Piaggio has filed patents for a new leaning three-wheeler. The images show a single wheel setup at the front and a two-wheel setup at the rear.
The Italian manufacturer already has a leaning three-wheeler called the Piaggio MP3. It has a combination of two front wheels and a single rear wheel. In the latest patents that the company has filed, the new leaning three-wheeler has a setup that’s opposite to that of the Piaggio MP3. It features a single wheel at the front and two wheels at the back.
The patents reveal a complicated rear axle design and also a differential, engine, suspension and other parts. The idea is to allow the three-wheeler to lean along with the engine and both the rear powered wheels while the rear axle remains parallel to the ground. With all that complexity, it appears that this new Piaggio leaning three-wheeler would be extremely stable and planted in the corners and provide a totally different riding experience. It is also being anticipated that Piaggio could combine this technology with the leaning front two-wheel design of the MP3 and create a leaning 4-wheeler.
The structure in Piaggio’s latest patents is more complex and unconventional in the world of three-wheelers. We do have vehicles with this layout such as the Harley-Davidson Tri Glide Ultra but that doesn’t lean. Even the highly-advanced leaning three-wheeler Yamaha Niken comes with a 2-front wheel and 1-rear wheel setup.
Also Read: Vespa Primavera clone denied design patent in Europe
The patents of Piaggio’s new leaning three-wheeler do look exciting but they don’t guarantee that the Italian company will create a production model of the same.
In other news, Piaggio India has launched the Vespa VXL 149 BS6 and Vespa SXL 149 BS6 at INR 1,22,664* and INR 1,26,650* respectively.
Stay tuned to IndianAutosBlog.com to get the latest Vespa news and updates about other two-wheelers.
*Ex-showroom
[Source: freepatentsonline.com]
