Are three wheels better than two? It’s a tougher question to answer than you may think, and one that inspires strong feelings either way.
The three-wheel motorcycle category is fairly broad, in fact. Originally, there were one-wheel front, two-wheel back structures from Harley Davidson, Honda, and other manufacturers, but more recently, the two-wheel front, one-back setup has been popularized by brands like Can-Am.
There’s also a question of what is technically a motorcycle and what is an automobile. For example, is the Morgan three-wheeler a bike or a car? Sure, it has two skinny front tires and a fatter rear one, but you’re sitting down in the semblance of a cockpit and you pilot the vehicle with a steering wheel. The Polaris slingshot is much the same.
Some argue that trikes defeat the purpose of a motorcycle, which, to them, might be the enjoyment that comes from maneuvering these nimble, slender machines. However, others counter that the open-air connection to the road is not lost with the addition of a third wheel.
Whichever side of the fence you call home, Yamaha has decided it will appeal to both camps by adding a production version of its MWT-9 Concept to its lineup, according to VisorDown. First shown at last year’s Tokyo Motor Show, the MWT-9 is a unique three-wheel design that distinguishes itself from models like the Can-Am Spyder, Harley Davidson Tri-Glide, and Morgan Three-Wheeler. Using two smaller-diameter wheels up front and a standard motorcycle rear wheel, the bike looks more like a two-headed creature than anything else.
Powering the concept is the Yamaha FZ-09’s 850cc inline three-cylinder motor, which will most likely carry over to the production model. This design has been tried before in models like the Piaggio three-wheel scooter, but a full-fledged motorcycle trike has yet to be pioneered with so much displacement.
The unique styling may bridge the gap between two-wheel purists and three-wheel liberals, due to the confidence-inspiring riding style and narrow, subtle dimensions. It’s hard to get around the added weight, but with additional power and front-end grip, this trike design could introduce riding to many who never considered the activity before.
BYD has launched the third-generation Qin Plus DM-i in China, and the first thing that caught my eye is its price. According to CarNewsChina, the plug-in hybrid sedan starts at 79,900 yuan, which is about $11,980. That’s an incredibly low price for a brand-new car, especially by US standards.
What’s even more impressive is the range. The Qin Plus DM-i can drive up to 137 miles on electricity alone, which should cover most people’s daily commutes without using a drop of gas. Once the battery runs out, the 1.5-liter engine takes over. Thanks to its 17-gallon tank and roughly 91 mpg with a drained battery, the combined range reaches up to 1,423 miles.
Apple won the PC market’s worst quarter, but that’s not the entire story. It won the race by stumbling less than everyone else.
PC makers shipped just 57 million computers worldwide in Q3, which might look good, but it’s a 21% year-over-year plunge (via Counterpoint Research). And despite Apple’s Mac shipments falling by 11%, to 5.6 million, its market share rose from 8.7% to 9.8%. How did that happen?
Update (October 22 23:54 PT): In response to our query, GM clarified that offline recording support is already available on eligible vehicles. Like Tesla's Sentry Mode, it requires owners to connect a USB drive to save incident recordings, which can be viewed on the vehicle's infotainment screen. The upcoming Connected Cameras feature will build on this by giving owners remote access to these recordings via the revamped OnStar app, allowing them to check footage without walking out to their car.
General Motors has announced plans to add a new Connected Cameras feature to its OnStar service starting next year, giving drivers a way to monitor parked vehicles remotely and capture footage of certain incidents.