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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

#131

Post by fennecfoxen »

excuse-me wrote: post #112
WiseWeasel wrote: post #66

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Power plants operate at a much higher efficiency than internal combustion engines, on cheaper and more diversified fuel sources, including renewable. [Electric motors and batteries also have relatively little energy waste, making the system as a whole more efficient to operate, especially when you consider being able to leverage the superior distribution infrastructure of the electric grid versus the relatively spars…

Not quite so clear cut for a small car. A small common rail diesel engine in a car gets close to 40%, a coal power plant runs at about 45%. Add in transmission losses and charging/battery/electric motor and the diesel g CO2/km is probably better.

The US is presently doing a lot to switch over to natural gas, which has a lot less carbon-per-kWh than coal. If that's what they have in your area, the figures look better. Also good for the figures: if you happened to be doing your charging off-peak such that you're not actually adding to the emissions that would otherwise be emitted by idling power plants. (Or if you live in an area with good hydro/nuclear and the like.)

Of course, that's not really transparent to the electricity user in most cases.

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

#132

Post by bitsoda »

While gyros are way cool, adding them for stability reeks of overengineering when simply adding another wheel could achieve the same effect. This reminds me of the urban myth of the Russians using a pencil instead of spending money to develop a zero-gravity pen.

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

#134

Post by jrockway »

sankyo wrote: post #71
jack-r-abbit wrote: post #61

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As I understand it, lane splitting is illegal in many U.S. states, but is considered lawful in California (though there is no law for or against it... it is simply "allowed"). I might be wrong but I thought the main justification for lane splitting was due to the air-cooled aspect of motorcycles and the harm that can come from sitting in stalled/slow traffic (although, where I live I see this get abused everyday by m…

I split lanes (San Francisco) to avoid being rear ended by an inattentive driver. The safest place to be is between 2 cars at a red light. Of course I like going faster than all the cars around me and I can get a block or two ahead of everyone by cruising up to the front of the queue. There is a safe way to split lanes - do not go more than 5-10 MPH faster than the cars, and watch for gaps because a car will change l…

I split lanes (San Francisco) to avoid being rear ended by an inattentive driver.

Isn't that statistically the least likely way of getting hit on a two-wheeled vehicle? Drivers may be distracted, but even the most inattentive look in front of them.

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

#135

Post by jrockway »

bitsoda wrote: post #132

While gyros are way cool, adding them for stability reeks of overengineering when simply adding another wheel could achieve the same effect. This reminds me of the urban myth of the Russians using a pencil instead of spending money to develop a zero-gravity pen.

Why do you need another wheel? I don't see a lot of tipped-over motorcycles lining the sides of roads, after all...

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

#136

Post by jrockway »

drobilla wrote: post #95

For half a century, especially in America, we've been hearing about the "future of transportation" in the form of some car, or car-like non-mass transit device. The numbers don't work out, the logistics don't work out, and the infrastructure doesn't work out. The future of transit is obviously not cars: not normal 4 wheeled cars, not flying cars, not fancy gyro stabilized two wheeled cars. Ideas otherwise are quaint…

The problem is that we've poured so much money into roads that any technology that doesn't use them is at a multi-billion-dollar disadvantage.

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

#137

Post by epaik »

dchest wrote: post #68
eslachance wrote: post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The first one was commissioned in 1912? Sounds like it would have been a great opportunity for Lit to actually release it this year... They won't miss the mark by much, though. No wait, scratch that, just looked up the word "commissioned"... So if they release it in 1914, they'll have hit the nail straight on. Good on them!

Not sure what you're trying to say. Can you please explain?

I think he's referring to the 100 year anniversary of the initial commission.

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

#138

Post by tmuir »

ktizo wrote: post #3

To be honest, I wasn't sure about the whole gyros thing and thought that it was unneeded complexity, until I realised they were also using them for regenerative braking/power. Then I went ooooo... If they are really smart with this, and if the gyros are up to the task, they could use them for ultra fast charging as well.

The gyroscope keeps the vehicle from falling over when stopped. Even without regenerative braking, thats pretty necessary complexity when you can't stick your foot out to add a third point of contact.

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

#139

Post by tmuir »

rbreve wrote: post #30

They had one of these in Maker Faire

I talked to one of the guys in the Lit tent, and I remember him saying that they were aiming for the mid teens as a price point, and that they were planning for a higher capacity vehicle that was closer to the price listed in the article. I wonder what changed in the last 10 days.

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

#140

Post by sien »

dandrews wrote: post #64
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_.

Yes, I remember the Segway. I've owned a pair for five years and have 13,000 miles between them. It didn't take over the world, but it fits my use case perfectly .

Why don't you use a bike?

I've done that sort of distance on my pushbike. It cost $AU 750 and it kept me fit.

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