Driving The Elio?

[AriLea]

Wheaters,

I was stationed at RAF Alconbury for 3 years and had a British Ford Cortina and a US VW Passat and did not have a problem with passing or situation awareness. My problem was making sure I was in the L/H side of the road when I drove the american car... You Brits drive on the unRight side of the road because we drive on the Right side of the road...

I had a British Ford Cortina, but here in the US around 1971. I loved that car soooo much.

 

[nthawk68]

I see now, thanks! I flew over 325 hours on the S-70 Blackhawk (Hong Kong Government) and about six hours on the PaveHawk, plus another five or six on the PaveLow (Albuquerque, exchange visit, early 1990s. The three S-70s we flew in HK are now back in the USA, firefighting work, I believe. I bought my CB750 Nighthawk in HK

That is a sweet bike, it has a workhorse engine and a lot of power and a nice ride.

 

[Rickb]

This is not your standard automatic from the big three auto makers. This is a AMT style (automated manual transmission) therefore it will drive very similar to an automatic, or you can select the gears manually. IMO you get the best of both worlds.

Standard Automatic...........saw some humor there.

 

[Oldfarmer]

When I teach my kids to drive, I have them sit behind the wheel and look at the white line on the side of the road. Then, I have them look to see where the white line intersects the windshield wiper and tell them that lets you know that you are in the middle of the lane. When you start driving in your Elio, move to the left without crossing over, see where the center line intersects on a point on the car and then move to the right and do the same and memorize the points. This will help till your brain learns where the car should be without thinking about it. JMO

Back in '71 when I took driver ed my teacher said to keep an eye on the darkish area in the center of the lane. It worked. But here we are 40+ years later and most of the cars do not constantly drip oil which is where that dark area came from. I still drive for a living and note that the oil stains aren't nearly as noticeable.

 

[flyingsquirrel]

I have a Can-Am Spyder which is pretty close to an Elio...on the interstate, i find the Can-Am to be a little darty. Any slight irregularity in the roadway can cause a slight deviation in the direction..I also remember that the BSA FWD threewheel car had a habit of flipping on its side if cornered with great enthusiasm. I am sure that driving the Elio will be a little bit different from what most people are used to.

 

[Truett Collins]

I have a Can-Am Spyder which is pretty close to an Elio...on the interstate, i find the Can-Am to be a little darty. Any slight irregularity in the roadway can cause a slight deviation in the direction..I also remember that the BSA FWD threewheel car had a habit of flipping on its side if cornered with great enthusiasm. I am sure that driving the Elio will be a little bit different from what most people are used to.

The spyder is rear wheel drive, the BSA vehicle did not have a low center of gravity.

 

[Jim H]

I have a Can-Am Spyder which is pretty close to an Elio...on the interstate, i find the Can-Am to be a little darty. Any slight irregularity in the roadway can cause a slight deviation in the direction..I also remember that the BSA FWD threewheel car had a habit of flipping on its side if cornered with great enthusiasm. I am sure that driving the Elio will be a little bit different from what most people are used to.

Welcome to the forum where you can find the most up to date information on the Elio. We try to keep it friendly, positive, and friendly. Looking forward to your comments, questions, and opinions. Enjoy this unique opportunity in personal transportation.

 

[Rickb]

I have a Can-Am Spyder which is pretty close to an Elio...on the interstate, i find the Can-Am to be a little darty. Any slight irregularity in the roadway can cause a slight deviation in the direction..I also remember that the BSA FWD threewheel car had a habit of flipping on its side if cornered with great enthusiasm. I am sure that driving the Elio will be a little bit different from what most people are used to.

Welcome flyingsquirrel! I bet we find the Elio handles more like a traditional "car" than your CA Spyder and will have a short learning curve. I bet the Can-Am is a hoot to ride! Can't wait to verify that.

The BSA Three wheelers look to have driver and passenger wieght distribution much closer to the rear wheel which pehaps caused the instability during a quick maneuver. The Elio is very thoughtfully engineered and looked to handle the slalom with ease in the video. Have fun on the forum!

 

[JEBar]

will have a short learning curve.

The Elio is very thoughtfully engineered and looked to handle the slalom with ease in the video. Have fun on the forum!

there most certainly will be a learning curve in several areas, several of which have been and are being discussed on this forum .... I haven't seen any which I believe will require a massive effort .... that said, I do believe that by not having a second rear wheel it will prove to be difficult to make high speed, sharp turns .... it has been designed to be a commuter vehicle that will be driven over standard roads where it will make standard turns at posted speed limits .... under normal driving conditions it should do OK

Jim

 

[Dusty921]

Welcome flyingsquirrel! I bet we find the Elio handles more like a traditional "car" than your CA Spyder and will have a short learning curve. I bet the Can-Am is a hoot to ride! Can't wait to verify that.

The BSA Three wheelers look to have driver and passenger wieght distribution much closer to the rear wheel which pehaps caused the instability during a quick maneuver. The Elio is very thoughtfully engineered and looked to handle the slalom with ease in the video. Have fun on the forum!

o_O Look at the associated footprints, no real comparison between the Elio and Spyder.