In the Nick of time?

Nick Shotter is a former motorcycle courier in London, so it's fair to suggest he's probably seen, ridden past or become entwined in more traffic situations than most of us will encounter in a lifetime.

That 'rich' experience gave him the inspiration to develop a prototype called the 4 wheeled Motorcycle Concept (4MC) to get riders "through traffic safely yet efficiently".

Shotter is certainly a patient man, with the idea first crystallising way back in 1989, before he started work on the prototype in 2004 - but not before he approached manufacturers to purchase the 4MC's intellectual property.

The 4MC, powered by a Yamaha YP400 engine, tilts a bit like a Piaggio MP3 with leading and trailing suspension arms, and it doesn't require a traditional frame (although the prototype has one).

It has a hydraulic anti-tilt device that works in a "rapid destabilising event" - which is a euphemism for when things are really dying in the arse.

The anti-tilt function can also be used at low speed - to filter through traffic, for example - or when the bike is stationary, and you don't have to put your feet down for either. When it's inactive, simply put on the park brake and go about your business.

The lean angle is up to 40 degrees, and the width of the 4MC is 66cm at the handlebars, which, like the MP3, is comparable to a conventional two-wheeled motorcycle.

Does it work? Visit here to check out some videos, including one of the 4MC on a slippery skidpan, which looks ridiculously enjoyable. And that's only with a humble 400cc mill.

The 4MC steers like a normal motorcycle using countersteer, but you can't beat the extra grip provided by the four wheels. And as the lean angle increases, the wheels move slightly further apart, increasing stability again. Perfect.

Shotter hasn't mentioned weight, but it would have to be around the 180-200kg mark in prototype form, and a production model would be less with the purpose-built engine bolting directly to the suspension arms without the need for a frame.

We await a further update on Shotter's vision.