"The Electrobike Pi X offers 30 horsepower—combined electric motor and gas engine horsepower—in the Bonneville Racer edition, while its stablemate, the Bonneville Commemorative edition, is a street friendly, emissions friendly, two-wheeled hotrod hybrid"
The Gundam motorycle helmet..need we say more?
Obiboi's brilliant Bugatti concept drawing.
From Russia we have these two concepts: Konstantin Pepelyaev's above innovative design- This project was evaluated by professional designers, and was awarded with a Diploma at St.Petersburg exhibition- contest "The Best Design of 1997".
Alexander Sekirash's bold design study takes its clues from the 30s. The composition is based on a curved ascending line which stretches from the radiator to the back mud-guard. The bike body is divided in two colors - black and yellow, as it was usual in some BUGATTI models.
Trinity is the main female fictional character in The Matrix universe, played by actress Carrie-Anne Moss in the films The Matrix, The Matrix Reloaded, Enter The Matrix, and The Matrix Revolutions and in the film segments of The Matrix: Path of Neo-The character's name is derived from the name given to the triune Godhead in Christianity.
Trinity was the first officer on the Nebuchadnezzar, a Zion hovercraft commanded by Morpheus. Her "birth" name as a human living inside the Matrix is unknown. However, she only briefly and vaguely refers to her previous job as an accountant during the first Matrix movie. While inside the Matrix, Trinity had made herself as a local legend in the illusory hacking community of humans living in the Matrix for hacking into the Internal Revenue Service database. Based on Neo's recollection on first meeting Trinity, as well as information from "A Detective Story", an animated short film from The Animatrix, most people make the mistake of assuming someone of Trinity's reputation as being a man.
In real life, Carrie-Anne had to overcome her fear of riding for the second Matrix Film –The Matrix Reloaded. Practicing for months on smaller bikes before dominating the bigger, more aggressive Ducati. The more serious and dangerous riding was performed well known Stuntwoman Debbie Evans.A must for your desktop (or shrine) Trinity on her Ducati statue from Hot movie props
With the release of the final Matrix film Ducati produced a limited edition Ducati 998. A literal copy of Trinitys green bike in the film- but only allowed pretty women in black latex jumpers to buy them....
August 15, 2007 Outstanding 3D designer Tim Cameron (of V-Rex fame) is behind the concept dubbed “Motorcycle of the Future” that seeks to outline the ideal design criteria needed for making bikes safer, cheaper to repair and harder to steal. The concept - which includes automatic brake drying, traction control, an accidental tip-over warning device and lots of sensible, clever ideas in between – was unveiled earlier this month by MotoGP championship leader Casey Stoner at a launch in Sydney.
Aimed at motorcycle designers and engineers, the Swann Insurance Motorcycle of the Future concept has been developed by the IAG Research Centre in conjunction with Motorcycle design consultant Tim Cameron.
These features designed to reduce damage are based on Tim Cameron’s “Ablative Design” concept. This is built on the principle of protecting expensive or essential components on a motorcycle with ones that can be sacrificed in a low-speed tip-over without too much cost and inconvenience. Motorcycle tip-over crash tests conducted at the Swann Insurance Research Centre in Sydney have revealed that design features which prevent damage to expensive or essential components can reduce the total cost of repairs by as much as 40% compared to an unprotected motorcycle. Good design can also ensure that a motorcycle is still rideable after a low-speed tipover, which is not the case with many motorcycles at the moment.
Key features of the concept include -
1)Dynamic control technology and data management features:
2) low tyre pressure indicators compare the front and rear tyre rotation speeds and detect any change which could be attributed to loss of air
3) Rider-controlled speed limiter function enables the rider to temporarily preset a speed which cannot be exceeded inadvertently (controlled via engine rpms). The limiter can be overridden in any emergency by twisting the throttle grip to its maximum opening to restore normal engine control
4) Blind spot warning sensors indicate to the rider whether there is likely to be unsighted nearby traffic, by using side-looking proximity sensors linked to warning lights adjacent to each of the rider’s rear view mirrors
5)Traction control ensures that power can be applied without tyre slip, particularly on wet or greasy surfaces
6) Anti-lock braking compares wheel rotation speeds and regulates braking pressure
emergency brake assistance is able to sense the rate at which the brakes are applied and then increase the brake line pressure if emergency stopping is required
7) Electronic brake force distribution reduces stopping distances by directing brake line pressure to the tyre which has the most traction
8) Automatic brake drying picks up input from a rainfall sensor and occasionally applies gentle pressure to the brake pads to keep the discs dry and ready for an emergency
9) Self-cancelling turn signal indicators measure distance traveled and time elapsedRobert McDonald, Head of Industry Research at the Swann Insurance Research Centre, said Swann was committed to playing an integral role in reducing risk in the community.
“Motorcycles are often designed with little consideration given to the frequency of accidents, the cost of repairs and the chance of theft. This latest research shows that smarter designs and the adoption of readily available technology can make them safer to ride, cheaper to repair and easier to secure,” Mr McDonald said. “Our concepts show that you can design exciting and dynamic motorcycles which incorporate state-of-the-art safety features and are less vulnerable to damage,” he said."
"Designer Philippe Starck has struck once again. A famous lover of motorcycles he has already has created one production bike before with the Aprilia 6.5 Motò. Here he comes again with a minimalist concept for the Voxan factory.
In 1996, with the production of the Aprilia 6.5 Motò, Starck showed that he could do more. Very futuristic and essentially minimal designed bike that we can define as a modern scrambler or Cafe Racer-a look he particularly likes-as he owns several Kawasaki W650's.
This year, working for french manufacturer Voxan, he made a modern CAFE RACER as a prototype. A simple bike, two wheels, a fuel tank, a seat, and a big engine. A concept who keep his quest to the essential design. The engine is aimed to be a 1200cc, the bike claimed a 180Kg weight and a power of 140 Hp.
But to be called Cafe Racer a bike must be brutal and made for solitary motorcyclists. This one is totally on the line, and is featured with a small seat featuring an tiny integrated brakelight."
"When Swann goes miles off course he stumbles across a time travel experiment that utilizes two "cannons" that fire temporal energy to send each other back in time. Swann gets sent back to 1877 but rides off before the time cannons can return him to the future. Unsure of what has happened to him, Swann rides across the wild west in a red motorcycle riding suit and a red dirt bike, scaring local Mexicans who think he is the devil.
Swann meets a beautiful woman, Claire Cygne, and sleeps with her, but she is later kidnapped by a ruthless criminal, Porter Reese (portrayed by Peter Coyote) and his gang of rapists, thieves, and murderers. They also manage to capture Lyle Swann's dirt bike, leading to a series of hijinx, while Swann gets help from a posse trying to capture or kill the gang of criminals.
In a final showdown, Reese and Swann face each other atop a plateau. Just as a helicopter sent by the builders of the time machine shows up to take Swann home, his dirt bike falls off the side of the plateau, distracting Reese. He gets mangled by the copter's tail rotor, leaving only a pair of bloody boots behind¹. Just as the helicopter pulls away, Claire snatches from Swann's neck a pendant handed down from his great-grandfather... and he realizes that he is his own great-grandfather."
Bit of trivia: The writer of the film's screenplay and soundtrack was Michael Nesmith, who was formerly a member of band The Monkees. He appears briefly as one of the Baja 1000 officials in the beginning of the film.
You can buy the Timerider DVD through Aerostich.
The "Simpsons" Captain Lance Murdock: "It's always good to see young people taking an interest in danger.."Via: Steve Mandich.com
"To some, Evel Knievel is an icon. To most others, he's a joke.
As a footnote in the annals of oddball Americana, motorcycle daredevil Evel Knievel is an easy target for comedians, satirists, talk-show hosts, comic strip artists and other purveyors of humor. His name alone practically begs for satire; consider Eva Knievel, Evil Cornevil, Evel Cownievel, Anal Knievel, Penile Knievel, Evel the Weevel, Evel Boll-Weevil, Weevil Knievel, Weeble Knievel, Weasel Knievel, Stevel Knievel, Medieval Knievel, Evel Cathedral, Evel O'Kneeful, Awful Knievel, Awful Knauffel, Orville Knorville, Stupid Ker-nupid, Rebus Caneebus, Shevil Knevils, Evel Knievelvis...
Moreover, his absurd line of work has made him a one-man punchline. According to columnist Clark Walworth of the Times-News in Twin Falls, Idaho -- site of Evel's Snake River fiasco -- "knievel" is local newspaper jargon for "a rare but hugely embarrassing error." Evel himself often participates in fun made at his own expense, though the humor usually seems lost on him. In many interviews he also recites jokes of his own, but they're not all that amusing.
In any case, here's a survey of mass-disseminated, Knievel-related humor. This includes Evel's son Robbie, whose own daredevil act is pretty much the same as his old man's; this does not include the multitudes of pets named after Evel, or Evel-related screennames, or anonymous folks on YouTube simply playing with Evel toys, or schmucks on America's Funniest Home Videos racking their nuts ("Here's Peoria's answer to Evel Knievel!").
Whether any of this is actually funny is up to you..."So as a final tribute to the man himself, let us now get out our poorly made Stunt cyle toys and wind them up till our alcoholic parents wail in pain and have one final flying leap into the bookcase and break irreplaceable Hummel figures. The good ones-the ones that grandmother gave to the family, you know- on that one good Christmas when uncle our favorite uncle Willy just got on parole and he was still trying to get his act together and had yet to get back on the hard stuff.
Evel would approve...
Article Harvested from Popular Science - March, 1953."One night in March, 1950, O. Ray Courtney worked until two a.m. and drove home discouraged. He was trying to design a better motorcycle. He wanted one with the seat forward, with better cooling, better springing and a more beautiful body. Discarded sketches littered the floor of his shop.
That night in a dream he saw a streamlined beauty skim across a flowered field. Too excited to report for work the next day, he hastily put his dream on paper - and he is riding that dream cycle now through the streets of Pontiac, Mich.
FRAME is 1 1/8 inch chrome-steel tubing. Handlebars, 10 1/2 inches forward on an extenstion tube, are mounted on a second head. They connect through drag links to the fork.
STREAMLINING continues to tail. Machine is 26 inches wide. Bulges flanking sides of rear wheel are metal-covered saddlebags.
Via: Gadget Road"Of course, this is not the first or the last motorcycle equipped with a radial engine, but i liked the looks of it. It’s just a sketch on the drawing board, but it worth mentioning. Giles McWilliam is the guy behind this design, that combines futuristic elements and materials with a spartan and simple architecture.
First of all, the look of the bike is different. I think it’s not at all aerodynamic, as it lacks many body parts, like front and back wings or windshield. But the short back part is really the one that caught my eye. And it’s also the radial engine. If you’re not familiar with the concept, this kind of engine is particularized by the fact that the cylinders point outward from a central crankshaft, like you can see in the picture. They were used mostly to propel aircrafts, due to their massive power and trust, before jet engines were invented.
the technology has already been implemented on motorcycles, mostly on custom made choppers like the JRL Cycles’ Radial Chopper or this Jesse James creation."
"Suddenly, a nerve-shattering crash tears into the deadly silence, and through the very wall of the room itself! Making his entrance as only the SHIELD ramrod can...The indestructible Nick Fury appears like a Human Cyclone!" Via: Chris Invincible super-blog -Art by Jim Steranko.
"Matthew Barney's Cremaster cycle (1994–2002) is a self-enclosed aesthetic system consisting of five films that explore processes of creation. The cycle unfolds not just cinematically, but also through the photographs, drawings, sculptures, and installations the artist produced in conjunction with each episode. Its conceptual departure point is the male cremaster muscle, that covers the testis. Its function is to raise and lower the scrotum in order to regulate the temperature of the testis and promote spermatogenesis.The project is filled with anatomical allusions to the position of the reproductive organs during the embryonic process of sexual differentiation: Cremaster 1 represents the most "ascended" or undifferentiated state, Cremaster 5 the most "descended" or differentiated.The man, the arist, the satyr-Matthew Barney
The cycle repeatedly returns to those moments during early sexual development in which the outcome of the process is still unknown—in Barney's metaphoric universe, these moments represent a condition of pure potentiality. As the cycle evolved over eight years, Barney looked beyond biology as a way to explore the creation of form, employing narrative models from other realms, such as biography, mythology, and geology.
The full series was released in a limited series of 20 sets of DVDs, sold each for at least $100,000, and will not be made available on mass-market DVD. However a 30 minute part of the third film is available on DVD."
For Cremaster 4 the episode is set on the Isle of Man and centers on the Tourist Trophy motorcycle race, re-interpreted as the formative process of sexual differentiation. The racers are deemed Ascending Hack, and Descending Hack, and are followed by Faeries while a Satyr (also played by Barney) journeys to the finish line.
Baron Margo's Phantom Motorcycle
The artist poses with his fantastic Phantom bike
Not just focused to two wheels-baron has created all kinds of vehicles, like this grand Buck Rogers styled three wheeler...
Colani's amazing but non-functional motorcycle design study"Luigi Colani, (born in Berlin on 2 August 1928 as Lutz Colani), is a German industrial designer whose father came from Madulain near St. Moritz in Switzerland and mother from Poland.
The prime characteristic of his designs are the rounded, organic forms, which he terms "biodynamic" and claims are ergonomically superior to traditional designs. His "kitchen satellite" from 1969 is the most prominent example of this school of thought. Many of his designs for small appliances are being mass-produced and marketed, but his larger designs have not been built, "a whole host of futuristic concepts that will have us living in pods and driving cars so flat that leg amputation is the only option."
The earth is round, all the heavenly bodies are round; they all move on round or elliptical orbits. This same image of circular globe-shaped mini worlds orbiting around each other follows us right down to the microcosmos. We are even aroused by round forms in species propagation related eroticism. Why should I join the straying mass who want to make everything angular? I am going to pursue Galileo Galilei's philosophy: my world is also round. — Luigi Colani
His unconventional designs have made him famous, not only in design circles, but also to the general public. He has received numerous design awards.
Colani currently resides in Karlsruhe, Germany."
..and the not-so-successful Yamaha Alula study"Norman, as always, drove like a maniac. Norman was young. He had never ridden any motorized device that lacked onboard steering and balance systems. He rode the bike with an intense lack of physical grace, as if trying to do algebra with his legs.
...they buzzed up along the road shoulder, the smart bike and sidecar scrunching over the oyster shells with oozy cybernetic ease.
From Distraction, by Bruce Sterling.
The Ghostrider robot is built by the "blue team" (composed of graduate and undergradute students from UC Berkeley as well as faculty and graduate students from Texas A&M.) for the Darpa Robotic Vehicle challenge.
This "Grand Challenge" is intended to accelerate the development of autonomous vehicle technologies. DARPA and other US agencies are already funding numerous developments in the robotics vehicle domain. This specific endeavor, however, is targeted to find smart solutions that are to be tested in a realistic scenario under challenging race conditions - something that has never been done before on this scale.
In July 2002, the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) announced that it would award a cash prize of $1 Million to the team that builds an autonomous robotic ground vehicle that will successfully win a race from Los Angeles to Las Vegas.
On March 13, 2004, the Grand Challenge took place with no vehicles completing more than 8 miles autonomously before being disqualified. Nevertheless, the event successfully created a community of engineers, garage enthousihast and students who together took the first steps in private autonomous vehicle development.
There was no winner March 13, 2004. So, DARPA decided to hold a new Grand Challenge on October 8th, 2005 with a $2 million prize.
The Ghost Rider contains thirty two (32) seperate electronic components. Beyond DGPS, we are using only high speed camera as sensor input. The are two types of cameras used onboard. First, a pair of high resolution 1600x1200 ethernet cameras manufactured by Cognex used for creating realtime 3D scene of the obstacles in front of the vehicle. Second a single CCD, high speed (40 Hz), color camera is used for road detection.
Here is the Component Diagram with all connections and logic paths....
"In 1940 Marcel Mennesson would a prototype of a 38cm-engine assited bycycle. Its characteristics are the of the actual Solex, including, among other things, a transmission with a running wheel, a cylinder out of the line of the wheel, and a gas pump that brings the gas back to the tank. By december 1940, this engine is installed on a men's bike - the "Alcyon" with is black with a gold trim, This was indeed the first production model of Velosolex.
In 1953 over 100,000 of the "bicycles with emergency engines."are sold. Its success is phenomenal, Solexes are sold to dealers 50 at a time and the dealers having to pay pay cash in advance due to the high demand. At the same time Solexes have even become a hot commodity on the black market.
On January 29 th 1974, Félix Goudard dies at the age of 86-in charge of the worldwide commercialisation of the Solex the company soon wained. A few months after Renault (the french car producer) took control of the Vélosolex. In 1988 the production line of Saint-Quentin stopped on november 7 and the last 100 units were be sold at an charity auction for "Les resto du coeur".
If your lucky you can still see the early Solexes chugging around the E.U. irritating both traffic and noses alike.
"The Motocompo was born in the 80’s, it is still so much ahead of its time..ska band Madness was enlisted by Honda to do a series of cheeky City/Motocompo commercials.
The Honda Motocompo is a little toy for adults who were too old when Transformer robot toys first appeared. It is a motorbike, but it is also a toy. It is a statement. People who bought a Honda Motocompo at the time were cool, those who still have one are even cooler.Designed as a companion to the Honda City series (aka Jazz in Europe), this minibike folds up and fits in the trunk of your minicar. When you live in Tokyo and you understand the value of space, both in the street, in your home, and everywhere you spend some time, you really value the designers at Honda who came up with this little guy. The City car spawn many babies worldwide, such as the Polo, the Smart and so on. Yet, the Motocompo died and got forgotten. Sure, half of the bicycles you see in the street of Tokyo are foldable, but in the times of portable music, portable computing, portable gaming, and portable video, where is the portable bike?...
Sometimes, you can even fine one on eBay, if you don’t want to burn money yet be a hipster, you can always build your own in folded paper (Japanese style all the way)"
Here' Anime from motorcycle geek turned manga artist Kosuke Fujishima's series Your Under arrest. Showing one of the main characters Natsumi Tsujimoto performing some pretty fancy riding trying to avoid being late on her first new day of work at the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department,...only to be pinched by her future partner Miyuki.
