Welcome to another edition of Weird Patent! In this episode, Ben Purvis uncovers a bizarre moto-patent from Suzuki's archives. The patent describes a budget-friendly leaning trike that looks like a go-kart. Yes, it's weird.

According to Purvis' write-up in Cycle World, the trike has a two-wheels-in-front, one-wheel-in-back arrangement with a low ride height. The rider sits in the machine like a kart, not on it like a Can-Am three-wheeler. The low center of gravity is designed to be a safety feature, possibly intended to lure riders away from existing tilting three-wheelers such as the Yamaha Tri-City line or the Piaggio MP3 series.

Many manufacturers have tried to crack the affordable and safe "motorcycle" market for years, offering vehicles that are supposedly safer than motorcycles but have a similar footprint, often with added weather protection. However, they usually use a larger engine than the small-bore single cylinder motor seen in Suzuki's patent mock-up. Purvis suggests that the patent even discusses frugality, an unusual feature to mention in a patent.

Despite Suzuki's move towards electric motorcycles in the future, the patent suggests that Suzuki hasn't forgotten its base market: affordable gasoline-powered mobility. In North America, that market includes machinery like the DR650 and DR-Z400, and in overseas markets, it includes even smaller commuter bikes. Will Suzuki add a commuter trike to that list soon? Based on past Suzuki patent reveals, it's best not to get our hopes up; if anything comes from this patent, it could take a decade before we see the result.

#Suzuki #Moto #Bike