Alpinestars have today presented their Tech Air Race motorcycle suit, which was specifically designed and built to enhance the rider’s survival chances in case of a crash. In other words, the leather suit has airbags.
The safety gear manufacturer somehow managed to integrate the system into the Electronic Airbag Protection Suit and have it controlled through a high-tech electronic brain and we hear the process was a long and complicated one, but the breakthrough was worth the while.
The suit constantly monitors the rider’s movements and will only arm if the rider is moving and the engine is running. It offers five levels of programming and even works on electric bikes, so it seems Alpinestars thought at everything.
In the unhappy event of a crash, the safety system’s response is crucial, so the electronic brain determines the imminence of a crash in about 8 milliseconds, the airbags fully inflate in 50 milliseconds and they stay like that for 5 seconds before starting to deflate, process which takes 25 seconds.
Once used, the system can be rearmed in less than 60 seconds using two separate cylinders with a cold charge of nitrogen. The extra protection system will increase the price of the standard suit with about $2,500 when it is expected to hit production in June 2011. Also, the system will be adapted on all kinds of riding gear, from racing to off-road.
It all sounds good in theory, but nothing compares to actually seeing the airbag system being deployed on a rider, so hit the jump for a video showing just that.
What looks to be a slightly more complex approach towards the classic idea of a mountain bike actually ends up being claimed the "Ferrari of electric bikes". Yes, this is the M55 Bike EVO-001, an electric bike that simply cannot pass unnoticed by those interested in this particular segment of electric vehicles.
Based in Hungary, M55 have developed the bike for the past three years and after five prototypes, they’re taking it to the production line. Built around a one-piece molded aluminium frame, the M55 Bike EVO-001 doesn’t seem to bring anything new on the market, but it is actually its integrated battery pack and a centrally mounted motor that make a difference.
M55 has put together two different versions for two different types of fun. The most powerful isn’t street legal, but an off-road sport version with a 1300 W (1.7 hp) motor, while its homologated sibling comes powered by a 250 W (0.33 hp) motor.
So, what is it that could turn this into a Flinstone vehicle because it certainly ain’t the motor. Well, the fact is that on both bikes the engine speed is controlled by the rider through the pedals. This means that both man and machine work together towards…Flinstones-style commuting? But let’s not be mean as this is an ingenious way to save up the A123 systems battery.
Furthermore, the five-speed engine is backed up by a Rohloff Speedhub with 14 gears, which is positioned in the rear wheel hub. All these combined turn the sport version of the M55 Bike EVO-001 into a 43 mph green machine, but definitely not into a Ferarri.
Other fancy, but not entirely necessary, bits are the Brembo disc brakes.
The Hungarian manufacturer only plans to produce 250 of these bikes, so don’t expect them to be cheap. Hit the jump for the official video.
Ever wondered how a Buick motorcycle would look? Well, Marc Senger has conceptualized such a machine and it probably qualifies as one of the smoothest seen so far. Called the Buick Bombrunner, the concept takes us back into the good old days when a V8 motor was just the right thing to power everything around, but it also gets a fancy hubless front wheel. Too bad everything is masked by the car-like body shell.
Overall, the Buick Bombrunner is an all-American concept motorcycle, but it stands no chance considering today’s requirements. Still, we like it.
With designers struggling to come up with eco-friendly and space sufficient concept bikes, especially for urban use, it seems that ingenuity is the way to follow. We just came across such a solution in the form of the Monobike, an electric concept motorbike that is even able to be parked vertically in order to save space in your garage and make it easier for you to find a place to park in the future’s even crowdier cities.
Designed by Ilia Vostrov, the Monobike’s main goal is maneuverability, which is offered by the two leaning front wheels and a much smaller rear one. This makes the bike safe enough to allow speeds of 110 mph and that’s where the rider can open a special ducting to accelerate and change air direction, lifting the rear wheel off the asphalt for a more aggressive riding experience.
Overall, this concept looks rather interesting, but details are scarce in what concerns the power of its electric engines and range, not to mention it looks rather dangerous.
The latest creation of 26-year-old designer Igor Chak is the hybrid motorcycle concept called the Izh-1. Inspired from the 1929 Soviet Izh–1, the 2012 bike retains nothing but a few styling cues from the original russian bike as the designer has considered an 849.40 ccm (51.83 cubic inches) V-twin engine, modern looks and all the possible gadgets for it.
Half built from heat resistant and highly reinforced plastic, the 140 hp engine should be light and even feature built in wiring and circuitry. The classic engine, which has a fuel-regulating system for better fuel economy, can be mated either to a six-speed manual or an automatic transmission. Electronics would control the throtle system, clutch and brakes.
What makes this a hybird is the additional 60kw electric motor found in the rear wheel. This one is fed from a Lithium Sulfide Battery and gets a two-speed speed gearbox.
Probably the most interesting thing about this concept is the fact that it features a dual airbag, one to protect the rider and keep it on the bike and the second, mounted just above the front wheel, should take about 50% of the force of impact and also keep that rear wheel on the ground while doing so.
The bike would work in three different modes – sport, comfort and manual – and be fitted with traction control, ABS as well as a proximity regulating radar system front facing on-board camera helping riders maintain a safe distance from vehicles ahead if these happen to brake suddenly.
Apart from featuring a GPS navigation system, the Izh-1 is compatible to iPhone, Windows, Blackberry, Symbian, Android etc so that riders would stay connected all through their journey.
These are just some of the bike’s most important features. The designer covers the whole thing, so go to http://www.igorchak.com/conceptual/ to find out more. Also, click past the break for this concept’s video.
We rarely happen to see a concept motorcycle that features no frame whatsoever, but when we do it reminds us of John Britten’s revolutionary motorcycle from the early 1990s, the Britten V1000. This concept right here actually pays tribute to the original frameless motorcycle and it is called the Britten V1000E. It was designed by Selwyn Shadbolt and it even gets hubless wheels in order to stick to the theme.
The actual engine would be a single large capacity electric one transmitting power to the rear wheel through a shaft drive, but it is the unique shape of the bodywork which attracts our attention. In order for that to be achieved, the fairings must be molded from polyethylene, while the green color should make it stand out as being environmentally-friendly if it ever gets done at least as prototype.
The M-Org (yes, from organic) is a concept chopper belonging to Russian designer Michael Smolyanov, who thinks of it as to an eco-friendly timeless machine and who is not afraid of showing it as the bike’s green and yellow color combination reveals.
The designer claims that the grown organic materials used for the frame, suspensions and even the steering components are lighter and stronger than classic ones, making the Organic Bike a very special chopper to park on your lawn in the future.
Designer Marc Senger has recently presented his latest concept, the Audi LSR land speed record motorbike. A superbike of the future, the Audi rocket is scheduled for the 2031 Bonneville Speed Week trials and, judging by the way it looks, this streamliner is a winner already.
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Colin Fruze is a 30-year-old British plumber and scooter rider who, sick and tired of drivers cutting him up, decided to accessorize his shiny red scooter with a flamethrower that is capable of firing 12ft flames.
The thing fires up with a single touch of a button on the handlebar, making this the closest thing to a Bond scooter as the Brit himself admits ’It’s a lot of fun and firing the flames makes me feel like James Bond.’
Sadly for Colin, the unique accessory makes his scooter a bit illegal, but at least he won’t be able to take revenge on ignorant drivers by setting their cars on fire.
Designer Vicky Petihovski is the brains behind this lawnmower scooter concept that we find rather interesting for bringing in the satisfaction factor where before it was just boring work with a conventional lawnmower.
The ride-on mower is powered by a small electric motor, which also activates the grass-cutting blades, so users can enjoy their lawn ride and get the chore done with the least of effort. It sure beats a conventional lawnmower, but we have a hunch this thing requires several recharges until the whole garden is picnic-ready.
