# Ever Heard of a Two Wheeled car?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-heard-of-a-two-wheeled-car/560650
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [November 14, 2010, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-heard-of-a-two-wheeled-car/560650 "2010-11-14T17:55:01Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)
#### Post date: [November 14, 2010, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-heard-of-a-two-wheeled-car/560650/1 "2010-11-14T17:55:01Z")
Many years ago, I saw an ad (possibly GM), where they displayed a “concept car”-it was two wheeled, low slung and gyroscopically stabilized.
I wish I had kept the ad…anyone know about such a vehicle?
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### Author:  [@Fish\_Cheer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fish_Cheer)
#### Post date: [November 14, 2010, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-heard-of-a-two-wheeled-car/560650/2 "2010-11-14T18:01:03Z")
Not GM, but certainly “many years ago”: the [Gyrocar](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gyrocar).
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### Author:  [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)
#### Post date: [November 14, 2010, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-heard-of-a-two-wheeled-car/560650/3 "2010-11-14T18:01:43Z")
I suspect that you are talking about this one, which is a joint venture between Segway and GM:
[http://www.thestreet.com/story/10483275/gm-segway-plan-two-wheel-car.html](http://www.thestreet.com/story/10483275/gm-segway-plan-two-wheel-car.html)
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### Author:  [@robert\_columbia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robert_columbia)
#### Post date: [November 14, 2010, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-heard-of-a-two-wheeled-car/560650/4 "2010-11-14T21:02:58Z")
> [@ralph124c](#):
>
> Many years ago, I saw an ad (possibly GM), where they displayed a “concept car”-it was two wheeled, low slung and gyroscopically stabilized.
> I wish I had kept the ad..anyone know about such a vehicle?
I’ve heard of those things. They’re called “motorcycles” around these parts, and quite popular.
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### Author:  [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)
#### Post date: [November 14, 2010, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-heard-of-a-two-wheeled-car/560650/5 "2010-11-14T21:27:36Z")
Prior development suggests use as a fire engine:
[ ](https://www.flickr.com/photos/28105929@N05/3428209918/)
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### Author:  [@brossa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brossa)
#### Post date: [November 14, 2010, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-heard-of-a-two-wheeled-car/560650/6 "2010-11-14T21:33:36Z")
Gah! Sniped on the [Foomobile](http://www.schlattersinc.com/foo_mobile.shtml)!
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### Author:  [@penultima\_thule](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/penultima_thule)
#### Post date: [November 14, 2010, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-heard-of-a-two-wheeled-car/560650/7 "2010-11-14T22:06:42Z")
> [@ralph124c](#):
>
> Ever Heard of a Two Wheeled car?
Sure, didn’t Fred Flintstone drive one?
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### Author:  [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)
#### Post date: [November 14, 2010, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-heard-of-a-two-wheeled-car/560650/8 "2010-11-14T22:54:28Z")
How about brand new and just won the alternative tandem class in the X-Prize competition? The [X-tracer](http://www.progressiveautoxprize.org/teams/xtracer?carId=138). Not sure if you call it a car or a motorcycle but it is pretty damn cool.
> [@](#):
>
> The X-Tracer is a high-performance pure battery-electrically driven low drag vehicle for the comfortable transportation of up to two persons with weekend baggage in a fully enclosed cabin. To keep aerodynamic drag at a minimum the passenger is positioned in the slipstream of the driver, resulting in a drag reduction of 50% against side-by-side seating. In order to further lower drag the vehicle runs at highway speeds on a single track similar to a motorcycle. To stabilize the vehicle at low speed and to keep it safe and stable on a slippery surface two springed and damped lateral stabilizer wheels automatically lower to the ground in less than 0,5 seconds. these are retracted at higher speeds and if road surface conditions do allow. Even in the retracted mode the stabilizer wheels protrude the main body, so the vehicle in all its normal and non-normal operation modes has two, three or four wheels on the ground. It remains controllable at all times as long as there is enough traction between tire and road surface.
>
> The resulting low energy consumption of this vehicle concept allows it to be driven purely on batteries even on highway speed journeys over 150 miles. it has been demonstrated that to cruise at highway speed, less than 10 kW are required. For a range in excess of 150 miles no more than 200 lbs of batteries are required. Top speed is well above 120 mph, acceleration from 0-100mph is below 20 seconds.
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### Author:  [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)
#### Post date: [November 14, 2010, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-heard-of-a-two-wheeled-car/560650/9 "2010-11-14T22:56:02Z")
> [@](#):
>
> Sure, didn’t Fred Flintstone drive one?
Only in the sense that he appeared to be driving a foot powered road roller.
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### Author:  [@74westy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/74westy)
#### Post date: [November 14, 2010, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-heard-of-a-two-wheeled-car/560650/10 "2010-11-14T23:09:35Z")
[1961 Ford Gyron](http://www.carstyling.ru/en/car/1961_ford_gyron/)
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### Author:  [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)
#### Post date: [November 14, 2010, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-heard-of-a-two-wheeled-car/560650/11 "2010-11-14T23:12:28Z")
When I think 2 wheeled car I think Ecomobile:
[ ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VbdkZB9-Sd4)
Come on, Powerball!
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### Author:  [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)
#### Post date: [November 15, 2010, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-heard-of-a-two-wheeled-car/560650/12 "2010-11-15T00:07:56Z")
Thank you, you are a price!
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### Author:  [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)
#### Post date: [November 15, 2010, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-heard-of-a-two-wheeled-car/560650/13 "2010-11-15T01:10:55Z")
If that Ecomobile looks a bit like the X-Tracer (also called E-Tracer) that won the X-Prize it is for good reason. The E-Tracer is developed by the [same team](http://www.21stcenturymotoring.com/FAQs.html), is the same car two generations of development later.
> [@](#):
>
> From 1988 to 2004, there were 95 Ecomobiles made (the “Ecomobile” is the predecessor to the MonoTracer®). In 2008 and 2009, there were 18 MonoTracers, and 2 “E-Tracers” made (the “E-Tracer” is an all-electric version of the MonoTracer®). The company projects that in 2010, they will make 36 MonoTracers and 2 E-Tracers.
Not exactly a mass production vehicle!
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### Author:  [@coremelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/coremelt)
#### Post date: [November 15, 2010, 6:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-heard-of-a-two-wheeled-car/560650/14 "2010-11-15T06:01:49Z")
Can the same gyroscope that stabilises also be used for regenerative breaking?
If not I don’t see the point of any of these designs, they’re all be heavier than a motorcycle with no advantages.
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### Author:  [@Fish\_Cheer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fish_Cheer)
#### Post date: [November 15, 2010, 6:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-heard-of-a-two-wheeled-car/560650/15 "2010-11-15T06:22:44Z")
> [@coremelt](#):
>
> I don’t see the point of any of these designs, they’re all be heavier than a motorcycle with no advantages.
Except for the “doesn’t fall over as easily” part.
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### Author:  [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)
#### Post date: [November 15, 2010, 6:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-heard-of-a-two-wheeled-car/560650/16 "2010-11-15T06:34:40Z")
> [@coremelt](#):
>
> Can the same gyroscope that stabilises also be used for regenerative breaking?
>
> If not I don’t see the point of any of these designs, they’re all be heavier than a motorcycle with no advantages.
I consider crash protection and air conditioning advantages.
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### Author:  [@coremelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/coremelt)
#### Post date: [November 15, 2010, 8:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-heard-of-a-two-wheeled-car/560650/17 "2010-11-15T08:43:59Z")
> [@Fish\_Cheer](#):
>
> Except for the “doesn’t fall over as easily” part.
You’ve obviously never ridden a motorcycle. Once it’s moving it can’t fall over, the wheels are gyroscopes. I’ve never in 15 years of riding had any danger of falling over when coming to a stop either, you put your leg down and thats it.
> [@](#):
>
> I consider crash protection and air conditioning advantages.
Can you actually get any significant degree of crash protection on a gyrocar design?
As for airconditioning, LMAO… again you’ve never ridden a motorcycle, you don’t need Air Conditioning, in fact you need to wear warm clothes even on a sunny day due to the wind chill if you are driving as 80k+
As for safety in general, the extreme acceleration of a motorcycle is actually very important for safety, in many case you can accelerate out of a problem, eg if you see a car coming from a side street that hasn’t seen you (very common cause of motorcycle accidents) then on a powerful sport bike you can suddenly accelerate and get clear…
On your overloaded gyrocar you’ll go splat and your token amount of crash protection ain’t going to save you.
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### Author:  [@tellyworth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tellyworth)
#### Post date: [November 15, 2010, 8:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-heard-of-a-two-wheeled-car/560650/18 "2010-11-15T08:49:18Z")
> [@coremelt](#):
>
> You’ve obviously never ridden a motorcycle. Once it’s moving it can’t fall over, the wheels are gyroscopes. I’ve never in 15 years of riding had any danger of falling over when coming to a stop either, you put your leg down and thats it.
A gyroscopic effect is not what keeps a motorcycle or bicycle from falling over. It’s the steering.
> **[Bicycle and motorcycle dynamics](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bicycle_and_motorcycle_dynamics)**
>
> Bicycle and motorcycle dynamics is the science of the motion of bicycles and motorcycles and their components, due to the forces acting on them. Dynamics falls under a branch of physics known as classical mechanics. Bike motions of interest include balancing, steering, braking, accelerating, suspension activation, and vibration. The study of these motions began in the late 19th century and continues today.
> Bicycles and motorcycles are both single-track vehicles and so their motions have many fun...
“..long-standing hypotheses and claims that gyroscopic effect is the main stabilizing force have been discredited.”
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### Author:  [@coremelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/coremelt)
#### Post date: [November 15, 2010, 8:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-heard-of-a-two-wheeled-car/560650/19 "2010-11-15T08:58:22Z")
> [@tellyworth](#):
>
> A gyroscopic effect is not what keeps a motorcycle or bicycle from falling over.
ok well whatever the effect a motorbike can’t fall over once it’s at a speed more than about 20km per hour.
A personal anecdote, I once hit a massive pot hole while travelling at 160 kph ( I was over taking a semi trailer so only was at this speed very briefly). I ended up with my handle bars fully locked full right to one side against the fuel tank going forward at 160 kph. The handle bars then swung fully back and forth about 6 times rapidly until I got it under control. This is called tank slap.
But still, although this was a very scary experience still the bike didn’t fall over, and wasn’t really in danger of falling over.
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### Author:  [@tellyworth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tellyworth)
#### Post date: [November 15, 2010, 10:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-heard-of-a-two-wheeled-car/560650/20 "2010-11-15T10:07:38Z")
> [@coremelt](#):
>
> ok well whatever the effect a motorbike can’t fall over once it’s at a speed more than about 20km per hour.
My experience is limited to human powered bicycles.
Will a motorcycle without a rider remain upright? If not, the effect you are describing is human.
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