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A Feet First (FF) Motorcycle is a class of motorcycle design that seeks to look at the two-wheeled concept afresh, and create a new form of practical personal transport. The name "feet first" (also referred to as "feet forward") was first used by Royce Creasey〔''Hi-tech'', R. Creasey, Bike Magazine October 1979〕 and refers to the rider's seating position, with feet ahead in a position (like a car), rather than below and astride, as with conventional bikes. As there are other types of motorcycle (e.g. choppers) that have a 'feet forward' position, an alternative term sometimes used is Advanced Single Track Vehicle. To be classed as an FF the originators of the 'modern' FF - Malcolm Newell and Royce Creasey - came up with the definition that:〔(【引用サイトリンク】 feet first two wheelers (FFs) )〕 * ''an FF would have a seat base less than 20 in (500 mm) from the ground, at normal ride height'' In practice this is not strictly adhered to, and this has developed into: * ''an FF two-wheeler is defined as a single-track vehicle where the rider(s) sit in tandem in much the same attitude and at much the same height as car passengers. The seat provided is similar, and sometimes identical, to a car seat'' and that: * ''a feet first two-wheeler has a low-mounted seat and seat back like a car'' The Feet Forward motorcycle differs significantly from the conventional scooter (e.g. the Piaggio Vespa), and the maxi scooter (e.g. the Suzuki Burgman), in that the expectation of the design is that it should outmatch a conventional motorcycle in terms of handling and performance, as well as in rider comfort. ==History== Designers have experimented with the feet forward riding position since the early days of motorcycling. In 1909 P.G Tacchi designed a four-cylinder machine with a 700 cc 'L' head air-cooled engine, an enclosed shaft drive and a bucket seat. The machine was known as a TAC-Wilkinson, and was manufactured by the Wilkinson Sword Company 〔''Motor Cycles - a historical survey'' by C.F Caunter, Her Majesty's Stationery Office, London, 1982〕 Ten years later in America Carl A. Neracher designed the Ner-a-Car〔 It had a feet-forward riding position, a pressed steel frame and hub centre steering〔''Motorcycle chassis design: the theory and practice'' by T. Foale and V. Willoughby, Osprey Books, 1984〕 but in other respects was somewhat similar to a conventional motorcycle.〔(【引用サイトリンク】 Ner-a-car )〕 Designed by Sir Alliot Verdon Roe in 1926, the Ro-Monocar used a 250 cc Villiers two-stroke engine, and featured a high degree of enclosure for the rider and a bucket seat. This seating position provided a high degree of comfort for the rider〔 The Fred Wood designed Whitwood monocar used OEC duplex steering, retractable outriggers, and tandem bucket seats,〔''Motorcycling in the 1930s'' by B.Currie, Hamlyn Books, 1981〕 and was offered with engine sizes ranging from 250–996 cc between 1933 and 1935. In the 1950s NSU produced a feet forward fully enclosed monocoque construction "Flying Hammock" record breaker. The feet forward riding position allowed an exceptionally small frontal area. The consequent low wind resistance made it possible for H.P. "Happy" Mueller to achieve from a 150cc engine at the Utah Salt flats in 1956.〔 The first recognisably modern design was the 1975 Quasar, built by Malcolm Newell and Ken Leaman. The design was not a great commercial success - just 22 examples were sold up until 1982 - but it generated a great deal of interest, and started others thinking about the FF concept.〔(【引用サイトリンク】Quasar )〕 Thomas Engelbach's own design of a feet forward motorcycle came in 1980, with the innovative patent for an automatic stabilizing system that incorporated outrigger wheels. The design was successfully tested but proved that the market was not ready for this model. Since 1985 Swiss manufacturer "Peraves" has produced a small series of feet forward cabin motorcycles; 89 ''Ecomobiles'' were built from 1985 to 2005. The restyled Peraves Monotracer appeared in prototype form in 2006 and went into production in 2007. Following the outstanding successes of the all-electric E-Tracer, X-Tracers and Zerotracer the MonoTracer-E MTE-150 went into production in 2012 and the company ceased making the petrol driven MTI-1200. The company website said they would make a maximum of 36 vehicles per year from 2013 but sadly, production ceased with no more than some ten all-electric machines built.〔(【引用サイトリンク】History of Peraves AG (in german) )〕 In 1989 the Royce Creasey designed Voyager〔(【引用サイトリンク】Voyager )〕 achieved a pre-production run of five prototypes made by SCL Ltd in Powys South Wales In 2002, Dan Gurney's All American Racers produced a limited run of 36 Alligator models. In 2006, the first Acabion prototype was presented at the Geneva Motor Show, a feet first cabin motorcycle. In 2008, the Buddfab Streamliner set the speed record for a 50cc engine at 145 mph (233 km/h) with 20+ hp, then in 2009 the 125cc speed record at 186 mph (299 km/h). The Honda RS125 engine used produces 44 ps. In 2010, Dutchman Allert Jacobs, creator of the Quest velomobile, streamlined a Honda Innova underbone motorcycle to more than double the fuel economy from 1 liter per 48 km (113 mpg) to 1 per 101 (237mpg). In 2013, Suprine Machinery, Inc and designer John Chelen, introduced the EXODUS, a 1200cc BMW flat four with five speeds and reverse, where the rider is safely surrounded by a roll cage and a skid plate. Only weighing 680 pounds, with a full 8 gallon gas tank, the EXODUS exceeds speeds of 155 MPH with over 80 MPG at 55MPH. In March 2014 Honda unveiled the Honda NM4 model at the Osaka Motorcycle Show and it was on sale worldwide by the end of the year. In the United States it uses the original 700cc engine, whereas in Europe it has a 750cc engine. All versions use Honda's Dual Clutch Transmission (DCT) system to provide both automatic and semi-automatic control. 〔(【引用サイトリンク】publisher=Gizmag )〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Feet forwards motorcycle」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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