There have been a lot of attempts to make a two-wheeled vehicle that would combine the best characteristics of a motorcycle and a bicycle, taking advantage of the benefits that these two means of transportation offer. Most of those attempts have been unsuccessful, and haven’t resulted in a vehicle that could attract a lot of consumers who are thinking of replacing cars with something more environmentally-friendly. But, in recent years, a significant progress has been made in the development of bicycle-motorcycle hybrids, with a couple of very good concepts that, due to their sporty design and performance they offer, could be appealing to the younger population.
One such concept was unveiled at the 2012 LA Auto Show. It’s the Hybrid Sports Bicycle, or HSB, developed by Thomas Bubilek. This prototype is a very good-looking vehicle, which can be powered by three different energy sources: human power – by turning the pedals, electricity – coming from the electric motor, or gasoline, through an internal combustion engine. It’s design is based on a modern mountain bike, with a triangulated tubular frame, heavy-duty front forks, and extra wide front handle bars.
There is a 1-gallon tank mounted within the frame, an electric battery in the front wheel, where the disc brakes are also located, an electric motor in the rear wheel, while the 105 cc gasoline engine is installed under the frame, and the manual pedals are located right in front of the rear wheel.
It’s still not road-legal, and needs some modifications to be approved for use on public roads, and Thomas Bubilek is in search for investors to further improve this prototype. According to various sources, it should be selling for about $7,000, which is not too much for such a technologically advanced, sophisticated two-wheeler. Driving the HSB has multiple benefits, one being that you don’t need a license to drive it, and you could use it on designated bike lanes.