Honda's Bizarre V4 Concept Bike: Can You Solve the Mystery?

[Danger]

I love Gizmag, and they've presented a challenge. (Actually, Honda presented it; Gizmag is passing it on.)
The link shows a Honda concept bike that appears to have no tires, suspension, or drive train. I can think of a few ways that the suspension, steering, and power system might be done, but the lack of tires is driving me nuts.
Any of you folks have ideas on the subject?
http://www.gizmag.com/bizarre-honda-v4-concept-bike-has-us-scratching-our-heads/10156/"

 

[FredGarvin]

I would be that there is a belt drive around the outside of the front wheel, under the cowling. The rear wheel is along for the ride. There are tires, you are only seeing the space through the hub.

That is a cool looking bike.

 

[Danger]

I see where you're coming from with that, but it seems a bit off to me. To start with, a drive belt around the front wheel would actually be the tire—almost like a tank tread. The main problem that I'm having, however, is the apparent lack of openings in the bottoms of the wheel shrouds. Most of the pix are shaded so it's hard to tell (and my original thought was that there was a small cut-out to allow a contact patch), but one clearly shows that the shrouds are solid. Even if there is a small opening on the bottom, the thing wouldn't be able to lean into a turn without the shroud hitting the road.

I do agree, though, that it looks pretty cool.

 

[Topher925]

I think its just a futuristic look that Honda created to try and take attention away from Yamaha's new bikes. I doubt its something that actually works, it just there to look pretty.

 

[Danger]

That would have been my first thought, except that the quote from Honda says that this is indicative of their next-generation bikes. That implies to me that it has to be functional, rather than just an artistic exercise.

 

[professorjwn]

Hi,

hubless wheels

http://www.osmos-wheel.com/pages/application_motos.asp?lang=en

I think what the photos are showing may be a synthetic rubber or silicon tire which is very very close in color to the housing.

The hub less concept was kicked around in the 90's, but I believe there were material properties issues with the bearing material. Perhaps they have3 solved that problem at Honda.

They may be using a couple of different techniques, such as magnetic levitation type of bearings based on rare Earth magnets, Or perhaps a sealed pressurized bearing.


Best Regards,

Jim

 

[Danger]

Thanks, Prof. I'm familiar with hubless wheels, but never thought of them being colour-matched to the shrouds (wonder what the Pantone number for that is )
I can't see any apparent discontinuity in circumferance that would evidence your theory, but it makes sense. Nothing else seems to, so you have the lead so far.