Electric Motorcycle Inventor Crashes at Wired Conference

not5150 writes "The inventor of the electric 'KillaCycle" motorcycle was taken to the hospital for x-rays after demonstrating the vehicle to reporters. Bill Dube, a government scientist during the day and bike builder at night, attempted a burnout in front of the Los Angeles Convention Center during the Wired NextFest fair. Fueled by the "most powerful" lithium-ion batteries in the world, the bike accelerated uncontrollably into another car. There's a video interview (thankfully before the crash) and footage of Dube crashing."

Electric Motorcycle + Wired

[deniable]

My first thought was that he ran over the extension lead.

Re:

[iamhassi]

Remember kids: wear your helmet!

0-60 in less than a second

[BadAnalogyGuy]

And a top speed of 158mph?

At that rate of acceleration, you'd be at the top speed in less than 3 seconds. Then what? Then the engine gives out? Governor kicks in? The tires blow up?

As for the driver in question. Stupid is as stupid does.

Re:0-60 in less than a second

[Colin Smith]

It's a drag bike. After you do the quarter mile you slow down & stop.
 

Re:

[Barny]

Would be better over the 1/8th, since it would still be accelerating at the finish then.

If you race over the quarter, you would top out about 2/3 down it.

Wow, a "Drag" bike crashes on "TGVideo"...

[StressGuy]

I can't believe that got by my works proxy-server.

Re:

[Frogbert]

Well its not like you can only apply the power gradually like a petrol engine. My understanding is that when you turn an electric engine on, that's it, full power full torque.

That thing is fast.

Re:0-60 in less than a second

[Anonymous Coward]

Well its not like you can only apply the power gradually like a petrol engine.

Of course you can. Do you have an electric fan? Does it always run at full speed? Or is there a little switch that lets you adjust the fan speed?

My understanding is that when you turn an electric engine on, that's it, full power full torque.

No. Electric motors can do that (which is nice in many applications), but they don't have to do that. It depends on how much voltage/current goes to the electric motor, and it's pretty easy to control voltage & current.

Re:0-60 in less than a second

[SharpFang]

Yes and no.

You can't easily apply gradually more power with high-power engines running on AC.

There are numerous tricks like switching configuration of the coils, using high-power thyrystors etc. You can't just put some resistance because it would be enormously wasteful. Some railway engines use "convert 1-phase AC from the wire to DC, then convert back to three-phase AC of desired frequency" making them actually more efficient than running on 1-phase AC straight from the wire.

But not in this case. The batteries produce DC. They can be switched one at a time to limit voltage(->torque) if it's a DC motor, or the conversion to AC can be freely configured providing frequency (->RPM) just as desired if the motor is AC.

(also note using all kinds of resistors, pots and other "power drains" for limiting current/voltage when such powers are in use, are useless - they would have to dissipate (and waste) enormous amounts of power. Devices that limit the "average" voltage by dutycycle method ( x% of a milisecond on, 100-x% of a milisecond time off => x% power) are much better but not every kind of end-target device can accept this kind of power, plus it generates lots of electromagnetic noise from all the instant on-off action )

Simply put, getting limiting voltage by a half in a 5V 10mA DC configuration is trivial - wasting 0.25W of power is not a problem. In 500V 10A DC configuration is very tricky. Dissipating 2500W is not really an option.

Re:

[pe1chl]

plus it generates lots of electromagnetic noise from all the instant on-off action

Listen to what he explains in the beginnig of the video, about using a Palm Pilot because it is immune to the electromagnetic interference....

Re:

[codepunk]

Actually most applications use PWM (Pulse width modulation) for dc motor control. Banks of high amperage switching transistors feed the dc motor with a high frequency on off pulse. By varying the
pulse width you increase or decrease the speed of the motor.

Re:

[hcdejong]

How about controlling the frequency instead of the power? My electronics knowledge is a bit rusty, but AIU motor speed is pretty much locked to input frequency. Design the controller so that small throttle opening == slow change in frequency, and Bob's your uncle.

Re:

[jsiren]

This will depend on your definition of "easy"... if it means "in less than five passive components", then you may be right.

Anyway, you mentioned the railway engine's AC-DC-AC drive. Now, to run on DC, just skip the first rectifier: you can run the inverters directly on DC. In fact, many railroads do just that. There are lower-powered inverters and motors available for lighter-duty applications. Did you know your average "brushless DC" CPU fan is in effect an induction motor with an integrated drive?

So, if

Re:0-60 in less than a second

[cayenne8]

You know...I've thought it would be pretty cool to own an electric car like the Tesla. But, I've also lamented that the lack of 'sound' would be a drawback. I mean, a high powered car, is fun not only due to the torque and acceleration, but, that noise coming off a finely tuned exhaust is part of the thrill.

Taking that in mind when I read this...I thought "Ok, I could maybe get by with a fairly silent car, but, NO WAY would this make a motorcycle fun"!!

I mean, that IS a huge part of the fun of a big cruiser bike. I'm not talking about straight pipes here...I know those annoy some people. I like loud things, but, I do try to respect my neighbors. But, really, first thing I think of when I get a new bike...is what aftermarket pipes I'm gonna get...to give me that rumble as I drive it.

I think an electric bike would be kinda boring in that respect. Sure, I guess you could sync some mp3's of good engine/exhaust notes with the motor...but, still.....something would be missing.

Hell..many people buy the Harley JUST for the "potato...potato...potato.." engine note and rumble. Didn't they even try to patent that?

Re:

[Firethorn]

I'd tend to say that you have more to worry about than electric cars. Most modern cars are far quieter today than they used to be. Engine noice is no longer significant.

An electric car at high speed is still going to emit a fair amount of noise. Modern gasoline and even diesel engines are very quiet even at low speeds.

For the motorcyclist's 'being noisy is safer', well, you still have to worry about deaf people, even half-deaf elderly who are running around in a relativly soundproofed car. With the radi

Re:0-60 in less than a second

[mpe]

Well its not like you can only apply the power gradually like a petrol engine. My understanding is that when you turn an electric engine on, that's it, full power full torque.

You can vary the amount of power sent to the motor, it is also possible to have motors with switchable windings to give different torque and speed settings. In the case of a vehicle such as a car or motorbike an electric motor can be connected via the same sort of gearbox you'd use with an internal combustion engine. Indeed the only real difference between a regular motorcycle and an all electric one is that the latter wouldn't need a starter.

Re:

[Bromskloss]

full power full torque

Apart from what have been said already, I'd like to add that power is not the same thing as torque.

Re:0-60 in less than a second

[RuBLed]

0-60 in less than a second

and vice versa

Re:0-60 in less than a second

[dwater]

what? less than a second in 0-60??? what does that mean?

Re:0-60 in less than a second

[Hognoxious]

I dunno. Probably something about parsecs.

Re:

[Gordonjcp]

Or as the Ogri t-shirt has it "Malcolm - 0-Casualty in 2.6 seconds"

Re:0-60 in less than a second

[somersault]

Remember aerodynamics too, 60-120 won't be as fast as 0-60 even with the same torque being applied. It does sounds awesome though, even if the inventor can't ride it

Re:

[Jeek Elemental]

if its a 3 phase short circuit engine, which is likely, the torque goes down quick as rpm goes up. When rpm=0 its basically a short circuit condition, it will pull whatever power it can get (and handle for a short period of time).

Re:0-60 in less than a second

[Anonymous Coward]

You're erroneously assuming a constant acceleration: real-world dragstrip acceleration-time plots are anything but linear.

As to the time, 0-60 in 1 second is standard for drag cars or bikes running in the 7s on the quarter mile.

1/4 mile times like that are pretty good for an electric vehicle though.

Re:

[polar red]

1/4 mile times like that are pretty good for an electric vehicle though.

I don't think performance is the problem with electric vehicles (show me a train that can hit 575kph(360mph) that is petrol-powered ...)
It's storage that's the problem, and on such short distances ...

Re:

[s-meister]

Dear Richard Hammond,

If those wacky producers and Clarkson ask you to test ride a motorbike, JUST SAY NO.

Regards,

A Friend

some pictures

[juventasone]

While the slashdot effect kills the video, there's some pictures and comments at gizmodo [gizmodo.com]

Re:

[Oktober Sunset]

same slut, different name.

More seriously, though

[BadAnalogyGuy]

As a professional stuntman, I can't stress enough how dangerous it is to perform these kinds of antics without appropriate training, preparation, and room.

The fact that he hit a parked minivan tells me quite a bit about the kinds of stupid risks he was taking. He's lucky that he's the only one that got hurt.

Re:More seriously, though

[Anonymous Coward]

Performing burnouts on a motorcycle is not difficult. There's a little something called a clutch that makes it pretty safe. In the video you can hear him (or someone) say 'it actually stuck on', which I assume means he couldn't cut the power to the wheel.

In fact, the only stupid risk he took was not wearing a helmet. What sort of a dick rides a bike without a helmet? (Hint: 'a freedom loving dick' is not an acceptable answer.)

Re:More seriously, though

[FireFury03]

There's a little something called a clutch that makes it pretty safe.

I suspect, being electric, this wouldn't have a clutch.

In fact, the only stupid risk he took was not wearing a helmet. What sort of a dick rides a bike without a helmet?

To be fair, he was attempting a burnout - going over the handlebars at high speed isn't usually a big hazard when you're stationary with the back wheel spinning.

Re:More seriously, though

[lavaboy]

first rule of riding bikes: Dress for the crash, not the trip.

Re:More seriously, though

[pyat]

You can have slip within the electric motor, so it can behave like an electromagnetic clutch. This can be pretty handy:

On diesel railway locomotives, they have a diesel engine that generates electricity, which is then used to power electric motors on the wheels. One reason for this arrangement is that using electric motors like this means you don't need a clutch and it's more compact than a fully mechanical transmission for such huge power would be.

Re:

[LSD-OBS]

Internal combustion engines need a clutch for two major reasons.

1. If you had direct gearing from the shaft to the wheel, the engine would need to be able to accelerate from 0 RPM. Combustion engines cannot turn at less than certain speeds while still maintaining ignition. In English this means you need a clutch to pull of from standing.

2. Combustion engines have relatively low ceilings on maximum RPM. So you need to change gears to go faster. This is why manual drive cars have that third pedal - you have t

Re:

[LSD-OBS]

Thanks, I forgot to specify the type of combustion engine. However Wankel/rotary style engines still only operate up to 2 or 3 times the RPM of a reciprocating piston engine, whereas an electric motor in the same context spins an order of magnitude faster quite easily.

Point being, you *still* need gears using a rotary engine in a car, so both points still stand 100%.

Re:More seriously, though

[heinousjay]

A dick who makes his own decisions and deals with the consequences.

I'm aware that's a synonym for freedom loving.

Re:

[Anonymous Coward]

A dick who makes his own decisions and deals with the consequences.

And who drives up insurance costs for the rest of the riders who do wear helmets.

Re:More seriously, though

[cayenne8]

"And who drives up insurance costs for the rest of the riders who do wear helmets"

Complete myth. I can attest to this. We used to be free in Louisiana to choose to wear a helmet or not. New Gov. Blanco (aka Blank-Stare after katrina) repealed the law.

We now have to wear helmets. However, the insurance rates for motorcycle riders (or even auto) did not go down one cent.

Re:More seriously, though

[krbvroc1]

You are missing the fundamental 'Law of Insurance and Gas prices'. Rising costs are quick to be passed on the consumer, but when costs go down, the savings are pocketed by the company as long as possible.

Re:More seriously, though

[Lloyd_Bryant]

In fact, the only stupid risk he took was not wearing a helmet. What sort of a dick rides a bike without a helmet? (Hint: 'a freedom loving dick' is not an acceptable answer.)

I take offense at your usage of the word "dick". To me, a "dick" is a person who, through malice, indifference, or stupidity, adversely affects someone else.

So someone who permits a 10 year old to ride with him without a helmet is being a "dick". Someone who decides for himself not to wear one is at worst a "fool".

Re:More seriously, though

[mabinogi]

I must say, I've never seen a slang nazi before.

Re:

[something_wicked_thi]

And what about the people walking across the parking lot? Or the owner of that minivan?

Re:

[something_wicked_thi]

Can we all just agree that he's a dick, and then everyone else can argue about why he's qualified later?

Re:

[TapeCutter]

"I take offense at your usage of the word "dick". To me, a "dick" is a person who, through malice, indifference, or stupidity, adversely affects someone else."

Go away, your nerdy definitions are cluttering up my pornographic search results.

Re:More seriously, though

[HardCase]

You're searching for dicks?

Not that there's anything wrong with that...

Re:More seriously, though

[rah1420]

What sort of a dick rides a bike without a helmet?

They call that sort of dick "organ donor."

Re:

[operagost]

What sort of a dick rides a bike without a helmet?

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterbacks.

Re:

[somersault]

Yep, when cars warm up their tyres before races don't they normally do it on a little wet patch where they have less grip? The tires on that bike are massive, so and the ground was dry.. he was being ever so slightly stupid......... so lucky to be alive!

Re:

[SmokeyTheBalrog]

There was wet patch, but he rolled off it when he made his first mistake.

Re:

[mpe]

As a professional stuntman, I can't stress enough how dangerous it is to perform these kinds of antics without appropriate training, preparation, and room.

Not only do the professionals put a lot of effort ensuring that things are a safe as possible for anyone involved they also have emergency equiptment and crew there for the unlikely event of something going wrong.

Without a helmet!!!

[hummassa]

Nothing else should be said. I loved this thing, but I wouldn't get _near_ a bike that makes 0-60 in less then a second without a reinforced helmet and heavily padded/armored clothes.

Re:More seriously, though

[tgd]

As a professional stuntman,

Wow, that preface to a statement must be great for picking up women.

And yes, I'm serious, not mocking.

Re:

[bradinthehouse]

How about that! The first slashdot poster to have a chance at a woman...

Re:

[AndersOSU]

What kind of geek builds and designs the world's fastest electric motorcycle, and doesn't even try to ride it?

KillaCycle?

[kooky45]

Does what it says on the tin.

Finally

[sc0ob5]

A product that can actually live up to it's name.

Re:

[Yvanhoe]

Yeah, it may be funny, but the very fact that this event occurred gives him media coverage. Probably unintended side effect, but well deserved! I, for one, had never heard of the Killacycle. This is seriously cool stuff !

Idiot

[infonick]

As a scientist, he should have known better than to not wear a helmet....

Re:

[Attaturk]

As a scientist, he should have known better than to not wear a helmet....

As a fucking primate he should have known better than to not wear a helmet...
That being said, good luck to the guy. Balls, money and heart where his mouth is and all that.

Re:Idiot

[clickety6]

Balls... and heart where his mouth is and all that.

Thankfully it wasn't that bad a crash ! :-)

Re:Idiot

[mpe]

As a scientist, he should have known better than to not wear a helmet....

Calling the thing "KillaCycle" probably wasn't the smartest of ideas either. It sounds more like the title of a low budget horror movie...

Re:

[Atario]

But, being a scientist, I bet he learns from the experience. Like: when trying to burn out, keep that front brake pulled, dammit.

Scientist are just you and me.

[Shivetya]

Too many of them think "it won't happen to me" and the end result is a visit to the hospital or worse. The number of motorcycle accidents that are single vehicle accidents is astounding.

I know high level professionals who as soon as crossing the state border take their helmets off. Some ride around locally with party helmets (the fake looking ones or just skull caps). After all "THEY" are entitled to do as they see and "THEY" are not going to get hurt and "THEY" are too skillful to need it and "THEY" are

Re:

[daem0n1x]

I know a highly skilled motorcyclist who forgot to take his padlock from the rear wheel and fell to the left side when trying to leave the parking spot. Please note that he fell at 0 Km/h velocity.

He had all the protections in place, helmet, leather jacket and leather gloves, but his left elbow hit his left abdomen causing the spleen to rupture. He didn't notice anything, but half an hour later he started feeling incapacitating pain and passed out. He spent two weeks in the hospital and lots of time at

Is it just me?

[spazmonkey]

Is it just me, or did everyone get the motorcycle clip from "PeeWee's Great Adventure" stuck in their heads upon reading that description?

Just needed stiches

[Anonymous Coward]

from the comments on the linked page:

I wasn't wearing a helment, because we did not intend the bike to even move!

We were spinning the tire in soapy water. The tire unexpectantly gripped, (water ran out?) and launched the bike. I couldn't get it shut down as quickly as I would have liked. I had to release the front brake to fully untwist the throttle. I then managed to slow it down to about 20 mph.

The positive message here is that when we crunched the battery pack, NOTHING happened. No smoke. No flames. Not even sparks. Not only are these cells more powerful, they are are the safest possible for automobiles.

Also, there was NO ONE in front of the bike or in the possible trajectory of the bike.

Bill Dube

Re:Just needed stiches

[jd]

No sparks? No flames? Dudew, you should have added some pyros to the bike, even if you never intended it to move, to give people something to photograph. Same reason early computers were dressed in lights. Sheesh, talk about a missed opporutinity.

Best wishes, but come on buddy, common sense

[fantomas]

Best wishes, I hope you get better soon.

But come on buddy, a little common sense, and remember you're a role model. *You* might have known what you're doing but lots of idiot teenagers would have been watching the footage of you doing this gig and other ones similar to it. They might take home the message that it's ok not to wear helmet and body armour. The fact that something did go wrong showed that you weren't completely in control.

Please, even if you're happy taking those risks, wear a helmet and body protection. You wouldn't use DIY power tools at home without safety gear so why take risks with your superbike? You seem like a nice guy, stick around for a bit longer so you can pick up your Darwin award and don't encourage idiot teenagers (or adults) to think its ok to do burns on stationary bikes without protection. You've just proved that it's not safe...

Re:Best wishes, but come on buddy, common sense

[Dr. Cody]

But come on buddy, a little common sense, and remember you're a role model. *You* might have known what you're doing but lots of idiot teenagers would have been watching the footage of you doing this gig and other ones similar to it. They might take home the message that it's ok not to wear helmet and body armour. The fact that something did go wrong showed that you weren't completely in control.

Won't somebody PLEASE think of the CHILDREN!!!???

Re:

[frog51]

erm....of course I use power tools at home without safety gear! Wouldn't be half as much fun otherwise. Jeez.

Re:

[hey!]

Well that's the problem. Safety measures aren't fun unless they are insanely complicated and cursedly inconvenient. Simple and relatively convenient measures, like putting on your safety glasses before sticking your nose next to the cutting tool in your milling machine to see how the piece is coming along, are ineffective because they don't have their own built in motivation.

My wife has a story from her college days about some guys who decided to try making nitroglycerin. This is a process that obviousl

Re:

[Logic and Reason]

The Anonymous Coward you responded to is NOT Bill Dube; he just quoted the man's comments. I'm pretty sure Bill Dube is not going to see your comments here.

And your comment about being a "role model" is inane. Are you saying no one should take any risks because stupid people might copy them? Berate the man for endangering his own safety if you wish, but get off your high horse.

Re:

[Woy]

You can't both claim there was no one in the possible trajectory as a safety measure and wear no helmet. You either considered the bike could move or not.
Cool bike, man!

Re:

[cyberon22]

Don't let the critics hold you back, Dube. A lot of us are cheering you on -- I love seeing people working on interesting projects like this. We need more sorts of urban transportation vehicles like this. And if it can make you rich all the better.

That being said, you probably should change the name of the bike.

Re:Just needed stiches

[ahoehn]

The fact that you can run thie Lithium battery pack into the side of a car and have nothing happen to it is quite impressive.

The Slashdot crowd is already familiar with exploding laptop batteries, and electric RC news groups are filled with horror stories of houses and cars burning down from LiPo batteries that "randomly" burst into flame. Just this weekend my brother-in-law and I flew our electric RC planes with LiPo packs in them. On the way back into the house, he dropped a battery pack on the sidewalk from about 3 feet in the air. It instantly started spewing smoke and flames, and kept going for about a minute. We were lucky that it was sitting on concrete.

The moral of the story is, I wouldn't trust anything as volitile as the LiPo's that I use for RC sitting between my legs or in the trunk of my car. While the injury is unfortunate, the publicity of a safe LiPo might do good things for the KillaCycle.

In other news

[iamacat]

The motorcyclist was using Sony cells and also suffered a bad burn to the groin.

Free press?

[Alystair]

This is actually very good free press for them, hope he recovers quick. Media loves accidents.

GLAYVIN!

[Mad Martigan]

That's why Professor Frink's motorcycle flies through the air [snpp.com] -- no cars to hit.

-----

Frink tests his new flying motorcycle.

Frink: Hello, son. You want to try the flying motorcycle I just invented?
Bart: No time.
Frink: Okay.

Later, Bart loses his skateboard in the wet cement.

Bart: I could sure use that flying motorcycle now.

Frink flies by.

Frink: You had your chance. Whoa-hai.

-----

Quote of the Video

[adamkennedy]

"I'm normally the crew chief and the owner, I don't ride it."

I was already going "oh dear..."

Killa-Minivan

[Nymz]

It doesn't matter if it'a KillaCycle, motorcycle, bicycle, or even a small car, because none of them are safe as long as they share the road with vehicles that are relatively so much more massive. If we want to realistically promote more efficient modes of transportation, then we should work to make the current hostile enviroments into safer ones.

Before you flame, I'm aware he wasn't wearing a helmet, was showing off with a burn out, was riding an prototype vehicle, and that the minivan was a parked. But instead of addressing the rare occurance this incident was, I wanted to address a common occurance, and provide a solution that we could actually take steps toward achieving.

Re:

[Omnifarious]

I agree pretty strongly with you on this. From what I've read massive vehicles aren't any safer for the people riding in them, and a lot more dangerous for everybody else. Not only that, but a lot of people who drive them drive them because they think they're safer, then drive like idiots because they think they can't get hurt. Also, many people who get them are just generally really insecure about their ability to drive which will make them bad drivers even if they don't feel invulnerable.

Re:

[jamesh]

It doesn't matter if it'a KillaCycle, motorcycle, bicycle, or even a small car, because none of them are safe as long as they share the road with other drivers who talk on cell phones while driving. If we want to realistically promote more efficient modes of transportation, then we should work to make the current hostile enviroments into safer ones.

Before you flame, I'm aware he wasn't talking on a cell phone. But instead of addressing the rare occurance this incident was, I wanted to address a common occur

Then what do you think the topic is?

[Nymz]

Look at me! I can make off topic posts to push an agenda too :p

Why do you think innovations are being sought with these new top-of-the-line batteries? Why do you think people are trying to promote their usage and safe design in a motorcycle? There is a lot of interest in alternate fuels, and more efficient means of transportation. Please don't think the topic is to make fun of the designer crashing :p

Re:Killa-Minivan

[TheJodster]

I don't know if you can make the roads safe for motorcycles of any kind, unfortunately. I was a long time rider and cycle enthusiast. I had lots of good safety gear, lights all over my bike, etc. I had taken safety courses with hands on crash avoidance scenarios. Last year an idiot woman in an SUV launched herself from a side road like she was on a suicide mission to get across the four lane divided highway where I was riding. She crushed my leg which they nearly had to amputate; broke my ribs which consequently punctured my lungs; ripped a hole in my small intestine; tore my abdominal wall to the point where I now have a piece of kevlar mesh holding my organs in on the right side. It's been a year and a half and I almost walk normally now. I was wearing a full face helmet that hit the ground repeatedly as I flew through the median.

I got a twelve day stay in an ICU, four major surguries, four months in the hospital, a year of rehab, more than a half million US dollars in medical bills, and pain that I would never wish on anyone. She got a ticket for failure to yield right of way and a new SUV.

If you want to ride a bike on the highways in the U.S. beware that the consequences of the bad judgement of the drooling idiots you share the road with is extremely high. The helmet will ensure that you remain concious throughout the ordeal... if you are lucky... and if you aren't, at least your wife, kids, parents, or whatever will be able to have an open casket funeral.

Other Videos

[gbickford]

Here is a mirror of video of the crash: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-2984983237984172859 [google.com].

There are a lot of videos of the thing in action at http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=KillaCycle [google.com]. The thing is clearly [google.com] not [google.com] a scooter [google.com]

It's really a bummer that he decided not to wear a helmet.

Re:

[neochubbz]

FYI, the crash starts at about 3:00 into the video.

well...

[dwater]

*I*, for one, want one!

Re:

[big ben bullet]

man... do i want one...

Too bad the batteries are sooo big, it's a hell of a drag bike but i don't think it's a very agile circuit runner.

Still, this gets my hopes back up. Up until now I could've never imagined a blazing fast motorcycle that runs on electricity. By the time I hit my mid-life crisis I hope they've marketed some of these ;-)

Re:

[dwater]

>By the time I hit my mid-life crisis I hope they've marketed some of these ;-)

yeah, and banned those stupid cars too! (or was it a van?)

Electric has grown up.

[Futselaar]

For a while, we have had electric cars and motorcycles that could go fast and reasonably far. Being able to crash them stupidly was probably the final thing needed to make them a success. And now that electric bikes have grown up to this level, linux on the desktop cannot be far off, can it?

Re:

[arivanov]

Both had happened before.

The first cars to break through the 100km/h barrier as well as the first cars to break through the 100mph barrier were electric. They also crashed nicely on quite a few occasions. If it was not for the first world war which rapidly accelerated petrol engine development and allowed it to overtake the electric and steam competition we would have been all riding in electric vehicles today.

hmm.

[apodyopsis]

sure as hell emphasizes the difference between an inventor, scientist and engineer...

..and a professional stunt man who will ensure adequate clearance zones, safety margins, appropriate safety gear and at least apply a basic safety audit before carrying out a start stop on such a potentially powerful bike.

I'm still waiting for my live action Akira bike
http://www.burningart.com/meico/moto/akira/ [burningart.com]
http://translate.google.com/translate?u=http%3A%2F%2Fplusd.itmedia.co.jp%2Flifestyle%2Farticles%2F0404%2F02%2Fnews040.html&langpair=ja%7Cen&hl=en&ie=UTF8 [google.com]
http://negatendo.net/kmc/en_neo_fukuoka.htm [negatendo.net]
..that would be my number one fantasy vehicle from a movie. (or maybe a land speeder :-).

And the eye candy who was hired to sit on the bike was quite nice. Sorry that's amazingly un-PC of me and I apologize. :-(

May I be the first to.....

[Anonymous Coward]

offer words of encouragement to our latest Darwin hopeful. There's always next year. If electric motors can't get the job done think...rocket engine.

Killacycle

[PadRacerExtreme]

Worse....
Name.....
Ever!

KillaCycle

[drgonzo59]

...kills (well almost). And this is in the news because...?

Re:

[hey!]

Because now that the beast has been shown to be dangerously powerful, people are going to want one.

Seriously, when the tires grabbed that sucker looked like it was shot out of a slingshot.

No helmet?

[beavis88]

Seriously, this guy is smart enough to design and build this bike in his spare time, but not to buy a fucking helmet??

Re:

[Farmer Tim]

A minivan is a dubious runaway collector.

Hey, whatever works...

Re:

[HikingStick]

And you probably would have ridiculed Benjamin Franklin had he received an enormous electric shock while experimenting with electricity.

Most real innovations in the course of this (U.S.A.) country's history have been made by amateurs and hobbyists. Such "citizen scientists" have had a tremendous impact on most areas of science and industry and have only been supplanted (in their rate of discovery) in the past few decades by corporations and research labs associated with educational institutions. Instead

Re:

[MalleusEBHC]

Don't try to play this off as an inventor nobly accepting risk and forging onwards in the name of progress. This is about someone trying to show off and nearly killing himself because he was too stupid to factor in all sorts of safety concerns. Yes, this man has proven himself to be an excellent engineer, but that does not absolve him from acting like a total moron while riding his invention. Riding any bike without a helmet is plain stupid. Attempting to do a burnout on a powerful drag bike without a full-