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One Motorcycle That I'll Never Ride (PIC)

ananova.com — It may look like the most dangerous motorbike in the world but this new invention is actually the latest form of green transport.

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  • YourPal, on 05/05/2008, -19/+97One wheeled Segway
    • SpaceDreamer, on 05/05/2008, -2/+196Diggers are usually so quick to cry "photoshopped!"
      yet they all get fooled by the ancient trick of taking a photo from just the right angle...
      http://www.motorcyclemojo.com/articles/the-uno/
      One wheeled, you say?
      • franklymister, on 05/05/2008, -0/+28Not only is that a great article, there's an excellent gallery of photos there. Much better link than the original submission, thanks.
      • knoxchris, on 05/05/2008, -16/+2Photoshopped!
      • je12u, on 05/06/2008, -0/+3That second wheel is obviously shopped.
    • Terr01, on 05/05/2008, -17/+12What's sad is that there's probably someone out there who thinks that the single wheel (or rather, two wheels parallel to each other) has anything to do with it being "green".

      I'd describe it as a deathtrap. As in: "Crap I can't stop in time without having my body thrown forward at at twenty miles an hour" deathtrap.

      The whole "auto segwayish balancing" stuff is a total waste and marketing hype here.
      • daRoach, on 05/05/2008, -0/+19The size of it and it's gas mileage are probably what it has to do with being "green".
        • Terr01, on 05/05/2008, -10/+1Duh.

          Notice I said "probably someone out there", so unless you were posting for their benefit...?
      • superkendall, on 05/05/2008, -2/+2If you lean back hard enough you aren't going to go flying anywhere.
        • Terr01, on 05/06/2008, -0/+1That doesn't always work even for for *normal* bycicles, and they have their center of gravity much further back and have the benefit of being able to brake from both wheels.

          If it prevents you from flying forward, it must do it by really compromising on your ability to stop.
      • franklymister, on 05/06/2008, -0/+1The only person that said it was supposed be green is the submitter to Digg. It's an invention by an 18-year old kid - what "marketing hype" are you cracking out about?
        • Terr01, on 05/06/2008, -0/+1What I mean is that the whole auto-balancing bit is (while impressive from a personal project standpoint) a gimmick rather than something that makes it greener or safer or even more affordable.
    • YourPal, on 05/05/2008, -10/+2You ruined it, it is cooler 1-wheeled.
    • a1lazydog, on 05/05/2008, -5/+1yay! now I can be like dekabreak!
    • jpski, on 05/05/2008, -2/+7... only it has 2 wheels:
      http://www.trendhunter.com/photos/the-uno/2
    • huntersquid, on 05/06/2008, -0/+2Pffft. It's obviously the Rex Wheelie from Kirby Air Ride: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jhggnNtXjkI (Sorry for the bad video and crappy sound, it was the only one I could find. Not rick roll)
      A similar vehicle from kirby air ride:
      http://kirby.classicgaming.gamespy.com/games/airri ...
  • socialdork, on 05/05/2008, -7/+24I can only think of dumb and dumber or jack ass movie situations while looking at it.
  • INDOAZZ, on 05/05/2008, -13/+38Unidiot
  • Lososaurus, on 05/05/2008, -2/+33It's Venus Wars for real! Mount a machine gun on that thing and put a rocket launcher in the guy's hand and you're in business.
    Awesome.
    • dinobot, on 05/05/2008, -0/+5That's the first thing that came to my mind when I saw the thumbnail, glad someone else made the reference too
    • Velvolver, on 05/05/2008, -0/+3"I'll give you a 10 kilometer head start"
    • KillaJazzBass, on 05/06/2008, -0/+3Damn I havent seen that anime in like 10 years, thanks Saturday Anime!
      • sdcarter, on 05/06/2008, -0/+2They really need to bring that back. Waking up Sat. mornings to classic anime that wasn't Pokemon or Dragonball Something-or-other was great.
    • ZenMojo, on 05/06/2008, -0/+2Saturday Anime > Animonday. So humanity really DID come from Venus, and now our technology is repeating...
    • icecreamfriday, on 05/06/2008, -0/+0I think they were called monobikes.

      Remember, motorcycle with one wheel + tanker truck full of gasoline does not beat tank.
  • TEHxINTERWEBS, on 05/05/2008, -12/+55I'm confused...how does it turn?
    • duggtodeath, on 05/05/2008, -5/+226It doesn't. The earth turns beneath it.
    • Arcesius, on 05/05/2008, -1/+51Leaning to one side?
      • zspeed78, on 05/05/2008, -12/+6Its been proven that leaning isnt what actually makes a standard motorcycle turn, so Im thinking that might not turn this thing either.. im confused too. Leaning simply changes the radius of the wheel.. no reason you cant ride leaning the bike over 30% with your body hanging off the other side, and go in a straight line. Many people do it on quads/dirt bikes to fool around, and it goes straight.
        • amadeusdemarzi, on 05/05/2008, -2/+5Actually you are half right.

          Body weight plays a huge roll in how a motorcycle turns. Yes, at high speeds, your leaning is going to have less effect, but as long as you are going over 25-30mph then you experience counter steering, which means you use a slight bit of force countering the direction you would like to turn, and the more weight you put into the turn, the better it turns.

          This is one of the reasons that many novice riders crash, they go around a turn, they keep putting counter steer to try to turn more and more, but they don't feel comfortable putting their weight into the turn, and therefore counteract much of the turning potential of the motorcycle.

          Notice how far Valentino Rossi is hanging off the bike here?
          http://www.comparestoreprices.co.uk/images/mo/moto ...
        • zspeed78, on 05/05/2008, -7/+7I cant believe I got dugg down. And leaning has absolutely 0 effect. Its been talked about countless times, and a popular california motorcycle racing school went to the extent of creating a demo bike with LOCKED SOLID bars, and would let people try and turn it by doing ANYTHING they could. People would hang off, lean, jump around, and NOTHING would turn it.

          Thanks digg, for making me believe even less in the digg count.
        • colinnwn, on 05/06/2008, -3/+3I think you are getting dug down because your comment shows either a lack of the broader knowledge of riding dynamics, or subtlety in your argument. Do you ride motorcycles? You are right in that to initiate a turn you must steer. But after that initiation, steering has very little effect. Body position then makes the difference in how you turn and whether you exit the turn safely.
        • zspeed78, on 05/06/2008, -1/+2Ive ridden since 18, now 24. Also, I was as foolish as the poster above my first few weeks riding, but during that time I was reading and learned about countersteering, and how body position has no actual affect on turning. Weight transfer sure. But it will not turn a bike it itself. The fixed bar bike proves that.
          • amadeusdemarzi, on 05/06/2008, -1/+1Actually it does, if you read my post. Yes, to initiate a turn, it requires counter-steer. But, once you are in the turn, you can turn more by 'hanging off' the bike 'properly'. It's all about technique, but essentially by shifting the center of gravity on the bike puts more weight on various points of the contact patch and thus allow the bike to get around the corner better.
          • zspeed78, on 05/06/2008, -1/+1"essentially by shifting the center of gravity on the bike puts more weight on various points of the contact patch and thus allow the bike to get around the corner better."

            Get around a corner better is not the same thing as MAKE it turn thus going around a corner.
        • edmcguirk, on 05/06/2008, -0/+1Actually no, the leaning has nothing to do with turning a motorcycle. Imagine this, turning the front wheel controls how much a bike turns.
          The initial countersteer is there to move the wheels out from underneath the center of gravity so that when you actually do turn, the bike doesn't simply fall over.
          On a two wheeled vehicle you must always coordinate the amount of steering angle with the amount of lean so that your center of gravity is always over the wheels. The angle of the wheels control how much you turn but the leaning angle only controls whether you fall down or not.
          Now trying to steer a one wheeled vehicle has got to be much more difficult. You are going to have to lean both sideways and forward/backward in order to not fall down. The curvature of the wheel will probably help create a turn angle but I am not sure how effective it would be. I would imagine that your center of gravity being forward or backward of the wheel will help. I guess that if your center of gravity is forward and to the left of the wheel, the turn should get sharper. But when you watch people riding a unicycle, they never really arc through a turn. It might not be possible.
          In any event it will be wildly unstable even with computer control.
    • BoonTobias, on 05/05/2008, -2/+64the wall turns it for you
    • jmkiii, on 05/05/2008, -3/+69lasers
    • Sonhja, on 05/05/2008, -12/+3psychokinesis
    • fr3ddie, on 05/05/2008, -16/+7Chuck Norris!
      • noahgelman, on 05/05/2008, -1/+5Chuck Norris isnt cool anymore, I thought that was the general senses like 2 months ago
    • GeekyGerge, on 05/05/2008, -3/+20magic
    • mourne, on 05/05/2008, -19/+24I'm not sure, but I'd assume one wheel spins faster then the other. Kinda like a tank turns.
      • jackalsclaw, on 05/05/2008, -6/+13why are people digging this down?
        • judicar, on 05/05/2008, -26/+3because it only has one wheel.
        • Fartbandit, on 05/05/2008, -3/+9it has two wheels you blind git...

        • rouge568, on 05/05/2008, -2/+10No, two. See the reply to very first comment on the page.
          But regardless, I get to bury this to -5. Noone shall ever see it!
    • lechuga, on 05/05/2008, -5/+69HOW THE ***** DOES IT STOP??

      I can't imagine pulling the brake(s) on this thing... wtf would happen?
      • rspeed, on 05/05/2008, -0/+2Same way as a Segway. You lean back.
      • LOCK3D, on 05/05/2008, -0/+10it doesn't have brakes that you pull. you lean back and it decelerates proportional to how far you lean.
        • vfreak2, on 05/05/2008, -0/+2I'm afraid I don't have the motor skills to do all this.
      • jester17, on 05/05/2008, -0/+20You run into something.
      • mozert, on 05/06/2008, -0/+7wtf would happen? you would stop using caps lock.
    • Zalyster, on 05/05/2008, -1/+27Miley Cyrus
    • jackalsclaw, on 05/05/2008, -2/+6carefully.
    • pentalive, on 05/05/2008, -0/+3Gyroscopic effect.

      • agarwaengrc, on 05/06/2008, -0/+2The Gyroscopic effect is exactly why it can't turn. You would have to somehow change the wheel's direction so that the Gyroscopic effect push the wheel's axis to the other direction... you'd have to turn the wheel to turn... you get my point... leaning to one side does almost nothing when you're going with more than 20mph, get a bike and try to turn without countersteering the front wheel at the start of the turn.
        • Abomonog, on 05/06/2008, -0/+1No, you can use the inertia from the gyros to turn it. Ever seen an old Mustang with a really powerful motor lift it's right front tire in neutral? Thats gyroscopic inertia at work. Just add a touch of speed or slow down the horizontal gyroscope a tad and that bike will turn on a dime. (Quite literally)
    • derekge, on 05/05/2008, -1/+5It doesn't - you have to travel straight...
    • HQAS, on 05/05/2008, -0/+6It's actually got 2 wheels really close together, and they turn independently. I'm not sure if turning the bike is accomplished by leaning, or turning the handlebars, but it sounds like one wheel slows down while the other maintains speed, and that's how it turns.

      There's an actual write-up on the thing here: http://www.treehugger.com/files/2008/05/electric_u ...
      • agarwaengrc, on 05/06/2008, -0/+2that explains it then. It's a segway.
    • Impeller, on 05/06/2008, -5/+1Anonymous
    • discodeathopera, on 05/06/2008, -6/+1In soviet russia, bike turns you.
    • jenel, on 05/06/2008, -2/+1Science.
    • gravityPersists, on 05/06/2008, -1/+2Conservation of Angular Momentum.
    • Sillywombat, on 05/06/2008, -6/+2In Russia, bike turns you!
  • ALyken, on 05/05/2008, -4/+8It looks mighty uncomfortable, not to mention unsafe. What do you do when you have to stop at a red light? How does it hold up?
  • JimboLimbo, on 05/05/2008, -20/+4sorry to be a party pooper, but the laws of physics makes this nearly impossible. his center of mass is too high...if he accelerates or stops...he's toast!
    • KokomoNYC, on 05/05/2008, -3/+17Um, it's probably got a computer controlled feedback mechanism to hold it up, like a B2 bomber or a Segway...if it's not a joke. The picture smells of Onion.
      • krische, on 05/05/2008, -0/+2but doesn't that mean it would speed up to counteract you tipping forward? thus you don't stop?
        • muchachoburacho, on 05/05/2008, -0/+5no it means you'd lean forward to speed it up and back to slow it down.
          • krische, on 05/05/2008, -0/+3Yeah, but wouldn't it be kind of hard to counteract your body's momentum and street or highway speeds?
          • LtXenodite, on 05/05/2008, -0/+3krische: If you lean forward it accelerates equally, and thus you stay almost straight up (like a Segway) and if you lean back it decelerates equally, meaning you don't fall backwards from leaning. Like balancing a stick straight up on your palm. It starts to fall, you move your hand to straighten it.
          • Velvolver, on 05/05/2008, -0/+1^F'n genious
      • PabloMac, on 05/05/2008, -4/+3"...it's probably got a computer controlled feedback mechanism to hold it up..."
        Hope it's not running Vista.
    • talonstriker, on 05/05/2008, -4/+2I'm guessing that he sticks his leg out when he stops, so that when the leg hits the ground he doesn't do a somersault.
      • Onyxblaze, on 05/05/2008, -2/+2Ok... ~150 pounds traveling at 40 miles an hour. A leg is not gonna stop it.
    • greatpaimei, on 05/05/2008, -0/+6JimpboLimbo, meet my friend the gyroscope. Gyroscope, this is Jimbo.
  • dafide, on 05/05/2008, -9/+4It doesn't look very safe.
  • DrDragun, on 05/05/2008, -2/+18All that fancy orange body-work for something that I imagine is going to get dropped on the ground a LOT
  • keitarofujiwara, on 05/05/2008, -3/+119crotch-coffin
  • bstockwell, on 05/05/2008, -5/+69We finally did it, physics no longer prevails over our lives.

    oh look! I can fly!
    • Daggity, on 05/05/2008, -2/+2All I did was import antigravity!
      /xkcd
      • Velvolver, on 05/05/2008, -0/+2/xkcd and keep it that way.
      • stephbeaudet, on 05/06/2008, -0/+1ahah so i wasnt the only one thinking Python when i saw that
  • captainpugwash, on 05/05/2008, -2/+63Hey why all the hate? I think it looks sweet
    • killscreenes, on 05/05/2008, -9/+2Have you ever tried riding a unicycle at 65 miles an hour? I didn't think so.
      • shinythingy, on 05/05/2008, -5/+3a unicycle has one wheel, this has two
        • krische, on 05/05/2008, -2/+10its really more like one wide wheel than anything.
    • superkendall, on 05/05/2008, -0/+5People fear the unknown - especially when the unknown is cooler than what they own.
    • frontalpha, on 05/06/2008, -0/+1exactly my point! That 's the coolest thing I've ever seen!
  • nazsco, on 05/05/2008, -1/+20works just like a segway, genius.

    segway has two wheels side by side. the weight distribution vertically is just the same as that bike.
    • krische, on 05/05/2008, -1/+10but you don't go 40-50 mph on a segway.
      • oblique63, on 05/05/2008, -1/+13sounds like a challenge....
        • krische, on 05/05/2008, -0/+5feel free. I'll be the one recording and uploading to youtube. ;)
          • Onyxblaze, on 05/05/2008, -3/+2Listen to krische guys. This thing would need a gyro of significant mass in order to keep the driver from flying forward.
          • vitriolage, on 05/05/2008, -1/+4The gyros in the segway, afaik, aren't used for their angular momentum to keep the segway in it's upright position. They are just used to sense the incline as you lean forward and backward. The electric motors then compensate, keeping you from tipping. And as nazco pointed out it wouldn't be too hard to do the same thing in this "bike".
          • krnldmp, on 05/06/2008, -0/+2vitriolage, Onyxblade is onto something sginificant anyway. With only two wheels side by side it is absolutely impossible to negate panic stop deceleration forces without getting fired over the bars. Using a ReelyFrigginHuge gyro might work, but it'd be so big or fast you couldn't really ride anyway. In short, the design is nothing more than an exercise.
          • asforme, on 05/08/2008, -0/+2I'm not a physics genius, but as I understand it, the farther you lean back the quicker it stops. So therefor in a panic stop I'd imagine you'd be leaned back so far that inertia would be pushing you into the bike from behind, not over the top of it. Then the brakes let off and you return to being on top of the bike as it slows.
          • Onyxblaze, on 05/08/2008, -0/+1That would be ***** intense. Too bad it's not possible... look at the bike, the tail would get ground off if he leaned back that far.
      • superkendall, on 05/05/2008, -1/+2You can go up to 20, and the only reason it really is not built to go faster is that it's meant for mixed terrain. A bike would be meant for the road.
        • krnldmp, on 05/06/2008, -0/+1Nah. The reason it's not built to go faster is because if you hit a nice rut or a big rock you get launched. Even on the road an inline wheeled bike with passive suspension would have better hazard capability.
    • OMnicient, on 05/05/2008, -0/+0A lot like a segway, except it has fewer gyroscopes, and less computers to control it.

      But if it's cheaper than a segway, I'll buy one!
  • SpaceDreamer, on 05/05/2008, -5/+93An article you guys should read before writing some speculations / gratuitous bashing / random B.S. :
    http://www.motorcyclemojo.com/articles/the-uno/
    and yes, it has 2 wheels, like a Segway.
    • milou, on 05/05/2008, -0/+4Thanks, good reference.
    • zspeed78, on 05/05/2008, -0/+1Damn thing looks genius. An alternative to the annoying 2 stroke 50cc scooters popular on many campuses. (although now illegal in california to sell new)
    • Kamujin, on 05/05/2008, -3/+2It doesn't take an engineering degree to know that your dead the first time you need to panic stop.
      • superkendall, on 05/05/2008, -3/+2I guess it does take a genius to realize how quickly you can stop just by leaning back. It can probably stop just as fast as any bike.
        • Kamujin, on 05/06/2008, -0/+2If you understood the concept of a lever, you'd never have made such a statement.

          No way this can stop as fast as a bike.

          http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lever

        • edmcguirk, on 05/06/2008, -1/+1Given that no tire can generate more than 1.5 G and no street tire can generate much more than 1 G. Yes, you can lean back far enough to compensate for both the deceleration and the brake torque.
          If you needed to slow down faster than that you were going down no matter what you were driving anyway.
          • Kamujin, on 05/07/2008, -1/+1Wrong, because you will lose surface friction because there will be nearly no weight pressing down on the tires.

            This is also why a motorcyle's front brakes are responsible for most of its stopping power.
          • edmcguirk, on 05/07/2008, -1/+1The weight is going to transfer to some place else besides the only tire touching the ground?
            Since this bike only has a front wheel, all the weight will be there no matter how far back you lean.
          • Kamujin, on 05/07/2008, -0/+1Yeah, but with a conventional bike, the center of mass being farther behind the front wheel allows more of the forward momentum to be converted into weight on the front wheel before it would flip.
            Its not just dry weight on the front wheel.
            Thus, the link to the lever.
          • edmcguirk, on 05/10/2008, -0/+1Exactly, it's a lever. You have to lean back to keep your center of gravity over the center of the tire's contact patch but then you have to lean back further to compensate for the torque of the brakes pitching you forward.
            The torque of braking plus the torque of your weight acting through the axle must add up to a vector that points directly through the center of the tire's contact patch. (as long as you don't lean back so far that you touch the ground - which you shouldn't at only 1G deceleration)
            Very difficult but possible.
      • Rally603, on 05/06/2008, -1/+2What the hell does an engineering degree have anything to do with that?
    • zspeed78, on 05/06/2008, -2/+3That thing may actually stop better, considering youll place your weight where it should be as you come to a stop. On a standard street bike, youre already high up, and you sit up higher as you stop to hold yourself up, which leads to overloading the front suspension or simply starting an endo. This thing many actually stop better if you ask me, IF you trust it enough to pull all the way back, probably to a 45 degree, and stare at the sky while you maybe or maybe not hit something.
      • Neelix, on 05/06/2008, -2/+3Yeah, I think that people don't really realize that machines like the Segway stop in a way that is really comfortable. On things like bikes and scooters, if you have to stop quickly you can fly over the handlebars, because the machine stops but you keep going. But with the Segway and, I imagine, this thing, when you stop, the dynamics make it so that your body is counteracting your forward momentum.
        • Kamujin, on 05/07/2008, -0/+1I think you guys don't realize that most of a motorcycle's real braking power comes from its front brakes. A big part of this is due the added friction on the front tire as the weight is transfered to it. This device would perform much like a motorcycles rear brake which is far less effective then the front brake.
          • zspeed78, on 05/07/2008, -1/+1If you lean back, the wheel is in front of you, thus being a front brake. Thanks.
          • asforme, on 05/08/2008, -0/+2^^ I thought that at first too, but your inertia is now pushing the tire forward instead of downward into the pavement. You are loosing friction.
          • zspeed78, on 05/08/2008, -1/+1WTF is wrong with everyone.. unless you get parallel to the ground you have a downwards component that increases as you brake.. if you suck at physics, dont click thumbs up or down.
          • SquidProQuo, on 05/08/2008, -0/+1I think it's possible to brake as well as front brakes on a motorcycle with this Uno system. On the Uno you are effectively doing the same thing as a "stoppie" on a regular motorcycle, but all the time. All the weight is transferred to the front wheel. The devil is probably in the details. On one hand the geometry may not be as good in terms of keeping the center of gravity low and behind the axle (or more specifically behind the optimal 45 degree line through the axle into the ground) but it does have the advantage of more rubber contact patch on the road with two tires braking.
          • Kamujin, on 05/08/2008, -0/+1@zpeed78, if you were right, the rear brake on a motorcycle would be as effective as the front brake. It has been proven many times over that the front brake on a motorcycle has far more stopping power then a rear brake.

            If you confuse trigonometry with physics, please don't post.
          • zspeed78, on 05/10/2008, -0/+1Kamuijin, what you said is wrong. It doesnt explain the rear wheel on a bike at all. When you brake on a motorcycle you never bring a component of weight behind and above the rear wheel, so what I said has no correlation to a street bike.
            I 100% agree a rear wheel on a bike is very ineffective, because of weight transfer. But this setup were talking about (wheels next to each other) is different, and if you read SquidProQuo, he explained it just like Ive been trying to. It may actually be AS GOOD AS IT GETs because of the two tires, and being on a constant maximum downforce angle. It may OUTBREAK a bike. Im done with all you physics dropouts.
        • zspeed78, on 05/10/2008, -0/+1Damn it, OUT BRAKE not outbreak.. out of anger of reading such stupid ***** I cant spell.
  • Vocifer, on 05/05/2008, -1/+39Chocobo?
  • toddy5k, on 05/05/2008, -2/+7It's the fastest clown alive!
  • DeathWish808, on 05/05/2008, -3/+13I think it's incredible of anyone of his age to come up with. The people that think it's a photoshop or fake are just ignorant. This kid is definitely going places! Would love to have one as a weekend toy. Too bad the picture was the only thing Dugg.
    • humpinillini, on 05/06/2008, -1/+0Calling people with whom you disagree "ignorant" is just about as close to the definition of that word as you can get. It's like a more pretentious way of saying "you're wrong cause you're a butthole."
      • V2012, on 05/06/2008, -0/+1Nah, it's not about the disagreement, it's about knowing how to spot a doctored photo. That's not so much ignorant as inexperienced, but people confuse the two more often than you might realize.
    • V2012, on 05/06/2008, -0/+1You can't blame them, they're just n00bs.
      To hell with weekend joyriding, I'd use that as my primary vehicle. E-bikes are the *****.
  • RamezaniK, on 05/05/2008, -9/+4(Two-wheeled) motorcycles already are disadvantaged to cars in taking turns and corners because they have to slow down to avoid losing traction. Now, I can only imagine how much it must suck to slow way down just to take a turn in this thing.
    • RockStrongo1, on 05/05/2008, -1/+3What?? I can take a turn at twice the speed with my motorcycle than my car. Maybe if you are on your Goldwing..
      • Harbinger67, on 05/05/2008, -0/+4Because your bike is much more geared towards high-performance than your car. Take a high-end race car and a MotoGP bike, both the best examples of two- and four-wheel performance technology, and the car will win on a track. Bikes have to brake earlier and thus take turns slower than cars; it's just physics. Less rubber on the road = less traction. And I'm not biased towards cars; I ride too.


        Oh, also, Goldwings can handle. You just can't ride it that well. http://youtube.com/watch?v=0nrMQ3QwyPo
        • atruskot, on 05/05/2008, -0/+2haha yes I was going to post that footage from deal's gap but you beat me to it...

          and normally the low weight of bikes helps people turn faster compared to their cars... clearly, Formula 1 cars can turn faster than any bike on a track... of course down force + surface area of the tires plays into this, not to mention those cars weigh close to nothing.
      • jackelopeus, on 05/05/2008, -0/+0If your going to use the physics argument use both sides of the equation. While you may have more rubber on the road you have 10 times the mass in an average car vs a bike.
    • HenvY, on 05/05/2008, -2/+2Um, cars have to slow down to avoid losing traction too. It's why racecars have brakes.
      • Harbinger67, on 05/05/2008, -1/+2Bikes have to slow down ~more~, that's the point.
    • digggggggggg, on 05/05/2008, -0/+2In the very top end, like formula 1 and motogp, cars will beat out bikes on the track because they have more traction.

      However, when we're talking about your average sports car and your average sportbike out on a weekend drive, they will perform similarly. Heck, I feel a lot more confident taking sharp turns on a bike than in any car I've driven.
      • OMnicient, on 05/05/2008, -0/+1Just look at the footprint of your average F1 tire...
      • fprintf, on 05/06/2008, -0/+3It is true, the average sportsbike will kill the average "sportscar" probably up to 3x the cost. But once you start getting into Porsche territory, Tesla and other mostly purpose built vehicles, then the tide starts to turn. There are numerous YouTube videos of cars vs. sportbikes at Nurburgring. I think TopGear has done a car vs. bike thing on occasion also. Usually the car ends up ahead... but only for cars that are really quick anyway.

        Bikes have quickness going for them. But get a sufficiently long straightaway or long corners and the advantage vs. the car starts to go away.
  • viperman, on 05/05/2008, -6/+4Braking, that will be fun. Just like rock climbing with without a rope, thats fun too.
    • cnot3, on 05/05/2008, -1/+4Bear Grylls goes rock climbing without a rope all the time. Just make sure to bring a camera crew.
    • digggggggggg, on 05/05/2008, -0/+2Hard braking = faceplant. Good thing the dude has a full face helmet on.
  • floridiot2, on 05/05/2008, -4/+37I'd rather ride Mr. Garrison's invention.
    http://images.tvrage.net/screencaps/27/5266/159633 ...
  • whataboutdave, on 05/05/2008, -5/+2Sorry, but no thanks. I value my life.
  • FukUrCouch, on 05/05/2008, -7/+0how do u a tight turn without almost killing yourself?
  • XBunnyRacer, on 05/05/2008, -0/+3Anyone know what kind of gas mileage/horse power this thing gets?
    • DannySpace, on 05/05/2008, -10/+2Oh sure, it gets 200 miles per gallon and has 9000 horsepower... or whatever else you wish it to have while in fantasy land.
    • UrlorJkron, on 05/05/2008, -0/+1It has two electric motors. I wasn't able to find out how much power they have, but I didn't look hard.
    • krnldmp, on 05/06/2008, -0/+2Don't worry about it. It's more efficient to have the wheels inline than side-by-side. It's a ***** more practical too.
    • XBunnyRacer, on 05/06/2008, -0/+1Just curious how it compares to a regular one.. I have a 600cc motorcycle.. I'm averaging about 42 MPG..
  • milou, on 05/05/2008, -7/+5Treehugger had this several days ago and it was dugg-in by our co-member http://digg.com/users/tomjenkinson. You guys are sloooooww.

    This guy makes the TV's Orange County Motorcycle guys look like Beany Boys. All they do is copy-cat the same crap over and over with lots of noise and no creativity. This guy has gone beyond and has balls to come up with new creative concepts. I hope he gets backing. We need more like him and less crappy Harley makeovers. This machine is safer than riding a humvee in Bagdad, Iraq.
  • oldcyborg, on 05/05/2008, -0/+5I'm an old biker, but that is more than I am willing to try......... Bless him, and the wheel he rode in on......

    Cyborg
  • scubaman5000, on 05/05/2008, -1/+6where's the rest of it?
  • ArchieAndrews, on 05/05/2008, -0/+2Looks like something that the folks over at worth1000 would have a contest about.
  • adamy0o, on 05/05/2008, -2/+9WHEELY!
  • fr0ng, on 05/05/2008, -0/+3I wonder how comfortable they feel with the front end under heavy braking.
  • PhattyPhattMatt, on 05/05/2008, -0/+3just lean back when you hit the break, and lean forward when you gas it. other than that it's the same as a 2 wheeled motorcycle.
    • LOCK3D, on 05/05/2008, -0/+4There is no gas or brake. Just like a segway leaning forward or backward activates acceleration or deceleration depending on how far you lean.
      • PhattyPhattMatt, on 05/05/2008, -0/+1good think i read the article.... (i lied)
    • 47f0, on 05/06/2008, -1/+2No, it's not the same. Under heavy braking the conventional bike has it's support point well ahead of the center of gravity. The same problem is true of Segways - they can't stop as fast as a kid on a bicycle. The top part of the machine has mass - and you can't decelerate rapidly without taking time to get your support point well ahead of the CG, or that top mass will just flip over the support point.
      • edmcguirk, on 05/06/2008, -0/+1Um, no. When you lean back on a Segway, your center of gravity IS back behind the wheels. The limit of braking on a bike is when the vector from the center of gravity passes the front wheels. The vector from the center of gravity on a Segway is always through the center of the wheels, so the maximum braking is dictated by how far back you can lean.
        • 47f0, on 05/07/2008, -0/+1Thank goodness for someone who's actually had a little vector math. Now, if I can introduce one more element - time. Time, in some braking situations, is of the essence. I'm on my Segway starting to lean back, while you're on a fore-aft-wheeled vehicle and you've already hit your brakes - which of us smacks into the wall?
        • edmcguirk, on 05/10/2008, -0/+1That would depend on the speed of the computer control. There is a fine line between dynamic stability and instability.
          On a segway, the dynamic control is constantly trying to determine the difference between an unbalanced load and a command to change attitude.
          A segway programmed to respond only to changes in load balance will probably be too slow for sudden changes in direction.
          If the segway was modified to respond to a throttle it could be as fast to respond as a bicycle. A sudden command to brake would react with a sudden acceleration of the wheels to move the center of gravity behind the wheels and then a deceleration of maximum force always balanced over the wheels.
  • Schmich, on 05/05/2008, -4/+2Only one wheel to go guys!
  • holyreality, on 05/05/2008, -23/+1lame photoshop job. buried.
  • wcaclimbing, on 05/05/2008, -1/+6Kirby Air Ride anyone?
  • darkfires, on 05/05/2008, -13/+0shopped
  • cl2yp71c, on 05/05/2008, -0/+1top speed?
  • TopBanana, on 05/05/2008, -0/+1RC4?
  • rubberman, on 05/05/2008, -17/+0Am I the only one that is seeing this? This has to be a photoshop job.
  • DaviDaviDaviD, on 05/05/2008, -4/+1From the looks of his shoes, he has a set of small wheels there. Possibly for stability?
  • dizilbdog, on 05/05/2008, -0/+4You know what the problem with the cars and motorcycle's of the future is the imagination. Who says a car has to have four wheels. Who says a motorcycle needs two? Why do we need a dashboard honestly?
    • 47f0, on 05/06/2008, -2/+1"Who says a motorcycle needs two" -

      Physics? Well, three is probably ok, but one is just unsafe. You cannot rapidly come to a stop with a Segway, or with this design. Sorry, it's a cute exercise, but completely unsafe for it's application.
    • crimsonalucard, on 05/06/2008, -2/+1I agree! Who says a motor cycle needs two wheels when it can have FOUR. And why should a car have four wheels when it can have TWO. GENIUS.
  • HydrogenOxide, on 05/05/2008, -4/+5Guys, I'll repeat what has previously been said again.
    THIS IS NOT A PHOTOSHOP JOB.
    http://www.motorcyclemojo.com/articles/the-uno/
  • WestonP, on 05/05/2008, -0/+11Seems pretty pointless. If you want to be "green" and a motorcycle will fit your needs, just buy a Kawasaki Ninja 250R... Super affordable ($3499 MSRP brand new), 75 MPG, accelerates faster than most cars, and it looks good. I'm sure you could pick up a used one for even less.
    • fprintf, on 05/06/2008, -0/+7Having ridden a Ninja250 a few times, they are fine for a motorscooter type ride.
      And I agree they are faster than just about any car, and they handle really really well. But get them on the open spaces of most highways and they suffer. 75mph max speed and really susceptible to crosswinds, which makes riding them longer than an hour really tiresome.

      If I was 125 pounds again, I would definitely get one. 500ccs and up for me now thanks!
  • wurtis16, on 05/05/2008, -1/+6TETSUOOOOO!!!
  • LZeppelinJ0, on 05/05/2008, -0/+1"Operation of the 54.4 kg (120 lb) machine is simple, in fact it's so simple there are no controls except for an on-off switch. To go forward you simply push your body weight forward to tilt the machine. To back up, just lean back on the seat to tilt it backwards and back it goes. The farther you lean, the faster it accelerates. The gyro tells the ECU how much to accelerate and that in turn delivers the proper amount of current to the electric motors, one for each wheel."

    The thing actually has two wheels side-by-side.... but yah

    Sounds even more dangerous than it looks :P
  • barf314, on 05/05/2008, -0/+7Do a Barrel Roll!
  • beloitpiper, on 05/05/2008, -2/+1I submitted something like this, but it's a different company.
    http://digg.com/autos/One_wheeled_motorcycle_of_th ...
    • PaulRay, on 05/06/2008, -0/+1The difference being, this one actually exists and works. It was also designed and built by an 18 yo guy. That is impressive and gives me hope for the current generation. People are actually out there building new concepts.
    • rac3r5, on 05/06/2008, -0/+1the picture you submitted is a bike by Bombardier. Its a concept and has not been built. Bombardier was basically saying that this bike could be built by the year 2025. Ironically, an 18 yr old built it in 2008. I also don't see how easily the Bombardier one would turn?
  • bob10marley, on 05/05/2008, -8/+1Photoshop
    • OMnicient, on 05/05/2008, -0/+1Hey, all you have to do is print out this page, the story, and some press releases, and they'll let you out of jury duty for the rest of your life.
  • telegraham, on 05/05/2008, -0/+3Permastoppie!
  • kurupttek, on 05/05/2008, -0/+2http://gas2.org/2008/05/02/newest-form-of-green-tr ...
  • MyDiggIsBig, on 05/05/2008, -0/+1anyone see that not so typical busteed tee's gal to the right in the green "car Ramrod" shirt. new marketing strategy?
  • Woog, on 05/05/2008, -3/+0Motorcycle. More like Monocycle, amirite?
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