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To be classed as an FF the originators of the 'modern' FF - Malcolm Newell and Royce Creasey - came up with the definition that:
In practice this is not strictly adhered to, and this has developed into:
and that:
RATIONALE The thinking behind FF motorcycles is that essentially modern motorcycles are simply well-developed motorized Bicycle s, and as such have many drawbacks. Chief among these are:
Likewise, in dense urban environments, the Car has a number of drawbacks:
The FF motorcycle is an attempt to marry the advantages of bikes and cars, while avoiding the drawbacks of either. In addressing these issues, most FF designs arrive at a low-slung faired body, with the rider in a reclining position. The first recognisable FF design was the ''Ner-a car'', built in the 1920s . It had a feet-forward riding position but in most other respects was similar to a motorcycle. The first recognisably modern design was the 1975 Quasar , built by Malcolm Newell and Ken Leaman. The design was not a commercial success - just 22 examples were sold - but it generated a great deal of interest, and started others thinking about the FF concept. More recently, Dan Gurney's All American Racers has produced a limited run of Alligator FF models. To date a number of FF concepts have been tried, but so far nobody has managed to come up with a commercially successful design. In recent times there has been a considerable revival of interest in the Motor Scooter as a means of personal transportation, and in some respects these vehicles have features in common with FF motorcycles. Whether the remaining evolutionary step to true FF takes place remains to be seen. PROBLEMS FACED The problems faced by the designer or marketer of an FF motorcycle are many. While to some the advantages of such a design are self-evident, there are a number of problems to be overcome. Some of these are perceptual - existing motorcyclists tend to be resistant to the idea, arguing that it's not a "proper" bike, and there is nothing wrong with the standard form of motorcycle. To car drivers, many of the disadvantages of the car are either not recognised or simply put up with and the overall convenience is hard to give up. Many car drivers would not consider a conventional motorcycle or scooter as an alternative, seeing it as a far less convenient and less safe option. To these people, an FF motorcycle needs to be seen (and hence marketed) as a two-wheeled car rather than an enclosed motorcycle. Finally, it's worth noting that as the FF design moves the rider from upright posture (as in a scooter) to a recumbent posture (as in Dan Gurney's Alligator), the machine becomes lower and may make it harder to see in traffic. There are some engineering issues too, though experimental designs so far built show that overall these can be overcome. Chief among these is the problem of stability when stationary. Designs such as the Quasar require the rider/driver to use one foot to stabilise the machine when stationary, by putting his foot out of the open side onto the road. This approach precludes the use of a fully enclosed body. Some modern attempts use automatic or rider-deployed stabiliser wheels, which pop out when the machine's speed falls to a low value. (See Cabin_cycle ) Another approach, patented by Honda , is to use a narrow tricycle arrangement, where there are a pair of rear wheels, which are connected to the body in such a manner as to permit this to tilt into corners as a normal bike does. At very low speed, the trike unit locks upright to the body, stabilizing it and holding it upright. This approach seems promising, but there are question marks about what happens if there is a sudden strong gust of wind from the side when in the locked position. However a trike arrangement is no longer a two-wheeler and has become a ' Tilting Three Wheeler '. It remains to be seen which approach is likely to succeed, and since there are so few examples in practice, a definitive design has yet to be realised. EXTERNAL LINKS
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