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

Posted by Roblimo on from the two-wheels-good-four-wheels-bad dept.

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)

3 of 218 comments (clear)

  1. Re:No by aitikin · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Not only is it NOT A MOTORCYCLE! the person talking about it has never ridden a motorcycle.

    which is easier on the driver's legs than putting a foot down the way you do while riding most motorcycles.

    First all motorcycles. Not most. Second. Who the hell ever pulled up to a stop while riding and thought "Fuck. I have to put my feet down again!"?

    Not all. Like it or not "trikes" are considered and labelled motorcycles. As such, your statement is not accurate.

    Second, I know a number of people who dislike it due to weaker legs/ankle injuries/etc (and thus, are attracted moreso to the trikes, which, for the record, I HATE).

    --
    "Don't meddle in the affairs of a patent dragon, for thou art tasty and good with ketchup." ~ohcrapitssteve
  2. Re:Not as original as they claim by FridayBob · · Score: 4, Interesting

    They are not as original as they claim. There was a similar concept in kit car magazines in the 90's. There is a Youtube video (Yes, it is Flash but so is the video on the story)- https://www.youtube.com/watch?...

    Yes, and over 30 years before that there was the Ford Gyron, which was much more like a car, and even it was not original. However, nothing like that has ever made it into production. If the C-1 does, it'll be the first gyroscopically stabilized vehicle ever to make it to market. And I figure it has a good chance of success, because $24k is hardly unaffordable.

  3. Re:Not as original as they claim by rolfwind · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Shilovsky's Gyrocar 1914 ftw.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G...
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?...