If you’ve ridden one of the Piaggio MP3 family of three-wheeled scooters, you know how much extra stability and safety the extra front hoop offers up. But why stop at the front? Why not try to build the ultimate scooter (can you call a four wheeler a “scooter”?), an idiot-proof fun machine that offers the ultimate in safety and ease-of-use?
Brit engineer Nick Shotter is giving that idea a go with the 4MC. It’s a four-wheeled moto-like contraption that uses an interesting suspension/steering system that looks like the MP3’s, except it’s in the front and back. That means a vehicle that leans like a motorcycle, is very light, but with an incredible ability to corner, brake and slide (controllably).
Watching video at the 4-MC website, you can see the small scooter-like vehicle slide and scratch its way around an oil-and-mud-covered skidpad with Shotter on board. The thing won’t highside, no matter how aggressively Shotter cranks the Yamaha YP400 Majesty scooter motor. It looks like an insane amount of fun.
Shotter says his plan is to sell the design to an OEM rather than manufacture the things himself, and given the advantages in such a design, it could be very popular indeed. In fact, Yamaha showed a four-wheeler with leaning suspension at the 2007 Tokyo Auto Show, the Tesseract.
But is it a good thing to eliminate the need to learn the extra control required by a two wheeler? Or will technology just bump us all up to the next level of riding ability? Who cares: I just want to ride one.
MD Readers Respond:
- To your reader Dennis who responded to this article:
I saw the Tesseract at the Laguna Seca MotoGP round this summer. It certainly looked trick, and I took lots of photos. But, and this is a big but, the Tesseract is a concept vehicle!!! This guy has a running, workable version and with the great deal of adjustability, has obviously spent much time chassis tuning the thing. Any of the major factories could turn this into something similar to the Tesseract in final form, but the proof of concept engineering is already done for them. Just my $.02.
Oh, and um, I’d definitely want to test ride it. Looks like great fun and practical too. Rich
- Sure, the Yamaha concept looks cool and finished, but I cannot find anything with it actually operating. The 4mc is operational and should incorporate full weather protection for foul weather cycling. The possibilities are endless for an ingenious guy like Mr. Shotter.
The next proof of concept video needs novice riders shown navigating the slick course. This could show if there is a steep learning curve to ride the thing. Vinny - Once in a while I email you with reaction to an article that is not strictly real world motorcycle related, usually with a bah-humbug tone. Scooters? Not interested. Obezzi design illustrations? Just stop. So I am pleased to be able to be contrary to my usual self after reading about the MC4. I’d buy one of these things. It looks like a
blast! Thanks for the heads up on this exciting new invention! Bud - As interesting as this thing looks, Yamaha has already done a concept of this. And it looks more promising as well. Have a look at the Yamaha Tesseract Concept:
http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-13746_7-9806657-48.html Not knocking this guy’s machine, it just looks a lot rougher than Yamaha’s finished looking concept. My $.02 Thanks for the great site BTW. Dennis
