Electric Motorcycle Inventor Crashes at Wired Conference 337
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."
More seriously, though (Score:5, Insightful)
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.
Idiot (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:More seriously, though (Score:5, Insightful)
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:0-60 in less than a second (Score:5, Insightful)
Free press? (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:More seriously, though (Score:5, Insightful)
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.
Killa-Minivan (Score:4, Insightful)
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:Killa-Minivan (Score:3, Insightful)
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:More seriously, though (Score:1, Insightful)
Best wishes, but come on buddy, common sense (Score:5, Insightful)
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:Idiot (Score:1, Insightful)
Re:More seriously, though (Score:2, Insightful)
Without a helmet!!! (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:Just needed stiches (Score:2, Insightful)
Cool bike, man!
Re:0-60 in less than a second (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:More seriously, though (Score:3, Insightful)
And who drives up insurance costs for the rest of the riders who do wear helmets.
Re:some pictures (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:More seriously, though (Score:5, Insightful)
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:0-60 in less than a second (Score:2, Insightful)
Dear Richard Hammond,
If those wacky producers and Clarkson ask you to test ride a motorbike, JUST SAY NO.
Regards,
A Friend
Re:0-60 in less than a second (Score:1, Insightful)
Re:More seriously, though (Score:3, Insightful)
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 to disengage the drive in order to slot in the new gear.
Electric motors are pretty much free of the above two limitations, so they require therefore only a throttle control.
No helmet? (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:0-60 in less than a second (Score:4, Insightful)
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:Dumbass (Score:3, Insightful)
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 of deriding the man for his lack of skill as a motorcyclist, why not laud his achievement in mechanical and electrical engineering?
Had the Wright brothers and other pioneers of early flight listened to the detractors who called them foolish or unwise, modern flight may yet be a pipe dream. Had Dean Kamen left innovation to the "experts" when his uncle struggled to manage his insulin intake, he would not have invented the automatic insulin infusion pump while he (Kamen) was yet a teen.
Since you're ridiculing this inventor, what are you doing to advance the science he promotes? What are you doing to extend battery life, create a more powerful electric motor, or develop more energy-efficient vehicles? There's an old saying that fits here [imo--and it goes for all the naysayers out there on all the threads]:
PUT UP, OR SHUT UP!
Re:Dumbass (Score:3, Insightful)
When talking about his riding, this guy is no better than some asshole doing a stand-up wheelie in the middle of traffic on the freeway. Praise him for his engineering skills, but at the same time condemn him for his utter lack of riding skills and common sense.
Re:More seriously, though (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Dumbass (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:More seriously, though (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:0-60 in less than a second (Score:2, Insightful)
With the direction of the exhaust pipes on bikes going straight behind them, nearly all their noise is projected back and to the sides, especially at highway speeds. Plus, when they're cruising or decelerating they put out much less noise than at wide-open throttle.
Ergo, I still get the "Holy shit, where did he come from?" effect when they go by me, unless I first saw them in my mirrors. So I think the "safety" reasoning for the noise is erroneous.
Re:Killa-Minivan (Score:2, Insightful)
I could sue her. I would win the case within an hour. My wife took photos of all the metal hardware they bolted onto my leg from the outside, the chest tubes, all of the machines breathing for me and all that other crap. The problem is that it would cost me at least $3000 or $4000 and all I would have at the end of the day is a judgement that she will never pay. I got a lawyer and am trying to get what little there is from the auto insurance policy. My lawyer just did a case for some kid who was out drinking and got hit on his bike later that night. The kid got several hundred thousand dollars. It all depends on who hits you. Murphy's law says that it will usually be some slobbering idiot with a busted up car and little or no insurance as was my case.
I really didn't have time to dwell on that, though. I was focused on getting out of a wheel chair and onto a walker. Then getting off the walker onto two canes. I finally got down to one cane and thankfully don't have to use it anymore either.
Whoever said that I was lucky above was absolutely right. I had all of these bad ass doctors coming in from the level 1 trauma center to check out all of the handy work. One of the motorcycle victim reconstruction surgeons told me that he had never seen a human being hit that hard and live to tell about it. When a motocyclist gets hit like that, the only way to see the bodily injury is to take a trip to the morgue. They couldn't figure out how my brain didn't get scrambled. I told them I was crazy to start with so there is no empirical way to discern further damage.
I'm not riding any more. She screwed up my knee bad enough that I probably can't. Besides, who the hell wants to lay in a hospital bed for months on end taking morphine and vicodin to get through the day? If I never see an IV needle, or a 20 inch incision with staples all over it ever again, I'll be a happy guy! I'll seek my thrills elsewhere.