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Great to hear from you, John - thanks! Doing well - working on the next one...

No plans - sorry!

It took a lot of practice to get comfortable with it - I wore out a pair of boot soles on the first few hours - after that, it was easy. Without a very good understanding of countersteering, I think it would be difficult to ride.

Two wheel steering reduces lean angle, makes lean angle changes faster, and kills weave - 3 things that a motorcycle roadracer can benefit a lot from. It has nothing to do with reducing front steering angle - the rear wheel steers 34% in the same direction as the front - watch my "Split hub center steering" video for that. Throughout the history of motorcycle racing, every single breakthrough that increased performance was also an added complication. That said, if it isn't a racer, then there's no real need for it. I hope you get to build yours and have a lot of fun with it!

@@roberthorn Oh I didn't realize this is actually your channel, sorry for being so brash about it😅 Thanks for your insight, that does make sense and I can totally picture that now. Yeah absolutely, with my one I'd probably not opt for the rear wheel steering to simplify things. When I get to building one I will definitely let you know!

Yes - the pivot is exact center of the hub - otherwise, yes, it would do evil things. Whenever the frame gets to the point where I get to sit on it and make engine noises for the first time, there will be an update here - thanks!

@@roberthorn Well, barring youtube's weirdness with not sending me comment reply emails, here's hoping I'll see the eventual update video in my inbox! Any progress since the March/April update before the Insta deletion?

Working on the frame this weekend - nothing photogenic yet.

Yes, you are right - the rear moves 34% of the front.

Thanks! It's in the St. Francis Motorcycle Museum in St. Francis, Kansas. The follow-up racer is on the bench getting a frame right now...

Thanks! Yes - still working on it - should have some useful pictures in a few months...

@@roberthorn Can't wait. I absolutely love it. It looks beautiful. Saw it first time many years ago and been coming back every once in a while just to see if there's something more about it. So far it appears to be the only serious motorcycle build of it's type.

The enthusiasm is much appreciated - thanks!

The drive hub is connected to the wheel hub with a wing bearing universal joint.

​@@roberthorn is it customized or did you buy aftermarket parts to create it?

Except for the universal joint, I had to machine it all from scratch - nobody sells anything like this.

None - it was built and used for 2 wheel steering experiments. While testing was a lot of fun, I'm done riding it. But yes, good bodywork could improve both appearance and range quite a bit.

Married - yes, she's a saint...

That sounds too much like the infamous Joan Claybrook bike! Seriously though, the next one is 2WS and 2WD....

@@roberthorn i discussed this topic in a german recumbent bike chat and anyone said this would'nt work (most without practical experience) on a recumbent bike it has some advantages: lighter propulsion unit & less friction. I did some research and think that it is a matter of steering geometrics esp. the so called trail. some bikes work on this principle, allthough not in the best way i think. If i get the time and opportunity, i will try this construction by myself.

Cool to hear from you - thanks! Yes, those are Heinzmann hub motors.

Thanks!

Thanks! It does feel weird at first. But the level of control and predictability it offers without losing any traction feels great.

That would have been ideal, but impossible with an extremely low budget (Under $1500.00).

@@roberthorn ahh I see :( but hey maybe one day!

I would dearly love to build the electric one in my head - thanks!

Thanks! Yes, geared motors making that sound.

Far less claustrophobic than a single seat race car or single seat high performance airplane...

Thanks for asking! It took a little while to figure out how it reduced lean angle: If taken to an extreme of having the rear wheel steered far enough to resemble something like a Segway, no lean angle would be necessary for cornering. Steering the rear wheel partially into the corner produces a significant side load on the tire - enough to noticeably reduce lean angle - a similar to the effect of hanging way off the bike without actually doing so. Yes, trail braking makes it want to lean some more - it acts like it is getting pulled toward the apex while keeping the lean angle constant. Powering out of a corner has the opposite effect - it helps it stand up. Both of those unintended effects are helpful.

​@@roberthorn Makes sense! I imagine that those 'unintended effects' could prove very useful when combined with a torque vectoring system.

My VHC steering is a lot more structurally efficient, lighter, and a LOT easier to make, but front swingarms offer the potential of greater cornering clearance for any degree of steering sweep and single sided wheels/hubs.

@@roberthorn Are the first three statements in regards to the RADD system, FSA, or both? Also, it doesn't really seem like your setup particularly _lacks_ cornering clearance, so aside from "it looks cooler" (especially single-sided) I'm not sure either of the other two compare. And I'm sure you have or WILL have a solution for "looks cooler" once the functional side is perfected. EDIT: OH, I forgot to ask (been a while since I read the original blog, too) does your VHC have the feeling of rake/trail and the self-centering effect?

Yes - it feels like normal, except it resists wobbling (The trail doesn't move in a normal arc - it is a lot harder to oscillate - the slip angle still works from the correct side and steers the wheel back to straight ahead, like normal). Yes - VHC compared to the RADD/RATZ system and any other swingarm based front end. It's all really a matter of presentation, fabrication, and execution - they all pretty much do the same job when done right. This is a fun subject - Thanks!

If it is in opposite sense mode, it gets really squirrelly over 10-15 mph, but makes sharp corners possible at low speed. In same sense mode, it feels great - even more stable yet easier to control lean angle at higher speed.

As long as ground clearance allows and the weight is the same, they'll lean the same angle. The only problem is that, in most cases, the rider can't reduce lean angle by hanging off. But that's where 2WS comes in - it reduces lean angle more than hanging off! Thanks!