All Tests – Quadro4 4-wheel scooter test: the Quadroture of the circle – First contact with the Quadro4

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Quadro4 4-wheel scooter test: the Quadroture du cercle

All Tests - Quadro4 4-wheel scooter test: the Quadroture of the circle - First contact with the Quadro4

Long awaited, the world’s first 4-wheel scooter is finally on the market. MNC gives you its first impressions of this atypical vehicle, which upsets the codes of the scooter genre and turns heads in its path… First try.

First contact with the Quadro4

From the first contact, the Quadro4 imposes by its size (830 mm measured on the handlebars, or 65 mm more than the) and the modernity of its elegant and sporty lines. Several colors are available (matte black, titanium gray, white and red), but it is the "Swiss" red which most surely catches the eye, contrasting perfectly with the rest of the trim and the black rims..

Seeing it, there is no doubt that the design studio has not been idle to achieve this result. It’s clean, balanced and well thought out, with a harmonious distribution of shapes and good quality of finishes. We are not yet in the haute couture of the genre, but we are getting very close! The front is very successful, with its double optic headlight surmounted by a large smoked windshield (not adjustable), its well-designed air intakes and its small LED indicators..

Imposing at first glance

We obviously find the HTS front end of the Quadro S, with its wheels spaced more than 460 mm, but the comparison stops there. Everything else is different, with an engine now housed centrally in the frame and independent of the rear suspension..

Seen from behind, we can see the two final transmission belts, each driving its wheel via a differential integrated into the crankcase which compensates for the speed of rotation of one relative to the other when taking corner.

A second HTS ensures the tilting and the suspension of the rear axle, whose two wheels spaced 450 mm apart are considered as a single wheel by the legislation, which allows the Quadro4 to be approved in the L5e category … Smart! The exhaust silencer is housed between the two rear wheels, in the extension of the engine.

The arrival of these two rear wheels, however, reduces the capacity of the trunk to a single helmet (small full face or jet screen), which we can compensate by adopting an optional 48-liter top-case. On the other hand, its assisted opening is done from the contactor and there is lighting and a 12V socket. A storage compartment is also present on the right of the apron, as well as a storage with 12V socket at the bottom of it..

Practical aspects are not neglected, with wide grab handles and folding footrests for the passenger, scalloped driver’s steps to make it easier to put your feet on the ground if necessary (the Quadro4 can be stabilized when stationary thanks to combined braking, which "freezes" the HTS system as long as pressure is applied to the pedal or the left lever). The brake levers are not adjustable in spacing.

Unlike the Quadro S, the lever placed on the apron "locks" only the HTS system, which facilitates its movement with the engine stopped and eliminates the need for a central stand when parking. The parking brake, located on the right side, is only activated if the ignition key is turned to the left, with the engine stopped, inserting small lugs in the notches of the petal discs to immobilize the machine while doing so. anti-theft office.

Not bad, but not very practical on a daily basis since the ignition must be switched off to use this brake. By reversing the saddle opening and the parking brake actuator, we could certainly use it with the engine running when stopping on a slope..

The on-board instrumentation, automotive type, is rather successful and well supplied. Tachometer and analog tachometer surround a multifunction digital display, while groups of usual indicator lights are placed on either side of this assembly. Watch, gasoline level and water temperature gauges, exterior temperature, daily and partial mileage totalizers are present, accompanied by various indicator lights suggesting accessories to come (heated grip indicator light, for example).

Quick learning

Although imposing, the Quadro4 surprises by its relative ease of handling. Of course, you have to familiarize yourself with its substantial size and its HTS pendulum system, which allows you to stop without putting your feet on the ground when you understand its operating mode..

The proposed seat is rather comfortable but a little high (770 mm) and wide at the crotch for drivers under 1.75 m. At start-up, the engine delivers a virile sound but more discreet than that of the 350 S, in any case on these test models displaying barely 1000 km on the odometer. A small rotation of the handle is enough to make the machine take off smoothly, with extremely precise and fine control of the acceleration. No transmission stall at low speed when you cut the throttle.

From the first meters, once launched, the weight of the machine is quickly forgotten and we can concentrate on the first impressions of driving. Firmly positioned on its four wheels, the Quadro4 reveals excellent in-line stability and displays a very safe behavior when setting on the angle..

Less lively than a Piaggio MP3, for example, it fits naturally and without liveliness in curves, taking advantage of a low center of gravity and a balanced weight distribution to tilt effortlessly from angle to angle. the other. In "quiet" use it is perfect and easy to understand for a neophyte. The more so as this hydraulic suspension absorbs very effectively the shocks and imperfections of the road surface, even the famous Parisian cobblestones which one still finds in places. A real plus for ease of use.

By increasing the pace, we are surprised by the ability of this front axle to withstand the constraints, even on the angle, without noticeable repercussions on road holding. Really impressive efficiency !

When braking, we do not know at the start whether to favor the levers or the brake pedal. When in doubt, we generally opt for the levers, often the right (which only acts on the front) for a biker, both for cyclists … In reality, the left is more than enough: it acts efficiently and jointly on all four wheels and also allows you to stay stabilized when stationary without having to put your feet on the ground. In short, a hydraulic roll lock.

You just have to accelerate and then release the pressure exerted on the left lever to start straight again without pitching (which can happen at the very beginning). The full brake pedal works the same way, but requires a bit more practice to be metered so precisely. However, you get used to its use very quickly, even ending up using only it to stop at a fire most of the time..

Against all expectations, maneuvers in the urban cycle are very easy, the Quadro4 even seeming to steer better than its predecessor Quadro S despite a similar turning radius. In fact, it allows above all to turn the front wheels fully while remaining better stabilized when using the integral braking (more powerful than on the Quadro S and acting on four wheels) in order to partially freeze the suspension during the action..

However, it is not possible to maneuver with the engine running and the suspension locked to the lever, due to a sensor preventing acceleration when the HTS is locked. Climbing queues is of course possible on the handlebars of the Quadro4 – and this is precisely what distinguishes it from other four-wheel alternatives – but this practice requires having it well in hand and knowing how to restart without making any gaps..

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