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This Is the Gyro-Stabilized, Two-Wheeled Future of Transportation

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Re: This Is the Gyro-Stabilized, Two-Wheeled Future of Transportation

#21

Post by jdietrich »

timdiggerm wrote: post #9

I bet the future of transportation will remember that many people have children they want to transport with them.

In southern Europe, motor scooters and light motorcycles are a substantial part of the transport mix. Scooters are a fast, economical, traffic-beating option. With fuel at over $8 per US gallon, a 100mpg scooter has tremendous appeal. It's quite common for dad to ride a scooter to work, while mum takes the kids to school in the car. A young adult is just as likely to start motoring on a scooter as in a car; Towns and cities in Spain and Italy are overflowing with scooters on weekend nights. Most of those towns were never designed for cars and have a desperate shortage of parking - you can get five or six scooters into one parking space.

A vehicle like this has most of the advantages of a scooter, without the obvious shortcomings. It could fill the same role in the vehicle mix in countries where weather, safety concerns or cultural factors make motor scooters unpopular.

Most car journeys involve a single occupant. That's a luxury we've been able to afford until now, but lugging around four empty seats is seeming ever more wasteful.

Re: This Is the Gyro-Stabilized, Two-Wheeled Future of Transportation

#22

Post by fennecfoxen »

amalag wrote: post #10
TylerE wrote: post #7

Remember the last two-wheeled, gyro-stabilized future of transportation? The one that was largely a commercial flop, and which the company president ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Heselden ) _drove off a cliff_.

The segway does what it's supposed to do. I think it has it's useful niche. It was marketed as a replacement for all transportation, but that is silly because only because of the cost.

Speaking of cost, this vehicle will start for ~$24,000.

I mean, I'd buy it for... maybe $5000ish, if I were feeling particularly spendy?

Re: This Is the Gyro-Stabilized, Two-Wheeled Future of Transportation

#23

Post by vannevar »

jdietrich wrote: post #14
vannevar wrote: post #4

If they added two more wheels instead of the gyros, they'd get passive stabilization and lower cost. They'd also get more room for a larger battery and cargo or passengers. And since roads and parking lots are already designed for 4-wheel vehicles, the extra width wouldn't be much of a disadvantage.

Two-wheeled vehicles have a party piece - they keep moving when traffic stops. In a city like London or Paris, a pedal cycle is faster than a car for most journeys. In a city like LA, a motorcycle can be twice as fast as a car during rush-hour. This has effects beyond the two-wheeled rider; Remember, you're never stuck in traffic, you are traffic. A recent study suggested that if 10% of car drivers switched to two-wh…

I'm not sure how safe it would be to split lanes in the C1; it's wider than a motorcycle, and it's being marketed to non-cyclists who may not be so skilled at weaving through tight spaces even with gyros. It would be more aerodynamic, no doubt, but I think we're a long way off from comparing the relative efficiency of electric vehicles. I think range and carrying capacity are bigger consumer concerns.

Re: This Is the Gyro-Stabilized, Two-Wheeled Future of Transportation

#24

Post by arethuza »

excuse-me wrote: post #20
arethuza wrote: post #2

Reminds me of the BMW C1: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BMW_C1

And will be killed for the same reason. Country A will insist that it's a motorbike, require you to wear a helmet and have an enhanced heavy bike licence (because of it's top speed) Country B will insist that it's a car and require seatbelts, airbags etc. Country C will only allow electric bikes that have a top speed of 15m/h

Not to mention looking distinctly dorky.

Re: This Is the Gyro-Stabilized, Two-Wheeled Future of Transportation

#25

Post by MichaelApproved »

vannevar wrote: post #23
jdietrich wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Two-wheeled vehicles have a party piece - they keep moving when traffic stops. In a city like London or Paris, a pedal cycle is faster than a car for most journeys. In a city like LA, a motorcycle can be twice as fast as a car during rush-hour. This has effects beyond the two-wheeled rider; Remember, you're never stuck in traffic, you are traffic. A recent study suggested that if 10% of car drivers switched to two-wh…

I'm not sure how safe it would be to split lanes in the C1; it's wider than a motorcycle, and it's being marketed to non-cyclists who may not be so skilled at weaving through tight spaces even with gyros. It would be more aerodynamic, no doubt, but I think we're a long way off from comparing the relative efficiency of electric vehicles. I think range and carrying capacity are bigger consumer concerns.

I've split lanes in LA traffic. One of the important parts is watching drivers heads as you approach to pass them for an indication that they might suddenly change lanes. That level of awareness saved my life a few times. I don't think you can do that with the C1, as the driver is lower to the ground and doesnt have the same field of vision.

Re: This Is the Gyro-Stabilized, Two-Wheeled Future of Transportation

#26

Post by RowanH »

kokey wrote: post #15
rmc wrote: post #13

How much force would it take to knock the C1 on its side? According to Lit, a small elephant would have to hit it broadside to put the C1 on the ground. So… a car hitting the side then?

What I really like about this is that because it's like a motor bike, you actually have time for the airbags to deploy, when it's being tipped over, shoved along, skidding on its side or flying through the air.

Having seen the end result of a low speed collision last night between motorbike and car, with said dude on motorbike tail between legs, and one very raw burnt calf, very much agree there is a lot of merit in this.

For all the arguments of a motorbike, even at low speeds, no matter which way you slice or dice it, you still get the wrong end of the stick if you get hit/drop it.

I myself would make the leap to one of these in a heartbeat when they're production ready. Huge win for small commutes in and around the city, just myself.

Re: This Is the Gyro-Stabilized, Two-Wheeled Future of Transportation

#27

Post by DanBC »

It'd be great if this is road-legal in the UK. We like little vehicles - see the original Mini or the fiat Panda or some Renault 5's or the Fiat 500 or the Smart cars.

There is a lower limit though. The Tango Commuter car hasn't taken off.

(http://www.commutercars.com/)

The Sinclair C5 was mocked and hated when released. (Surely a concept 30 years before its time?)

Bikes are great, and more sensible cyclists are needed. These things could encourage people out of cars and into small personal vehicles. I'd be gently concerned by the amount of stop-go you need in UK town driving.

Re: This Is the Gyro-Stabilized, Two-Wheeled Future of Transportation

#28

Post by Luc »

arethuza wrote: post #24
excuse-me wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And will be killed for the same reason. Country A will insist that it's a motorbike, require you to wear a helmet and have an enhanced heavy bike licence (because of it's top speed) Country B will insist that it's a car and require seatbelts, airbags etc. Country C will only allow electric bikes that have a top speed of 15m/h

Not to mention looking distinctly dorky.

I see them around Antwerp fairly often. Especially estate agents (wearing a suit) seem to like them. It's no different than seeing a Smart car the first time - the novelty wears off rather quickly.

Re: This Is the Gyro-Stabilized, Two-Wheeled Future of Transportation

#29

Post by slavak »

TylerE wrote: post #7

Remember the last two-wheeled, gyro-stabilized future of transportation? The one that was largely a commercial flop, and which the company president ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Heselden ) _drove off a cliff_.

This was what I thought they were talking about when I saw the headline. I assumed this was an amused look back on the good ol' days.

I never did understand why anyone ever thought the Segway would revolutionize anything. I don't see the big advantage, and - frankly - you look downright ridiculous riding it.

And yes - I did get to ride it. It's kind of cool for the novelty factor, but I fail to see any incredible advantage over the more traditional alternatives.

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