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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)
It's not a car.
That's a cage. That's a car.
No beer and no TV make Homer something something
Hipster Mobile for the Glasshole crowd.
If you want news from today, you have to come back tomorrow.
The gyos add complexity, and dropping a third wheel doesn't save that much space. See Riley's classic http://www.amazon.com/Alternat... or just search for some of his existing designs.
As a previous owner of a Sparrow, I wish these guys luck. Unfortunately, I need a three seater ...my trusty (actual) motorcycle sits idle since I've too often got to worry about hauling two kids these days.
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.
Looks like Kyle has some sand in his vagina again.
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?...
I don't know whether to agree with you or ask if that was your best "Jordy".
I don't need a new car, and probably won't for a few years. But this will be my next car when I'm ready to buy one.
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.
I wish I didn't wait through the advert just to hear the guy speak. What's the point of a video of a vehicle that's not moving?
Make sure everyone's vote counts: Verified Voting
I think I've seen that design somewhere before, but I can't remember where/when.
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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.
The wheels are very close to the chassis. I wonder whether the vehicle has any suspension at all.
Everyone who ever rode a motorcycle knows very well they those things already self-balance to an impressive degree. Even if you wanted, you couldn't make one simply fall over (short of giving the handlebar a huge jerk)
CLI paste? paste.pr0.tips!
I like it when my brakes stop me before I slide into something.
(I ride a motorcycle, I find riding in the rain to be unpleasant for a variety of reasons)
“Common sense is not so common.” — Voltaire
Does it come with air conditioning? Wonder if you could have a two-seater?
The key to this one is that you don't need to put feet down when stopped, so it can be recumbant and fully-enclosed.
That only applies to states that allow both lane splitting and don't have helmet laws. I'm not even sure if California applies.
Computers.
Sokath, his eyes opened.
So, if you take the thing to its limits, you'd better remember to get out before the battery completely dies. Because when the gyro stops turning, you can't put your feet down (since there is a vehicle body in the way) to keep the thing from falling over.
Not that I think the idea is a bad one in general.
I saw a Kickstarter campaign just the other day using this concept to replace training wheels in kids' bikes (a gyro goes in the front wheel). Personally, I think it was a better idea in the kids' bike than on a motorbike. And that Kickstarter video had actual footage of the concept in action, with kids riding bikes, and a shot of the bike rolling with no one on it and self correcting when somebody smacked it several times in a manner that would normally knock a bike over).
The leather is half the fun, baby.
Wonder if you could have a two-seater?
Yes. The video shows a prototype with a rack of control circuitry behind the driver's seat, but near the end he mentions how they've miniaturized the circuitry enough since this prototype was built to replace it with a second seat.
Yeah, and don't forget that "loud pipes save lives" around typical inattentive drivers. This thing is silent but deadly.
I also ride a motorcycle, and I agree that riding in the rain on downhills or over those metal construction plates can be very harrowing. Maybe the gyros will help with that to some extent.
And the stifling leather clothing.
I'll give up wind in my hair to avoid gravel in my scalp but goddamn, more places need to allow lane splitting.
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.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smart_(automobile)
And it doesn't require touchy gyros, can fit a passenger, and a little bit of cargo.
If you want news from today, you have to come back tomorrow.
Cup holders.
Riding in the raid is a state of mind. It helps if you have a warm shower and dry towels at the end of your ride.
If it's cold or torrential, that's a different story.
As a 30+ year motorcyclist, "loud pipes save lives" is, IMHO, crap. Most impacts come from the front, where the sound is naturally less. Being a defensive rider saves lives, helmets save lives, being an asshole with a straight pipe not so much. And you'll note that often the "loud pipes save lives" proponents are also of the opinion that "helmet laws suck".
raid->rain
Guaranteed death in a car accident -- what's not to love?
That's an unfair comparison. You're thinking of it as a very, very small car, which in the case of a collision involving almost any four-wheeled vehicle can never offer its occupants an equal chance of emerging unscathed (the reason why a friend of mine always preferred that his wife drive a Cadillac). Instead, think of the C-1 as a greener, much safer and more comfortable version of a motorcycle that also has a cost per mile of 0.6 cents.
I like it when my brakes stop me before I slide into something.
(I ride a motorcycle, I find riding in the rain to be unpleasant for a variety of reasons)
I like to learn physics and see that the number of wheels has nothing to do with it.
http://easycalculation.com/physics/classical-physics/learn-static-friction.php
200 pre orders?? Screw that. The Elio has 20,000 pre-orders, and it's not built yet, has a nice low (projected) cost of $6800 and gets 84mpg. And I'd much rather have the Elio than the C-1 (although for a brief moment, I considered the C-1)... But for the long range I need, the Elio fits my requirements better.
http://www.eliomotors.com/
If telephones are outlawed, then only outlaws will have telephones.
I haven't looked at the Slashdot video, but on YouTube there's no sign of it turning corners. What effect will the gyros have on that?
Sure this isn't quite a motorcycle or a car but its been long known that any propulsion system is more effective for two wheels vs four. The crux of the electric market is limited range but for a motorcycle ypy generally operate in a limited range anyway to cruise to work or leisure. This seems to be the best suit for electric currently from a use vs cost aspect.
Martok with his mind blown.
It never occurred to me that that episode was a dire prediction of our future.
the appeal behind motorcycles is gotta go fast
There are 200,000 Harley buyers a year that disagree with you.
and its still neither a motor cycle nor a car
slashdot your number one source to find out what was new and cool last year
Guaranteed death in a car accident -- what's not to love?
Three major wrecks while riding a motorcycle. I still ride, and I am apparently alive as well. However, if you have have figured out a way to get out of this life without dieing, I am all ears!
Sad as it may be, I think websites that lack flash videos are the ones sliding into irrelevance. Forget using words to convey an idea - even still images are passé - if it can be said it can be shown in a video or animated gif. At least that's how it feels on 90% of the web.
It doesn't hurt to be nice.
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.
Hipsters.
Not to mention that if everyone just drove smaller vehicles everyone would be safer in aggregate...
4 wheels is a car. Cars have a metric shit-load of regulations associated with production, testing, warranty. Many of these are specific barriers to entry to prevent new car companies from entering the market.
2 wheels allows them to avoid all that and build something that is ultra-light and efficient and can be brought to market. Bravo for them.
No. It's dangerous both to the rider and everyone around them.
Don't be so impatient.
OR...
Get a dual-sport/enduro bike. That way you can go off-road and not put the safety of other motorists at risk.
An enigma, wrapped in a riddle, shrouded in bacon and cheese
It's all smoke and mirrors like the VentureOne, and the Moller Skycar.
I used to hate trikes too, but like you say, they are the only way for a lot of older people and people with injuries to enjoy riding. Now I appreciate the vehicles for what they are.
To be fair, motorcycles have a rider in a standing position. I wouldn't look forward to trying to balance that thing from that reclined position with any kind of cross-wind.
Gyrocars are nothing new. ... What makes this one so special and why do they think this gyrocar will succeed where others have failed?
Thanks to the fact that the C-1 is electric and makes use of modern computer technology, it's simpler, lighter and cheaper to produce than its conceptual predecessors and has the potential to be much more reliable. Oh, and a gyrocar in production... that would be something new.
According to these stats for Canada in 2009, car drivers suffered about 1173 deaths and 5393 serious injuries while among motorcyclists there were 194 deaths and 1271 serious injuries. If you add these up and look at the percentage chance of death if involved in a collision severe enough for serious injuries than you'll see an 18% chance of death for the car drivers and 13% for the motorcyclists.
Care to share your source for "guaranteed death"?
The gyro would be a flywheel to store some of the power of downhills and flat pedaling, to be expended as a booster on uphills. And because a storage flywheel of this kind would at most times be at maximum speed at signals and stops on the flat, cyclists would no longer have an excuse to not follow traffic controls. Your feet could remain firmly in the pedal clips when you stop at the Stop sign.
If you're balancing your motorcycle by only shifting your weight around, you're doing something wrong.
It's actually not even possible to do that, because if you shift your body to the left, the motorcycle will tilt to the right and the center of mass will be on the exact same vertical line as it was before, exactly above the wheels. You balance by steering. If you get a crosswind from the left, you'll steer to the right slightly, moving the center of mass a tad to the right, but the point of contact with the ground even moreso. That way your motorcycle (and you with it) will lean a bit to the left counteracting the crosswind. This works exactly thesame on any two-wheeler like a motorcycle, scooter or a reclining motorcycle. You intuitively do thesame while steering. You don't steer the motorcycle left to go left. You steer it right, resulting in a controlled tilt to the left which you compensate by going round a bend. And knowing this can help you when you end up in a tight spot when you underestimated a bend. If you threaten to go off in a bend, pull the handlebar on the "wrong" side of the steeringwheel. This'll jolt you even flatter, and you will very likely make it through unscathed.
Manuals are your last resort only
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.
But then again, in this you ride much closer to the ground than a normal bike, still has no crush zones, and has you inside a little deathtrap that can crush in and leave you, well, trapped. Being thrown off a bike is probably safer when wearing your protective gear.
Those two little airbags won't do much. Hell, they'd be better off putting in some outward facing airbags up front to provide a sort of crush zone for the whole vehicle.
Revamp it to the form factor of a TRON lightcycle and, my friends, we have a winner.
What is going on with the "Strange" way a motorcycle steers is gyroscopic precession.
That big spinning wheel in the front of the motorcycle is acting as a gyroscope.
Why is it so hard to only have politicians for a few years, then have them go away?
Don't forget countersteering too!
Bring back the old version of slashdot.
I could've gone into details about centrepetal forces and gyroscopic precession, but I chose not to, because it's not important from a rider's stance. Interesting from a phycisist's stance perhaps, but when riding, what matters is what forcefully steering or weight-shifting does to your bike, and to rest DocSavage64109's concerns about balance in crosswinds with a reclining motorcycle.
Also, the gyroscopic precession effect plays a large part with big wheeled motorcycles, but plays little to no part on motorscooters and other small wheeled two-wheelers, and this device has very little wheels so I doubt it has any noticeable effect.
Manuals are your last resort only
Seems like overkill to me. I have ridden some good sized bikes and, I mean, this was an issue for a little while, until I realized that I didn't really need to hold up that much weight. You know the bike, it has this big wheels....they can take the bike's weight, leave it on them. You don't need to take that much weight on your leg to keep stable.
Once in motion, the bike has two big rubber flywheels that do a great job of "self balancing". Overall I think the MSF course is probably a better buy than a bike with an extra flywheel. I actually learned on my own in a parking lot before I took the course and had to break myself of a bunch of bad habits, including how I sat at a stop.
"I opened my eyes, and everything went dark again"
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.
Not on my cruiser. No standing position at all. More akin to a recliner position, if anything...
Browsing at +1 - no ACs, I ignore their posts. So refreshing!
That only applies to states that allow both lane splitting and don't have helmet laws. I'm not even sure if California applies.
You are correct. CA is the only State that allows lane sharing (splitting - but the CHP prefers sharing), and it requires helmets. All other States - including the no-helmet ones - ban lane splitting.
Browsing at +1 - no ACs, I ignore their posts. So refreshing!
Lots of sneering from motorcyclists, that's to be expected. But in fact this type of design has been attempted for many years (it's called the "feet forwards" or FF motorcycle) and the rationale for it is pretty sound: a small, efficient, personal transport that is as nimble as a motorcycle but has the comfort of a car.
The main problem with attempts made to date has been the one of staying upright when stationary. Some designs had open sides so you could use your feet, but that obviously compromises bad-weather comfort. Others have pop-down stabilisers but that's inelegant and difficult to make work at the right moment. If this has solved that problem and truly allows an enclosed cabin, they might have actually finally done it. I think this could well have a significant market, but probably not one with existing die-hard motorcyclists. I like it; it's pretty cool and I wish them well.
While batteries are at the energy densities they are, this size of vehicle makes a lot more sense than an SUV-sized behemoth. I've done the maths, and excellent performance and range are perfectly doable with LiPO4 technology, 20kW of power at a gross vehicle weight of 400kg. I think it definitely has a future.
lack flash
Seriously? Flash is dying if not already dead. HTML5 supports video, so every site potentially has video.
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.
Posting to undo because I accidentally modded this redundant instead of "Fuckin' Insightful!"
According to these stats for Canada in 2009, car drivers suffered about 1173 deaths and 5393 serious injuries while among motorcyclists there were 194 deaths and 1271 serious injuries.
According to the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), in 2006, 13.10 cars out of 100,000 ended up in fatal crashes. The rate for motorcycles is 72.34 per 100,000 registered motorcycles. Motorcycles also have a higher fatality rate per unit of distance travelled when compared with automobiles. Per vehicle mile traveled, motorcyclists' risk of a fatal crash is 35 times greater than a passenger car. In 2004, figures from the UK Department for Transport indicated that motorcycles have 16 times the rate of serious injuries compared to cars, and double the rate of bicycles.
Additional data from the United States reveals that there are over four million motorcycles registered in the United States. Motorcycle fatalities represent approximately five percent of all highway fatalities each year, yet motorcycles represent just two percent of all registered vehicles in the United States. One of the main reasons motorcyclists are killed in crashes is because the motorcycle itself provides virtually no protection in a crash. For example, approximately 80 percent of reported motorcycle crashes result in injury or death; a comparable figure for automobiles is about 20 percent.
Motorcycle safety
Scooters are not motorcycles.
Why is it so hard to only have politicians for a few years, then have them go away?
You are wrong. You can find out for yourself if you care to do so.
And you're such a treasure.
http://www.edmunds.com/car-new...
"Deaths divided by serious injuries is a nonsensical metric."
No metric can really be nonsensical in and of itself, what's nonsensical is to use a metric that does not relate to the context.
In this case, the context has to do with a claim of 'guaranteed death' in an accident with a car. So deaths divided by serious injuries actually doesnt look like nonsense. It's a proxy for 'deaths vs non-fatal outcomes in accidents with cars.' Which does not appear to be immediately available.
"Hint: Go find the total miles driven in cars and motorcycles."
That would be a better metric of generalised safety, but it seems to have little relevance to the claim of 'guaranteed death.'
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Friends don't let friends enable ecmascript.
AC refuses to ride motorbike because it's dangerous! Stop the presses!
Learn to love Alaska
My first thought was "Ooh, a new C1".
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BMW_C1
And then I noticed the [future] manufacturer's proposed name.
I hate /. videos. They're totally pointless because they convey no information that you couldn't push faster and more efficiently with a few screenshots and a transcript. They're just lazy journalism - a real journalist would take this, sit down with it and make a proper article out of it.
Here's a video where you can actually see the thing drive, as well as a bit of its interior workings:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?...
There's more on Youtube and probably elsewhere. It's a pretty cool concept actually, the stupid video doesn't do it justice.
Assorted stuff I do sometimes: Lemuria.org
From all the possible names for a motorcycle, they felt they had to choose the one which is most likely to get them sued for trademark violation?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bmw_C1
Covered and innovative motorcycle by BMW, in production 2000-2003.
You don't want tires if you want to stop quickly.
Warning: When stopping in these things they tilt forward. A car behind you will not stop as fast and could slide under it. When you have stopped you will fall back, crushing the car and the driver.
Well, I might have a way, but it only works on a semi spherical planet in a vacuum.
You don't want tires if you want to stop quickly.
You could have just linked to this video instead.
(for the click-averse: It's a Leopard 2 tank from the Netherlands demonstrating its emergency brake system by going full tilt towards a line of people (allegedly the inventors of said emergency brake system) and then hitting the brakes).
"Total destruction the only solution" - Bob Marley
I am continually amazed at the lengths people will go to to complicate a very simple and elegant machine. The traditional motorcycle chassis is simply a lever rotating around the headstock allowing its rider to balance with just a few newtons input into either handlebar. Once in motion it is inherently stable (due to the gyro force of the wheels spinning) and must be 'knocked' off of its present course with a mild rider input. Of course at rest, there is the possibility of it falling over, but, the lever still works when stationary, albeit with slightly more force required, and the rider can always put a foot down for extra stability.
Are we a richer people for having downloaded an 'app' to do this, or would we be happier if we just used our minds and learned how to do stuff?!
Or maybe my moustache... is too rough.
Get Mesh Armor with padding for the summer. It's just as protective and a lot cooler since it lets the air pass through almost as well as if you weren't wearing it.
It's dangerous both to the rider and everyone around them.
It seems to work in most of the rest of the world.
They don't grade fathers, but if your daughter's a stripper, you fucked up. --Chris Rock
I wonder if the fuselage could be considered a helmet. Silly I know, but....
Being able to put feet down requires a more upright and open riding position.
Removing that requirement enables a recumbant seating position (for better aerodynamics) and a fully-enclosed cabin. Making the cabin fully-enclosed allows for better protection from weather, better soundproofing, air conditioning, etc.
Their point was that websites that lack videos are sliding into irrelevance - nothing to do with which technology is used. I much prefer skimmable text over a video and agree with them.
Loud pipes annoy everyone - even people who are inside their homes a half mile a way. There is no good excuse for THAT much noise pollution.
Except their 16mm projector version of a youtube demo included them crossing a rocky riverbed.
That's actually what I have. Though it does have leather on the sleeves.
For 24K you can buy a decent, durable, safe vehicle that you can drive safely in all types of weather.
"The safety and the comfort of a car" is the kind of statement only someone "lit" could make with a straight face about this death-trap.
On the bright side, the more hipster douchbags that buy this piece of over-priced crap, and die as a result, the better.
What idiot spastic marked this as flame bait. It is a serious point. People DO want the type of car I described. It is legitimate to ask whether those batteries are better for the environment than petrol. Clearly marked by some idiot who beleives that the planet has been warming over the past decade when in fact it has not. Yawn.