The Marabese Blade Bike is probably the weirdest motorcycle ever
The Marabese Blade Bike takes the three-wheeled motorcycle concept to the next level!
THE motorcycle industry now seems fairly at peace with the idea of three-wheeled motorcycles. Once upon a time, riding a three-wheeler or a trike, as motorcyclists would call them, brought looks of disdain and scoffs of ‘it’s not a real bike is it?’ from the assembled and slightly confused crowds.
The Marabese Blade Bike in action
In 2020 though three-wheeled machines are a fairly common idea, with bikes like the Yamaha Niken helping to thrust the design from leftfield concept to mass-market appeal. But does a three-wheeler have to use the front two wheels on a common axle – why can’t they sit one in front of the other?!
That question seems to have been running around in the minds of this family of Italian designers, who have come up with this ingenious take on the three-wheeled motorcycle concept.
The bike is the brainchild of Luciano Marabese, one of the original design team who helped to create the MP3 leaning scooter, the Yamaha Tesseract four-wheeler and the first three and four-wheel Quadro machines. The one common denominator with all those ‘bikes’ though is that the front wheels all sit next to each other, the Blade Bike uses wheels fixed on a longitudinal plane.
Since the idea was first thought up, Luciano’s two sons, Riccardo and Roberto have taken up the task of completing this unusual design.
The bike is being pushed forward based on demand from the east, where road space is at a premium, yet riders still prefer the planted feeling that comes from doubling up on front end rubber. It’s also a place where carrying two people on a motorcycle is almost the minimum number carried, with three and even four people riding on one motorcycle a more common sight.
Other benefits of the machine come in the packaging of the bike, with the slim front end allowing a narrow step-over helping riders with shorter legs to feel comfortable when riding around town. The designers also believe the front wheels offer greater stability and comfort when riding over bumps.
Riccardo Marabese, one of the engineers completing the project, said:
“The prototype had 10-inch wheels and now we have also tried 12-inch wheels. We currently use a 300cc engine, but we believe it can also accommodate a 500 or 550 twin-cylinder. I can say that in the city our vehicle it is a toy, and when [the front wheel is] folded, with different steering angles, the wheels create a sort of roadway that makes it super stable.”
Would you consider a bike like this over the now more ‘conventional’ three-wheeled motorcycles? Or are three wheels on your wagon a cop-out for people who can’t handle a real motorcycle?!
Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
Simon (AKA Toad) has been working within the motorcycle industry for more than twelve years, and a member of the motorcyclist family since birth. Growing up around British-built single and twins, it was inevitable that a life on two wheels was on the cards, from a very early age!
