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Lit Motors unveils concept motorcycle with 'gyroscopic stability' (video)

By | September 12, 2011, 11:16am PDT

Summary: SmartPlanet gets an exclusive first look at the C1-concept vehicle and its patented gyroscopic stability technology that helps prevent it from tipping over.

Lit Motors CEO Daniel Kim wants to reinvent the motorcycle as we know it today. His idea? To design and manufacture a fully enclosed, two-wheeled motorcycle that runs purely on electric. SmartPlanet gets an exclusive first look at the C1-concept vehicle and its patented gyroscopic stability technology that helps prevent it from tipping over.

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Video, Motorcycle, SmartPlanet, Automotive, Larry Dignan

Larry Dignan is Editor in Chief of ZDNet and SmartPlanet as well as Editorial Director of ZDNet's sister site TechRepublic.

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Larry Dignan

Larry Dignan has nothing to disclose. He doesn’t hold investments in the technology companies he covers.

Biography

Larry Dignan

Larry Dignan is Editor in Chief of ZDNet and SmartPlanet as well as Editorial Director of ZDNet's sister site TechRepublic. He was most recently Executive Editor of News and Blogs at ZDNet. Prior to that he was executive news editor at eWeek and news editor at Baseline. He also served as the East Coast news editor and finance editor at CNET News.com. Larry has covered the technology and financial services industry since 1995, publishing articles in WallStreetWeek.com, Inter@ctive Week, The New York Times, and Financial Planning magazine. He's a graduate of the Columbia School of Journalism and the University of Delaware.

For daily updates, follow Larry on Twitter.

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RE: Lit Motors unveils concept motorcycle with 'gyroscopic stability' (video)
canuuk 15th Oct
itpro_z A three wheel version called Carver ! is availible in Europe for about $48K
http://www.topspeed.com/cars/car-news/brinks-dynamics-carver-ar59362.html
Canuuk
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RE: Lit Motors unveils concept motorcycle with 'gyroscopic stability' (video)
NoAxToGrind 12th Sep
And the question remains, WHY?
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Not new
itpro_z Updated - 12th Sep
To a large degree all two wheeled vehicles have gyroscopic stability. If you don't believe me, try to balance a bicycle that is not moving, or lean a motorcycle that is sitting still. Both are simple tasks once the wheels (gyros) are spinning.
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RE: Lit Motors unveils concept motorcycle with 'gyroscopic stability' (video)
pupkin_z 12th Sep
@itpro_z well... yet they managed to patent the gyroscopic stability technology
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It isn't moving
keaura 12th Sep
@itpro_z If you watch the video, you see they try to tip over a vehicle that is not moving. There's the magic.
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Yeah, still not impressed.
itpro_z 12th Sep
@keaura, First, I have difficulty calling this a motorcycle since it is enclosed. Second, it will take power from the batteries to spin up the gyros, which will shorten battery life. Why not just make it a 3 wheel design, which would accomplish the stability without the complexity and power drain?
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RE: Lit Motors unveils concept motorcycle with 'gyroscopic stability' (video)
pupkin_z 12th Sep
@itpro_z ... yeap, 3 wheel design will do the same, at least it seems this way.
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RE: Lit Motors unveils concept motorcycle with 'gyroscopic stability' (video)
rbgaynor 12th Sep
@itpro_z Gyroscopic effect is only a minor player in bike stability:

http://anguishedrepose.wordpress.com/2011/04/19/its-mass-distribution-not-gyroscopic-effects-that-makes-a-bike-stay-upright/
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RE: Lit Motors unveils concept motorcycle with 'gyroscopic stability' (video)
pupkin_z 12th Sep
@rbgaynor I am not sure... the way their bike behaved is very similar to how the spinning harddrive behaves. Try to tilt a working 3 TB (or more) external harddrive and then compare to the non-working and you will see what I mean.
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RE: Lit Motors unveils concept motorcycle with 'gyroscopic stability' (video)
CobraA1 13th Sep
@rbgaynor I'd like a fact check and a research check on that. Gyroscopic motion is well studied and mathematically defined - the article you link to claims there's uncertainty about it, but my college physics textbook says otherwise. You can certainly calculate and measure gyroscopic motion.
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Awesome
keaura 12th Sep
This is so cool. I hope this is really successful.
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RE: Lit Motors unveils concept motorcycle with 'gyroscopic stability' (video)
super_grover 13th Sep
It's been done. The X-Tracer an electric powered enclosed two-wheeler won the 2010 Automotive X-Prize Alternative Class. There is a gasoline powered version called the Ecomobile.

http://www.progressiveautoxprize.org/teams/xtracer?carId=138

http://articles.latimes.com/2010/nov/13/business/la-fi-1113-etracer-20101113

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xzK012GjjX4&NR=1
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RE: Lit Motors unveils concept motorcycle with 'gyroscopic stability' (video)
yuki2009 17th Sep
Just look at that pink unfinished scooter gas tank,.very hilarious thing you can find on high-tech concept bike,.keep that ex drinking water container on the bike and you will have an eco green concept bike,.
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RE: Lit Motors unveils concept motorcycle with 'gyroscopic stability' (video)
canuuk 15th Oct
itpro_z A three wheel version called Carver ! is availible in Europe for about $48K
http://www.topspeed.com/cars/car-news/brinks-dynamics-carver-ar59362.html
Canuuk

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