Feet Forward Motorcycles are Technically Better
2022 ж. 15 Сәу.
2 203 968 Рет қаралды
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Prepare to be outraged. Recumbent motorbikes barely exist - only a few have tried and failed. But their advantages are world shaking.
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Directed and Edited by Luke McAdam
Please do a part 2 and tell us more details on how it steers, feels, accelerates, who makes them, etc
Did you read the description? There usually is more info about the content of the video...
My thoughts exactly. That looked so funky to drive with no handlebars but some weird levers, I'd have liked to see some more info on that.
@@Sj1bby you want us to read? Ain't nobody got time for that!
It uses an *Aircraft Cable Remote Steering system,* they've given a whole diagram describing it.
This. 👍🏻
So Akira and Kaneda were right the whole time. Wild. 1988 anime does it right.
i have same fellings
Damn, you beat me to it by 10 minutes mate 😅
@@Riku0990 TETSUOOOO!!!
Yep, this is basically a goofy version of Kaneda's bike. It even has a lifting windshield just like his bike. I'd still use it for commuting tho. Looks hella comfy and saves you more than a penny in gas.
Really? We're surprised an anime got something right?
In cycling we call these 'recumbents'. They were invented in the 1890s and proved very successful in major cycling races until the UCI banned them in 1933 - arguably because they were becoming too successful in challenging traditional upright/diamond frame cycles.
I've never seen one on the streets, but occasionally will catch the glimpse of a bright orange flag atop a bunny whip, leaving me to assume some creature is travelling below the hood height of traffic.
You never see one of those in the mountains. That is, I did see one. Once. I never tried one, but I'm not surprised. They are heavy. You can only pedal one way, pushing with your legs, with your lower back braced against the seat. You can only sit one way. On a standard bike you can change position, stand up, change the muscles you're using to pedal, use your whole body for propulsion, switch your position on the handlebars, stretch... I think recumbents are simply not good enough. Better aerodynamics alone is not enough. Can help in the flat, but not much. During Paris-Brest-Paris I was passing recumbents in their droves. Occasionally one of them would pass me back, but at the next incline I'd pass them back and never see them again. Perhaps their riders suck? Perhaps I was only passing the slow ones? Perhaps the fast ones weren't faster enough to pass me in significant numbers? Could be. But in decades of riding I have seen a lot of recumbents, and I was never impressed.
@@horrovacI bet you only passed really old and/or sick people. Recumbents are technically much faster and more aerodynamic.
@@mikeboshko2623 Of course, technically they are, but practically, no. Really old and/or sick people don't participate in Paris-Brest-Paris. They must be at least moderately achieved cyclists for that. Why they are slower when technically they should be faster, I don't know. I'm assuming that the position is not suited for producing full power, it is too fixed to prevent fatigue, and the aerodynamics advantage works exclusively in the flats - any type of incline and they're toast, due to their much higher weight. I guess if you ride recumbents, you're more likely to stay in the flats, and since there they run easier, you don't have to strain as much and don't have enough of a training effect. So I wouldn't be surprised, and would in fact expect to be overtaken by them in the flats. But weirdly, that does not happen. It should, but it doesn't. The only type of non-standard bicycle (illegally modded e-bikes don't count) that routinely passes me on the flats are the velomobiels, the fully faired, extremely low, three- or four-wheeled recumbents. So it appears that the better aerodynamics of a recumbent is not advantageous enough, and only the vastly better aerodynamics of the velomobiel gives enough of an advantage. But only in the flat, as they are even heavier than recumbents. During PBP, I was faster than those as well across the whole distance.
@@horrovac you make some great points. Cheers and happy riding. All the best to you
I wish someone would make a badass one. All the ones I have seen look like they were designed by engineers who don't know anything about aesthetics or just don't care about the way it looks.
Spot on!
Love the fact that this entire video feels like an homage to Wes Anderson. From the cinematography to the title cards, everything feels right out of his playbook.
I had the same thought. It was enjoyable.
Yeah ive noticed that ever since the ATC video.
It is.
Dang it you speak my mind
I thought the same thing lol. I’m definitely subscribing to this channel.
Well this vid just made me realize that Kaneda's "motorcycle" in Akira isn't precisely a motorcycle but a feet forward. It would explain why so many attempts by folks to make the real deal never get it totally right. They keep trying to build it from a motorcycle perspective rather than a car/bike hybrid perspective. Neat.
It's fairly obvious that it's a feet-forward and anyone who is paying attention could clearly see that. There are a few clear shots of the bike being ridden by both Kaneda and Tetsuo that show them with feet forward.
Honda NM4 was close, in my blind opinion. Not close enough, but still...
This close enough? kzhead.info/sun/qa-zn7NsbH6KmH0/bejne.html
@@rorcon I think people remember it as being a traditional motorcycle because many of the iconic still images of the Akira movie are of Kaneda either standing his bike up with his legs or dragging his heels while sliding sideways, both of which give the impression he's straddling it. Once you go back and rewatch the movie, its pretty obvious its foot forward.
Even if it existed you couldn't handle it. Kaneda customized that bike for himself. It's too wild for you.
I absolutely love how gorgeous and well put together this video was, in addition to learning about a style of two wheeled vehicle I never really understood.
F9's videos are literally some of the best editing, pacing, narrative, aesthetics, and information on the internet.
They didn't have to make it good, just good enough for Bozos to think this piece of junk is worth something
I would love to test ride one of these. Although a big part of motorcycling for me anyways, is precisely the feeling of wind and not being surrounded by a cage, but completely under the mercy of the weather and environment, out in the open with an engine between your legs. But as a commuter thingy-ma-jig something like this makes sense, kinda like half a car or the love child of a car and a motorcycle, take the good of both and this is the result.
I guess this motorcycle doesn't make all that much sense if one sees it as a motorcycle. But if we start seeing it as a form of transportation, an alternative to cars, then I think it makes total sense. I don't need a 1,5 ton metal box with 5 seats, but I want to stay dry and safe. So maybe (hopefully) this could become more popular in the future?!
It even looks so futuristic. And by that I mean nothing like anything we usually see on the road. + Being electric gives it that low centre of gravity advantage
I saw a lot of BMW's C1 scooters with a roof years ago in Paris as people commuted on rainy days.
I love the old ones he showed! Imagine daily commuters zipping around in those things?! Instead of two SUV's wide our roads here in Canada become like 6 wide lol Love the appearance as well, I might be a scooter boy hehe
Yes far better to look at it as a concept in urban transport than a motorcycle replacement, becuase logic rarely plays an important part in the decision to ride a bike, if it did most of us would make do with a Honda C90. However logic also doesn't appear to have much to do why people buy SUV's for urban commuting, so getting them out of theirs into this would be as much of a struggle as getting us off our conventional motorbikes.
The smart car goes with tiny houses and being single forever.. being climate controlled it's better than the feet fwd cocoon and you get to have your pillion beside you.. no safety gear required. The only marketing hurdle to clear.. they have to convince you that it's cool to look like a dork. lol 😄
Makes me realize how both cool and truly futuristic Kaneda bike from Akira really was.
Shut up and take my money. I want mine to be yellow.
the fact that not even a single frame from Akira made it into this video is a crime.
@@antsperry Akira appeared in another video about the CBR250RR
Tetsuo!!!!
I've wanted that bike for years, and no the Honda one doesn't count...
I like the overall concept. With that said, I signed up to their mailing list (well, not really, I submitted a couple questions and got put on one), and got a generalized email answering my questions of proposed/estimated cost and production. It was more expensive than I thought at a guesstimate of 15, 000 Canadian. With that price range, I'd be more apt to look at the Storm electric vehicle if it ever goes into production.
Scooters get this kind of performance around $2,000 US.
I was at AAR while Dan worked on the Alligator. I often wondered about lack of visibility from other drivers, and what happens to the rider’s chest in a frontal impact.
A few grand more in the swear jar and you could buy yourself a super-sexy Honda Rune. So exclusive that the bike stays still, they move the planet around under you.
First... Kudos. I'm an ex- old school print motojournalist, now a professor at a university where I teach production techniques for multimedia journalism. I actually show your videos in class fairly often because they look great, are well researched, fact checked, and explain technical content very well. I wrote mainly for consumer magazines like GQ, Fortune etc. My audience wasn't bikers, but the guy who was interested, but not committed. Consequently I had to avoid technical jargon that might be assumed by someone with a motorcycling background, if I compared an inline four to a v twin I had to be able to explain the difference in simple layman's terms. You do this spectacularly well. Years ago I did a an article on "weird' motorcycles (the jet turbine bike, the Boss Hogg Chevy small block chopper, etc). One of the bikes I road tested was the Gurney Gator, Dan Gurney's recumbent sport bike. It was a bike that only a World Champion F1 driver could like or build. It was quick (for a single), light, handled beautifully, and snapped your spine as it rolled over every pebble in the road. I loved it, for about 15 minutes. One thing you neglected to mention in your review was that when you ride a recumbent bike you had better come to a complete stop before you put your foot down, otherwise the momentum of the bike will fold your foot back and snap your ankle in a beat.
On this bike in particular that is not possible, in fact you can pedal at whatever speed you like and charge it while you simultaneously are throttling whatever speed you like. You don’t even have to pedal.
I love how the space shuttle was used as an example of aerodynamics.... even though it was universally accepted to have the aerodynamic properties of a flying brick
Hey, bricks are fairly aerodynamic. I mean, maybe not the more efficient aerodynamics, but if you drop a brick, air isn't going to slow it down much.
F4 pilots know this as well. All the glide properties of a tossed brick. IF one happens to lose the engines.
@Alfred Wedmore really wondering who you quoted this from?
@@mohamedabdalnaem9776 kzhead.info/sun/i9WOl7mfoIalgas/bejne.html
@Alfred Wedmore ahh yes the flying brick shithouse, the memories are so vivid
Katsuhiro Otomo used this design in Akria in 1990 for the future of motorcycles, it was even electric. It goes to show the style can look amazing but still be thought of as a motorcycle. I would love to see a future like this.
Oh yeah, that totally is where the Akira bike comes from. Considering how much people will pay for an AE86, maybe all that's needed to popularize feet-forward bikes is marketing to weebs.
Thank God someone brought up the Akira bike. I was beginning to lose hope.
I agree that when I seen this in Akira I was convinced it was superior in everyway. That was the 80s , I was an idiot. It looks awesome but sucks for racing. The same kind of design was also used in a South Korean anime called Wonderful Days back in 2003. If you like Akira you will most likely like this movie also.
Ackchyually, the was presumed to be turbine-electric hybrid
@@chrisvielle6629 not sure feet forward sucks for racing. feet forward bicycles had to be banned from cycle racing because they shat all over trad bikes and left them in the dust.
For some reason the music/sound effects put a smile on my face. Great video, very nice balance of humour and knowledge.
Another surprisingly entertaining video. I loved the little squeak when the safety vest was put on the table. All the little touches of humour add to the material being presented. Great work. Good job.
Love the Wes Anderson vibe of the video, it really matched the look of the bike! Great work from the fortnine team as always :)
The abrupt cuts, the weird music, the symmetries, the yellows, everything screams Wes :j
he reminds me of Tarantino
@@urayamu And I bet that was pure intention!
why are people talking about it like its a secret theory, didn't the 'chapters introductions' make it an obvious homage?
@@manaspradhan8041 People want to show they are part of the crowd that caught on.
So Akira's bike design was LEGIT, I knew it. The camera work and editing is great btw
I absolutely love the speeder bike sound effects you added at 5:40, brilliant move Ryan and I bet most people didn't notice.
Glad I wasn’t the only one to hear it
Funny enough, I was a pointy motorbike rider (see my videos) for a very long time. I even traveled the world. Today I am a recumbent bicycle rider, the weird thing is recumbent cycling is FASTER but only requires 160watts to get to 45kmh, while my road bike requires well over 350watts to get to 45kmh. It's slower because of all the people gawking at me :D
Being a tadpole bike rider, I can say the one disadvantage of feet first is that you cant see over traffic.
You noticed too.
But you could in a Quasar
What if you were in a get first enclosure, driving from a video screen, with the perspective from a mast above the bike
@@TheLlidD Stability with bumps and acceleration. With a sturdy structure, you could make it better, but it would cost weight and aerodynamics. Not to mention cameras are much more fickle than human eyes. Night vision, quality, focus, and field of vision would all be a problem. It also distracts from one of the main selling points of riding; adventure and scenery.
Periscope? Just kidding.
I'm trying to imagine riding this on my daily commute, one major problem is see is the eye height. Merging or turning left is going to be very scary when you can't see over the line of crossovers crowding you.
Fortnine can we have part2 about his and other things ffm
That's the same thing I said the first time I saw a Vanderhall.
And that right there is why everything on the road keeps getting bigger and bigger
@@Demonslayer20111 there is a need to reverse this trend
I love how narrative you are. Excellent voice for what you do. 👏
This is the happiest car video I have ever seen, and I was very sad when it ended so soon. Well done mate
I'm immediately sold on the idea for electric motorcycles being more efficient, but the safety concerns and faster acceleration really make this seem like a no brainer. I am confident enough in my genitals to not be all that concerned with being seen in one either - sign me up.
I'd turned onto a sideroad and was accelerating when I saw what looked to be a guy standing on a skateboard about to overtake me. I cracked open the throttle barely losing him. The first time I'd ever dragged a skateboard and almost lost. 😆
You'd probably be interested in my Akira Bike Project - building a fully functional high performance recumbent inspired by Kaneda's ride!
@@matus1976 Do you do videos about that? Sounds intriguing.
Repent to Jesus Christ “We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” Isaiah 53:6 NIV T
@@matus1976 go on........
Would have loved to see you do a “Kaneda powerslide” to a halt.
Is that from Akira? dope manga
@@danhay8933 yup...was my first thought too..real life akira bikes
The only part of that maneuver I'm confident in is that I would - eventually - halt. ~RF9
@@FortNine you cannot exist in the outside world...akira quote
I only clicked on this video to see if there was an Akira reference. Well done.
You're such a great presenter, you've made me interested in bikes. Second great video that's come up on my feed, this week. Subscribed.
simple beyond expectations...gold episode :)
You left out one more point: We nerds can tap into our dream of driving Kaneda's bike from Akira!
basically, the only point that make this whole idea worth something )
I used to have a Suzuki Gemma 250, which is basically Suzuki's attempt at Kaneda's bike. Loved that they made it. Was not a bad ride but would have been better with Suzuki's excellent 400 Burgman engine.
I'm sure it already exist as a scooter
@@Izznogood76 kzhead.info/sun/ZLGJodWOfqN_fZs/bejne.html
@@Izznogood76 on Majesty's base
Absolutely loved the Wes Anderson references and cinematography. And as always brilliant content
I thought that what he was going for.. lol
Was just about to say the same. The French Dispatch was brilliant, as are most of his films.
The Owen Wilson "Wow" at 1:22 😂
Also the super wide aspect ratio
For anyone who doesn't know he does this with every video, mirrors a director or a shows filming style or an actors acting style. A great bike channel but an excellent cinematography channel aswell
I met the builder and this bike on Vancouver island. Very nice man and very eager to talk about the bike.
You are half way there with a traditional motor scooter. I have a Ran Stratus custom E-Bike. The efficiency is incredible and the handlebar bags act as a fairing. I get 38 miles in very hilly terrain with 750 Watt Hours from my battery plus pedaling. Handling is very different from the upright and takes a while to get the muscle memory down. One thing you learn early is to not ever put your feet down until you are nearly stopped. Your feet will push the leg bones up through your knees an hips. Thanks for making this video.
I wish I saw you ripping the roads of Squamish in this thing while filming. On a side note the cycle analyst computer on that beauty is the cherry on top and hearing the hubs free wheel clicking away while ripping at 50 kmph must be fun. Edit/ it might be deep cove actually but sentiment stay the same.
Miss it there . I lived on on sumas prairie rd
Squampton
You ever see that Webcam video of ppl stealing and shit in Chilliwack. Has it really got that bad?
@@prestooxo3135 I don’t think so… One of the guys I work with (remotely) is in the “whack” and he’s never mentioned it. I don’t think it’s any different from any other part of the greater Vancouver regional district in terms of porch pirates. Got some fun roads out there but on the north side of the Fraser over in Mission and Harrison.
@@andrewwasson6153 I live in Chilliwack. Yeah there is crime here. I wouldn’t say more or less than any city I’ve lived in. The webcam vid is from a particular neighborhood that has quite high crime unfortunately. Where I live 15min from that area and haven’t had anything stolen in 15+ years. The stats on average aren’t anything to phone home about
You guys are getting very, very, very good at these indeed. Fantastic script, camera work, editing - the lot. Ryan's a star and FortNine films are brilliant.
totally!
Too bad the ultrawide aspect ratio doesn't serve it well at all. Pointless fad that always has under-utilized empty space in the flanks, or claustrophobic close ups where the top and bottom are cropped out. It only works in some panoramas.
@@goldbullet50 it's a matter of opinion and taste but i commonly watch yt in either theater mode or on my already ultrawide monitors. it's still a good experience in theater mode if you don't have an ultrawide monitor though
@@c0n718 That's not the point. The point is that ultrawide aspect ratio sucks. It makes no practical sense 90% of the time. Most of the time it just looks like a cropped 16:9 that either leaves out some of the image, or has way too much wasted space. For example if you have two people talking, either you see them fully but 70% of the view is background, or then it's a close up where you can only see their head and torso.
@@goldbullet50 skill issue
Watched the original Quasar development with great interest, loved the concept and the testers always raved about the ride. I rode motorcycles for years and would have loved to try one. Still thinks it's a great addition to travel, esp solo or a pair.
Speaking about aerodynamics and than at 4:53 showing a Helmet wearing aerodynamic brick wall smiles against in to the drive wind covered camera. made my day 🤣
The Wes Anderson feel of this whole video is fantastic. I love it so much. Keep it up! But to pick a nit you likely already aware of, at least in the city, the standing position offers two huge benefits for two-wheeled vehicles: visibility and maneuverability. You have a better perspective higher up to see ahead and predict things. And that higher center of gravity, while a problem in acceleration and braking, allows for quicker turns, just like you pointed out in your video about how people are leaning the wrong way. Now, does that offset the benefits of a recumbent cycle like you mentioned? I suppose that would depend on one's priorities. I can see these becoming big in the electric bicycle world, and especially for delivery, where the goal is more all-day comfort and cargo capacity instead of fun.
And much easier to get some good velocity when you hit something and are ejected. We'd have lots of great dash cam videos of standing people hurled into the back of a truck at great speeds. Can't wait for your idea to take hold.
Being exposed to the wind does cool you down as well. Especially here in Germany in summer or year-round in Arizona. Did ride a enclosed egg-shaped bicycle once. Sure it's faster, but also a sauna on wheels with a safety whip for little visibility. The weird steering with such a long wheelbase and little weight on the front wheel does need some faith. I would find my spartan ride somewhere between a Morgan Super Three and an ELIO - with a combustion engine.
@@BadazzShovelhead what's better: being launched 100 ft down the road or flying directly into the back of a car/truck? You're screwed either way.
Spot on Matthew! Visibility (both to see and be seen) and maneuverability were my two biggest gripes. Oddly enough, feet forwards are usually very quick turning. Their centre of gravity (low) is near the largest weight (rider, also low) so it doesn't take much inertia to initiate a roll. Very quick turning. MotoGP bikes actually try to raise their centre of gravity for the same reason - to get it closer to the rider. Both methods will make a vehicle "quick" to turn in. The maneuverability challenges with FFs are mainly ground handling issues. The slow speed, tight-radius stuff is hard with such a long wheelbase. ~RF9
@@FortNine Also the timing of this video is great. I'd just finished listening to the recent Cautionary Tales podcast episode called "The False Dawn of the Electric Car" about the Sinclair C5 that felt like the perfect companion to this video. Sometimes an idea is just too far ahead of its time.
Congrats, you have done it... you have become the Top Gear of Motorcycling w/1 third the host and 1/1000th the budget
chapter slides and the music accompanied, marvelous
That's certainly a uniquely made video that suits the unique and interesting topic of feet forwards motorcycles. Well done!
With a little more engineering, much cooler designs which may sacrifice efficiency so that it actually sells would make this something special. I really hope we get something big in feet forward bikes one day.
Actually, in the recumbent bikes, trikes and quads fields there are already some really cool and efficient lowriders ^^
A guy built an e-bike like this out of a couple scrap bicycles & e-bike motor kit for pretty cheap. He calls it the joystick bike & put the plans online how to diy build one. It's pretty cool but #1 you're still gonna get wet & cold #2 it's risky riding on slick roads. I really wanna make a street legal electric 3 wheel velomobile similar to this. But with suspension on each wheel (3 rear shocks from MTN bikes) a lightweight aerodynamic weather enclosure. With 2 wheels up front, 1 in rear & possibly made to lean so it can carve corners like some of the reverse trikes can like the Yamaha Niken or Piaggio MP3 can......The human pedal power velomobiles can reach speeds of 60 mph with lots of gears on a long flat road. So I'm sure a 750w mid drive kit with some high gears could also. No gas, license, insurance,registration,etc...I know a little 50mmX40mm 2 stroke engine with a couple of gears could easily do 55 but the gas engine would make it illegal.
Thanks for the encouragement. We're working on a more attractive Electrom right now. You are right, there is a trade-off between efficiency and aesthetics, and we're willing to compromise there; what is not open for change is functionality. Function over Form is imperative when it comes to two-wheel vehicles and making the Electrom better while keeping it road-worthy is our #1 goal.
yeah they are called scooters lololol
@@michaelbrinks8089 same here
FortNine never fails to deliver outstanding content, I am never un-impressed.
I am also extremely pressed, in the least. Never un, always im.
I wish there was more of them around. Seems like a brilliant idea but a shame that it is only left to small scale production.
Many scooters have been using the FF principles Ryan highlights since the 1980.
@@jasonswiatkowski9127 That is true. Scooters do in principle follow some of these things (and in fact the last shot of the bike crashing into a car was a scooter). But I meant to the extreme degree.
Loved the music and presentation 😍
“To accelerate any faster we need a lower center of gravity,” Ryan says while riding the slowest scooter I’ve ever seen!🤣 Great video!
I'd like to know why you called it a scooter. 🤣
@@DetroitMicroSound becourse it is? A scooter is a design thing, in order for it to be a scooter it need a "step-through" chassis and it has.
“To accelerate any faster we need a lower center of gravity,” or just a longer swingarm?.. no, that'd be too boooring... 😏
@@viper71dk this isn't a scooter
@@tomekvilmovskiy6547 Which destroys the handling. I have ridden many bikes with stretched swingarms, its a bad compromise. You improve launch and power transfer at the cost of poor geometry. A well engineered "feet forward" bike with a rear mounted engine or better yet hub centric motor is the ideal from an engineering standpoint. The only real obstacle being public perception, which is why we are still stuck with motorcycles that are fundamentally the same as 80 years ago. There are better ways to build a bike, but getting people to buy them is another story.
Having got 2 motorcycle accident throughout my life, this kind of motorcycle may make me felt confident again riding a bike, if it was accessible to public purchase.
It is, check the discription
Not sure it is that save also not sure how it make sharp corners.
@@bigbadwolf6256 Some designs have wheels on the sides of the body that contact only when you're leaning too steep
The production quality of this video is just amazing.
The style of the video remids of What we do in the Shadows for some reasoon, pretty good ✨
Bikes based on that basic feet forward principle have had niche popularity here in Japan for many years. Think of a slightly wider, elongated moped. With more power, a comfy seat and storage at the back. I have almost never seen them anywhere else, but a few days in Tokyo and you're bound to bump into a few parked on the street.
They were super popular and a lot of guys were running them with ground lights when I was on study abroad about fifteen years ago. I still see them running around here and there.
@@Bagledog5000 yep, I think they are super cool. After my first trip here I tried to look into availability back home in New Zealand and was quite surprised to find out they basically just don't seem to exist much outside Japan.
What are they called
@@omokok1877 after some debate my Japanese wife has declared they are called "big scooters"....
Honda imported a 250cc feet forward bike some years ago. Don't think it sold that well, as it was an odd duck. Too big for the average scooter rider with a 125cc limit and a car licence, and a bit underpowered for a fully licenced biker Good commuter, but a bit of a one trick pony
This is one of your best videos yet (and there is strong competition). Quirky topic, thorough research, impressive videography, a bit of light comedy and a surprising amount of valuable information. Absolutely impressive once again.
What is this strong competition that you speak of? There are channels out there I enjoy quite a bit, but I've yet to find one with consistent production comparable to that of FortNine (no matter the topic).
@@RobVespa I meant solely within the F9 universe, I really like his KLR video and the Versys X-300 one. If the topic can be different, I also like JeffHK for maritime videos, Fireball Tool and weirdly enough, Bernadette Banner (historical sewing channel).
@@kilianortmann9979 - Ha. I was actually hoping for other options. I'll check these channels out. Thanks!
@@kilianortmann9979 i would recommend Drachinifel for historic naval/maritime content in great depth.
@@Claire-xk5bb Good choice, I am already subscribed. Rex's Hangar and Greg's Airplanes and Automobiles are doing a similar thing for the flying stuff.
The production value of this channels videos is top notch
best part about this type of MC is that you look super cool riding it!
The production level of this channel will always amaze me. Please never stop doing this. We love it.
If you have enough money to hire a professional production team, anything is possible.
@@SMGJohn So it doesn't count, or what?
@@fsambal Are you one of those who praise Hollywood for good production? I mean with budgets creeping close to 500 million dollars, they better be.
Man... the work with some of these shots you did is incredible! Especially that shot with the jogger... So Wes-Anderson-esque, I love it!
bot
Not gonna lie, in this particular video, the real high production quality and script actually took away from the video. It all moved too fast and wittily for me to grasp what was going on. A lot of vague, short details and then they immediately moved on to the next topic. And we barely got any detail on how it's like to drive, how to control it, the culture behind it, etc.
They definitely went for that. The palette they used is very similar. I also love it!
Having bought my first scooter I kinda have to say it definitely feels like a step in this direction. I still sit high like a normal bike, but it's like sitting in an extremely nimble armchair, and the "boot"(topbox) is great. Definitely getting bags for my ujm as well.
Man I don't even have a drivers lisence and still watch this channel. It's ART.
I have to admit, I got to the end of the video, and want more. I remember back in the 80's, when I first saw an enclosed (feet first) motorcycle in Popular Science magazine- it was supposed to take over the industry. It sort of reminded me of Mr. Jim Bede's tiny jet fuselage on two wheels. It looked sleek, it looked fast, and damn, it looked sexy! I, as a kid, wanted one badly. Then, nothing... Sort of how this video ended!
I felt the same way. I thought the subject was just laying down the intro, then it was gone. What?!
@@thomasbordelon4149 I expected a conclusion too.
Ryan can add part 2
Start here, with the full 12 mins of my Top Gear FF piece, and everything should make more sense: tinyurl.com/ybn3sawz
Same. I wanted to know _why_ he thinks they didn't work, like he discussed in the electric bikes video. Maybe he has a followup planned. My guess: either they're just ugly, or not being able to put your feet down on a two-wheeler is a nonstarter for a lot of people.
Another masterpiece Ryan. The entertainment value in a motorcycle video is 10/10. For me, the ability to bail, and/or control a rear tire slide, would make feet forward a concept that would just put me in a Miata. 🙂
Would you take half a miata?
@@BB-ih3bk , no. I'll just stick with my current riding position, and maybe get a Miata if I age out of riding, but can still enjoy driving.
@@Dave-sw2dmOr you could just have both like me
@@alexdelascasas , I tried that with a Solstice, but whenever it was perfect weather to be top down driving I would rather be riding.
At first the rear slide point seemed right. Then realized it's nullified by ABS and traction control.
I had a test ride on a Suzuki Burgman 650 some years ago, I never fogot how stable and comfortable it was. It was a low ride with my feet out front like you describe.
Every time a new video is ready, I go to my 'happy space' for about 10 mins. Really well put together, just fascinated with what will happen next in the vid. And a non motorbike rider. Fan, Sydney Australia 🇦🇺 💚
I always have to watch your videos twice. Once being awed by how well you put everything together, once to actually absorb the information you're sharing. You have a gift, sir, thank you for sharing it!
Please shoot more videos in ultra wide. I love when it fits my monitor seamlessly.
You were just getting started and then it was over. BG music was very nice.
I've ridden pedal bikes like this and the one thing that always feels off about them is the steering. Something about the front wheel being so far away from me makes me feel insecure about the balance.
You've ridden ones that were not well designed.
@@kobusg7460 I remember seeing those Harley Choppers :)
ditto. I rode my husband’s recumbent for about a mile on a sidewalk along Juan Tabo blvd in Albuquerque. I made it home in one piece, but never wanted to repeat the experience. It felt SO tippy.
how about the one where the front wheel is right below your calves? with the headset/neck of the fork between the knees
I will say that I learned to ride my father's recumbent as a kid, and while it felt that way at first, the steering weirdness faded after a little while. Your brain has spent so much time wiring itself to steer on an upright bicycle that it takes time to rewire it. After getting used to both, I much preferred the comfortable and smooth feel of the recumbent, even though I never bought a recumbent myself. Too big and awkward to move it by car in US suburbs.
I absolutely lost it at the end when the test dummy drove away after the crash. Bravo, sir!
What model was that?
Got a feet-forwardish Honda Vultus. Definitely more comfy to ride than anything I've tried. And the range for a funny 3.5 gallon tank is enormous.
It's so weird, I love it! And great film directing again, top notch production 👌
Appreciate the wes anderson homages on this one
I love the Wes Anderson cinematography you've added to this video. I think the influences were spot on, especially with the subject vehicle you're driving.
I just clicked onto this show. Sorry. I meant channel. Anyway, I don't even ride a bike anymore. But what a brilliant bit of work these Fortnine vids are!
Your videos are so different in a very good way
Referencing Top Gear, the Ghost Rider, and "On the Structure of Scientific Revolutions" all within the first few minutes?! You mad lads, great work!
This is the first thing I see that looks badass and goofy at the same time.
I love the very Wes Anderson visuals, music, and title cards in this video. It made it a delight to watch.
6:13 lmao, like.. how did you not see that bike?! The explosion of parts cracked me up!
FortNine videos remind me of reading Cycle World back in the day. The road tests had full page spec sheets with power output, engine measurements, gear ratios, 1/4 mile and top speed, etc. And detailed discussion of steering geometry.
I love how they look like shotaro kanedas bike from akira. Sure they ain’t gonna be as fun as ripping on feet backwards, but they look really cool and very comfortable. These bikes need to catch on more
On the contrary, as someone who has ridden more FFs than anyone else on the planet (along with every kind of conventional motorcycle) I can assure you that FFs are just as much fun!
your videos are so well made
I like the sound you used in the starting of anatomy
I’ve been interested in recumbent bicycles for a while. It did occur to me that the position along with fairings was one way to solve the range issue of electric motorbikes. I’d ride one. Cool to see a video on them.
Having been riding FFs for nearly 40 years, and electric motorcycles for 20, I came to the same conclusion a long time ago!
Your videos are so high quality it's actually mind boggling. To go out of your way to make a thematic homage, without shoving it down our throats, is just so truly spectacular
That presentation was brilliant. I want to know more.
Something about this channel, it's not just that is has great content, which many channels do but few leave you with that same enjoyment that you would get after a great movie. Even if I didn't like motorcycles I think I would still like these videos. Very well made. On that thought, ever considered making a movie/documentary stuff? The quality of videos seem a little too good for KZhead lol...
dude your videos have gotten so awesome over the years. its great to see how much passion you still put into them!
I could not be more happy that electric recumbent bikes get more great attention like this! Masses need to know how incredible these are!
They need it really. They are still so expensive as most are hand made in small batches. We need mass production to bring the price down to a more affordable level. Closest I could find is the Honda NM4. But that's not fully enclosed
@@craigfirman1809 this is so true. Also really would like to see velomobiles to hit mass marketing as well. These really could change the game forever
@@BossManaatti aptera is building a 3 wheel vehicle that is classified as a bike I think.
@@BossManaatti Those too, I would love a Quatrovello but they start at €10300. And the Australian racing Velomobiles are from $6000 to $11000 AUD. I am still considering a Lightning Bikes F40, it's reasonably priced. But mass manufacturing would decrease those prices so much.
@@craigfirman1809 The polish Cabbike is making velomobiles for around 5 thousand euros and you can buy a diy kit for around 3 thousand euros. So those are really worth the money. Not the pretiest I must admit but the fact that there even is an option to buy a diy version for 3k is great
THIS IS THE IDEAL MOTORCYCLE DESIGN. YOU MAY NOT LIKE IT BUT THIS IS WHAT PEAK PERFORMANCE LOOKS LIKE.
Looks like a lawn chair version of a "feet forward" Honda Helix. Basically scooters are more practical than motorcycles. Almost every 250cc & larger scooter looks a lot like these "recumbents". Demands of basic practical transport are different than road rashers and dirt squirters. It's that Needs vs. Wants thing. Weather protection (some) and storage are more important on a working class grocery getter/daily driver.
Reminds me of recumbents and velo mobiles for manual power, realistically the most efficient way to move in two wheels.
And they are extremely comfortable compaired to a regular bicycle. At least mine is
I stopped riding a couple years ago when I sold my bike and got a boat for the family. I just found your videos again, awesome stuff, glad to see you have only gotten better
The problem with this design is that there's a very high chance of the driver/rider being decapitated in the event of a crash.
This is the only channel that would shoot a bike review on an anamorphic lens. Well played, sir.
Something like this could be game changing for a single person driving a car, truck, or SUV on their daily commute. Even more so with things like Honda's self stabilizing steering system that keeps a motorcycle upright even when moving slowly. A low slung, two wheeled, fully enclosed aerodynamic capsule with air conditioning and heat that sips fuel/electricity would make for a very pleasant commuting experience.
Many societies have a 90%-10% motorcycle to car ratio on the road.
if they made it i would buy one. unless BMW made it and slapped a 25000 price on it let see honda build one using the engine they stick in the cb500 x
I would buy one, just because it is safer than the common motorcycle.
I’ve got a novel idea that solves your problem w/o any fancy new tech. *It’s weird, but hear* me out. You take two motorcycles and put them side by side connected by a metal frame. The 4 wheels make it stable without expensive, high maintenance self stabilization technology. And since it’s stable at a stop you can easily build a shell around it so it can be heated and and air-conditioned. Make the shell aerodynamic she’ll be super energy efficient as well. *I call it a cage* *I call you a cager* And I call everything you mentioned something that has been tried in whole and in part in literally hundreds of variations over the last 100 years. Bikers don’t want cages and cagers don’t want motorcycles.
^Watch, ladies and gentlemen, as this comment single-handedly puts a stop to people's notion to innovate and develop new technologies that could improve people's lives.
I like the idea of low /feet forward for wind protection. A smaller design to deflect all of the wind off the body and helmet.
the dambora sound sounds great on your video.
Now you're talking civilizational, land use and infrastructure revolution!.. A revolution we sorely need, especially in BC. I would buy shares in a BC company that builds these. I want an enclosed one with a bit of a frame and seat belt! Imagine ferries based on drive-on recumbents, or VTOL flying cars (based on Jetoptera aerodynamics) where we can put these onboard the flying mini-buses to get to the far flung valleys, fjords and islands of BC). I am buying an old Vision recumbent (manufactured in Seattle before shutting down) with full suspension from a guy in Richmond for use between my dinghies, ferries and busses here on the Gulf Islands, but it's nigh on impossible to get an enclosed recumbent in North America... In BC intermodal transport based on hyper-light vehicles is where it's at imo. I'm a building inspector stuck on Salt Spring, needing to easily commute between my house in Vancouver, my brother in Victoria and jobs all over. I run a 72v Cyclone mid drive motor on a Marin hybrid bike, with huge cargo on it (often including a very sleek trailer) but the wind resistance is really the limiting factor for speed and range - I can feel the resistance kick in hard at 52-62 kph, and even just instinctively you know the battery-life-shortening discharge rates get exponential from there. It needs to be light enough to lift onto a bus rack, into a boat, train or even into electric aircraft like in Norway, etc.,. so I'm looking for 65-120 lbs. I really want safety, warmth and dryness. I would pay pretty good coin for a fiberglass version with aluminum safety framing... Maybe I'll just build one! I have a trifold bike for being able to take it in and out of planes and cars, mostly so my boys can go on adventures as they age through adolescence and young adulthood. But I would love it if the mainstay of interurban-interregional and multi-modal transport could be based on recumbents. I would gladly buy shares in a BC run company to get it done. I can already get 85 km range with no aerodynamics on my mid drive bike if I peddle a lot, but I can only go 40km/h if I want that kind of range... Although that is enough to get me up to Nanaimo, out to Sooke or into Surrey then back to East Vancouver all from Salt Spring (actual center of geographic SW BC, and to some degree of population distribution as Vancouver Island population explodes faster than Lower Mainland now - last weekend there were two times more people travelling by bike on the Gulf Islands ferry then by car - then they all lined up to wait for hours as buses took over a hundred bikes two at a time through the tunnel, so seeing this 50 people immediately started pedaling all the way around via the Alex Fraser bridge which only had one sidewalk open (an extra 16 km or so than just going through the tunnel)). On a more enclosed recumbent I bet I could almost double that range at closer to full highway speeds, all with electric... But as is, to ensure I can get range and some decent speeds without being stuck on big, expensive and not super safe or reliable batteries, I am building small 2 stroke bikes now. But without the wind resistance, and being able to carry a large 22lb battery inside a proper frame at a really low centre of gravity, I would be way too happy to stay entirely electric. Then I could easily get my max range and speed needs. It's such a now brainer!.. Our infrastructure is crumbling! Canada has the 2nd biggest road network in the world, almost all of it now needing to be repaved. Our ferry system is such a huge overhead of a behemoth, that if we can't change the paradigm of our transport network we're doomed. Commuters have to go to bigger and bigger vehicles just so they don't total them on potholes. Most emigres to BC who never have really left Vancouver have no idea how bad the transportation and roads are most of BC, let alone in Northern and Eastern BC... Roads there are undrivable much of the year. I was just riding all over the Lower Mainland (back and forth across the Fraser river a fair bit) last weekend and the roads and transit are bad enough there. So people get into bigger and bigger SUVs and trucks just to get through on unplowed roads with huge potholes, big dips, etc.,.. Big trucks, which in turn ruins the road surfaces even faster. Many parts of BC are starting to look like Mexican roads. IT's so bad, we need to be paying people to ride bikes and giving them a third of the roads to ride in peace and safety... We can't afford 5000+ cars anymore, literally the roads are crumbling and can't take the weight, and we don't have the finances or equipment to re-surface them all again.
The effort put into these videos never ceases to blow me away. Amazing presentation, amazing content, amazing script, amazing KZhead channel. Cheers for the great content.
I'm loving the very Wes Anderson transitions. 2 parts motorcycle show, 1 part cinematography 👌
Your videos are a work of art
i really love your wes anderson inspired filmography well done
These videos are always so awesome. Everyone appreciates the effort and work that goes into these and it's certainly worth the week or two wait every time. Thanks FortNine. Thanks Ryan.