2WS/2WD Experimental Recumbent Electric FF revisited....
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- Опубликовано: 20 авг 2024
- Dusted off the bike I built 22 years ago (And last ran 8 years ago), gave it fresh tires and batteries, and took it to the Yuma Proving Ground (AKA Yuma Colorado school parking lot) for a refresher ride and quick video shoot. A quick overhead perspective of the rear wheel steering reversible/variable ratio linkage is at the end.
More about what you're looking at: rohorn.blogspo...
Nice job! Junior Electrical Engineering student checking in, I would like to design one of these for my capstone! Thanks for showing the linkage, I'll have to pay the museum a visit - I GOTTA see this in person. Nice job as always
This is my dream vehicle.
Thank you for posting this one! Thank you also for allowing a glimpse into the steering kinematics (for me, actually, the most interesting part of the video).
I think the elements that you skillfully combined in this design could actually lend themselves to a commuter vehicle. It would obviously also need an enclosed cabin to better protect the commuter from the elements and other traffic.
Would love if you also made videos not just blog... I'm dreaming of making something similar but bigger, with big wheels, lots of suspension and two extra seats for wife and my son...
Brilliant! Glad to see you're still building cool shit! :)
Excellent engineering on your 2-wheel steer bikes. I have waited for recumbent electric motorcycles to be commercially produced, unfortunately only the uber expensive Monotracer E has reached production.
This is so freaking cool!
Sweet ride! Very interesting how same-wise steering reduces lean angle, I'm honestly unsure of how the forces behind that works. Also, how does it affect turning radius? As both wheels are turning inwards, wouldn't the turning center be way behind the bike?
Thank you for sharing, the passion in your work is incredible.
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.
nice :)
does the rear wheel steer unerveing at first ? ? i imagine it feels like the back is sliding out ? Great to see you still working on FF bikes
Thanks!
It does feel weird at first. But the level of control and predictability it offers without losing any traction feels great.
Very cool project. Geared motors or just controllers making them hum?
Thanks! Yes, geared motors making that sound.
Looking good Rob. Does the 2WS feel different from front only? Wondering if it feels looser until you get used to it.
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.
Are you still working on the motorcycle? Loved it
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!
Very cool to see this again Robert. I came across your FF years ago when I was planning my vehicle, the Electrom. I seem to remember that the motors are Heinzman, is that correct? The Electrom ended up as a 2 wheel drive as well, but not 2 wheel steering. In m,y onpinion one of the best aspects of hub motors is the ability to easily have a driven front wheel on a 2 wheeler.
For those who are interested, you can see a similar (but very different) concept at youtube.com/@electrom_LEV?si=yYuz5oHZAdDLABs6
Cool to hear from you - thanks!
Yes, those are Heinzmann hub motors.
Thanks for posting your creations! These recumbent motorcycles typically have a long wheelbase and low center of gravity, so I was curious about how that affected lean angle in corners. Do these bikes lean as much as a typically sports bike?
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!
also, I’m very interested to build this. is there a plan available ?
No plans - sorry!
Hey, how does your VHC steering compare to something like the RADD system or some kind of front swingarm setup?
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!
is it easier to ride ? So if someone doesn’t know how to ride a bike, will he be able to ride it ?
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.
What kind of body work are you planning?
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.
A bit claustrophobic, like I would want to be able to get out fast..
Far less claustrophobic than a single seat race car or single seat high performance airplane...