With self-driving cars poised to disrupt the auto insurance industry, the motorcycle industry, too, could be seeing a similar tech revolution in the years to come with the introduction of an American electric bike fitted with a gyro system.
Hawaii-based start-up Thrustcycle recently unveiled the current development of its “gyroscopically stabilized vehicles” which are powered by an electric motor. The internal gyroscope of the concept motorcycle allows the vehicle to self-balance, the creators claim. The model the company unveiled was an open-style motorcycle, unlike the fully-enclosed prototype first shown back in 2011. The current appearance of the latest prototype evoked Kaneda’s bike in the sci-fi cult anime film,
Akira.
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In a press release, Thrustcycle revealed to
Canada MotoGuide that it plans to enter production in 2017, with a suggested entry price of US$20,000. The company is also hoping that, by then, the price of electric vehicle technology would lower, allowing it to offer its futuristic bike at an even lower price.
Canada MotoGuide believes that Thrustcycle’s vehicle will pave the way for the rest of the industry for a future where electric motorcycles are equipped with features such as anti-crash technology.
“At least we can all hope for lower insurance rates, and the carbon tax shouldn’t hit us too hard on a battery bike,” the online motorcycle news portal mused.
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