The 4-wheel tricycle. The Qooder is considered a motor tricycle of category L5e, accessible with a simple car license (B) and a 7-hour training course if necessary. No cubic capacity or power limit is imposed by this class of vehicles, the weight of which must not, however, exceed 1000 kg.

This astonishing regulatory flexibility – which also benefits MP3 and Metropolis scooters, Harley Trikes and Can-Am Spyder – concerns all tricycles with a width between the wheels of the same axle exceeding 46 cm. To have its quadricycle approved as a three-wheeler, Quadro has cleverly tightened its rear wheels to 45 cm so that they are considered as one! The Qooder therefore offers a higher center distance at the front than at the rear..

HTS (Hydraulic Tilting System). This is the ground link kinematics developed by Quadro for its 3 and 4-wheelers. This system comprises three cylinders: one on each side responsible for the inclination and one in the middle which provides the damping function. When the scooter leans to one side, the air and oil contained in the inner cylinder are transferred to the outer cylinder.

This transfer from one chamber to another is at the origin of the phenomenon of steering resistance described by MNC on the previous page. Some will appreciate the reassuring side that it gives on the corner, others will regret this strange feeling of having to fight against the bellhop of a door !

Braking. Like all L5e tricycles, the Qooder is equipped with coupled braking which can be activated either by the left lever or by a pedal on the right. In dynamics, the lever is preferred to the foot control, less obvious to dose despite its more natural placement than on MP3. The braking is very powerful – thank you the four discs and the four tires! – and offers a good response to the left lever.

The action of the front brake alone, however, is a bit tight, especially as the right lever that operates it is quite soft. Despite its "auto" positioning, the Qooder surprisingly ignores ABS: "It’s planned for 2019", assures us Alain Bourdoncle, CEO of Quadro France. A future asset to avoid possible blockages on wet or gravel roads…

Heat Marcel. The single-cylinder heats up fairly quickly in traffic jams because of the mass to take off with each fire and the lack of fresh air available due to the enveloping fairing. In addition, one of the two Qooders tested by MNC began to emit a strong smell of hot after a few particularly congested kilometers, before emitting a worrying white smoke….

"These are models that come from Italy where they have been put to the test on gymkhana-type courses for demonstrations, and the transmission has undoubtedly been over-used", replies a technician from the brand when MNC asks him about this concern. The incident did not recur on the other Qooders tested.

Disconnected. The dashboard – quite austere – refers to previous generations of cars with its needles for speed, rpm and engine temperature. A monochrome LCD screen provides information on the fuel level, the time, the air temperature and the mileage (two trips and totalizer). It lacks a consumption indicator and especially remote controls on the handlebars.

In view of its price (10,990 euros), the Qooder could also provide information on tire pressure, an important parameter since there are four of them! More sophisticated instrumentation, with a Bluetooh connection to a telephone, would also be of interest to the target clientele..