Oct 21

Honda’s timeless Super Cub motorcycle showcased with a touch of EV

Posted in: bike, electric vehicle, ElectricVehicle, ev, Today's Chili

The world’s best-selling motorcycle of all time (60 million as of May 2008) is dipping its gears into the EV industry. Honda unveiled this week at the Tokyo Auto Show an electric version of its Super Cub motorcycle. Seeing as the gas-based equivalent can already get over 300 miles per gallon, we wonder just how more efficient this new concept could be. Honda reps told Wired it’s a concept designed “to be just as functional and convenient” as its brother bike, so if it does reach mass market, we’re holding out hope it also maintains that low price point.

Filed under:

Honda’s timeless Super Cub motorcycle showcased with a touch of EV originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 21 Oct 2009 20:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

No Comments | Tags:
Oct 14

Bona fide exercise bike abuses Wiimote accessory license… badly

Posted in: bike, nintendo, nintendo wii, NintendoWii, Today's Chili, wii

See that up there? That’s an exercise bike. And a Wii. Amazingly enough, there’s a strong correlation between the two, and unless the entire world is being pranked here, BigBen interactive is actually looking to ship a “full-size” Wiimote-compatible fitness machine with its next game. We can’t even fathom how quickly this thing is bound to fall apart (or how absurdly expensive it’ll be if there’s even a smidgen of quality), but we’re more than anxious to learn of an MSRP. Now, if only Ford would pump out a Wiimote-friendly Focus to use in the next installment of Mario Kart, we’d be set.

[Via Joystiq]

Filed under: ,

Bona fide exercise bike abuses Wiimote accessory license… badly originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 14 Oct 2009 07:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

No Comments | Tags: ,
Oct 03

Gyrobike’s Gyrowheel stabilizes a kid’s first bike without the training wheels

Posted in: bike, Today's Chili

Being the fine physical specimens that we are, even from an early age, we of course had little trouble learning how to ride a bike without external help, but we’re sure **some hapless child out there will welcome the Gyrowheel as salvation from the embarrassment of training wheels. The 12-inch wheel (a 16-inch version is in the works) replaces a standard front tire and has an adjustable-speed spinning disc inside, powered by a rechargeable battery. The idea is that you get the kid started on a high stability setting, and step them down until they’re not using the gyro at all. It goes on sale this December and should retail for around $100. Video of it in action is after the break.

[Via Bike Commuters]

Continue reading Gyrobike’s Gyrowheel stabilizes a kid’s first bike without the training wheels

Filed under:

Gyrobike’s Gyrowheel stabilizes a kid’s first bike without the training wheels originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 03 Oct 2009 18:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

No Comments | Tags:
Sep 17

Video: Joules robot rides shotgun, helps pedal on two-person bicycle

Posted in: bike, diy, mod, robot, Today's Chili, video

There’s “desperate for companionship,” and then there’s “just plain cool.” We’re going out on a limb here and suggesting that the scenario you see unfolding above is a case of the latter, with modder Carl developing a robotic partner that not only rides shotgun on this tandem bicycle, but also helps pedal. A PMG-132 electric motor is connected to Joules (that’s the robot, just so you know), and thanks to an array of nuts, bolts, joints and the promise of a better life in Carl’s garage, Joules has graciously agreed to help power the bike for as long as his owner decides to exercise. Trust us, there’s a truly touching video waiting for you after the break, and you’ll immediately lose five nerd points should you choose not to head down there and look.

Continue reading Video: Joules robot rides shotgun, helps pedal on two-person bicycle

Filed under:

Video: Joules robot rides shotgun, helps pedal on two-person bicycle originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 17 Sep 2009 21:37:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

No Comments | Tags: ,
Aug 29

Fuseproject commissioned by the City of New York to make bike helmets look less bad

Posted in: bike, new-york, Today's Chili

In cities like New York, where bikers ride right alongside heavy traffic, bike helmets are a must. Trouble is, apparently plenty of riders don’t like wearing them because of vanity — most bike helmets aren’t exactly attractive, if you haven’t noticed. Well, the City of New York’s commissioned Projectfuse helmets — that combine safety with an attempt at decent stylings. The helmets feature a two-fold design, with an inner protective polystyrene, which is then covered with a customizable soft fabric that attaches with straps. No, you cannot buy them yet, and we don’t know anything about pricing or availability yet, but we do know that you can score one for free — yes, free — at various events around the city. Let us know if you snag one!

[Via Wired]

Filed under: , ,

Fuseproject commissioned by the City of New York to make bike helmets look less bad originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 29 Aug 2009 08:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

No Comments | Tags: ,
Aug 10

Webcycle provides pedal-powered internet, reason to dodge browser-enlarging Flash sites

Posted in: arduino, bike, hack, mod, sensor, Today's Chili, ubuntu

Need an excuse to get some cardio into your life? Can’t live without ye old internet? Thanks to Matt Grey and Tom Scott, the answer to your weight loss woes is pictured above. The aptly-titled Webcycle is essentially a sensor-laden fitness bike that requires users to pedal faster in order to snag more throughput. An Ubuntu-based laptop is wired up to an Arduino and an array of sensors that allow more bits and bytes to seep through based on how hard the rider is working. A simple slow pedal is all it takes to load mobile pages and text-heavy sites, but if you’re hoping to actually watch the video after the break, you’ll certainly need to kick things up a notch. Pure brilliance, we say.

[Thanks, Yoda]

Continue reading Webcycle provides pedal-powered internet, reason to dodge browser-enlarging Flash sites

Filed under: ,

Webcycle provides pedal-powered internet, reason to dodge browser-enlarging Flash sites originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 10 Aug 2009 05:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

No Comments | Tags: , ,
Jul 27

Sanyo’s new eneloop bike gets carbon fiber frame, traction control brain

Posted in: bike, Today's Chili
Sanyo's new eneloop bike gets carbon fiber frame, traction control brain

Carbon fiber, with its light weight and high strength, is the material upon which the modern motorsports world is built. Traction control, which decreases difficulty, threatens to destroy it. However, in the world of the urban commute, traction control is a great thing and carbon is generally unheard of. Not for Sanyo, which will soon introduce the CY-SPK227 eneloop bike with a frame made of the stuff, featuring two wheel drive and traction control. The rear wheel is powered by the chain, the front by an electric motor, and should the rider pedal more enthusiastically than slippery conditions allow the bike will compensate by adding more juice to the front. Total weight is about 43lbs, many times that of the composite wonders Lance straddled in France, but about 7lbs lighter than the company’s last entrant. It has regenerative braking, an LED headlight, magnesium suspension, a ¥627,900 price tag (about $6,600), and it releases in Japan in October — you know, right about when the skies start to threaten snow. A good test for that traction control, then.

[Via Fareastgizmos.com]

Filed under:

Sanyo’s new eneloop bike gets carbon fiber frame, traction control brain originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 27 Jul 2009 09:49:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

No Comments | Tags:
Jul 23

Pedal-Powered Monorail in New Zealand

Posted in: bike, Today's Chili, Transportation

shweeb

The Shweeb is a person-powered monorail. The theme-park ride is a combination of the most futuristic of transports and the oldest: pedal-power meets sky-train.

The Shweeb lives in the Agroventures Adventure Park, Rotorua, New Zealand, and is essentially a row of recumbent bikes inside a clear plastic bubble, suspended from a rail. The efficiency means that a team can run at around 40kph (25mph) without too much effort, and in fact the track record for one man is 36kph (22mph). Because of this speed, the capsules swing out around the corners and the result apparently gives you quite the rush.

The tech page on the ride’s site bangs on about the transportation of the future, but is is? the beauty of the bike is that you can go anywhere, when you like. A monorail, whether powered by oil, coal or legs, is still public transport and still tied to a track. Yes, it’s safer, it’s dry in the rain and it looks like a lot of fun, but the transport of the future is already here. It has two wheels, and it’s called a bike.

Product page [Shweeb via Oh Gizmo!]


No Comments | Tags:
Jul 20

Video: Flossie the robot can ‘ride’ a motorcycle, remains oblivious to good oral hygiene

Posted in: bike, robot, Today's Chili

The best and worst part about robots is the fact that they can be purpose-built to perform any task at hand. Oh sure, they can be built to kill, or they can built to test motorcycles without risk to our feeble (yet tasty) meat-sacks. Introducing Flossie, the Castrol-developed test rider that’s threading a Fireblade between its “legs” in the shot above. The robot features a self-learning mode that enables it to get a feel (throttle response, clutch drag, gear shifting patterns, etc.) for any stationary bike upon which it’s perched — right, stationary… he’s no Murata Boy. Still, as the ultimate precision rider that never tires, Flossie allows Castrol to evaluate its lubricants as effectively as possible. See it in action after the break.

[Via Faster and Faster, thanks Jensen]

Continue reading Video: Flossie the robot can ‘ride’ a motorcycle, remains oblivious to good oral hygiene

Filed under: ,

Video: Flossie the robot can ‘ride’ a motorcycle, remains oblivious to good oral hygiene originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 20 Jul 2009 07:37:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

No Comments | Tags:
Jul 06

BMW kicking Garmin’s zumo 660 up a notch with the Motorrad Navigator IV

Posted in: bike, Today's Chili

Sure, Garmin’s zumo 660 was designed with the biker in mind, but BMW’s taking it one step further with the latest in its branded Motorrad series, the Navigator IV. Based on Garmin’s GPS ditty, it’s got the same 4.3-inch “glove friendly” touchscreen, voice control, and A2DP support. It can withstand heavy vibration, fuel sprays, UV rays, is waterproof and most importantly, can play your favorite adrenaline-pumping tunes for when those other precautions are being handily tested. Additionally, we’ve got a four-button motorcycle mount and it comes pre-loaded with a database of BMW dealers, just in case you ever need one in a jiff. Coming third quarter to US and Europe, there’s no word on price yet, but as a basis for comparison, the cost of the zumo 660 is about $700.

[Via NaviGadget]

Filed under: ,

BMW kicking Garmin’s zumo 660 up a notch with the Motorrad Navigator IV originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 06 Jul 2009 03:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

No Comments | Tags: , ,