Three Wheel Weight Distribution

[voyager]

I don't see why the SS wouldn't turn if a bit more weight rests on the rear wheel. It might understeer a bit, maybe. A threewheeler with the single wheel aft, has the tendency to pivot, change direction, around the rear wheel, whereas two rear wheels have the tendency to plow on in a straight line.

 

[Jim H]

Has anyone seen EM address this issue?

Although Polaris hasn’t revealed the exact weight balance of the Slingshot 3-wheeled motorcycle, engineer James Holroyd says the rear wheel carries between 34 to 41 percent of the vehicle’s weight, which we can presume is the difference between the vehicle unoccupied and occupied. If too much weight is on the rear tire, the Slingshot won’t want to turn. Conversely, if the Slingshot is too front-heavy, the unloaded rear will have a tendency to snap out in corners.

Bob, welcome from New Mexico

 

[Jim H]

Has anyone seen EM address this issue?

Although Polaris hasn’t revealed the exact weight balance of the Slingshot 3-wheeled motorcycle, engineer James Holroyd says the rear wheel carries between 34 to 41 percent of the vehicle’s weight, which we can presume is the difference between the vehicle unoccupied and occupied. If too much weight is on the rear tire, the Slingshot won’t want to turn. Conversely, if the Slingshot is too front-heavy, the unloaded rear will have a tendency to snap out in corners.

Bob, welcome from New Mexico

 

[c0yote]

I've been wondering on how the 3 wheels will affect the ride in regards to potholes. Not missing them, but what happens when you drive over one. A table with 3 legs will always sit securely with all 3 legs on the floor while a 4 legged table has the possibility of one leg resting above the floor.
In a car with 4 wheels, if one wheel goes over (and into) a pothole, I would expect the weight distribution on the diagonal tire to want to keep the car from dipping down into the pothole. In a 3 wheeled car, there is no opposing wheel allowing all of the weight over the tire to drive the car down into the pothole.

 

[Ty]

I've been wondering on how the 3 wheels will affect the ride in regards to potholes. Not missing them, but what happens when you drive over one. A table with 3 legs will always sit securely with all 3 legs on the floor while a 4 legged table has the possibility of one leg resting above the floor.
In a car with 4 wheels, if one wheel goes over (and into) a pothole, I would expect the weight distribution on the diagonal tire to want to keep the car from dipping down into the pothole. In a 3 wheeled car, there is no opposing wheel allowing all of the weight over the tire to drive the car down into the pothole.

Oh, it's going to hurt.

 

[Karnaj]

The physical dynamics of the model that you described relies on a rigid chassis. With suspension, the weight of the vehicle will tend to "push" the wheel into the pothole. This effect is lessened the more wheels a vehicle has, so a 3-wheeler is going to feel a pot-hole more than a 4 wheeled car.

...And more often.

 

[skychief]

I've been wondering on how the 3 wheels will affect the ride in regards to potholes. Not missing them, but what happens when you drive over one. A table with 3 legs will always sit securely with all 3 legs on the floor while a 4 legged table has the possibility of one leg resting above the floor.

But tables don't have suspension. So the table model isn't a very good model to predict how a 3-wheeler will be affected by potholes. I think that its much simpler to expect that the more wheels a vehicle has, the less it will "feel" potholes. IOW an 18-wheeler might drive directly over a pothole and not know it. But a 3-wheeler drives over the very same pothole and flips over.

 

[Coss]

But tables don't have suspension. So the table model isn't a very good model to predict how a 3-wheeler will be affected by potholes. I think that its much simpler to expect that the more wheels a vehicle has, the less it will "feel" potholes. IOW an 18-wheeler might drive directly over a pothole and not know it. But a 3-wheeler drives over the very same pothole and flips over.

I've seen potholes; but it sounds like you guys are talking sinkholes
How big are the potholes where you drive? I want to make sure to avoid them (yes, I've been through Detroit, and while bad, they're not sinkhole bad).

 

[skychief]

I've seen potholes; but it sounds like you guys are talking sinkholes
How big are the potholes where you drive? ...

Around these parts, some potholes are quite large - large enough to bend the lower wishbone on a Lotus Europa. I know, because it happened to me. The insurance wouldn't cover it. I ended suing the City and got a small compensation which covered slightly more than half of the repairs.

 

[wizard of ahs]

We get many bent/broken rims around here