Bikes and trikes way to the future at Frankfurt

By Russell Williamson

NOT all the excitement at the recent Frankfurt motor show was generated by four-wheeled vehicles.

In fact, two of the most innovative displays were BMW's two- wheeled C1 and Mercedes' F300 Life-Jet three-wheeler.

The C1 is BMW's answer to the dangers of two-wheeled transport.

Similar in style to a motor scooter, the C1 is a single passenger urban commuter vehicle that offers all the benefits of a scooter with one very important difference.

Rising up from the front of the scooter is an aluminum frame that doubles as a rollover bar and integrates with the front and rear fiberglass reinforced plastic cowling.

According to BMW, these rollover bars give the C1 the safety protection of a small compact car with the agility, economy, low price and fun factor of a scooter.

The C1 is expected to be about US$6,000 when it goes into production about 2000.

Unlike a normal scooter, the rider sits on a car-type seat and is strapped in by two seat belts that cross the rider's body, while BMW claims the protection of the rollover bars mean that there is no need to wear a helmet.

While the rollover bars provide safety protection, the fiberglass reinforced plastic windscreen - complete with windscreen wipers - and integrated roof provide protection from the elements.

Power for the C1 comes from a single cylinder four-stroke 125cc engine that drives the rear wheel via a continuously variable belt drive transmission.

Maximum power output is 11kW which enables the C1 to reach a top speed of about 100kmh.

Brakes are single disc front and rear with an antilock system offered as an option.

Other options expected will be heated handles and seats, CD audio system, navigation system, mobile phone holder and alarm.

Mercedes Benz went one better than BMW and proffered its three-wheeled F300 Life-Jet for public inspection.

Made of aluminum and composites, and powered by the 75kW, 1.6- liter, four-cylinder engine from the A-Class, with a five-speed sequential manual transmission and tandem seating for two, it is aimed at a new niche which even Mercedes admits does not yet exist.

Oddly enough, Mercedes' first ever three-wheeler doesn't bear any Benz badging front or rear and even the steering-wheel boss is unadorned.

But the company is semiserious about putting a version of the Life-Jet into production.

Using lessons learned with the A-Class with regard to aluminum and sandwich construction, the rear-engined F300 weighs 800kg and offers similar acceleration performance to the supercharged SLK.

Production versions would weigh only 600kg, the company says.

The aluminum space frame chassis weighs 89kg and the four- cylinder A160 engine just 90kg.

It returns 5.3 liters per 100km on the new European efficiency fuel test. Top speed is said to be 211km/h, while acceleration to 100km/h takes 7.7 seconds.

The twin aluminum and plastic removable roof sections can be stowed alongside the single rear wheel in the dry and quickly clipped into place when the rain returns.

The driver's door pivots upwards while the passenger's door is rear hinged for ease of entry.

The body is said to offer sedan levels of crash protection, having been designed on the same computers as the recent four- wheeled Mercedes.

Jet-fighter styling themes continue into the cabin, where the jet airliner-style joystick houses controls for the radio and phone, and the stubby gear shifter works electromagnetically to swap gears.

The single headlight has separate sectors which illuminate corner black spots, a traditional problem faced by night riders.

Three-wheelers, traditionally, have been compromised forms of automotive transport.

But Mercedes-Benz believes it could have conquered the trike's inherent stability problems with a front suspension that leans and takes the car body with it.

Advanced computer-controlled hydraulics adjust the amount of lean in conjunction with the driving style.

The active tilt system means the F300 will lean a lot more when going fast, while idling around town won't provoke your passenger into reviewing their most recent meal.

Mercedes is realistic about the future of the F300.

Obviously some want to see it in production, but the ever- cautious Stuttgart suits want to gauge public opinion first. If you fancy one, start lobbying your dealer now.