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The Piaggio Scooter

Rob Croson

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I think it would be classified as a motorcycle because of the way one sits on it.
Depends on whether or not it is considered to have four wheels. If it has four wheels, it is an automobile, regardles of how you sit in it. Motorcycle are designated as having not more than three, and not less than two wheels. Do they operate with independent suspension? Or is it two tires munted on a common rim? In any case, the Dodge Tomahawk was never meant to be a production vehicle. It was a design experiment. IIRC it was only ridden once or twice, and I think the test rider said he thought it would be very dangerous, if not impossible, to really give it a good workout. Never made it over 100mph.

Where it gets difficult is when you have three wheels. At that point, the classificaiton varies from state-to-state. It depends on factors such as seat/saddle style, handlebars vs. steering wheel, enclosed or open (and even what constitutes "enclosed"), windshield or not, airbags or not, etc.
 

RSchneider

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Depends on whether or not it is considered to have four wheels. If it has four wheels, it is an automobile, regardles of how you sit in it. Motorcycle are designated as having not more than three, and not less than two wheels.
This is a motorcycle:
printing-plate.jpg
 

Rob Croson

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I pity the prospective motorcycle rider that tries to do their maneuverability test on that.

I bet he wins a lot of the "last to the finish line" races, though.
 

BigWarpGuy

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Interesting that the Piaggio 'scooter' (above) is four wheeled. Maybe those Italians know something we don't about jumping thru US state licensing hoops. Incidentally I'm a vespa guy and am a big fan of Piaggio, in general.

At one time Vespa had a car; The Vespa 400.
1024px-180512-Vespa400-01.jpg

I wonder what it would look like if they created an updated version of it? Perhaps bigger and heavier like the updated version of the Fiat 500 and the Mini Cooper? (just thinking out loud).

I wonder how many other scooter companies have come out with cars? Scooter companies that one does not normally associate with cars?
 

Lone Browncoat

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Well, the bureaucrats here in US and Canada are going to have to change their mindset to allow a return to affordable micro-vehicles, aka
crash tests or accept race-car like crash cages. Many designs out there won't or don't pass Transport Canada scrutiny. More regs than I can shake a stick at.
 

Rickb

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Comforting to know government is looking out after my personal safety and more so the safety of my loved ones if I’m not smart enough to do it myself.
 

RSchneider

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Well, the bureaucrats here in US and Canada are going to have to change their mindset to allow a return to affordable micro-vehicles, aka
crash tests or accept race-car like crash cages. Many designs out there won't or don't pass Transport Canada scrutiny. More regs than I can shake a stick at.
There are plenty out there that can pass US and Canada safety and crash tests. It's up to the manufacturers to invest in those crash tests. EU test are right in line with Canada and the US, so anything they have could be brought here without a problem. It's not the crash regulations that are holding them back. It's they can't sell enough to make it worthwhile.
 
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