The Gyro-X Files: Tuscan trail bike

Able to navigate the street and the trail, the Tuscan — an off-road, gyroscopically balanced bike with a caterpillar track wheel contracted by the U.S. Forest Service — was to be used for Ranger transportation on forest preserves. The bike was an offshoot project by Northridge, California's Gyro Transport Systems, which had been attempting to create a two-wheeled, gyro-balanced car.  

Though it never made it past the prototype stage, the Tuscan, capable of climbing a 45-degree hill, featured a 20bhp single-cylinder engine with a four-speed gearbox; a front ski attachment for snow trails; and a detachable headlamp to double as a flashlight. The gyroscope never made it to the Tuscan model pictured here, but it was believed to be included in a version similar to this.

Sadly, all that remains of the Tuscan is the brochure.

Gyro-X Project