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It's Not a Car, It's a Self-Balancing Electric Motorcycle (Video)

Two gyros under the seat keep this vehicle standing up at a stop, which is easier on the driver's legs than putting a foot down the way you do while riding most motorcycles. And no vroom-vroom sound, either. This is an electric motorcycle. The prototype you see in the video gets up to around 20 MPH, but production models are supposed to hit 100 MPH, and go as far as a Tesla S on 1/6 the juice. So little tiny batteries are all the Lit C-1 needs to drive (up to) 200 miles with the gyros spinning merrily away -- keeping the C-1 upright even in crashes, as a simulation in this Lit Motors YouTube video shows. They claim to have more than 200 pre-orders against a projected retail price of $24,000, which is not shabby for a company that hasn't made a single production vehicle so far. (Alternate Video Link)

9 of 218 comments (clear)

  1. No by GoCrazy · · Score: 2, Insightful

    It's not a car.

    That's a cage. That's a car.

    --
    No beer and no TV make Homer something something
  2. Re:Why does this make me think of... by i+kan+reed · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Because the internet has programmed us to communicate entirely by pop culture references and oblique sexualized insults, leaving no room for actual critical examination of anything.

  3. Re:Guaranteed Death by Jeremi · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Guaranteed death in a car accident -- what's not to love?

    That doesn't stop all the motorcyclists and bicyclists out there; they have even less protection than this offers.

    Plus in this you don't have to wear stifling leather clothing, and you can drive in the rain without getting soaked.

    I think there is a market for this.

    --


    I don't care if it's 90,000 hectares. That lake was not my doing.
  4. Re:Guaranteed Death by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    the appeal behind motorcycles is gotta go fast, the wind in your hair, and being able to squeeze through tight spots, this abomination does none of these.

  5. Re:Guaranteed Death by houstonbofh · · Score: 5, Insightful

    the appeal behind motorcycles is gotta go fast

    There are 200,000 Harley buyers a year that disagree with you.

  6. whatever. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Yeah, and don't forget that "loud pipes save lives" around typical inattentive drivers. This thing is silent but deadly.

    A coworker of mine thought that.

    He was STILL clobbered because of a dingbat driving her well sound insulated white SUV - and drove off; never to be caught for hit and run.

    He's pretty screwed up but can still program.

    As for me, walking on the side fo the road to have some narcissistic assholes cruising along at 10MPH - twisting their throttle - VROOM! VROOM! VROOM! - with their fat guts and gray hair hanging out of their over priced leather outfits, just has me putting my fingers in my ears, shaking my head and feeling sorry for such losers who have nothing better in their lives than to spend too much money on crap and live a delusion that they are "born to be wild" on weekends and have to go to their souless corporate drone lives on Monday.

  7. Re:I prefer more tires for more contact with the r by FridayBob · · Score: 3, Insightful

    I like it when my brakes stop me before I slide into something.

    Motorcycles are actually better at stopping than most cars. Ever heard of a stopee?

    (I ride a motorcycle, I find riding in the rain to be unpleasant for a variety of reasons)

    Yes, because if you manage to get your motorcycle's front wheel to slide, it usually means you fall will over. But, that's exactly one of the reasons why the C-1 is so cool: it's gyroscopically stabilized, so if it slides for whatever reason it won't fall over. In that respect it will behave much like a car.

  8. Re:Guaranteed Death by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Let's be honest here. Would you like to compare % death rates for MILES TRAVELED instead? I'm a motorcyclist. It's dangerous out there. And how long is the riding season in most of Canada, 5 months?

    It's not guaranteed death by any means. But it's dangerous.

  9. Re:Guaranteed Death by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Insightful

    You have made a false claim because you are terrible at statistics. Deaths divided by serious injuries is a nonsensical metric.

    Hint: Go find the total miles driven in cars and motorcycles.