
Quite successful as a hybrid, the GG Quad is a new life form that builds on the success of each forebearer. The genesis of the GG Quad can be found in 1983, when Grüter + Gut Motorradtechnik got its start in Ballwil, Switzerland, modifying motorcycles from BMW (a sidecar version was quite noteworthy) and Moto Guzzi (the Sport 1100 was turned into a cruiser!). Given GG’s history of creative modifications to two- and three-wheeled BMWs, the idea that GG owner Walter Grüter would design a four-wheeled BMW-powered vehicle that has little in common with an automobile, should come as no surprise.

Sitting on the GG Quad, one immediately feels at home as a motorcyclist; the controls and ergonomics are straight from a two-wheeled machine. At the same time, the four-wheel-derived stability at a standstill is noted, freeing the rider from satisfying the requirements of balance. The start button fires the fuel-injected 1130cc boxer motor instantly, and the BMW motor’s reassuring vibration informs the rider that it is time to engage the six-speed manual transmission.

Unlike three-wheeled vehicles, which are unwieldy in aggressive cornering due to the inability of a single narrow front tire to completely counteract the forward inertia of two wide rear tires, the GG Quad has excluded the word “push” from its descriptive vocabulary. No matter how hard the GG Quad is asked to execute a turn, the front end grasps the pavement with an uninterruptible tenacity. This translates into inarguably heavy steering effort, with a desirable side effect of reassuring the rider that nothing will happen without his direct and unambiguous input. Negotiate a turn with enough throttle and engine speed, and the rear end can be made to drift, though this happens exclusively at the blunt direction of the rider.
Items such as aluminum panniers, a BMW navigation system, a windshield, a slide-inducing locked rear differential, and a high-performance exhaust can further the practicality, or impracticality, of the GG Quad at the owner’s will. Plenty of plastic provides GG Quads owners with a sizable canvas on which to work magic with paint.

The only hurdle the GG Quad has in America is bureaucratic in nature. The importers at GG Quad North America are working with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to make our country’s highways receptive to this new type of vehicle. The American importer argues that the GG Quad is more fuel-efficient than automobiles and takes up less space on the highway, as well as offering more stability and flexibility than either two- or three-wheeled vehicles. With such practical arguments supporting it, maybe it fits the modern definition of “hybrid” vehicle after all.
www.gg-quad-northamerica.com | 214.559.4597

ENGINE
Air-cooled, horizontally opposed, 4-valves-per-cylinder, 1130cc twin manufactured by BMW
TRANSMISSION
Fully manual; six forward speeds, one reverse
MAX POWER
95 hp @ 7,250 rpm
MAX TORQUE
72 ft lbs @ 5,500 rpm
WEIGHT (DRY)
880 lbs.
SUSPENSION
Four-wheel independent with aluminum double A-arms and Wilbers shock absorbers
WHEELS
Dunlop SP Sport 9000 automobile tires on OZ aluminum wheels (16-inch front, 17-inch rear)