BMW Self Balancing Motorcycle | GTAMotorcycle.com

BMW Self Balancing Motorcycle

Gsus

Well-known member
Interesting:

https://www.yahoo.com/news/bmw-presents-self-balancing-motorcycle-future-001634942.html

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How does it deal with oncoming objects? I'd say it's a long time away from not requiring protective gear.
 
A Segway with wheels front and rear instead of at the sides???

NO gear? What small % of crashes are because the bike just fell over?

This wasn't designed by a rider.
 
A solution to a problem that doesn't exist, awesome!
 
We need gear not only for crash protection. Riding around getting pelted by debris, bugs, etc is a good reason to wear gear.
 
A solution to a problem that doesn't exist, awesome!

it's the how lazy can we be
hmmm what can I do so I don't have to put my feet down or worry about balancing this pesky bike
might as well make it auto drive too
 
A solution to a problem that doesn't exist, awesome!

it's the how lazy can we be

Well, not necessarily.

The three-wheeler market caters to a large segment who feel uncomfortable balancing a two-wheeler, or are unable to anymore due to injury or infirmity.

A self-balancing vehicle is a natural entry for an aging demographic who still wants to feel "sporty".
 
I thought Henry Ford had solved the whole "motorcycles are dangerous and you need to balance them" argument with the Model T. The Germans do seem to be pretty foggy about the whole 1914-1945 period though, so let's give them a pass.
 
I can see a market for a self-balancing motorcycle for riders with short legs, or for those brave souls that like tall KTMs. This is especially true in lanes with bus knuckles, where the asphalt has melted, and buses have mashed it into a peak in between tire track troughs.

There are also older bikers, as mentioned, who have now migrated to trikes, but how do you get the bike out of the garage first? Do you turn it on, it balances, then you push it out?
 
but how do you get the bike out of the garage first? Do you turn it on, it balances, then you push it out?

It's a BMW. There'll be a button for that. It'll be between the switch for the heated grips and the cruise control.

But seriously, most trikes have reverse-gear motors, presumably to cater to the older riders. I'd expect no less from this Beemer.
 
The first thing I thought when I saw it was where do I buy replacement tires.
I wouldn't mind seeing a video of it running the Tail of the Dragon.
 
I thought Henry Ford had solved the whole "motorcycles are dangerous and you need to balance them" argument with the Model T. The Germans do seem to be pretty foggy about the whole 1914-1945 period though, so let's give them a pass.


They were distracted.
 
Glad they solved the problem of thumbing the turn signals by removing your inside hand from the bars to point.
 
Well, not necessarily.

The three-wheeler market caters to a large segment who feel uncomfortable balancing a two-wheeler, or are unable to anymore due to injury or infirmity.

A self-balancing vehicle is a natural entry for an aging demographic who still wants to feel "sporty".
large segment?

Im part of the "aging demographic" and i'll die before riding a three wheeler. I think 3 wheelers are for riders any age who never could ride a two wheeler. just so happens old guys can usually better afford the overpriced 3 wheel cages?
just my view...

edit-and my father, at 86, can and does still ride.
 
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I thought Henry Ford had solved the whole "motorcycles are dangerous and you need to balance them" argument with the Model T. The Germans do seem to be pretty foggy about the whole 1914-1945 period though, so let's give them a pass.

and today it is the west that is foggy. no better than hitler. usa started war and killed 1-6 million in vietnam - on the false flag sinking of an american battleship-revealed and undisputed today, but never mentioned. cia drug dealing - revealed and undisputed - the money for which was used to support coups in south america. and now the mass murder taking place in the middle east - based on lies. oh yeah, and also the west supported coup of ukraine and its democratically elected government. sounds very similar to hitlers run for world domination. sure hope young people shake the fog out. you have a better chance of being hit by lightning than being killed by a terrorist ....

maybe we should ask the soldiers in the middle east if good or evil is being done - better hurry though, USA soldiers are committing suicide at the rate of ONE AN HOUR. me? im not giving in to the thought control...cointelpro, MKultra, and in canada bluebird...all revealed and undisputed, but never spoken of.

evil flourishes where good men do nothing.
 
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large segment?

Im part of the "aging demographic" and i'll die before riding a three wheeler. I think 3 wheelers are for riders any age who never could ride a two wheeler. just so happens old guys can usually better afford the overpriced 3 wheel cages?
just my view...

edit-and my father, at 86, can and does still ride.

I think it's great that *YOU* will never buy a trike. But the market for older riders remains large regardless of *YOUR* opinion.

A quick search reveals:

http://archive.jsonline.com/busines...nging-demographics-b99464795z1-297125131.html

Harley's three-wheel motorcycles, called trikes, are popular with older riders because they're easier to handle than a big two-wheel bike, especially in stop-and-go traffic. With electric reverse, they're also easier to get in and out of a parking space.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/14/us/trikes-three-wheeled-motorcycles-on-rise-as-riders-age.html

Mr. Howard is one of a legion of aging bikers — suffering from aching joints and slowing reflexes — who have abandoned their traditional two-wheel motorcycles in favor of three-wheelers, the super-steady and seemingly safer machines commonly known as trikes.

http://www.canadianbusiness.com/inn...ing-boomer-bikers-a-three-wheeled-motorcycle/

http://www.latimes.com/business/autos/la-fi-hy-three-wheelers-20150103-story.html

The population of baby boomer bikers includes a lot of older riders who may soon want an extra wheel.

http://www.motorcyclemojo.com/2007/11/trikes-at-any-age/

“Of course, age is always in there. The customers buying are in their 60s to mid 70s.
 
Fore sure the 3 wheeler is a good thing.
As mentioned, it allows ppl with physical issues to still keep riding.
Remember they picked the 3 wheeler and NOT a car.
The spirit lives on...more power to them.

Glad that option is out there, never know...we might need it some day.
 
So that's the BMW people will be riding in 100 years. That's a shame as I hear that levitation technology is expected in around 85 years! Lol!

Really the whole premise of predicting 100 years in advance is a bit absurd!
 

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