# Is a motorcycle-style Unicycle feasible? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 28, 2005, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-motorcycle-style-unicycle-feasible/314605 "2005-07-28T16:38:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Scott\_Plaid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Scott\_Plaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scott_Plaid)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2005, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-motorcycle-style-unicycle-feasible/314605/1 "2005-07-28T16:38:58Z")
Well, a few years ago, I was reading an old issue of Ninja High School Yearbook, the guest artist comic they print. (Sorry, I cqan not find it, and even if I did, I have no scanner.) (Was it this issue?) One of the illustrations had a tribute to [Akira Toriyama](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akira_Toriyama) style of drawling. (He always draws the cutest little cars. 😃 ) Anyway, the illustration had one of the girls dressed up as a Toriyama character, riding a motorcycle style one-wheeled vehicle. The single large wheel was housed in the center of the body of the vehicle, and the craft appeared to be pretty much simple a scaled down motorcycle. Very kawaii. Anyway, I was wondering, would such a thing be possible? I know nothing of engineering, or of the physics of the road. Anyone have any idea about this? ---
**Author:** ![qubed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/f07891/32.png) [@qubed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/qubed)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2005, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-motorcycle-style-unicycle-feasible/314605/2 "2005-07-28T16:46:54Z")
I’ve seen a video of one recently, so it’s definately possible. It was really just a motor attached to a unicycle. Seemed very awkward, but it worked. It was linked off of fark or slashdot, but i can’t seem to produce it. ---
**Author:** ![Padeye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@Padeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Padeye)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2005, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-motorcycle-style-unicycle-feasible/314605/3 "2005-07-28T16:48:06Z")
One of the abilities a unicycle has that a tyopical motorcycle drivetrain doesn’t is the ability to instantly switch from forward to reverse(if there even is a reverse). This is one of the ways a rider keeps a unicycle up by keeping the wheel where it needs to be to maintain balance. If you want to expand motorcycle to include electric motors this is pretty easy to do with a manual control or even automatically as this is how a Segway works. and this is in fact how a segway works. ---
**Author:** ![Hoodoo\_Ulove](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/58956e/32.png) [@Hoodoo\_Ulove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hoodoo_Ulove)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2005, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-motorcycle-style-unicycle-feasible/314605/4 "2005-07-28T16:56:15Z")
Have you heard of _Google_? I found [this](http://tlb.org/eunicycle.html) verrrry cool toy in a few seconds. ---
**Author:** ![Scott\_Plaid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Scott\_Plaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scott_Plaid)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2005, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-motorcycle-style-unicycle-feasible/314605/5 "2005-07-28T16:57:14Z")
> [@alanak](#): > > I’ve seen a video of one recently, so it’s definitely possible. It was really just a motor attached to a unicycle. Seemed very awkward, but it worked. > > It was linked off of fark or slashdot, but i can’t seem to produce it. You gave me the keywords, and I found it. Thank you. From the maker of a [cheaper segway](http://www.tlb.org/scooter.html) comes [The E-Unicycle](http://www.tlb.org/eunicycle.html). According to that article, [the](http://fhznet.fh-bielefeld.de/fb2/labor-le/le3einrad.html) does the same thing, but had a wider wheel, for more stability. So, all I would have to do :rolleyes: is take years of engineering classes, and then simply make the proper calculations, and then slap a giant Einrad-Fahrzeug inside a custom made motorcycle-type body. Booyah! ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2005, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-motorcycle-style-unicycle-feasible/314605/6 "2005-07-28T17:32:06Z")
The [Bombardier EMBRIO](http://www.brp.com/en-CA/Media.Center/Press.Releases/2003/1/2003.07.09.htm). Though I don’t know if they have a functional prototype at this point. I’ve only seen CGI and pictures of mockups. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2005, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-motorcycle-style-unicycle-feasible/314605/7 "2005-07-28T17:39:17Z")
What you want is a [MONOWHEEL](http://www.dself.dsl.pipex.com/MUSEUM/TRANSPORT/motorwhl/motorwhl.htm#mcl). Come to think of it, what **I** want, is a Monowheel. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Thin\_Lizzy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e9a140/32.png) [@Thin\_Lizzy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thin_Lizzy)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2005, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-motorcycle-style-unicycle-feasible/314605/8 "2005-07-28T17:45:14Z")
Sounds like a good way to get seriously injured or killed. ---
**Author:** ![Scott\_Plaid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Scott\_Plaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scott_Plaid)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2005, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-motorcycle-style-unicycle-feasible/314605/9 "2005-07-28T17:55:23Z")
> [@Hoodoo Ulove](#): > > Have you heard of _Google_? 😃 Yeah, and come to think of it, [here](http://images.google.com/images?q=EMBRIO&hl=en&lr=&sa=N&tab=wi) is a link to googled pictures of scr4’s vehicle. btw scr4, that looks much like what I recall, save for the fact that it was not to rest on its’ front-resting wheels, but instead, laid on its’ side. > [@Bosda Di'Chi of Tricor](#): > > Come to think of it, what **I** want, is a Monowheel. 🆒 I remember there was a He-man vehicle like this, and the Blackhawks fought the Warwheel, but it isn’t what I am looking for. Still looks pretty 🆒, though. **Thin Lizzy** : How is that any different from a motorcycle? ---
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2005, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-motorcycle-style-unicycle-feasible/314605/10 "2005-07-28T21:39:46Z")
> [@scr4](#): > > The [Bombardier EMBRIO](http://www.brp.com/en-CA/Media.Center/Press.Releases/2003/1/2003.07.09.htm). > > Though I don’t know if they have a functional prototype at this point. I’ve only seen CGI and pictures of mockups. I’m a huge fan of that writeup: > [@Some Marketing Drone](#): > > Technology will be used to harness the laws of physics… Go Technology! ---
**Author:** ![CyberHippy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dec6dc/32.png) [@CyberHippy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CyberHippy)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2005, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-motorcycle-style-unicycle-feasible/314605/11 "2005-08-02T21:47:31Z")
I found a couple of others: [The Monocycle!](http://www.jackiechabanais.com/the_monocycle.htm) [R.I.O.T. Wheel!](http://www.theriotwheel.com/index.html) I actually saw a working R.I.O.T. at Burningman a couple of years ago - scary!