Lochead Quasar Covered Motorcycle

[vespass2]

i love it always did

[ferdonandebull]

You know at first it looks clumsy but as someone who has taken a two thousand mile ride in a gold wing I get it. This is a great idea!

[katai11]

Well... I think that what you gain by drag reduction you make up with increased weight.

[windhovernz]

@katai11 err.. not on that bike.. weighs about the same as a GPZ 550

[leffeboi]

One word...... GAY

[windhovernz]

@leffeboi coming from someone who cant spell "boy" properly....

[leffeboi]

@windhovernz I like people who doesnt have any better to say, so they start complaining about how they spell.

Btw that bike is so ugly.

[jockduffy]

Great to see this design back on the road, thought they were the dogs watsits when they first appeared. Wasnt there a goldwing 1100 version out as well? I seem to remember the seat being a sprung hammock design that I didnt like. Anyway, bloody well done m8.

[ghtim013]

how many blind spots are there?

[windhovernz]

@ghtim013 rearward vision is awful to be honest, and very disconcerting until you get used to it

[yomamashamamajr]

as cool as this thing is... the music plus the design of the motor cycle makes me think of power rangers.....

[budrick3]

for some reason i think that looks like death on 2 wheels.

[unclesara]

That thing is begging for a HUD.

[FLAVIO72015]

My goodness did this machine escape from a fifties terror movie or instead of it is a flying coffin?

[windhovernz]

@FLAVIO72015 either you get it or you dont. People who have ridden them get the concept, people who havent, have no clue whatsoever, and can only make inane comments.

[altologist]

@windhovernz inane concept...inane comments=) i'll stick with the bus=)

[TheNakedWombat]

When the bike first comes over the crest, it looks like some kind of war machine missing a bloody big gun.

[zpolukuchka]

@TheNakedWombat

Nod recon bike much ?

[JakobusVdL]

Sorry to hear that - I'd have loved to see it on the road.

However if the proceeds fund the next one, thats all good. What are you planning next??

[JakobusVdL]

That is brilliant Dave. I'm another old crusty who remembers the Mike Newell Quasar from the 1970's, and the superbike photo shoots ;-) .

The quasar always seemed such an intelegent idea to me, much more efficent and comfortable than a face first bike.

Well done for building the replica, it could only be a Kiwi who would do that. Do you still have it on the road?

[windhovernz]

@JakobusVdL sadly for me, I have sold it to the UK, but I do plan to build another.

[MisterLEM0NS]

This is what we should be driving god damnit. Next time youre in one of those traffic jams look at the vehicles around you. How many 5 and even 8 seated cars do you see with one thick headed moron in them not bothering to take their neighbor to work whose stop in on the way? Too many cars with not enough people in them. Imagine all the drivers with no cars on the road, imagine how much empty space there would be. Now drive these 70MPG machines around and what do you get? Clean and clear roads

[boucher63]

time to put a rocket111 engine in there!!!!!!!!!!!!

[colwilpro]

I had a BMW C1 for a while, great bike but too expensive to run and they only made it to get their average emissions down like with the Smart Car but that was a lot more popular. There is a big market for these kinds of bikes, especially us over 40s who have more responsibilities and can't afford to be in hospital for months on end.

[shihtalker]

hellllll ya!!!!!!

[reply4reply]

i like it, it doesn't look stupid like the bmw's version. u might still go between two cars, but can u put your foot down on this?

[fcarabat]

i wonder why it never caught on ;) lol wouldnt be caught dead in one.

[manofsan]

I think this concept deserves to make a comeback. These days people are worried about rising fuel costs, rising insurance costs, rising repair costs, damage to the environment, etc. Motorbikes are obviously better on gas mileage and cheaper on insurance and maintenance costs, but you always hear about people being badly maimed or injured in accidents. That last part makes them not worth it.

But with this enclosed motorbike idea, it makes an accident a lot more survivable with better protection.

[TimHaskins]

Was your intent to invent the stupidest thing EVER? Eureka I think you've done it ole chaps. BTW, I really liked the ECOMOBILE thing. If I had to be seen riding in this goofy looking joke-o-cycle it would suit me just fine to go ahead and destroy planet Earth.

[windhovernz]

@TimHaskins well Dave didnt invent it, only built a copy.. what have YOU built ???

[fritzkatz]

Brags "will get you 50mpg"! I hate having to buy Jap to get the performance (they DID sneak attack Pearl, rape Korea, and cannibalize captured US pilots) but in flat warm environments such as texas or florida a Prius will give you 55mpg@55mph and carry the family, dogs, and groceries, 65mpg@45mph, 50@60, 25@110. And everything on it works all the time the past five years. 2good 2be true $20,500new

[windhovernz]

@fritzkatz what IS your point? if you actually have one?

[g5wq]

great to see this , i remember seeing a quasar in the 1970s , i thought it was built by a guy in swindon who had a shop called "bike bits " in the gorse hill area of the town .

i remember it was metallic red and running a reliant 750cc engine , same as used in the reliant robin or bond bug .

i have an ariel arrow cafe racer that came frrom the same guy at around the same time although it was my fathers freind who originally purchased the unfinished bike .

[maykhop]

no good my friend

[rainshadow000]

the bike looks so gay!!!

[NoneNameAvailable]

a bike with a cover? pfff

[notwocdivad]

I tell a lie IT IS THE ECOMOBILE ooops SORRY CHAPS

[notwocdivad]

I think the closest modern equivalent must be the Swiss disigned Gogomobile one tested by J C on Top Gear available here on youtube

[Muirtty]

No bugs in your face :)

[alyinsanfran]

Nice going - looks like it rides well. Does it oversteer slightly or is that just the way it looks? In the onboard it looks like you correct it on exit drive. Looks super stable anyway.

I spent my childhood in Blenheim - Redwoodtown, Springlands.

Argosys and Bristol Freighters overhead a couple of times a day.

Some mad fool planting wine grapes..

Pollard Park, footy at Landsdowne, the Taylor flooding.

What a great town.

And empty roads still!

[igloo54]

Can you lift the front wheel while in motion? And, how about a stoppee? Just kidding...a little.

Very nice bike!

[DaSilvor]

I would definitely like to know more about this machine. ~Mainly about the mechanicals, so that another could be made. Also the originals were very heavy, how much this one weight please?

[windhovernz]

@DaSilvor

GPZ500 engine, approx 180-200 kilos

220kph

[martynpank]

I cannot comment on this bike. The original Quasar had a Reliant Robin 850 engine. Latter versions had a Honda VF750 engine (The one with the crap camshafts!). Also developed were the 'Phaser' which was an Open topped Quasar with a K. Z1300-6 engine. Seen this one in action & it was quick! Met Malcolm Newell. He was a lovely bloke, alas now dead. Met him when I was working at Avon rubber co. He wanted to make a 200mph tyre, he was developing a Quasar style bike with a Cosworth engine!

[johnc10uk]

I'm surprised it has taken so long for someone to make a replica. I saw my first Quasar in 1981 and even had a Police prototype. I've owned a BMW C1 since 2002 and would love to buy a modern Quasar. Great to see someone with vision and ability instead of the usual petrol heads who hate anything different. Would love to have met Malcolm (He probably was there in Preston in 1981 and I missed him!)

[windhovernz]

@johnc10uk

Thanks John, youd be surorised how many motorcyclists dont get it, vesus the hundreds of people who arent motorcyclists who come up for a talk and a chat

[johnc10uk]

I ride a BMW C1-200, I know exactly what you mean! I mean why would anyone want a comfortable, safe tourer with weather protection? If only Honda would make a Quasar like bike, it would really give people the safety with the thrill of a motorbike.

[PiffStenis]

Cool video. I met Malcolm Newell a couple of times, he was a really nice fellow.

[commervan]

Great work. A replica? How did you manage with the bodywork - did you have access to the moulds? And what engine did you use? Love the bike - looks like loads of fun.

[windhovernz]

Dave here.

The body was formed by hand using tried and true glass over ply. If its good enough for boats its good enough for this application.Hence there is no mould, i simply worked off pics.

[optiblah]

Yeehaaa! Supercool!

[barryperrins]

Interesting video. Well done