Ariel 3

[Bluebottle]

Speaking of Japan...

Honda licensed the tilt mechanism from this George Wallis design and had a massive success with the Honda Gyro family of creations. They are everywhere in Japan in a bazillion variants from the ‘80s to current production and they even race them.

I took pics of a few, there is also one that looks Helix-y called the Honda Stream but can’t find my photos of it right now.

Pick up truck Tokyo style
(Honda Gyro, these are everywhere)



Gyro X


And with a roof - Gyro “Canopy”



(If you aren’t bored enough yet I wrote about them and other Japanese home market scooters here http://www.maxi-muppets.co.uk/forum/vi ... an#p286104 )

[Dogsbody]

Surely the Gyro is crying out to be electric?

[Bluebottle]

Surely the Gyro is crying out to be electric?

Absolutely and Honda showed the Gyro e at the 2019 Tokyo Motor Show.
seems it will be available outside Japan eventually

[roadster]

Surely the Gyro is crying out to be electric?

Couldn't agree more. High capacity batteries under the seat and a large secure storage box on the back, plus independent electric motors on each back wheel ( electronic differential and energy recovery built in). Some decent disc brakes. If it appeared as an 80 mph 100 miles range shopping trolley I would buy one tomorrow.

[Dogsbody]

Would be quite happy with 55mph / 100 mile range. Any faster requires bigger battery, bigger brakes, etc. It isn't a "shopping trolley" you want it's a Zero SR or a BMW E scooter. Too big a motor and battery and the price escalates into car territory.

[Bluebottle]

+1 on the Zero SR

The electric Gyro and Benly (2-wheel version) use two removable/hot swappable batteries (similar to electric PCX)

But they are targeting commercial delivery operations so might not suit leisure use (Post Office amongst first to trial)

Each battery is 48 volt so it is a 96 volt bike.
Max torque is better than a petrol at 15 Nm
During development, testers got ranges of 50+ miles on the 50cc equivalent version
and 27 miles at 40mph on the 125 equiv. version

So trips to the seaside depend on you already being at the seaside - but that isn’t what it’s for. It’s meant be running round doing local deliveries and plugged in when it’s back at base or waiting on call; and if demand is high the batteries are swapped out for fresh ones to keep it on task 24hrs a day. Ideal for its intended use in places like Tokyo.

It is experiment/research at the moment and Honda want to monitor usage and what does/doesn’t work regarding organisation and infrastructure for different sizes of company before they extend to rolling out vending machines for the public where you can swap your batteries.
Vending machines are also a very big thing in Japan, from food, shoes, clothes for your cat or stag beetles.

Apologies to Smeghead for hijacking his post

[Whatsisname]

There was a Gyro for sale in Bournemouth recently. It looked mint, but £2,000? I think they mainly do imports.

https://www.gumtree.com/p/honda-motorbi ... 1364807132

[Jimo]

Or you could have a Honda Canopy - complete with a tailor-made all-weather cover, all new tyres, new wheels, very good runner - PM me.....
Jim