Why are there no street-legal 4-wheelers?

[seruzawa]

Originally Posted by JMcDonald

I am not talking about taking an offroad 4-wheeler and just driving it down the street. I am talking about essentially a 4-wheeled motorcycle, designed and purpose-built for the road. That is, tires, drivetrain, suspension designed for street use. I can't think of any reasons why they would be an inherently bad idea.

We already have them. We call them "cars". Honestly I can't think of why I would want one. If I can't swoop in 3 dimensions then why bother? ATVs kill a lot more people than bikes do offroad because they roll over on people. Same would apply on the street I'd bet. Better to be enclosed in case of rollover.

[acecycleins]

Originally Posted by seruzawa

We already have them. We call them "cars". Honestly I can't think of why I would want one. If I can't swoop in 3 dimensions then why bother? ATVs kill a lot more people than bikes do offroad because they roll over on people. Same would apply on the street I'd bet. Better to be enclosed in case of rollover.

WIDE TRACK- that's the ticket. Spread those wheels out a little and stability will be much improved.

[seruzawa]

Originally Posted by acecycleins

WIDE TRACK- that's the ticket. Spread those wheels out a little and stability will be much improved.

Yes, hence we call them cars. By the time you make one stable enough you have a car. I prefer motorcycles myself.

[JMcDonald]

Did you watch the video? Do you think anyone would call that a "car?"

And that's fine if you wouldn't want one. But that is just your personal opinion. I will never want an 800lb cruiser, but I can at least see the merits of owning one. Its already been outlined the advantages a 4-wheeled "motorcycle" can have over regularmotorcycles from a practical purspective. One can get the aggressive riding position, brisk acceleration and handling, and completely open-air feel of a bike, but with the stability of a car. Im sure there are lots of people who would ride, but are scared of the dangers or especially the steep learning curve that goes with street riding.With the complete elimination of the risk of simply losing balance (whether at low speed or high speed), as well as the larger profile increasing visibility to other motorists, those fears might be largely alleviated. But ill tell you what. Id take a bike that leaned the wrong way over any "car" ANY day!

[seruzawa]

Originally Posted by JMcDonald

Did you watch the video? Do you think anyone would call that a "car?"

And that's fine if you wouldn't want one. But that is just your personal opinion. I will never want an 800lb cruiser, but I can at least see the merits of owning one. Its already been outlined the advantages a 4-wheeled "motorcycle" can have over regularmotorcycles from a practical purspective. One can get the aggressive riding position, brisk acceleration and handling, and completely open-air feel of a bike, but with the stability of a car. Im sure there are lots of people who would ride, but are scared of the dangers or especially the steep learning curve that goes with street riding.With the complete elimination of the risk of simply losing balance (whether at low speed or high speed), as well as the larger profile increasing visibility to other motorists, those fears might be largely alleviated. But ill tell you what. Id take a bike that leaned the wrong way over any "car" ANY day!

Nice, but 4 wheeled things don't interest me much. This is why I hang around motorcycle sites.

If someone is too timid or uncoordinated to ride a bike I don't think they should be on a 4 wheeler either. We have too many incompetent people whacking themselves already.

[JMcDonald]

I like 2-wheeled things too, enough to scoff at 4wheelers on the trail when I used to ride dirtbikes all the time. So, I can understand being a purist :P . I am just exploring new alternatives, simply for the sake of exploration itself .

[TheCycleGuy]

That BMW-powered 4-wheeler was on display at the Indy Powersports trade show a couple years ago, it's quite a nice looking....um....vehicle. Pricey, but I don't see any reason why it shouldn't be legalized. No more dangerous than a Can-Am Spyder, or a motorcycle for that matter.

[JMcDonald]

Yeah that is what I was thinking. It can't be possibly be more dangerous than a motorcycle in general, and could very well be safer in many regards.