Ryno self balancing electric unicycle from Ryno Motors
Ever since the Segway started people thinking about the self balancing scooter concept, there have been several attempts to build something similar. The Ryno, is an electric self balancing unicycle from Ryno Motors, a Portland, Oregon company started by Chris Hoffmann, a mechanical engineer who has been working on prototypes and finally has one that he says is just about ready for the market.
The 125 pound scooter has a range of 30 miles and a top speed of 25 mph. A 1 1/2 hour recharge and you’re off again.
Estimated price of the production model will be about $3500, though Chris says he’s already sold 5 pre-production hand built units for $25,000. I guess some guys just have to be first.
Ryno self balancing electric unicycle from Ryno Motors
Judging from the videos below it seems to work pretty well and the photo at the top of this article looks like it runs on the street at a reasonable pace. Security guards and similar folks are the target market where long hours standing on a Segway might get a bit tiring. Now all they have to do is boost the speed and range and let everyone have at it though it could be perfectly fine as is for the intended market. Interesting.
It’s interesting to see the way electric bikes are creeping their way into all aspect of modern motorcycling. Whether your thang is crotch rockets, customs or choppers it seems that electric bikes are here to stay. So too the electric revolution is making it’s mark on today’s concept bike designs. As recently as a few years ago you could put money on the fact that a concept bike would have either a Harley or Ducati Vee stuffed in it as a matter of course. You could even argue the case that the designers weren’t really bothered what made the bike of their dreams go, just as long as it made a heap of noise and didn’t jar visually with the rest of the bike.
Not so any more. In fact, it seems that in many ways this has flipped completely. A decent proportion of the concept bikes that cross our (virtual) desks these days are green in one way or another and they mostly seem to be built from the power plant up. And it goes without saying that those power plants are alternative. This one’s out of Quebec and seems to be happening with the blessing of a few government and big business players, which bodes well for it’s eventual realisation. The company is called Lito Green Motion, and the bike is called the Sora. The guiding principle for the design was the bike had to be “not only environmentally friendly, but that offers unparalleled handling, power and speed,” which is nice.
The designers cite numerous times their referencing of “the best design elements of Bobber and Café Racer/Street Fighter bikes” when penning the look of the bike. It seems pretty obvious in the final product, though we’re not sure why they would link cafes and street fighters with a slash. Whatever the case we, for one, quite like it and if they manage to avoid the all-too-common blanding-out stage of the design process they could be in with a real looker.
Their marketing blurb offers the following rather enticing specs:
An energy storing, integrated charge management system. Ride for up to 300 km on a single charge thanks to the top-of-the-line, high-density battery — built to last for the life of the bikeA powerful electric motor and CVT transmission. Experience the power of going 0-200 km/h with zero clutch and phenomenal torque that makes you feel like you’re flying on the roadAn advanced communication and power management unit, developed by LITO and designed to convert every watt of power efficiently to minimize energy lossA patented Safe Range System™. With this revolutionary application you will never experience range anxiety. Just set your destination the Sora will manage the amount of energy to get you thereState-of-the-art integrated GPS system and touch screen. Stay connected to your bike in a new way never before possibleThe world’s first ever electric motorbike seat. Change your ride handling on the flyHigh-quality front fork and rear suspension and top-of-the-line braking, designed to let you stop faster than on almost any other superbikeAn on-board charging port and sealed lockable storage compartment. Keep you gear dry and secureA regenerative braking system. Energy lost during braking is used to recharge the battery, so you can travel further in a single charge. The system also minimizes impact on the brake pad, which means less maintenanceLightweight carbon fiber fairing and aluminum chassis. Aircraft grade materials, stronger, lighter, faster.
They’ve got a point with the CVT spiel – imagine accelerating from 0-200 without changing gears. Phwoar. Just like a dive-bombing Stuka, only with less Nazis.
Projected weight is around 240 kg (529.2 lbs.), torque is 80 Nm (59 ft-lb, 0-6000rpm) at the crank and 960 Nm (708 ft-lb) at the rear wheel. And no, I don’t understand how it can be higher at the wheel than at the crank either; but then there’s a lot of things I am yet to learn about these new-fangled beauties.
Top speed is 200 km/h (120 mph) and range is set at “up to” 300 km (185 miles). As with all these things, we’d suggest you take those figures with a grain of sodium chloride – though battery technology is indeed a science that’s moving forward in leaps and bounds these days.
Although details are a little sparse, it seems that the bike’s seat is adjustable on the fly so that you can cruise comfortably and then drop it down and back to get in the best position on the machine to take on the bendy bits (check the two different seat heights in the images above and below.) It also sounds like a great way to freak out fellow riders following behind you.
Downsides? Apart from the eventual harsh light of day being shone on those range figures, it seems that the price will be a little steep. And when we say a little steep we actually mean insanely, arse smackingly expensive. US$45k to be exact. Ouch.
Recharge time is listed at 8 hours, which we guess means overnight; so too bad if you want to do more than 300 kays a day. And why exactly is the touch screen on the right-hand (throttle) side? Ooops…
For the first time, multi-speed gearboxes are coming to electric production motorcycles. The six-speed boxes on these new Brammo Engage and Brammo Encite dirt bikes promise to be the technology which finally elevates electric powertrains above Internal Combustion Engines, combining the massive and instant torque of an electric motor with the immediate delivery and controllability an honest-to-god clutch lever and multiple gears brings. The two prototypes will debut at the MiniMotoSX race in Las Vegas this Friday, May 6.
This 100% Electric Motorcycle can go 50 mph and has a range of 50+ miles. It uses an all electric motor, so there’s no gasoline, motor oil or other petrochemicals. It has a digital display so you’ll know how much electricity you’ve used and the onboard charger lets you extended the range. It was built to be a reliable and dependable daily driver and performs as such. Just turn the key and go. When you get done riding, plug it in the wall. It’s that simple. The motorcycle frame is an all steel construction with no plastic parts. There are over 30 hours of welding and the quality reflects that. It handles very responsively with most of the 325 lbs weight below the axle line. The leather covered seat has an aggresive rear radius that keeps you in the saddle when accelerating. It’s comfortable suspension rides on dual billet shocks with powder coated stainless steel springs. The seat pan is extra thick with 2 studs on the front for seat adjustment. The removable steel body panels are sealed to protect the batteries, controller and electronics. The 1 piece “gas tank” houses the 13 amp 110 Volt charger for quick recharging at a rate of 1 hour for every 10-15 miles traveled. The chain-less direct drive hub motor is built into the rear wheel and is the most powerful motor of it’s kind. It uses a higher voltage, lower current design to minimize losses from over heating. The motor is able to achieve 10KW continuous and up to 30KW peak while operating in complete silence. This motor … Video Rating: 5 / 5
This is the first test ride of Sparky, my Electric Powered Motorcycle back in August ’08. It’s made from an aftermarket rigid frame, Harley Springer front end, Harley wheels, an 8hp electric motor, and 5 Optima yellow-top batteries. The bike will do 52 mph without any transmission, and the range is somewhere between 25 and 30 miles on a charge. There is 10 feet of extension cord stored underneath one of the gas caps for the onboard battery chargers. The only noise you hear is the chain/sprocket noise. The bike likes 30-40mph the best which is perfect for my small town. Read more at www.evalbum.com Video Rating: 4 / 5
Ryno self balancing electric unicycle from Ryno Motors
Ryno self balancing electric unicycle from Ryno Motors
Lito “Sora” – Electric Superbike Concept
