The very cool RNT is a concept, although its sleek, unconventional design has already given us a scooter fetish. Without the optional turbocharger, the single-cylinder diesel cranks out 14 hp and 26 lb-ft of torque. Compared to other single-cylinder gasoline 150-cc motors used on Vespas (12 hp, 8 lb-ft), that makes the RNT a veritable superbike. According to Hero, it can "muster all roads fully loaded"—which we read as "overloaded"—and has enough grunt to power an optional generator to hook up tools and other equipment when stopped. The LED headlamp detaches to be used as a portable flashlight, too.
An electric 1.3-hp in-hub motor and an unspecified battery pack provides power to the front wheel, effectively making it an all-wheel-drive runabout. The RNT can also switch to all-electric front-wheel-drive on command. The engine sits in the middle, as on a regular motorcycle.
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Hero, formerly a joint partner with Honda, sells scooters and bikes with engines displacing less than 250 cc to seven countries with treacherous roads—think places like Kenya, Nepal, and Peru, where an all-wheel drive hybrid scooter make a lot of sense. And given all the skinny-jean-wearing hipsters riding Vespas in American cities, we think the RNT could win a lot of fans over here, too.
from Car and Driver Blog http://ift.tt/nSHy27
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