I had seen many when I was in Rome......too!that bike is VERY common in rome and paris. I've seen some chinese copies of it around.
A friend of my father had one of those. He didn't drive it much as he was keeping it (it was the first car for his future car collection). I got to sit in it and when I kept telling him how cool it was (I was about 10 years old at the time) he took me for a short ride. It was very cool but even with the mists of time I don't think I would want one. The thing handled like crap according to it's owner.The side winds were the first thing I thought of also.
How's this for solving the buffeting & rain? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Messerschmitt_KR200