While an enclosed motorcycle might be moving dangerously close to efficient, one-seat car, this one earns a little respect for its sheer awesome design. Brought to us by Shane Baxley, a design student at Pasadena’s Art Center College of Design, the vehicle “delivers the mobility and speed of a motorcycle while offering the safety that a cocoon offers a butterfly. The Aebulle is targeted for the Los Angeles region where it would utilize the commuter lanes allowing its occupant a quick commute.” In LA, it should also earn you a conversation or two with a scantily-clad blond beauty.
Baxley got pretty creative with the Aebulle (cocoon in Korean), incorporating two independently-mounted front wheels, in-wheel motors, floor-mounted li-ions and an e-ink display for information like speed and fuel.
It may take away a little of the wind-in-your-face freedom of today’s motorcycle, but it looks incredibly fun to drive. [via Carscoop]
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Unfortunately, this doesn't provide nearly enough space for the driver to steer. And I doubt this provides enough room for the rider to control lean to some extent with body movement, and lean is necessary, because trying to take a corner flat in this thing would spell rollover at any speed above 2 MPH.
BMW successfully pulled off a feet-forward, fully-faired motorcycle - technically, not according to market share - and they got excellent MPGs with it, dealing with the inherent instability of the platform using wheeled outriggers that would drop at low speeds. And most standard motorcycles still at least let you go two-up, or strap on luggage.
In my opinion this is anything but a motorcycle. This is a 2 wheel automobile.