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I was asked a pretty interesting question today from one of my friends who is just getting into biking. He asked me how come bikes are rear wheel drive, not frontwheel. His reasoning was that instead of wheeling the bike when you accelerate, more power would be transferred to the ground

 I told him that I would assume that if a bike was front wheel drive you would get some major torque steer unless you had one heck of a dampener. Also, I think that it gives you a lot more control in a corner when your rearwheel has the power on it so you can accelerate through the turn.

What do you all think? Ever heard of a fronwheel drive bike before?

Last I checked the AMA rulebook was pretty clear about the bikes haivng to be rear wheel drive.

Rokon in New Hampshire build and sells two wheel drive bikes.

it just doesn't make sense. the extra junk needed to make it drive with the front wheels alone...

and front drive is not the way to go. there is a reason why all sportscars are rear, or all, drive. they do make 2wd bikes BTW.

Actually, I would think with a bility of the front wheel to "rotate slower that that rear wheel a linked system would make the bike most stable. but that is my opinion.

Rokon Bikes start at around $5,200 the webside it here http://www.rokon.com

I don;t know of anyone who makes a two wheel drive sportbike

SteelRain:

I don;t know of anyone who makes a two wheel drive sportbike

i believe that ural also makes two wheel drive bikes, but not sportbikes.

How would you build an effective power delivery system to the front wheel, when it has to turn?  I'm not saying it can't be done, I just wonder how it can be done.

Then some guys are gonna go "Hey, if I can't wheelie, it's no fun".

Rokons work because they have tractor-sized tires, plus they run at slow non-performance speeds.  Even then, I think they transfer quite a bit more power to the rear rather than the front, if my memory of them is correct.

Think weight transfer under acceleration and centrifual force during cornering...

Under acceleration, whether in a car or bike, weight gets trasferred to the rear of the vehicle. If there's less weight in the front, there is less contact patch from traction and acceleration

 During cornering, there source of the turning force is the front wheel which makes the rear the faster rotating part of the bike during a turn (think of a record). Because the rear of the bike is moving faster, the weight is again transferred to the rear. Under these conditions you'd want your driving force in the rear to help maintain momentum and keep the wheel from sliding from under you. Although I imagine a front power source might help to reduce oversteer or over powering the rear and therefore low siding

 i hear they are better in the snow. 

Yamaha with their version of two wheel drive:

 And with the same general idea, we have KTM's contribution.
 

Cost. A chain or driveshaft to the non pivoting wheel is waaaay cheaper.