Consumer Bike Support Vehicles

[Ramblefire]

Code: [Select]

Giga-Cruiser (Harley Davidson)
Mass: 3.5 tons

Movement Type: Wheeled

Power Plant: ICE
Cruising Speed: 97.2 kph
Maximum Speed: 194.4 kph
Armor: BAR 5
Armament:

Communication System: Unknown
Targeting & Tracking System: Unknown
Introduction Year: 3000
Tech Rating/Availability: D/X-F-F-D
Cost: 37,850 C-bills

Type: Giga-Cruiser
Chassis Type: Wheeled (Small)
Technology Base: Inner Sphere (Experimental)
Mass: 3,500 kg
Battle Value: 28

Equipment                                         Mass (kg)
Chassis/Controls                                  207.0
Engine/Trans.                                     2232.0
    Cruise MP:9
Flank MP:14(18)
Heat Sinks                    0                     0.0
Fuel                                               47.0
Armor Factor (BAR 5)          11                  440.0

                          Internal   Armor   
                          Structure  Value   
     Front                   1         5     
     R/L Side               1/1       2/2   
     Rear                    1         2     


Weapons
and Ammo              Location    Tonnage   
None

Cargo
    Bay 1:  Cargo (0.35 tons)       1 Door   

Notes:
Features Ultra-Light, Bicycle Chassis and Controls Modifications
Supercharger(224 kg)

1 external seat

Structure Rating: C
Engine Rating: B


Code: [Select]

Honda UrbanRide (Scooter)

Mass: 0.125 tons

Movement Type: Wheeled

Power Plant: ICE
Cruising Speed: 86.4 kph
Maximum Speed: 129.6 kph
Armor: BAR 3
Armament:

Communication System: Unknown
Targeting & Tracking System: Unknown
Introduction Year: 3000
Tech Rating/Availability: D/X-E-D-D
Cost: 603 C-bills




 
Type: Honda UrbanRide
Chassis Type: Wheeled (Small)
Technology Base: Inner Sphere (Standard)
Mass: 125 kg
Battle Value: 9

Equipment                                         Mass (kg)
Chassis/Controls                                   31.0
Engine/Trans.                                      32.0
    Cruise MP:8
Flank MP:12
Heat Sinks                    0                     0.0
Fuel                                                5.0
Armor Factor (BAR 3)          3                    57.0

                          Internal   Armor   
                          Structure  Value   
     Front                   1         1     
     R/L Side               1/1       1/1   
     Rear                    1         0     


Weapons
and Ammo              Location    Tonnage   
None

Cargo
    None

Notes:
Features Ultra-Light, Bicycle Chassis and Controls Modifications

Engine and Structure Rating: D

Here are two examples from opposite ends of the spectrum of bike support vehicles. By the later years of the 3rd succession war, Honda has very much left the military market.

Harley is very much a FedCom brand with their production only in the Lyran Commonwealth, Fed Suns, and Terra.

Honda is based out of New Kyoto in the Lyran Commonwealth and has motorcycle factories in every successor state except the Capellan Confederation but with their best sales in the Magistracy of Canopus, LC, and DC, though that's not to say their sales in the Outworlds Alliance, Fed Suns, Taurian Concordat, and Free Worlds League are anything other than mind boggling.

For reasons that completely elude Harley Executives, they have never been able to keep up with the scale of Honda's sales figures. The Giga-Cruiser is Harley's latest attempt to unseat the monolith, but with sales of less than 50,000 Giga-Cruisers since it's introduction, it's back to the drawing board.

[idea weenie]

Gee, I wonder why the bike costing ~600 C-Bills oustsells the bike costing ~37,000 C-Bills.  I mean, the Gigacruiser only weighs 28* and costs ~60* as much.  The Gigacruiser has enough cargo capacity to carry two Urbanbikes on board, and has room for n extra passenger.

Still, nice ideas.  One is  high-speed semi-protected bike with a third of a ton of cargo capacity that can easily carry a passenger, and the other is a basic bike for puttering around town.

[DOC_Agren]

What the hell was the Harley designed for, combat support?  3.5 tons??    Is it a trike?

[Ramblefire]

What the hell was the Harley designed for, combat support?  3.5 tons??    Is it a trike?

Marketed toward the Police and Military, though less the LCAF and more militias with the idea that it could be used for long range scouting or supplying small scout outposts or sniper teams.

On the private market, it was being marketed against the people who the Honda UrbanRide was being marketed to. Basically people who aren't lower to middle-class urban-suburban single parents, younger white collar professionals, students, teenagers, people living in places that appear on lists like "Cities with the top 100 worst commutes in the inner sphere".

[DOC_Agren]

Marketed toward the Police and Military, though less the LCAF and more militias with the idea that it could be used for long range scouting or supplying small scout outposts or sniper teams.

On the private market, it was being marketed against the people who the Honda UrbanRide was being marketed to. Basically people who aren't lower to middle-class urban-suburban single parents, younger white collar professionals, students, teenagers, people living in places that appear on lists like "Cities with the top 100 worst commutes in the inner sphere".

so in other words it a solution looking for the problem.  8) No wonder the Marketing department having issue selling it.  Anyone in the design department thought about dropping the wgt by ohh  2/3??  I know we Lryan love bigger things but really.. now

I can see it as a trike with enclosed rear compartment being used a Police vehicle.  Hell with the speed could work as an interceptor, with the supercharger.

You could try marketing it as a Light Battle Armor/PAL transports

If you can convert it to fuel cell so it would be more silent running, I might be interested in for my Scout/Sniper Teams for deployments as " light transport" vehicle.

[Ramblefire]

Anyone in the design department thought about dropping the wgt by ohh  2/3??

It's a Harley. Why in the world would you make it smaller and cheaper? To appeal to NERDS!?!

If you can convert it to fuel cell so it would be more silent running

If it were silent, would it be a Harley?

[DOC_Agren]

It's a Harley. Why in the world would you make it smaller and cheaper? To appeal to NERDS!?!
If it were silent, would it be a Harley?

Sadly.. that sounds like Harley management team
Dnepr M-72

and the "run silent" was something to bring my Scout/Snipers Teams into areas quietly

[Daryk]

That looks suspiciously applicable to the current conflict...  ^-^

[DOC_Agren]

That looks suspiciously applicable to the current conflict...  ^-^

shocking that a ww2 design looks like it could still be workable

[Ramblefire]

In terms of Fuel Cell vehicles

Code: [Select]

Honda Millennium GoldWing (Safe 2650)

Mass: 0.85 tons

Movement Type: Wheeled

Power Plant: Fuel Cell
Cruising Speed: 118.8 kph
Maximum Speed: 183.6 kph
Armor: BAR 3
Armament: the gun in the glove box (if you've got one)

Communication System: Toshiba 2950xdxd All-In-One Automotive Console
Targeting & Tracking System: Texas Instruments 360Sense+camera
Introduction Year: 3000
Tech Rating/Availability: D/X-E-D-D
Cost: 4,121 C-bills
 
Type: Honda Millennium GoldWing
Chassis Type: Wheeled (Small)
Technology Base: Inner Sphere (Standard)
Mass: 850 kg
Battle Value: 10

Equipment                                         Mass (kg)
Chassis/Controls                                  125.0
Engine/Trans.                                     319.0
    Cruise MP:11
Flank MP:17
Heat Sinks                    0                     0.0
Fuel                                               20.0
Armor Factor (BAR 3)          3                    72.0

                          Internal   Armor   
                          Structure  Value   
     Front                   1         1     
     R/L Side               1/1       1/1   
     Rear                    1         0     


Weapons
and Ammo              Location    Tonnage   
None

Cargo
    Bay 1:  Cargo (0.304 tons)      1 Door   

Notes:
Features Ultra-Light, Bicycle Chassis and Controls Modifications
Searchlight(2; 5 kg each)

1 Standard Seat

Oh so rudely budging into Harley's ballpark for the last 1020 years as of the turn of the Millennium, the GoldWing is a touring bike that has changed very little since 2650 when its ergonomics and characteristics had been perfected by Honda engineering genius Phillip Asuno. The fuel cell engine is whisper quiet. The trunk is spacious and also provides a generous crumple for when something happens. The seat is large, ergonomic, comfortable, and encourages good posture. It's got heating, cooling, cruise control, and everything else. For the last 350 years, very little has changed of Mr. Asuno's design with the last big update in 2678 (the introduction of an SRCS driver assist) being rolled back when the marketing department dropped the ball and called the newest feature an auto-pilot.

The goldwing has the dubious infamy of being the subject of the largest consumer recall in recorded human history due to the inordinate number of deaths misuse of the driver's assist caused. Those who brought in their bikes were given a free 2650 on top of the full consumer refund. So that's why the 2650 model is sticking around.

[RifleMech]

Just curious, how about this one?   >:D

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vespa_150_TAP

[PuppyLikesLaserPointers]

Well, how a 3.5 tons vehicle can be called a bike, then? If it is intended to be used by the police/armed force then its thick armor and heavy weight seems reasonable but... is it a bike, actually? How large it is when you design Giga Cruiser?

[Ramblefire]

Well, how a 3.5 tons vehicle can be called a bike, then? If it is intended to be used by the police/armed force then its thick armor and heavy weight seems reasonable but... is it a bike, actually? How large it is when you design Giga Cruiser?

It started with the name Harley Davidson Giga-Cruiser and then I started with a 3.5 ton frame as a thoroughly unreasonable extreme, strawmanning the self destructive toxic masculinity so prevalent in the Harley the community and encouraged by the decisions taken by Harley's executive board and marketing and promotional materials. I then extrapolated that out to its logical extreme.

Code: [Select]

HD-125F

Mass: 1.25 tons

Movement Type: Wheeled

Power Plant:  ICE
Cruising Speed: 97.2 kph
Maximum Speed: 194.4 kph
Armor: BAR 4
Armament:

Communication System: Unknown
Targeting & Tracking System: Unknown
Introduction Year: 3022
Tech Rating/Availability: D/X-F-F-D
Cost: 13,742 C-bills
 
Type: HD-125F
Chassis Type: Wheeled (Small)
Technology Base: Inner Sphere (Experimental)
Mass: 1,250 kg
Battle Value: 13

Equipment                                         Mass (kg)
Chassis/Controls                                  155.0
Engine/Trans.                                     797.0
    Cruise MP:9
Flank MP:14(18)
Heat Sinks                    0                     0.0
Fuel                                               50.0
Armor Factor (BAR 4)          3                    96.0

                          Internal   Armor   
                          Structure  Value   
     Front                   1         1     
     R/L Side               1/1       1/1   
     Rear                    1         0     


Weapons
and Ammo              Location    Tonnage   
None

1 Pillion Seat

Cargo
    Bay 1:  Cargo (0.072 tons)      1 Door   

Notes:
Features Bicycle Chassis and Controls Modification
Supercharger(80 kg)

In 3022, somebody decides to hit Harley with a clue by four that their giga-cruiser just plain doesn't work as a concept. Almost nobody buys it. Sure, on the scale of the inner sphere, statistically enough people will exist to get the company at least breaking even on their investment, but it was only around 3020 when they realized that they couldn't just rely on the harley brand name of "buy this bike unless you're a little sissy" to sell their bikes and in order to actually grow as a company again, they need to build bikes for, you know, "normal people" or something. So they "innovate" and come out with the HD-125F. And because old habits die hard, the F is a dogwhistle to their core customers.

Still, it sold way better than the Giga-cruiser, so this whole "selling bikes that ostensibly normal people can maybe purchase" seems to be doing something right.

Code: [Select]

Executive Outcome (Generation 1)
Mass: 1.5 tons

Movement Type: Wheeled

Power Plant:  Fusion
Cruising Speed: 118.8 kph
Maximum Speed: 237.6 kph
Armor: BAR 10
Armament:

Communication System: Unknown
Targeting & Tracking System: Unknown
Introduction Year: 3024
Tech Rating/Availability: D/X-F-F-D
Cost: 29,246 C-bills


Type: Executive Outcome
Chassis Type: Wheeled (Small)
Technology Base: Inner Sphere (Experimental)
Mass: 1,500 kg
Battle Value: 31

Equipment                                         Mass (kg)
Chassis/Controls                                  303.00000000000006
Engine/Trans.                                     469.0
    Cruise MP:11
Flank MP:17(22)
Heat Sinks                    0                     0.0
Fuel                                                0.0
Armor Factor (BAR 10)         7                   441.0

                          Internal   Armor   
                          Structure  Value   
     Front                   1         2     
     R/L Side               1/1       2/2   
     Rear                    1         1     


Weapons
and Ammo              Location    Tonnage   
None

1 standard seat (passenger), 1 pillion seat (driver)
Cargo
    Bay 1:  Cargo (Refrigerated) (0.022 tons)1 Door   
    Bay 2:  Cargo (Insulated) (0.022 tons)1 Door   
    Bay 3:  Cargo (0.169 tons)      1 Door   

Notes:
Features Bicycle, Armored Chassis Chassis and Controls Modifications
Supercharger(47 kg)
Manipulator(10 kg)
Searchlight(2; 5 kg each)

And after Harley's attempt at a more affordable buke comes Honda with a bike that is in fact heavier than the Harley but marketed toward a different kind of person.

Specifically a gratuitous luxury product marketed squarely at "he (or she) who has played the game of life and won" With it's massive market penetration, it's aimed presumably at the Honda customer who has made the big time with the tagline "You have earned this. You deserve this." The pillion seat is padded and comfortable and encourages good posture for long rides. The back seat, normally open, can be used for multiple things, primarily either a significant other or extra cargo, though it can be sealed up capsule style to protect the contents with a layer of BAR 10 Star Slab battlemech armor. It's also a great getaway option since a protection detail can sling their principal into the capsule while a specially trained getaway driver does the actual driving.

It has a super charger. It has a refrigerated cargo compartment, and an insulated cargo compartment in addition to the normal cargo trunk. It even has a fold-away robotic manipulator arm for heavier cargoes so that the owner of the vehicle no longer needs to manually load heavy baggage by hand. Clever observers may note that the robotic arm can also be used to push the vehicle back up should it fall.

It is powered by a fusion engine, and thus, no longer needs to be fueled.

[paladin2019]

What the hell was the Harley designed for, combat support?  3.5 tons??    Is it a trike?

It's heavier than an F-150....

And the HD125 is about thrice twice the weight of an Electraglide.

[Dragon Cat]

These are cool

[ANS Kamas P81]

Market the Gigahog to Elementals and you have the perfect market.

[idea weenie]

Market the Gigahog to Elementals and you have the perfect market.

They would likely buy it, but how big is the market?  Plus, as a Clan Warrior, they would likely demand that it be upgraded to a fusion reactor.  The weight can remain the same, they just want the endurance and higher cargo capacity.

Depending on the resulting design, they might be able to ride it while wearing their armor.  Jumping 3 offers good maneuverability, but wheeled ground speed of 9/14 gives them a great ability to redeploy, or keep up with a Mech force without needing to recharge (the fusion plant in their motorcycle recharges them as they travel).

[Daryk]

That's what the Executive Outcome is for, I believe...  8)

[idea weenie]

That's what the Executive Outcome is for, I believe...  8)

Executive would carry the Elemental without their armor.  I wonder if the 3.5 ton version, modified for fusion, would carry an Elemental in their armor.  Make for an interesting fast-strike formation, where Elementals in armor can travel at 9/14 across the battlefield (but cannot fire), then hop off and fight as Battle Armor troops (with the risk of losing their motorcycles).

[ANS Kamas P81]

Find a way to cram a 1 ton infantry compartment in the Gigahog and you've got your Biker Elementals.

[Ramblefire]

Code: [Select]

Hard Driver Elemental Carrier
Mass: 3.5 tons

Movement Type: Wheeled

Power Plant: Fusion
Cruising Speed: 97.2 kph
Maximum Speed: 194.4 kph
Armor: BAR 5
Armament:


Communication System: Unknown
Targeting & Tracking System: Unknown
Introduction Year: 3053
Tech Rating/Availability: D/X-X-F-F
Cost: 34,187 C-bills
 
Type: Elemental Carrier
Chassis Type: Wheeled (Small)
Technology Base: Inner Sphere (Experimental)
Mass: 3,500 kg
Battle Value: 28

Equipment                                         Mass (kg)
Chassis/Controls                                  207.0
Engine/Trans.                                     744.0
    Cruise MP:9
Flank MP:14(18)
Heat Sinks                    0                     0.0
Fuel                                                0.0
Armor Factor (BAR 5)          11                  440.0

                          Internal   Armor   
                          Structure  Value   
     Front                   1         5     
     R/L Side               1/1       2/2   
     Rear                    1         2     


Weapons
and Ammo              Location    Tonnage   
None

Cargo
    Bay 1:  Cargo (0.534 tons)      1 Door   
1 ton Troop Compartment

Notes:
Features Bicycle, Ultra-Light Chassis and Controls Modifications
Supercharger(75 kg)
Recon Camera(500 kg)
Smart Robotic Control System
1 Pillion seat

A modification of the Harley Giga Cruiser for carrying one medium class battle armor suit+ rider. While Harley maintains a controlling share in Hard Driver Industrial, it is technically not a Harley product so as not to alienate any of their core customers. The modification includes replacing the tech B ICE engine for a tech D fusion engine, stripping off all of the Harley labeling, and then adding other features such as a sophisticated sensor suite in order to feed data to the robotic autopilot systems on board the bike. This also allows for handless steering as many battle armors lack armored gloves to grasp and manipulate the handlebars with. This allows for alternate control systems with zero loss of control input  authority or fidelity.

The intention being that the Jumpjet equipped medium battle armor would ride to the battlefield, jumpjet into battle, and then the bike would navigate to a safe place to store itself while the battle armor fought.

[Giovanni Blasini]

I find this touting of the svelte Hondas and bagging on the overweight Harleys absolutely hilarious, when the Harley Road King and Honda Goldwing are roughly the same curb weight.

(To be clear, I've no dog in this fight.  Closest I come to motorcycles is considering putting an electric assist on one of my bicycles, which I've barely ridden since I broke my shoulder on one a few years back)

Also, it's worth noting that instead of a single battlearmored trooper, the Hard Driver could instead carry an entire squad of foot infantry.  Get four of them riding down the highway, and you've got your entire platoon.

[DOC_Agren]

So the Hard Driver still has a driving seat plus space to carry a squad of Inf..  no ICE so quietly.

My Scout/Snipers love the idea

[Dragon Cat]

Find a way to cram a 1 ton infantry compartment in the Gigahog and you've got your Biker Elementals.

That sounds funny

[Ramblefire]

I find this touting of the svelte Hondas and bagging on the overweight Harleys absolutely hilarious, when the Harley Road King and Honda Goldwing are roughly the same curb weight.

I'm more ragging on Harley's executive leadership, core fan base, and operating/design/marketing philosophy than the actual bikes. They're good bikes but the bikes are arguably the least important aspect of that company.

[Daryk]

Broken shoulder, Gio? OUCH!  :o

[Giovanni Blasini]

Broken shoulder, Gio? OUCH!  :o

Mine was fairly minor: I just cracked the end of my humerus, just under my rotator cuff.  I still periodically have issues, since there's a slight bump where the bone healed over that presses into the rotator cuff and causes pain, and can't pull quite as heavy a draw weight on a bow anymore, but I got off pretty light, thanks to still remembering my Aikido lessons on how to fall properly.

My mother, on the other hand, never took Aikido, went over the handlebars of her bike (I went sideways when swerving to avoid her), and hit the ground largely elbow-first at around 25 MPH...which shattered the other end of her humerous, requiring surgery, plates, screws, pins and various other hardware to put it together.  That was much worse.

[Daryk]

No kidding worse!  Words fail me beyond that...

[Giovanni Blasini]

No kidding worse!  Words fail me beyond that...

"Two wheels bad.  Four wheels good."

[Daryk]

Indeed!  I hike in this town, and cringe when I see cyclists.

[Ramblefire]

"Two wheels bad.  Four wheels good."

Oof. I remember my German language teacher telling me a story of how she went over the handlebars when biking with her husband. She got out just fine, but the helmet was apparently in something like 5 separate pieces. Damn thing saved her life.

[truetanker]

Last week I say a wheeled trike smash into a semi...

Damn fool didn't wear their helmet, most don't want to.

Would have saved their lives...

Shame.

TT

[Cannonshop]

Last week I say a wheeled trike smash into a semi...

Damn fool didn't wear their helmet, most don't want to.

Would have saved their lives...

Shame.

TT

not crashing into a SEMI might've saved their life.  Too often these things happen because some damn fool didn't realize that the cagers can't see you.