There's nothing quite like leaning into a turn on a motorcycle. That said, there's also nothing quite like wiping out on one. For people who like the former but are wary of the latter, leaning trikes were invented. One of the latest to catch our attention is the snazzy-looking DiamondBack, which may hopefully soon be entering production.
The vehicle is the creation of Ohio-based electrical engineer Don Davis, who has previously worked in the automotive, pneumatics and aerospace industries. He tells us that he first came up with the concept when he became a dad, and was looking for a form of transportation that was as exhilarating and economical as his motorcycle, but safer.
The current single-seat prototype features a full steel roll cage, a Formula 1 style racing seat with a 5-point harness, and a pneumatically-raised canopy. Power is provided by a 1300CC Suzuki Hayabusa engine. The pneumatic leaning system, which also adjusts the vehicle's ride height in accordance to the weight of the driver, is Davis' own design.
Specs are still being gathered on fuel economy and performance, although Don says that the trike has a better power-to-weight ratio than a Lamborghini Murcielago.
Plans call for a two-seater V twin-powered model, along with the possibilities of a hybrid power plant and regenerative braking. A fully-enclosed canopy, which would incorporate heating and air conditioning, is also in the works.
Davis is now building the DiamondBack to order, at a price of US$29,995 a pop. He's also just launched a Kickstarter campaign, in order to fund larger-scale production of the trike.
"I love to design efficient and powerful products," he tells us. "I hope the DiamondBack touches many lives for the better."
You can see the prototype in action, in the pitch video below.
Sources: DiamondBack Division, Kickstarter
