Futuristic motorcycle won't fall down
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Ever see a Weeble ride a motorcycle?
Probably not, but if you did it might look a lot like the C-1.
The all-electric bike/car hybrid being developed by California startup Lit Motors features a pair of counter-rotating gyroscopes mounted flat at the bottom of the frame that not only allow it to stand upright on two wheels when stationary, but make it nearly impossible to knock down.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The company has demonstrated the vehicle’s unique abilities with a full-scale prototype, and claims the C-1 will be able to take a hit in the side from another vehicle without falling over.
The two-wheel pod requires a motorcycle license, but is entered via a swing-out door with windows, driven like a car with a steering wheel and pedals and offers tandem seating for two people. A monitor mounted in the middle of the steering wheel will handle infotainment functions, and many of the C-1’s systems, like charging, will be controlled via a smartphone app.
The production version will have electric motors in each wheel with blue illumination that give it a very Tron Lightcycle appearance. The company says the C-1 has a range of over 200 miles per charge a steady speed of 65 mph.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Production isn’t likely to being before 2014, but Lit Motors is accepting reservations with a $250 deposit toward an expected $19,900 price after federal tax credits are taken into account.