30 Miles On One Electric Wheel with a RYNO

[FreepZ]

This looks like something right out of science fiction, and yet here it is:



I'm not sure how effective that windshield is, but I've seen things like that on regular bikes, so why not?

Read all about this curious ride here:
http://www.torquenews.com/1079/30-miles-one-electric-wheel-ryno

[protomech]

Wonder how effectively you could brake with something like that. Under hard braking (with good traction) you could presumably lean back and get up to 1G or so. Might have to commit to a fall at the very end in an extreme case .. or bail off, like a skateboard.

More of a problem with a 25 mph maximum speed than a 12 mph segway. I wish they'd given their demonstrator a helmet.

$25k is a lot of money - that'll buy an Energica or maybe one of Lightning's street bikes.. or perhaps an Empulse TTX. Probably about as far away from production as any of those.

[FreepZ]

$25k is a lot of money - that'll buy an Energica or maybe one of Lightning's street bikes.. or perhaps an Empulse TTX. Probably about as far away from production as any of those.

$25k is a lot of money. It's a good thing that the production version will only cost $4,200. Production may be closer than you think.

Product will first be available in Asia with dealer networks being expanded into the continental US mid to late 2012.

I assume they are starting in Asia because electric vehicles are so much more accepted over there than they are over here. I've read accounts from people who say that e-scooters are very common in China.

Also, if you want to see a bunch of videos of the RYNO in action - ridden by people with helmets - you should check out their you tube page:
http://www.youtube.com/user/rynomotors1

[protomech]

I love that we're starting to see some pretty neat tiny powered electric vehicles.

Consider the yikebike or the Boxx.

Yikebike: $2k base model, 31 lbs, 150-200 wh battery, 450-1000w motor. 15 mph, 6 mi range (25-33 wh/mi, about half zero s / enertia).

Boxx: $4k base model, 120 lbs, probably 800-1000 wh battery, probably 1-2kw motors. 28-35 mph, 40 mi range @ low speeds (20-25 wh/mi?)

Battery improvements will drive continuing advances in small vehicles. Imagine a set of rollerblades you could strap on - or those kids' roller-shoes that used to be pretty popular - power conducted through wires (blah!) or special textile jeans, batteries mounted at the hip or waist. 3 lbs of batteries today would get you about 10 miles range as fast as you'd like to go (10-15 mph). In 5 years it'd be 1-1.5 lbs.. or you could double your speed or range with a 3 lb pack.

[Richard230]

I seem to recall Road and Track running a series of articles about a one-wheel Italian rally race car during the 1960's.     They used to say that it gave the driver and his navigator the "flat-face" Uno-Guzzi look when braking quickly.   

[FreepZ]

... the production version will only cost $4,200.

In retrospect, $4,200 is still quite a lot of money. It's less than a Segway (which seems to be floating around $7,000), but you can get a pretty reasonable motorbike for that price.

The RYNO has a neat breaking system: When the breaks are applied, the bike will lean back while slowing down - hopefully avoiding throwing the rider over the handlebars.

I wonder if the RYNO would be allowed to travel in the same area as Segways, since it goes faster and looks like a lot more like road vehicle than the Segway. E.g. Could I ride it through Disney's EPCOT park - which currently allows tours of the park on Segways.

Perhaps it would be regarded as a road vehicle. If so, how much respect would they get from the cages? Here in Florida, most drivers think that bicycles belong on the pavement, rather than the road. I suspect a Segway would be in the same category as a bicycle. Motorbikes get more respect (although since they are not as visible as cars, they get into trouble too). That big tire sure gives the RYNO some attitude, but the low speed and bizarreness of the thing will cost it some street cred.

@Richard230
Never heard of a one wheeled rally race car, but it sound fascinating!

[skuzzle]

I saw a version of this at the Portland Auto show.  The front end seemed a bit scratched up where I assumed it would hit if it would tip forward (endo?).  I don't think the one I saw had the front crash bar.

[Richard230]

The stories about the one-wheel racing car were really funny. They spoofed professional European rally races and R&T would run one every year of so during the 60's.  I practically died laughing as I would read about this one-wheel car and its crazy Italian drivers as they battled with other racers around the roads of Europe. It was all great fun and had no relationship to reality of course, other than exaggerating the stuff that was currently going on in the real races.