[Closed] Why do car manufacturers sometimes make bikes?

Why do people in the city need a 4x4?

Why do fools fall in love?

if you want a [url= http://www.bikeradar.com/road/news/article/bmc-launch-50th-anniversary-lamborghini-edition-bicycle-36636/ ]BMC Lamborghini[/url], just pop down to your local Lamborghini dealer (with €25,000) and you can pick one up from them, you don't need to buy a car with one.

Because they can ( would you not ? )

its all a bit confusing after all BMC designed the Maxi and that was notorious for being crap and the gear cables stretching.... and I've never understood NASA selling their branded products through Halfords, though I guess the vacant stare you sometimes get has something to do with space

And are they ever any good?

The BMC Lamborghini, the Colnago Ferrari and the Factor Aston Martin are all good bikes, if completely mental in the case of the Factor. BMW and Porsche have tried several times, Hummer had a go. They were all shit.

It's a marketing thing. Cars are bad and smelly and get stuck in traffic jams, bikes are cool and funky and ridden by fit people.

But people want to buy cars not bikes.

So car manufacturers make a bike to get people to think "hey, this is a cool and funky and environmentally-friendly company - let's buy a SUV from them".

There's also an element of "this company makes cars, which are difficult to make - push bikes are easy to make so theirs must be fantastic".

Because fools and their money are easily parted. They're trying to cash in on all the MAMILS with cash who are buying posh cars by trying to sell them an overpriced bike too. There is also a positive association with the technology of modern bikes and cars which the manufacturers want to make a link with. Also some people are sad - if they've got a Ferrari they want a Ferrari cap, sunglasses, jacket, ballpoint pen made from braided brake hose, a wall clock made from a Ferrari brake disk. Porsche even make a Porsche branded sledge and from that Top Gear episode, a Porsche branded smoking pipe.

Peugeot used to make some nice bikes

Peugeot were making bikes long before the car came along, since 1810.

Land Rover do/did a load of BSOs, overpriced if not completely hopeless. They at least went for the <£500 end of the market, not the >£5k.

The problem with the ones I've seen is that car manufacturers think they can apply their 'automotive engineering' or whatever to a bike. Then forget how much things like weight matter. We had a Porsche FS bike in once, it weighed over 40lbs. Big yellow thing with huge triple clamp forks and tri spoke wheels. But totally inappropriate for anything other than XC. Probably 15 years old now.

My LBS sells Land Rover mtbs.
Whether they are any good or not I do not know as I have only caught a glimpse while walking in.
Although bearing that name you would hope so.

My first MTB was a Peugeot. They make pepper mills too!

Although bearing that name you would hope so.

They're a lot more expensive than an equivalent Trek/Spesh, let alone Boardman etc. paying for the name.

Peugeot were making bikes long before the car came along, since 1810.

Kirkpatrick MacMillan only invented the pedal bicycle in 1835 - but yes, Peugeot were making bikes long before they made cars. As did Humber, Triumph, etc. Many companies started off making bicycles and moved into motorbikes and cars.

My first road bike was a Peugeot.

Let's hope more bike manufactuers don't follow them into making motor vehicles. Imagine what an Orange car would look like...

[img] [/img]

Land Rover do/did a load of BSOs, overpriced if not completely hopeless. They at least went for the <£500 end of the market, not the >£5k.

I rode one of their first offerings. Decent enough, but as you say you didn't get a lot for the money (ISTR it being rather heavy, even for a <£500 bike).

I've also owned a Peugeot, a 10 speed road bike in the eighties. Tbh they weren't really the kind of thing I had in mind- I was thinking of Porsche and Mercedes. The only time I've seen one of those out on the trails was at Coed y Brenin and the guy looked very self conscious and defensive!

Sometimes they have nothing to do with the manufacturer and just lease the name and then sell them through the relevant channels.

KTM, for example, have no connection at all with the motorcycle brand.

http://www.factorbikes.com/astonmartin/about.html

9.5kg, no lightweight!

So, it's a marketing exercise, right? Does that mean motorists look up to and admire cyclists? I thought they hated us!! (all the usual caveats regarding generalising apply)

It's got a mental amount of computing and analysis stuff on it though, accelerometers and all sorts - does full on F1 telemetry.

EDIT: already mentioned ^

One-77 Cycle Electronics
Channel List

Crank Force Left
Crank Force Right
Crank Torque Left
Crank Torque Right
Crank Position
Crank Angular Velocity
Crank Cadence
Average Crank Cadence
Maximum Crank Cadence
Total Power
Average Power Per Revolution
Left Leg Power
Right Leg Power
Maximum Left Leg Power
Maximum Right Leg Power
Average Left Leg Power
Average Right Leg Power
Interval Number
Interval Type (Time / Distance)
Interval Size
Interval Target 1
Interval Target 1 Delta
Target Parameter Type 1
Interval Target 2
Interval Target 2 Delta
Target Parameter Type 2
Interval Average speed
GPS Locked
GPS Number of Satellites
GPS Speed
GPS Altitude
GPS Latitude
GPS Longitude
GPS Heading
GPS UTC
Time
Time zone offset
Acceleration X
Acceleration Y
Acceleration Z
Left Useful Power
Left Wasted Power
Right Useful Power
Right Wasted Power
Atmospheric Press
Altitude
Maximum Altitude
Minimum Altitude
Rate of Ascent
Rate of Descent
Humidity
Temperature Ambient
Event Marker
Rear Wheel Speed
Maximum Speed
Average Speed
Trip time
Trip Distance
Total Distance
Heart Rate Via ANT+ Device
Minimum Heart Rate
Maximum Heart Rate
Left Crank Data Packet Counter
Right Crank Data Packet Counter
Left Crank State of Charge
Right Crank State of Charge
Left Crank Serial Number
Right Crank Serial Number
Heart Rate Packet Indicator
System Battery Voltage
System Current Consumption
Crank length
Tyre Diameter

Yep, £25,000, you'd of thought it'll do something pretty special. I'd love to meet someone who buys one!

So, it's a marketing exercise, right? Does that mean motorists look up to and admire cyclists? I thought they hated us!! (all the usual caveats regarding generalising apply)

Cyclists on roads = bad

Cyclists taking their bikes by car to a canal path = good

They're an accessory to attach to your car to show you're a sporting adventurous type - like those sparkling Land Rovers with full roll cage and snorkel that have never had a whiff of mud.

Wobliscott, has nailed some of the reasons in particular this one:

There is also a positive association with the technology of modern bikes and cars which the manufacturers want to make a link with.

It is about customer perception and improving brand image. Cars today are synonymous with pollution and making some bikes "greens" up their image a little.

Do you think that Aston Martin owners go to sleep at night dreaming that one day they'll get to be a cyclist?

spazzolino and Wobbliscott I see your point. It's cashing in in the the prestige of things like the Tour de France rather than a serious attempt at making money out of selling bikes, hey?

I feel used 🙁

Its certainly not a direct attempt to make money. But improving brand perception should pay in the long term.

But why do you feel used? need to share something?

Haha! I feel used because they are using the superiority of cycling to sell their crappy products

chakaping - Member
My first road bike was a Peugeot.

Let's hope more bike manufactuers don't follow them into making motor vehicles. Imagine what an Orange car would look like...
[img] [/img]
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I think your image link is playing up, it's just showing a picture of an Orange 5.....

Look's attempt at a car

Given the relatively small quantities that they sell, I'd be very surprised if many of the car manufacturers actually make bikes themselves.It's more likely that they're simply badged up bikes in most cases - with the possible exception of Aston Martin & Lamborghini who probably have a lot of input on the design stages.

People who buy BMW bikes are just doing so in order to have [u]two[/u] vehicles without functioning indicators 😉

Lamborghini anyone? 🙂

http://www.tesco.com/direct/lamborghini-toro-26-dual-suspension-adults-road-bike/205-1288.prd

A few seem to be making some interesting ebikes. Audi have their amazing, but costly concept. Ford have been making concepts too. Smart are already selling theirs with as much backing as their cars.

I'm not sure if European emission targets for vehicle sales in future years will lead car manufacturers to making mass produced ebikes for the masses, but if Audi could make theirs for a decent price I'd be interested, even if it meant passing a motorbike test.

http://www.m55-bike.com/

http://www.kiska.com/#/wedo/selected-projects/ktm-freeride/

http://www.yankodesign.com/2012/04/03/opels-boomerang-bike/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IHXMH_M6m8Q

I think your image link is playing up, it's just showing a picture of an Orange 5.....

😆

Of course it will look like a Five to the untrained eye, it's the evolution of a classic design.