Carver One - It's a bike/car/trike...thing!
Discussion
So after my Dad had an unfortunate accident in his first Carver, he has now bought another...some people never learn!
This is what happened to the first one:
The pivot bar on the back broke, sending it into a bank at about 40mph and flipping it onto it's side. It then slid along the road and ended up like it is in the picture. This bar has now been replaced with an uprated item and has also become a service item, so hopefully this one will stay upright(ish)!
This is what happened to the first one:
The pivot bar on the back broke, sending it into a bank at about 40mph and flipping it onto it's side. It then slid along the road and ended up like it is in the picture. This bar has now been replaced with an uprated item and has also become a service item, so hopefully this one will stay upright(ish)!
Codswallop said:
They look like a proper hoot to drive - I'd love to try one.
What's the steering feel on those like?
I've only driven one briefly (I very nearly bought one but that very picture above put me off!) but I don't remember it having steering feel in the conventional sense of the term. It's such an odd experience that I think it would take a lot of miles before you were limited by grip and feel. They amount they tilt is governed by the speed of steering input so to get it really tipped over you need to be quite violent with the steering wheel. What's the steering feel on those like?
As you would imagine they are absolutely brilliant around town and on slower B and unclassified roads but, with only 70bhp or so, they're a bit outgunned on A roads and motorways. I think the best thing is that they are amazing fun regardless of speed - a corner taken at 5/10ths speed-wise can still put a grin on your face if you really chuck it in and get it leaning all the way over. In fact, just weaving in a straight line is entertaining enough!
Oddly enough, it feels way less strange to drive than it looks. You soon get used to not feeling any lateral G and looking up to see the apex.
Like I say, I bottled it based on the picture posted above and seeing how corroded all the stressed bars at the back were after hardly any miles and being garaged. Shame as it really is an amazing experience and just buzzing round town feels like
you're in Top Gun.
They are fun, but have a few little foibles, mostly because the lean angle is purely hydraulically controlled from steering load and speed, rather than being controlled by a computer that can account for things like road camber, cross winds, and dynamic lag in the system. They work well most of the time, but on really bumpy road the front lower edge of the cabin can catch the ground at full lean, and try to avoid steeply cambered roads or you might end up upside down again..... ;-)
Thanks for the comments.
In terms of steering yes it does steer at low speeds, but not that much, so parking etc can be quite tricky considering the size of it. Too try and help this the back wheels also steer but it doesn't seem to help much! Once you're on the move however it's fine and drives very much like a normal car, bar the fact you moving from side to side
It came from Carrs Ferrari as they were selling it on behalf of a customer.
In terms of steering yes it does steer at low speeds, but not that much, so parking etc can be quite tricky considering the size of it. Too try and help this the back wheels also steer but it doesn't seem to help much! Once you're on the move however it's fine and drives very much like a normal car, bar the fact you moving from side to side
It came from Carrs Ferrari as they were selling it on behalf of a customer.
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