGnYgKHbRLBQcQ_AUIBygB&biw=1280&bih=671


OTHER ADVANTAGES:
- No "saddle soreness" and/or crushed-male-nerve-fear-from-bike-saddle
- Shouldn't be a magnet for thieves
- If less than 500W, legally just a bicycle
- The video shows that big trucks are giving this trike a wide berth
- More visible, safer
- Can carry cargo
- Has suspension on wheels
- No fancy hub motors or chains or sprockets that wear out in 1,000 miles like pedal bikes
- The apparent long-wheelbase and low center of gravity solves the "tipping" problem with tricycles
- A future version with a front wheel hub motor will eliminate the need for the differential on the rear wheel.






A future version of this might have semi-translucent, flexible, solar panels for the "power roof"
https://www.google.ca/search?q=translucent+flexible+solar+panels&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&gws_rd=cr&ei=xftbVsH4KdfUoASUk6GADw


Buying an electric bike in China.
https://video.search.yahoo.com/video/play?p=electric+scooter+china&vid=60d59b0985c6a987f4940940f5ff9cc3&turl=http%3A%2F%2Ftse4.mm.bing.net%2Fth%3Fid%3DWN.4p5vdKg8PmE6T9HcyIHE7g%26pid%3D15.1%26h%3D168%26w%3D300%26c%3D7%26rs%3D1&rurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DOGj35fei-5A&tit=Buying+an+electric+bike+in+China.&c=3&h=168&w=300&l=620&sigr=11bggn2qh&sigt=111eitn8h&sigi=12lf289t8&ct=p&durs=medium&vage=year&age=1434735140&fr2=p%3As%2Cv%3Av&fr=yhs-mozilla-001&hsimp=yhs-001&hspart=mozilla&tt=b
 
I'd rather ride my old Delta Tripper thing than that. :/

Thankfully I have the SB Cruiser, which is way better than either one, and can carry cargo, dogs, etc. :)

And I'm pretty sure I'm more visible, with better lighting/etc., and probably safer on it than I would be in that thing up there. ;)
 
Shell would be nice in many climates, but not for me or AW.

Looks to me like it would scoop a lot of air, creating drag when at speed. But maybe not. I think I'd prefer a straight door on the side, with a window open than the clamshell thing. For my climate. Shade and ventilation.
 
Try riding that on a bike path or the sidewalk. Too big and slow for traffic.
otherDoc
 
The Trike tipping thing: as a teenager I worked for an attorney messenger service in San Francisco, my job consisted of zipping around the city in a enclosed Cushman (meter maid type) scooter. I got PAID for this! I got very proficient with it, and used to regularly get air cresting some of the hills, plus drift it through curves. It was different then a 4 wheeler for sure, but totally predicable handling wise, like anything else pushed too far bad things could happen. I later had another min wage job for a short time in San Diego, driving an open/no enclosed cab Cushman trikester, the lower CG on it made it more resistant to tipping, no surprise there.
 
Drunkskunk said:
As transportation, I'm dubious of it's usefulness. It looks like it would be a solar oven on a hot day.
As contraception, I think it would be highly effective. No one riding in that blister is getting laid any time soon. :mrgreen:
Click to expand...

Excatly. I doubt you could even pick up a street hooker in that thing. 4LivesPerGallon just goes around starting threads but doesn't participate, and most times the topic is something that other than some strange people no Westerners would be caught dead riding, much less purchase. "Game Changer" LOL!

Bubble.JPG
 
I love it, birth control bike. As effective as that old mini car that had the refrigerator door on the front.
 
I laughed so hard I cried. :lol: I think I am cured from my Pseudo Bulbar Affect. :cry: :lol: :cry: :lol: :pancake:
Seriously, from the video it looks like it will go 10MPH for up to a mile until a giant sow bug mistakes it for another rollie pollie.
 
If they made it tadpole rather than delta it could have possibilities. Tadpole is much harder to tip over properly engineered.
 
By far the ugliest vehicle on Endless Sphere. And there are some stinkers around.
 
Hahahhaha. Snotbubble car.
 
where I live that's an LEV, not a "bicycle"
but...local weather.jpg
 
That bubble what you need where you live! Or, just for extreme cold when it happens. I confess, if it's below 40F these days, I drive a car to the store. My illness still makes it hard for me to keep warm.

But most days still reach 50 even in winter here, so I just wait for warm, then ride.
 
My problem isnt' with how it looks, it's that:

--here in this city (conglomeration, actually), there's nowhere safe to ride in it. It's too big for sidewalks, and not able to safely share the road with other traffic, from what I can see; it doesn't seem to be tall enough to "get in people's way" and force them to see it, and it's lighting doesnt' appear to be sufficient to do that either, for nighttime or daytime.

It seems to be about the same size as my kennel trailer for Yogi, just ovoid rather than rectangular, and with a wheel instead of a hitch tongue. My own problem with that is that there's not much, if any, apparent cargo space. I'd have to add a trailer hitch to it, as it doesnt' seem to have one of it's own.

I am not sure, but it also looks on the yellow one like it has scrapes of red paint on the side covers of the hinge points, or that the yellow paint has been scraped off exposing red plastic below it. Either way, that means it's got some sort of issue with ending up too close to *something* and a fair number of times from the looks of that. Not knowing the situation, it could be innocuous, or it could be scary.

--the enclosure would probably give the rider heatstroke anytime except at night and deep into what we call our "cold season", which starts late in November and lasts until maybe February.


While I think it's interesting that it's beign used by what is probably a fair number of people there, I am not sure there's many places here where it would be practical or safe, even if you could get past the appearance issue (just look at the posts above for problems with that).


ON the plus sides, it *does* have:

-- some lighting, even if it's not enough

-- enclosure that could be made lockable (if it isn't already) to help secure it when away from it

-- enclosure that would keep rain/etc off the rider and keep them warm in cold weather

-- electric assist or drive that would encourage it's use by non-cyclists



But I dont' see it being widely adopted here, mostly becuase of the way it looks (though there are more important flaws), based on the previous posters' reactions.
 
ebent said:
If they made it tadpole rather than delta it could have possibilities. Tadpole is much harder to tip over properly engineered.
Click to expand...

However, tadpole trikes require more complex steering/engineering.
 
AF7JA said:
Here are some pictures I took of one:
IMG_0354.jpg

IMG_0355.jpg
Click to expand...


Thanks. Can you comment on how it was perceived by the passers-by? Did teenagers mock it? (They sometimes make funny faces at me when I ride a Chinese scooter. too.)
 
craneplaneguy said:
The Trike tipping thing: as a teenager I worked for an attorney messenger service in San Francisco, my job consisted of zipping around the city in a enclosed Cushman (meter maid type) scooter. I got PAID for this! I got very proficient with it, and used to regularly get air cresting some of the hills, plus drift it through curves. It was different then a 4 wheeler for sure, but totally predicable handling wise, like anything else pushed too far bad things could happen. I later had another min wage job for a short time in San Diego, driving an open/no enclosed cab Cushman trikester, the lower CG on it made it more resistant to tipping, no surprise there.
Click to expand...



This the Cushman trike? Looks like these rides are collectible/valuable, now. Electric or gas?

http://www.flickriver.com/photos/pjchmiel/tags/cushman/
 
4LivesPerGallon said:
Thanks. Can you comment on how it was perceived by the passers-by? Did teenagers mock it? (They sometimes make funny faces at me when I ride a Chinese scooter. too.)
Click to expand...

Frankly, no one even seemed to notice it. It was the only one I saw in over eight years of living in China.
 
4LivesPerGallon said:
craneplaneguy said:
The Trike tipping thing: as a teenager I worked for an attorney messenger service in San Francisco, my job consisted of zipping around the city in a enclosed Cushman (meter maid type) scooter. I got PAID for this! I got very proficient with it, and used to regularly get air cresting some of the hills, plus drift it through curves. It was different then a 4 wheeler for sure, but totally predicable handling wise, like anything else pushed too far bad things could happen. I later had another min wage job for a short time in San Diego, driving an open/no enclosed cab Cushman trikester, the lower CG on it made it more resistant to tipping, no surprise there.
Click to expand...



This the Cushman trike? Looks like these rides are collectible/valuable, now. Electric or gas?

http://www.flickriver.com/photos/pjchmiel/tags/cushman/
Click to expand...
.

Yes, the Cushman. Collector item's, really? Damn, I'm getting old..... When Honda came along in the mid 60's they blew the Cushman 2 wheel scooters away, more trouble free also. Gas.
 
FWIW, Cushman still makes badass utility vehicles.

http://www.cushman.com/Commercial/Utility
 
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