Check Out This Rad Tank You Ride Like a Motorcycle

A tankcycle? A motortank? Whatever you want to call it, it's set to go anywhere.

Photo by: US Patent and Trademark Office

By: Jonathon Klein

Aug 24, at 8:02am ET

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You sort of ride an ATV like a motorcycle, right? You straddle a seat, have handlebar controls, and the whole premise is to give the operator a sense of what a motorcycle is, but sitting squarely on four wheels to add better stability and support. But there are compromises. The seat is longer and wider, and with more cushion. The bars are longer and beefier, too, as to give the rider a better handle over the far heavier machine.

And despite its name, i.e., all-terrain vehicle, it can still be stopped when the going gets rough, muddy, sandy, or snowy depending on the conditions and depth of those mediums. So it's motorcycle-like while also being a some-terrain vehicle. Well, this patent that RideApart dug up takes the original conceit and delivers something that is both far more motorcycle, and far more all-terrain than anything currently on the market.

How does a motorcycle tank sound to you?

Filed by China's LuckyRam, the company builds and develops golf carts, a handful of UTVs, a tracked wheelchair for those with disabilities who want to explore the outdoors, and an electric stand-up tank machine that looks like a cross between a Bird scooter and an M1 Abrahms. So tank-like vehicles are definitely in the company's wheelhouse.

But the patent is interesting, as it blends a motorcycle and the company's penchant for treaded vehicles in a way I don't see on its site, nor anywhere else.

The frame is lithe, looking very much like a motorcycle. And the handlebars resemble that of your old Honda CB500s of old, though the front end looks lifted straight out of the go-fast ATVs of the '90s and early '00s. According to the patent's description, "All-terrain vehicles are vehicles that can travel on any terrain and can move freely on terrains that are difficult for ordinary vehicles to maneuver. All-terrain vehicles are becoming increasingly popular as they have multiple purposes and are not restricted to road conditions."

What do you think?

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It adds, "However, all-terrain vehicles face various road conditions and encounter the following problems when they run on rough and bumpy roads. Due to high resistance of roads effecting the steering of the vehicles, the accuracy and stability of a driver's steering of the all-terrain vehicle are poor. In addition, the uneven loads on the track wheel system cause significant wear, and all-terrain vehicles are prone to roll and overturn due to poor lateral stability."

According to the company's site, it does sell in the United States, so if this ever becomes reality, you may see a motorcycle tank—tankcycle?—the next time you're out for a rip on the trails. But what do you all think? Are you ready to really go off-road?