Prototype self-balancing enclosed motorcycle

[HorizonXP]

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Found this video, thought it looked pretty cool. Maybe not as glamourous as our machines, but that's not the point. I think many of us have argued the virtues of motorcycles for their efficiency, and I think this is definitely a cool idea that's testing the waters for wider adoption of those ideals. Definitely some concerns to raise about it thought, but I'll leave that for you guys to discuss.

[video=youtube;O1aAmWim838]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O1aAmWim838&feature=g-all-u[/video]

 

[Murdoch]

One thousand three hundred foot pounds of torque! From a couple of gyros!

Obviously not a sexy silk screen view of motorcycling but I sure hope it catches on. Though it could use a couple of outrigger skies for use in winter

 

[Moto Ronto]

My concern is that it relies on an active system to stay balanced... if it should lose power or there is a malfunction, it goes down.

Also, I think it masks some of the challenges of two-wheels in a way that could be unsafe. It won't have the traction that four wheels provide, so an unskilled driver might fishtail... for that matter what about high sides? There had better be a ceiling-mounted air bag.

I don't know... I like the slim form factor and the efficiency, but that's partly why I ride in the first place.

 

[Kibosh3]

i think it's pretty cool... but i'll stick with my litre gsxr- that way i can sit on top of the thing like a king on a moving throne... i even wear a crown sometimes...

 

[kickstartt]

i see more potentials in this thing than RIM!

 

[viper84737]

This is as impractical an idea as that one-wheeled motorcycle from a few years ago. People come up with bad ideas without thinking them through all the time, prototype or not.

1) It has the turning radius of an oil tanker
2) As someone pointed out earlier, if it runs out of power for any reason, it topples over and there's nothing you can do to stop it, like put your foot down.
3) Countersteering

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