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Android Displays Input Devices Transportation

Android Motorcycle Helmet/HUD Gains Funding 126

Posted by Unknown Lamer from the 80s-future-realized dept.
DeviceGuru (1136715) writes Skully Systems has achieved Indiegogo funding for a high-tech Android 4.4 based motorcycle helmet with a head-up display (HUD), GPS navigation, and a 180-degree rearview camera. The Skully AR-1 helmet launched on Indiegogo on Aug. 10 and quickly blasted past its $250,000 flexible funding goal and has already surpassed $900,000 in funding. The helmet runs a heavily modified version of Android 4.4, with both screen size and safety in mind, according to Skully's Tow. 'You should not think of it as being Android as seen in a phone; it doesn't run the same skin,' wrote Tow on the Skully forum page. 'You instead should think of it as a variant of Linux, not Android per se. What counts is the device drivers, graphics rendering for our turn by turn directions and vehicle telemetry, etc. More nerdy things like communication over the I2C bus to the image processing module.' Helmets are available starting at $1,399, with shipments due in May 2015.
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Android Motorcycle Helmet/HUD Gains Funding More

Android Motorcycle Helmet/HUD Gains Funding

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  • Oh man (Score:5, Funny)

    by oodaloop ( 1229816 ) on Wednesday August 13, 2014 @11:38AM (#47663351)

    a head-up display (HUD), GPS navigation, and a 180-degree rearview camera

    Shut up and take my money already!

    Helmets are available starting at $1,399

    Well, let's not be hasty.

    • It's worth it imo.
      • Spoken like.. someone who isn't a rider.

        Helmets are 'disposable' gear. If you damage it in a crash, you toss it. If you drop it down the stairs, you toss it. If there is *any* doubt in your mind that it's 100% intact, you toss it.

        I'd rather not toss the GPS, computer, and the rest of the techno gear out with it. Drop the price and release it as a 'retrofit kit' and I'm in. Until then, I'll keep buying 'normal' helmets (which these days offer integrated speakers and mounting for bluetooth dongles
        • I'm not a motorbike rider (although I have ridden one as a teen and did spend several years working in a big motorbike shop/warehouse), but I do a lot of cycling and would really love to get some kind of separate HUD. I'm thinking of something like Google Glass, but with swappable lenses (e.g. clear, high contrast yellow, shaded) that could link up with other instrumentation via bluetooth.

          It'd be great to have a HUD displaying a rear view camera, GPS info and other cycling specific info like cadence, hear

          • If it's in a separate form factor, then you could wear them under a motorbike helmet

            Not a motor bike rider myself. On the push bike, I don't bother with a helmet because I prefer full environmental awareness (and after 40 years on a bike, I ain't dead yet), though I could conceive of mountain biking situations where I'd wear one (if I did those thinks ; unlikely, as I don't like the mess mountain bikes make of high upland soils). when ice or rock climbing, I'll wear a helmet if I consider the rockfall hazar

            • I never used to wear a helmet on my bike either, but have taken to wearing one as I started doing longer distances. In truth, the safety aspects of cycle helmets are over-stated as they don't really provide that much protection against typical bike accidents. I always think that gloves are far more important on a bike than a helmet as pretty much any time you come off a bike, you'll use your hands.

              Anyhow, as I wear clear protective glasses when cycling, I wouldn't have any problem with a similar design fo

        • I completely agree, as the only time my expensive lids come off the shelf is when I'm on track and they require >DOT standards. There's no way I would daily a $1,400 helmet...

          Until some sort of display interface that connects via BT or even cable to a specialized shield, HUD systems for riders will never take off. Think transparent curved displays like the ones LG just showed off recently. It's the perfect compliment to a helmet, and if the big manufacturers get onboard with some sort of "e-shield" stan

    • Worth it? Meh, probably not.

      I wonder how much it would cost to simply take a regular helmet and some Chinese electronics off eBay to make the same thing. I'm guessing significantly less even including your time to build it.

      I mean you're looking at less than $100 in raw parts for GPS + Arduino + HD Camera + display controller/OSD. Not sure about the HUD part but I believe it's just a projection on a small piece of glass, probably also less than $100 in parts by itself not to mention alternative hardware impl

      • Agreed, projecting on the visor like a fighter pilot helmet would be the best IMO. That way you can flip it up and it's not in your face if you want. Plus the visor is bigger and a better distance from your eyes than a google-glass-like window. You also would have more real estate for projecting information and telemetry data. And both eyes could then see it instead of just one.

        I'm still waiting for this feature in cars for the windshield. Heck, my 1997 Pontiac had a cheap HUD that displays the speed a

        • Re:Oh man (Score:4, Funny)

          by BitZtream ( 692029 ) on Wednesday August 13, 2014 @01:04PM (#47664077)

          why aren't we putting GPS nav and other information projected onto the front window by now.

          Because most drivers don't spend much time looking out the windows? They have smart phones FFS.

        • Many states have laws not directed specifically at a HUD on your window but at anything that obstructs the driver's view. Just like it's against the law to hang random stuff from your mirror you can't suction cup your gps to the window under the mirror because it obstructs the driver's view.

          • So, I can have a big pane of glass in front of me, with a Cellphone/GPS Stand suctioned to my window and it is against the law. But I can have another car with a very small window and that's okay? That makes perfect "government" sense.

            • Right you can design a vehicle with a blind spots that make backing up dangerous but you can't hang an air freshener from the rear view mirror or have a gps device suction cupped to the window so you don't get lost because it might obstruct your view.

            • Re: (Score:2)

              by TheLink ( 130905 )

              I don't know about small windows- your car has to pass other safety laws and regulations.

              As for HUDs I think you can have them if they can only show driver/rider related stuff while the vehicle is in operation, if the screen can be general purpose like Google Glass then it's illegal:
              https://www.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/vc... [ca.gov]

              27602. (a) A person shall not drive a motor vehicle if a television receiver, a video monitor, or a television or video screen, or any other similar means of visually displaying a television broadcast or video signal that produces entertainment or business applications, is operating and is located in the motor vehicle at a point forward of the back of the driverâ(TM)s seat, or is operating and the monitor, screen, or display is visible to the driver while driving the motor vehicle.

              (b) Subdivision (a) does not apply to the following equipment when installed in a vehicle:

              (1) A vehicle information display.

              (2) A global positioning display.

              (3) A mapping display.

              [etc]

              The law doesn't seem that crazy as laws go considering how crazy drivers can get ;).

        • Re: (Score:2)

          by chihowa ( 366380 ) *

          ...maybe a rear or side camera views to help with lane changes...

          That alone is an amazing idea. If the display of a useful side/rear view display is tied to the appropriate turn signal, we might actually see people using their signals again!

      • Re:Oh man (Score:4, Insightful)

        by Blrfl ( 46596 ) on Wednesday August 13, 2014 @04:47PM (#47665959) Homepage

        I mean you're looking at less than $100 in raw parts for GPS + Arduino + HD Camera + display controller/OSD. Not sure about the HUD part but I believe it's just a projection on a small piece of glass, probably also less than $100 in parts by itself not to mention alternative hardware implementations that might be cheaper. Add $300 for a decent helmet, wire it up and you're done.

        Yep, and what you'll have when you finish is a kludged-up helmet that does nothing unless you manage to source the hard-to-obtain Arduino Motorcycle Helmet Edition that does all of the navigation, phone interface, etc. You're also assuming you'll get it completely right the first time. which you won't, because nobody does. Price in a few helmets and at least two sets of hardware and you're already into the same price as a finished AR1. Don't forget the value of your time to do all of the hardware integration and write all of that nifty software.

        More fun: Your modifications will invalidate any safety certifications the helmet you started with, making it not legal for road use almost everywhere. As a free bonus, you'll get to ride around with a niggling question in the back of your head about whether or not the helmet will do its job properly during a crash.

        Personally I think I would find the HUD hardware incredibly distracting. Not the HUD itself mind you, but the stalk that sticks up in front of your eye.

        If the photos I've seen reflect what will be produced, it doesn't stick up any further than the breath guard, is in a location where vision is not all that important and isn't any larger than Legal Speeding's H.A.R.D., which is often installed in the same spot.

    • Did somebody say android helmet [blogspot.com]?

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by Rinikusu ( 28164 )

      I said the exact same thing when looking over the site last night. Part of me is "Wow that's expensive" and the other part of me is "Well, it's only the most important part of my body; I should be willing to shell out some money to protect it" and the other part of me is "But it costs over half what I paid for my bike!" Decisions.

  • I get the whole value of having something out of Snow Crash, but $1400 seems like a pretty high price point for a motorcycle helmet.

    • As the man says... (Score:5, Funny)

      by swb ( 14022 ) on Wednesday August 13, 2014 @11:43AM (#47663397)

      ...if you've got a cheap head, buy a cheap helmet.

      • I have a kinetically fragile head, so I'd prefer to buy a protective helmet without particular regard for price.

      • Re:As the man says... (Score:5, Insightful)

        by funwithBSD ( 245349 ) on Wednesday August 13, 2014 @11:54AM (#47663479)

        Except a standard $100 helmet vrs a standard $500 helmet is a huge improvement in safety and feature set.

        The question is: is this a $100 helmet with $1299 of gadgets, or a $500 helmet with $799 of gadgets.

        Maybe there will be a niche for this product, but I don't know of but a handful of motorcyclists interested in the helmet.

        • There is almost no difference between say a $250 helmet and a $1000 helmet other than the graphics.

          Sure, the super-cheap $50-$80 helmets can be seriously lacking in safety but almost anything above that is fine if it fits your head and has the features you want (fit, noise, venting, etc).

          • Re: (Score:1)

            by Anonymous Coward

            As long as it has the Snell/DOT rating. For safety wise they are all the same. Just went out spend more money, you get lighter, more comfortable, more features.

            • Not exactly true.

              One of the benefits of a Snell rating, which is rare to find in anything but a $300 list price helmet (you can find deals of course) is the testing is done in Snell's labs, not the manufacturer's lab like DOT. (Hence part of the price difference)

              Snell requires testing against significantly higher energy impacts as well.

               

              • Re: (Score:2, Interesting)

                by Anonymous Coward

                You may wish to find an old article in Motorcyclist magazine called "Blowing the Lid Off". In this article, they point out why testing against higher impact energies is wrong, and that in fact at the time, NON-Snell helmets were safer than Snell helmets. Snell has since revised their ratings, but don't fall into the trap of thinking that Snell==good while DOT-only==bad. That is simply not the case.

        • Re: (Score:2)

          by tlhIngan ( 30335 )

          Except a standard $100 helmet vrs a standard $500 helmet is a huge improvement in safety and feature set.

          The question is: is this a $100 helmet with $1299 of gadgets, or a $500 helmet with $799 of gadgets.

          Maybe there will be a niche for this product, but I don't know of but a handful of motorcyclists interested in the helmet.

          Not to mention that safety gear like helmets do have expiry dates. I mean, it generally should be replaced every 5 years or so purely due to material degradation. So $1400 gets a little

        • Re: (Score:2)

          by MarkvW ( 1037596 )

          Rear view in your helmet visor would be awesome. Fucking radar off the back of the bike with software that could warn of a wobbly driver approaching from behind--priceless.

          • Rear view in your helmet visor would be awesome. Fucking radar off the back of the bike with software that could warn of a wobbly driver approaching from behind--priceless.

            Acoustic distance sensors with an Arduino module connected to some sort of radial LED warning system is something I wish I had the hardware talent to create. As riders, we don't need to know what kind of objects are behind us or on blindspots, just that they're there. In most cases a couple degrees of rotation of my wrist and I'm a 1/4mi from the target, but the knowledge that something is there is incredibly useful at 25mph or 150mph.

        • More like a $100 helmet with $6-800 worth of gadgets and $799-999 worth of Markup value.
      • All helmets follow the exact same safety testing, and must comply with those tests to be sold. The only difference between a $400 helmet, and a $4000 one, is teh comfort level, name brand recognition, and amenities (built in communications, bluetooth etc) So yes, a cheap helmet will protect your cheap head just as much as the expensive helmet will. And considering helmets are 1 time impact, cheap comfy helmets are the best bet. example, knock it off the table and it hits the ground.. time for a new helm

    • Being that you probably have shelled out a lot of money for the Motercycle. You might as well spend some more for a good helmet.

      How much more does your automobile cost you for its safety equipment.

      • This would go perfect with my $600 75 Honda CB550 and my $300 72 XS650, not to mention the $500 78 Vespa P200!

      • Being that you probably have shelled out a lot of money for the Motercycle.

        Not unless it's a Harley; most bikes can be had new for a few grand, even a litre bike will run less than $11,000 brand new in most cases.

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by Lumpy ( 12016 )

        True! that is why you will not buy this crap helmet. The helmet the Skully is based on is a $90 el-cheapo

      • Being that you probably have shelled out a lot of money for the Motercycle. You might as well spend some more for a good helmet.

        How much more does your automobile cost you for its safety equipment.

        You might as well spend some more for a good helmet.

        For $500 you can get just about the best helmet money can buy. This thing is $1,400 and one would be wise to ask the following question. Does the extra money make me safer?

        I'm willing to step out on a limb and say that it is unlikely the extra money adds to your safety, in fact, is very likely to do the exact opposite of making you more safer. Chances are this high tech HUD helmet is not built on the best platform, it likely adds significant weight and may, with all the HUD stuff, increase the chances o

    • I was about to buy me a used bike for roughly 1500 - 2000 Euros ... now after I got the helmet I will have to wait another year ... I hope I can update the firmware then :)

    • Re: (Score:2, Insightful)

      by Anonymous Coward

      This is literally the "the world's first" consumer-level helmet like this, there's no competition yet. Once it's been out for a year, competitors will appear and you can get your own SKOLEY brand knock-off at WalMart for just $199.99!

      But seriously, people pay $600 for new smart phones, and helmets with nothing but bluetooth start around $200. The price of this brand may never go down, but cheap knock-offs will show up eventually!

      captcha: novelty ;)

  • This helmet scares me. (Score:5, Insightful)

    by MasterOfGoingFaster ( 922862 ) on Wednesday August 13, 2014 @12:03PM (#47663539) Homepage

    I'm a motorcycle rider and racer for over 40 year. This helmet scares me.

    First, this little detail: "The “highly weather resistant” helmet is made of a “lightweight, aerodynamic” polycarbonate shell, says Skully Systems."

    Polycarbonate - OK, that's the material used in low-end helmets (sub $200). In the $300+ category, we have fiberglass and carbon fiber. PC tends to craze (small cracks) when exposed to UV. I've seen a PC helmet crack in half when it fell off the bike and hit the concrete. Just from the material, I'm not interested.

    Second - When I watched the video, I found the lower right display too distracting. Riding a bike in traffic, you never know when some idot will run a stop sign, or pull out in traffic. You need to be able to pick up any movement as you scan for threats. This adds distraction. Distraction on a motorcycle kills. Kills you dead.

    Third - Did you see how most of the testimonials come from non-riders? There was a "tire expert" (WTF is that?) and only one racer/builder. So I think this is a bunch of tech guys putting together a somewhat-cheap helmet, as a way to sell cool tech.

    Over time, this may (should?) evolve into something that works well. But I fear this will turn into the motorcycle-equivalent of the texting-while-driving problem.

    • Re: (Score:1)

      by Anonymous Coward

      Motorcycle rider for 27 years. All sports bikes. This helmet is an accident waiting to happen, pardon the pun. Riding motorcycles (unless one is a sleeping harley rider) requires 110% concentration to the road and conditions, even on a sunny day. Assume the goal of every car on the road is to make you their new hood ornament.

      This helmet will prove far to distracting and take your eyes off the road. This only appeals to ADHD-afflicted tech-heads that feel they need to be plugged into anything electroni

      • Assume the goal of every car on the road is to make you their new hood ornament.

        Someone told me to think that only one car on the road is out to get you, and you don't know which one it is. You'll look for it harder. :D

    • Mostly agree with the parent comment.

      Note that helmet-mounted bluetooth interfaces have existed for years, and many mid-to-upper range helmets are designed for those optional systems. Take away the HUD, add a modern smartphone, and I have all the Skully's useful-to-me features at a fraction of the cost.

    • I agree better helmet and instead use a voice notification instead of a display. Distraction kills.

    • On a motorcycle you need all your wits about you. It's one of the things that is appealing to riding. The Zen of it. You don't have the ability or chance to think about much else except what you are doing in the moment. A serial thinker's escape. To think of other stuff too much and not pay strict attention to traffic, the road, the conditions, means you will die sooner than later, especially given you are riding on not in something at high speed. You need to be aware of your surroundings. This thing will e

    • I am a non-rider and when I first saw this I thought cool, then my other thought at a Luddite is what if someone decides they need to hack it and turn the screen black, or other things to distract you so you wreck. At some point don't we just need a helmet that protects your head and nothing more?

    • Re: (Score:2, Interesting)

      by Anonymous Coward

      Polycarbonate - OK, that's the material used in low-end helmets (sub $200). In the $300+ category, we have fiberglass and carbon fiber. PC tends to craze (small cracks) when exposed to UV. I've seen a PC helmet crack in half when it fell off the bike and hit the concrete. Just from the material, I'm not interested.

      Years ago I worked in a motorcycle shop that offered a helmet trade-in credit toward a new helmet. You wouldn't believe the junk people brought in. My job was to take the trade-ins out to the shop and crush them with the forklift so nobody could dig them out of the dumpster. Those 70's and 80's style helmets - the open faced ones with the big plastic bubble face shield - were the worst. I could smash them totally flat with the 10,000 pound fork lift, and when I'd back off, they'd spring right back to th

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by Altus ( 1034 )

        Interesting destruction technique. I just cut the strap, but I guess you could re-attach it if you were.... insane... which you would have to be to use a dumpster helmet.

        • Re: (Score:2)

          by Eythian ( 552130 )

          Probably to stop people nicking them out of the dumpster and trading them in again, or selling them to someone who doesn't know the provenance, as much as anything.

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by Blrfl ( 46596 )

        I'm not convinced that the high dollar helmets are any safer than the cheaper ones.

        If you want more convincing, the UK government has a database of helmet ratings that's very enlightening. There are one- and two-star helmets in the same price ranges as the four- and five-star models. http://sharp.direct.gov.uk/ [direct.gov.uk]

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by X10 ( 186866 )

      I ride a GSX-R1000. On the street, sometimes on the track. The site says the helmet has a "quick release chin strap". So it's not safe. On the track, a double D is required. I want a double D strap always. That made me want to find more info, but there's surprisingly little info on the quality of the helmet itself. Apparently, it's a cheap helmet. But at $1500, what does the extra $150 matter to make it a safe helmet? I would love to have a helmet with the gadgets that Skully gives us, but not at the cost o

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by Altus ( 1034 )

        What the fuck is a quick release strap? As far as I know double D rings are required for any helmet in the US, maybe other place are using different connectors?

        You are so right about the cost. If I am going to shell out that much at least make it fiberglass. install that crap into the best helmet you can build.

        That said I agree with the grandparent. I think this is not a terrible idea in principle but the UI has to be perfect or it can kill you. This is not a case where good enough (or worse yet, we th

        • I have an AGV helmet rolling around in a cupboard somewhere, it has a 'clippy' type strap - metal tongue clips into the other part, kind of like a seatbelt, but there are two release buttons - one on each side that need to be pressed. This is the only helmet I have ever seen that has this setup (although, obviously my experience is limited to my own and friends helmets!) My last 3 have been Shoeis, and all have had the double D rings. I agree with you and the GP as well - this stuff already exists, in piece
    • Agreed. It sounds cool and I'd like to try it, but it is a scary proposition.

    • You really should learn a bit about polycarbonate [wikipedia.org] - better known as Lexan (that's the Sabic trademark for PC). It's extremely durable, very shatter resistant, highly UV resistant, and generally THE choice for fighter aircraft canopies (which have just a little bit of UV exposure). Snell itself [smf.org] says there are many polycarbonate, Snell-rated helmets on the market.

      Additionally, all Shoei shields [shoei-helmets.com] (as well as pretty much everyone else's shields) are polycarbonate. In testing, polycarbonate helmets tend to tra [calsci.com]

      • You really should learn a bit about polycarbonate [wikipedia.org] - better known as Lexan (that's the Sabic trademark for PC). It's extremely durable, very shatter resistant, highly UV resistant,

        Yes, I should. I've only used it since the mid 1980's - back when it was "GE Lexan". ;D But I won't claim to be an expert in PC.

        Help me understand. You say "highly RV resistant", but the Wikipedia article you reference says RV resistance is "fair".

        And from here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C... [wikipedia.org]
        "Crazing occurs mostly in amorphous, brittle polymers like polystyrene (PS), acrylic (PMMA), and polycarbonate; it is typified by a whitening of the crazed region."

        So I will admit to a lack of expertise with PC,

        • UV stabilizers (like Addivant's products) give you UV resistance similar to nylon and other long-UV-life materials. And given the massive impact strength of polycarbonate, it becomes a natural for use in applications like helmets.
  • Someone crashes his bike into a cement barrier and hits his head, smashing the helmet and rendering him paralyzed. Family files multiple lawsuits against multiple companies including the maker of this device built into the guy's helmet because it "distracted him", or because pieces of it pierced his skull. It's just a matter of time. I hope Skully has factored this into the price.

  • Build one yourself for a LOT cheaper.. (Score:3)

    by Lumpy ( 12016 ) on Wednesday August 13, 2014 @12:13PM (#47663635) Homepage

    http://www.reconinstruments.co... [reconinstruments.com] has an already proven solution hardware package that can easily be adapted to a full face helmet.

    The problem with Skully is their chosen base helmet sucks, it's great for freaks with smushed heads, but normal people with round heads it's uncomfortable. so they will need to offer about 80 different helmet sizes to make a $1500-$2000 helmet fit everyone that wants to buy one.

    • they will need to offer about 80 different helmet sizes to make a $1500-$2000 helmet fit everyone that wants to buy one.

      Yes. This makes immense sense (easily abused, but anyway) if it's integrated into a visor or attaches to same, perhaps with some easily-drilled mounting holes... but otherwise, it makes absolutely none. People have differently-shaped heads; mine's a Shoei, for example, and a 2X to boot. Well, to helmet. I wear a size 16 boot.

  • It would be interesting to see this helmet with right and left cameras, and some type of radar unit for avoiding on comming traffic from the right, or left, and from the back side...
  • Comment removed based on user account deletion

    • Re: (Score:1)

      by Anonymous Coward

      Per the web site and forum:

      1) 1792 grams
      2) supposedly 9 hour battery life
      3) rider tested and the answer is - yes
      4) as much as any other helmet
      5) it's a usb charger - so it should be capable
      6) same as any other helmet
      7) that's not clear yet

  • Helmets take damage, expire, and have a wide range of cost vs features that make it ridiculous to me to buy a helmet from a gadget company and I have more than one for different applications. I would happily plunk down reasonable money for a nicely prepped DIY kit to install their (IMO very useful) gadget in my current helmet though. Or, send my helmet to them for modification if it were a particularly difficult thing to do well. Better yet - spend some engineering time to make it easily transferable to a

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by X10 ( 186866 )

      Apart from being able to take the kit to your next helmet, I want to choose the best helmet that fits my head perfectly and I think is maximum safe and strong. A kit would allow me to choose the best helmet, then mount the kit on it.

  • I can't wait for my programmable Bike HUD!!!

  • At least it has chin protection. If you've ever seen what happens to a person's jaw when they face plant on the road wearing an open or half helmet you'll understand why it's essential.
    • Shortly after I started riding about 3 years ago, one of the members of my Rider Group (national group so while I've chatted with him online, we hadn't had the opportunity to meet yet) went over the bars in a wreck while wearing a 3/4 helmet; slamming face first into the pavement. I've seen pictures of his face since the wreck. I wish I hadn't. Especially not right after the dinner I had that night. I was glad, and still am glad, I had decided to go with the full face helmet despite the Georgia heat and
  • Although some have expressed concern about the helmet being made of polycarbonate, there is no proven advantage to other materials over polycarbonate in a helmet, as long as it is done well. The helmet appears to be high-quality, and it is pretty light. It looks about as distracting as good mirrors and a nice gauge cluster, as long as you know how to use it. To me it looks worth the $1500. Not that I would buy it, but I see where the money went. It looks like a well-designed helmet and interface that i

    • I don't. The helmet is, at best, average quality and it's equal in weight to some modulars. Unless you're Shoei or Arai you're not getting away with charging more than $500 for any helmet, really. Even they're below $800 on all but a few models (and most are $600ish - less since you'll generally find them on sale). Most modulars even come in at $500 these days unless you're talking again about Shoei or Arai (where you're paying for name as much as for quality). You can pick up something like the Reevu h

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by gmhowell ( 26755 )

      Thank God, a voice of reason in this discussion. Until this point, all I saw was a bunch of oldsters bemoaning their inability to look at gauges.

      Motorcyclists are deathly afraid of technology. Aren't a substantial number of bikes still sold with carbs? Drum brakes? Air cooling? (And before anyone gets on my ass, of the five most recent bikes I've acquired, the newest is an '83. so it's not like I can't adjust a carb or a points gap. But I also know how to adjust the ABS sensor gap on my BMW.)

      These people bi

  • I too have been following the Skully and volunteered as a tester but was not selected. Do I think it's awesome? Heck yeah! But due to the steep price of this helmet and the shelf life of all motorcycle helmets at ~5 years, I'll be content with my Scorpion 1100 with Chatterbox X1 Slim as it does everything (protect the head and eyes, phone calls, bike-to-bike & bike-to-passenger VOX talk, turn-by-turn via smartphone, etc.) except the HUD and rear view camera and costs significantly less. And I can mount
  • I just spent $400 on a deeply discounted helmet. During the researching/buying process I tried on helmet modelss from many manufacturers... AGV, Bell, Shoei, Icon, and a coulple cheap no name brands. I found that every model from every manufacturer has a slightly different internal shape, and they all fit differently on my head. Some of them fit my head so badly (looking at you Shoei) that I almost isntantly got a ehadache wearing the proper size. I ended up picking the helmet that fit me 2nd best, a Bell S

  • I ride.

    While discussing this with a fellow rider the other day, I pointed out one of the biggest challenges this product (and the sport) faces- Low helmet usage.

    Motorcycling's largest segment - the cruiser / "Harley People" group - can't be bothered to wear helmets. Or protective gear. Or not drink before riding.

    The other culture segment - the Sportbike guys - are split between two subgroups:

    -the Squids who wear protective gear comprised of an Affliction t-shirt, Abercrombie board shorts, sunglasses, and

  • While I like the idea, as a motorcyclist who has had the odd 'off', I don't think I want a glass prism centimetres from my eye.

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