Lit Motors unveils all-electric, fully enclosed motorcycle

[8balls936]

I want it NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!

[martynbiker]

stick a busa engine in it and i will be interested.........

[armitius66]

Where is the windshield wiper? I must have missed it. Awesome product!!

[thedevinworld]

I want it!!!!

[oirovenir]

Lit Motors WOW Daniel Kim is in the frontier of a new way to see logistic for industry and living. BRAVO

[SkillzSkingz]

i want it!!!

[rowheat88]

"this fill the niche right in between motorcycles and cars." sorry people who have real motorcycles are not going to buy this because of lack of power, and more importantly the range.

[Lordmark1234]

@rowheat88

Yeh but as a commuter vehicle actually it looks very promising. Most vehicles are used for commuting and particularly in inner-city motorcycles have the advantage of faster journey times due to their size. Combine this with safety, low cost of maintenance, weather protection and easy ability to cover a city on one charge, it is very attractive.

The only downside I see is that its main interest would be generated in developing countries, where price point is crucial.

[hemigod2]

I agree with Yay, for that price buy a car.

[Code0fSamurai]

Sumi das! So long no see! I used to watch TechTv.

スミダスさんだー。　懐かしい。　あまり変わってないな。　ちょっと落ち着いた感じ。

やほーーーー

[hipstarchild]

I Waaaaant one !!

[anhelo911]

just get a car!

[yay78900]

16k is way overpriced. I bet he would profit way more in the long run if he sold it for a quarter or even an eight of that price

[danwlfn]

자이로스코프 모터싸이클... 엔진이 아니라 모터...

[rowheat88]

160000 dollars, might as well get a new car

[funksoulblues]

@rowheat88 $16000 not $160000 thats a very reasonable price and much smaller to get around the cities easier... take up less space.. clean... ticks every box really for anyone with a brain and common sense

[rowheat88]

@funksoulblues srry for the typo but you can still get a new car for 16,000. It can be handy only in congested cities but can't take it out of the city. limited use, way to pricey (agree on cool tech)

[TheWilsonian92]

Dear Batman, 007 and Inspector Gadget, all I want is this car.

[fordsrevive]

so smart comment here lol if you have a power outage on the bike......i guess your gonna be doing flips and rolls in no time?

[ikari2222]

thats actually pretty cheap especially if you consider how much a harley costs.

[yelldragon]

..but it's so DAMN expensive!!

[Nudelsalatbomber]

oh yeah! that cargo-motorscooter-thing is exactly what we need! this way every woman can stuff all her haul-shit-make-up collection in a BIG box, while she sits her fat ass one inch away from the exaust to burn of some of her wobbly cellulitis! lmao..

[dave2402]

Mr Kim, 'niche' is pronounced "neesh" not "nish".

[MrGari1973]

офигеть

[mostkillingfield]

This stability system must have for all alcoholics

[ignara]

imposible

[xxibrahimxxx]

straks als de c1 op het water komt word het een speedboot en dan nog een helikopter zal lol zijn

[rg500delta]

His quote: "It's very uncommon to put motorcycle and safety in the same sentence" interesting. I guess I'm more likely to say, it's very uncommon to put motorcycle and "idiot-proof" in the same sentence. As an engineering exercise, it's way cool. I am very curious as to how the mechanism that prevents it from falling over- the gyros- wold interfere with "normal" motorcycle leaning and handling characteristics. Would it be like a passenger who fights you when you try to lean?

[MsMotherbug]

The BALANCING technique is PHENOMENAL!!!Should patient it to Harley Davidson etc Get insurance companies to require for better rates cuz less medical injury WOW

[PersianTribe]

can't wait to get one of each.

the best idea i have seen in many many years.

[ecotts]

Very Very Cool!

[nabilbwdn]

very cool!!

[thespot09]

The gyros work really good. He pushes on that things and it doesn't seem to want give an inch. Really good idea here. Not having to worry about staying up right gives the driver a lot more freedom.

[TheSnagProfit]

getting closer to a tron reality?

GODFUCKING TAKE THE MONEY I THROW AT YOU AND MAKE ME A SPINY DISK THING TO!! O:<

[latsarmil]

keren booooo

[thomashood10]

"0-60 in 6-8 seconds", lmao shut the fuck up right now, you haven't got a clue or it's horribly slow.

[pbonsignore]

Awesome, I want one :-) ❤❤❤

[JonBj2]

STFU AND TAKE MY MONEY!!!

[jmsarltd]

There are a lot of real world challenges to overcome yet, but as what I have seen of it, and will look a little deeper, it is best of breed if it reaches market as predicted. What if you put your bag of groceries to one side, and lightweight laptop on the other, balance off, but can it compensate, have they tested enough in real world with lots of non technical drivers, that remains to be seen. I think it is fascinating and interesting, will be interesting to watch the progression.

[kcid56]

Being a fatalist at heart, and knowing that no matter what you build there will be cases of FAILURE, what kind of back up is there for the gyro's. I am an avid motorcyclist, and I know that if I have a break down, I can get to the side of the road, stop and put my feet down. Looking at the LIT, I don't see me putting my feet down so well if there is a total power failure.  Using my handlebars I can use inertia to stay upright. I can't push/pull on a steering wheel. Just asking....

[mrfoltz]

If they make it with 3 wheels [I still don't trust the balance] and put the wheels up higher [to go through snow] I'd buy it?????

[musicalphantom2010]

I love it! I will buy it!

[remember25october]

Dual wheel is more stable and can self-steer, so good bye steering column.

[beancube2010]

Sometimes you want a bike lie down instead of flipping or just rolling sideways.

[M3iscool]

I would drive the heck out of this thing.

[Kaltenberg77]

you dosen't have a windshield wiper ? !

[kcid56]

@Kaltenberg77 it's a prototype, it also doesn't show the ability to put the windows up or down but I'll bet you will be able to, along with run a/c or heat.

[apachewarrior45]

Magic indeed! Thank you so much for bringing safety to motorcycles.

[marxseet]

This will be a marketing failure. Many countries tax and define vehicle with a "Steering wheel" as CAR.

[circusboy90210]

motocycles have the person on top and the outside. this is nto a motorcycle. see the transition from bicycle to motorized bicycle hence motorcycle.

[MeTubeification]

Favourite this if you want these technologies to be seen!

[TheChuckster939]

150 mile range is a lot more than even Zero claims. Where are all of the batteries going? The demonstration doesn't look stable, even without the weight of the vehicle, batteries and passenger.

[wisyakman]

if this gets built i will buy it at $16,000, this will make electric transportation available for everyone

[circusboy90210]

@wisyakman electric is far more inefficient than fuel vehicles when you take transmission and generation losses into account , no amount of smart grid can change this.

[wisyakman]

@circusboy90210 seeing how the internal combustion engine is only 35% to 50% efficient losing most its energy through heat, not to mention the trans stealing even more of that. Where as the electric drive system has no trans and loses very little in the form to heat and has 100% of its torque the moment you start to drive. However I do agree this is not a motorcycle.

[circusboy90210]

@wisyakman you forgot one thing, losses in high tension power lines 40-60% and generating losses which also are 35 -50% , not all internal combustion engines loose that much either like diesel , and turbo diesels. better to generate the power in vehicle , and not get stuck in the middle of nowhere. namaste

[Mrbikertomtom]

Arai, Shoei... Ect ect...

[nicedayvince]

Keep going! This is inspiring an I love to see the evolution of transportation. Well done!

[Dragonx7100]

You must be kidding! You never show the vehicle being driven or cornering.You also never show the bottem half in your video with the model in it until its on the kickstand.

[bored1980]

Finally, this is an enclosed motorcycle that doesn't look like a joke on wheels.

[ClownFight]

What will cause the vehicle to lean into the turn? Won't the gyro fight against any initiated lean? Motorcycles turn because they are leaned. They don't lean because they are turned.

[RaspalaKrava]

@ClownFight bikes turn becuse of counter stearing, leaning is somethin way difrent, google it, or watch twist the wrist.

[ClownFight]

@RaspalaKrava counter-steering initiates lean, then the lean causes the the tire to create turning friction at the contact patch due to the differing circumference of the center and edge of the tire. The problem I presented was the interference to counter-steering induced turn-in caused by the on-board gyroscope.

This dynamic may be a bit above your understanding RaspalKrava but I encourage you to keep reading but also ask yourself why Keith Code doesn't offer chassis design services.

[Decide85]

since it is a motorbike you HAVE to wear a helmet in that thing. I think...

[Milieunet]

Awesome

[NeverRideSlowly]

Very cool, and it would be perfect for many commuters.

However, in one point Kim is wrong.

Other motorcycle manufacturers have brought safety to motorcycles, as for example BMW with the C-1 scooter.

It was so safe, you didn't even have to wear a helmet and it provided weather protection as well.

And Honda now has airbags on their GoldWings...

[mesacuadrada79]

there's no company that brought safety to motorcycles... and what about BMW C1? i that safe that you dont need helmet... and i don't see seat belts on this motorbike...

[NeverRideSlowly]

@mesacuadrada79 Sorry, saw your post too late ;-)

[AnFonE]

@mesacuadrada79 The C1 needs a helmet in the UK. If the C1 gets hit by a car, seatbelt or not, you've a high chance of hitting the floor with your head, especially if collision was from the side.

[dionkraft]

Very nice but...you really don't think for a moment that this is going to just bounce sideways as in the accident animation do you. Its going to kill the driver! Anything this light getting is adios when involved in a T-BONE accident. Further more the price point is way too high. When the TATA NANO America shows up for $7000 in 2012 this will be not so popular.

[JOKERCKS]

:O, interesant

[kokopelli314]

This is a copy of an old concept, the Schilovski Gyrocar ca 1912. A 2 wheeled, 5 passenger vehicle with a central gyroscope with mechanical precession control to change the tilt. Many Gyrocars have been made and developed over the past 100 years. Mr Kim owes a debt to his predecessors.

[mikegLXIVMM]

@kokopelli314

True, but I hope the technology finally catches on, I want to buy something like this someday!

[kokopelli314]

@mikegLXIVMM Yes me too. Using the gyro to mechanically store and regenerate braking energy makes all kinds of sense.

[ChrisLuxembourg]

@kokopelli314 Yes & No, Schilovski don't have microprocessors to control the gyrowheel. I think, the gyrowheel is powered with very strong brushless motors.

The gyrowheel MUST slow down if you are riding.

If the vehicle stops quick and the gyro don't turn to 100%,

the vehicle to go down like ninepins!

I know that really well, because I'm riding a few ultra lowracer recumbents and balancing in critical situations can be a disaster...

[kokopelli314]

@ChrisLuxembourg

I was wondering about that too. There would need to be some calculations done to match the vehicle inertial moment to the acceleration and tilt. Don't really have any experience in this, but I'm thinking a hydraulically suspended gimbal could work. Torque, measured as fluid pressure difference, would be used to accelerate or decelerate the flywheel. Vehicle acceleration and tilt would drive the gimbal.

Schilovski used a 2 axis rack an pinion mechanically linked to the steering.

[ChrisLuxembourg]

@kokopelli314 For basic systems you'll need at least 2 gyro wheels. One wheel turn left and the other right, in this configuration you only get an inertial moment for the tilting!

If the vehicle is over stabilized is almost so bad like under stabilized.

Here the sensors, microprocessors and the software is the solution, take a look at the "Segway"....

[EcoDimension]

@kokopelli314 and his predecessors owes a debt to their predecessors... and this keeps going.

[crkuhns11]

The Monotracer has set up the most recent useful model, which a gyro stablized, inline vehicle can follow. It is bound to happen. How many more cars can flood the road before we all go nowhere even more slowly. At least, inline vehicle can run the length a gutter lane. I hope they succeed for all our sake.

[aataker]

wow, that is more Tron than the "look like" Tron bike..

[Groek123]

This is absolutely brillant , if it really works like they show it here , I will buy it immediately !

[0riginalistic]

@Groek123 what you have to realize is, spinning those gyroscopes take a lot of energy, and they weigh a lot. So I wouldn't expect this bike to have very good driving range. If this and the Nissan Leaf have poor range, sales will be weak and eventually they will be discontinued.

[inagod]

this could really be big,I would like to see a hybrid for increased range,until battery technology can catch up.

[91LEEMAN]

damn, better start collecting change.

[romintex]

I want it.

[LZIM]

no shit, I was JUST talking about something like this for Montreal commuters on the way home from work!!

[synergestic]

Interesting!

[Gattgit]

i want it!

[prahumada96]

Agreguen una terminación mas puntiaguda, sería cool.

[sustainablehuman]

The stabilization gyroscope runs under power, correct? Presumably there is a stand for when the vehicle is powered down?

[rg0057]

Interesting C1. It really wants to be upright. Does it bank on turns?

I think collision is going to be a problem. The vehicle is too small for crumpling, which might trap or kill the driver. But the driver also can't jump off. So it may instead be transmitting the force of the impact to the driver. While remaining upright in such a situation is a benefit, I'm not sure how to feel about it. Test results would help.

[ConceptVBS]

@rg0057

The sides of the door uses carbon fiber reinforced structural safety cage.

Carbon fiber is much stronger than steal per gram. This is partly why its used for super cars due to its weight savings but also for its characteristic in distributing impact.

Most crashes in a super car at high speeds, the drivers usually just walk away. Even in head on collisions.

Its used in F1 cars for a reason.

[007foppe]

yet to see a video driving it ^_^