quote:
so why hasn't anyone (OK, insert d'oh here) thought of a front wheel drive modern motorcycle? I know it was done in the past (remember that thing with the engine in the front wheel)
Limitations? I woke up dreaming about this after reading the article about the reverse spinning disc on the front wheel.
Rokon still makes a two wheel drive motorcycle. Kinda looks like an offroad trike that someone forgot to put one of the back wheels on. Recently (within the last year) there was a review in cycle world of a conversion kit for dirt bikes to make them two wheel drive. The front drive shaft was a really thick cable so it had some flex when you turned.
The problem with a front wheel drive motorcycle for the street is the same problem as a front wheel drive car, you are asking the front wheels to power and steer the car which under fast driving is sometimes asking too much of the front tires. The best chassis layouts for handeling is rear wheel drive and all wheel drive.
Fi you think about a modern sport bike, they weigh very little. They have gotten to the point where they will stand up in a wheelie while accelerating thus putting all of the bike and riders weight on the rear wheel, maximizing traction. If you had a front wheel drive motorcycle with todays modern engines, yu would have a really great smoke machine as the bike moves forward the weight transfers off the drive wheel and the bike becomes harder to control.
plus you couldn't do those cool corner exit wheelies that the motogp guys do.
