Light weight roll cage for street motorcycle streamliner

[kiwi belly tank]

You started out talking motorcycle streamliner but you are referencing a reconfigured motorcycle & talking enclosure, thats really a different animal. A bike liner in our world is structured & caged to protect the "driver" from a solo vehicle crash in an environment where there are no structures or other traffic that will squash you like a bug.  Motorcycle survivability on the road is hinged around being seen by other motorists & being able to leave the bike "when" you crash & you are looking at eliminating both of these. That is going to make one very dangerous vehicle.
I built a street legal bellytank a few years ago, it's a two seat tandem configuration with a chassis built to SCTA spec, it will run over 200 mph & eye level is 32" above ground level. That one thing alone makes it a death trap in traffic, I can't see & others can't see me. No mater how much steel there is around me, I'm a bug in an unseen target. Fortunately I live in the country & my biggest risk is running under a deer or an elk but city traffic is out of the question.
I'm sure there are other forums with like minded people like yourself, we are LSR people. It's kinda like a sail boat guy asking a hydroplane  racer for advice.
  Sid.       

[BasementBorn]

It sounds like what you are asking is what our guidelines for building a streamliner are. The rule books for SCTA and BMST don't really give any specific info but do give minimum guidelines for building one. The link to the AMA (BMST) rules is here http://bonnevillespeedtrials.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/AMA-LSGC-SR-2015v13.pdf SCTA's rule books can be purchased for $10 from their website. It's probably not exactly what you are looking for in a street application but could give you an idea of how it works for land speed racing application. My biggest suggestion would probably be go to an event and see how others have built their streamliners then use that to get ideas for your project. My personal opinion is a motorcycle streamliner isn't a very streetable thing typically but that may also be because I am designing one for the salt and haven't thought too hard about what would be needed to make it work in a street situation.

Did a quick google search and came up with this one, might look more in to it, seems fairly streetable. http://www.gizmag.com/suprine-exodus-recumbent-motorcycle/28398/

[4stroke]

The reason I mentioned trees is because I hit a telegraph pole with my knee.  The collision was not head on (I would have died) the telegraph pole caught my hand/handlebar which hit the tank and the telegraph pole then caught my knee, the resulting force ejected me but not before breaking my femur.  Had it not been in an urban area where people could hear my cries for help I would have died from blood loss.

Despite this I am still riding my bike and I see a need for better protection without resorting to massive 1 ton car.

Regarding rear end collision with a car.  Most rear ends I have seen shunts the rear wheel sending the biker into an unexpected wheelie before they fall to one side (if they are lucky).  I can see how falling onto a roll cage instead of the bike falling onto you would be the better option.

I have considered three wheel but I do not know if I can get the wheels close enough to allow filtering and motorcycle parking.  I think tilting steering may be too complicated.  I did thought about making a petrol powered "velomobile" but the bicycle people did not like the idea of someone making a petrol powered hpv vehicle...

I have a bit more to say but I am busy right now.

[Milwaukee Midget]

Okay, cars are too slow, 2,000 lb cars are too heavy, but you advocate filtering, and you travel swiftly enough in an urban area to eject yourself and break a femur by hitting a telegraph pole.

The problem clearly lies with the bike, but I doubt a mechanical engineering exercise will be of much benefit.

Have you considered modifying the guidance system?

[Stainless1]

Yea, ya gotta watch them damn poles, they move a lot faster than you think they could...  
First question... how long have you been riding
Next... How long on the bike you crashed
Next... How fast do you ride normally, how fast when you crashed
Next... Why do you want a cage... do you realize it will kill you unless you are securely strapped in with all extremities confined unless you want to lose one that can get out.

Maybe you need to make yourself more visible, do you wear a bright orange reflective vest over your leathers every time you ride.
 

[Stan Back]

What's a massive one-ton car look like?

[Stainless1]

Sorta like a 1800 lb MC streamliner with the extra 200 lbs of suspension and wheels to make it a car...
 

[Speed Limit 1000]

Take a riders course and ride to live. The road isn't any safer than you are

[Milwaukee Midget]

What's a massive one-ton car look like?

Note the massive bulk and gas guzzling nature of the aforementioned 1-ton behemoths.

[4stroke]

Filtering in Australia is legally defined as moving between vehicles on the right side at speeds less than 30kph.  I am by no means a Rossi wannabe.

The human guidance system is not very good in the wet, at night or down nightmare road (where I crashed).  But even in the best of conditions mistakes can be made and often are.  On a motorcycle this means hospital or worse.

Sure I could catch the bus or never leave the house but I want to get the right balance or safety/risk, efficiency, economy, convenience and performance.

By efficiency I do not mean 40mpg I mean the highest practical mpg. 235mpg+ on the high way.

I am reading through the rule book that was linked for ideas.  Thanks for adding that to the thread.

[Peter Jack]

Once you install a cage you have to ensure that none of your limbs can in any way extend beyond the limits of the cage. That means you can't put your feet down or extend an arm outward because if it's possible in normal operation then under the force of an accident your limb will certainly get outside the cage and the cage will likely severly injure the limb that goes beyond the extents of the cage.

While you're at it, why don't you go into your profile and change your location to where it actually is. 

Pete

[mergatroyd]

http://www.motorcyclistonline.com/pace

 

[Seldom Seen Slim]

A quick comment:  I've taken FIVE on-track riding schools, and each and every one of them has had the condition that the course goes on rain or shine.  So I have been taught some rain-riding techniques.  Not that Valentino has anything about which to worry when he and I are both riding in the wet -- but I am pleased to say that I've been taught at least some of the stuff needed to improve my chances when the rain is a-fallin'.  I threw the CBR1100XX down the road at Grattan - in the wet.  I tossed the EX250 into the weeds at Road America - in the wet.  I learned from those two rides, though.  It weren't fun - but at least I can brag that I've tried to learn some.

Et vous?

[Peter Jack]

I see you changed your location. Thank-you.  

Jon's full of wisdom this morniing. His advise on high performance riding schools will do way more than a roll cage to save you from grief................ or worse.

Pete

[dw230]

I agree with all replies from #22 on. Take the advice 

DW