Tag Archives: Gear/accessories

Kobe Smart Case neatly secures your helmet

If you’ve ever had your helmet stolen from your bike or accidentally knocked or blown off your bike, then the stylish rear-rack-mounted Kobe Smart Case could be your solution.

It electronically secures your helmet to your bike when parked and neatly folds away when not in use to be visually discrete and aerodynamic while riding.Kobe Smart Case

The waterproof case not only protects your helmet from the elements, but an electronic alarm and a reinforced steel cable also protect it from thieves.

When not in use, the flexible case folds away to just 6cm to it doesn’t look ugly or cause any air turbulence.

But the Kobe Smart Case does not come cheap at €199 (about $A310, $US225).

It was developed by Infinitum Projects in Barcelona and Kobe founder and CEO Jordi Mercader ays the Kobe Smart Case will not spoil the beautiful lines of your bike.

“The best design is the smallest design,” he says.

“Less, but better because it concentrates the essential aspects and the product and is not loaded with non-essential features.”

Other Kobe products include a light and flat rider’s backpack in nylon for €99 ($A155, $US110) or leather for €129 ($A200, $US145) and a 15-litre tank bag (€149, $A230, $US170) with the same folding system as the helmet case.

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

Christmas Gifts For Motorbike Fans

(Sp0nsored post)

Are you looking for a gift for a motorbike enthusiast? When someone is a fan of something or passionate about something, it is always a good idea to get them a Christmas gift based on this. However, you need to purchase something they will actually use – not something that is gimmicky or is going to sit and gather dust. In this post, we will take a look at a great gift suggestion for any motorbike fan: a motorcycle jacket. We will also provide you with a few other suggestions too.

The #1 Gift: A leather motorbike jacket

Aldi sale promises safety and women’s gear gifts
 

When you buy clothing for the purpose of sports and other activities you need to give a lot of thought to what you buy. After all, you need to consider a lot more than merely how good the clothing looks. You will need to contemplate how safe the clothing is, as well as other aspects that help to make you feel more comfortable. This is why when you are buying for motorsports it is highly recommended that you opt for motorcycle leather jackets. Leather is highly recommended and possesses a lot of benefits in comparison to the other options that are available.

Let’s deal with the most important quality first; safety. Leather is one of the thickest materials available. This works really well in creating a cushion and ensuring the body has a good protective layer. If your loved one is unfortunate enough to experience an accident, then the leather should act as a barrier. It will be able to handle the shocks. It won’t simply rip and expose your skin.

Because leather is such a thick material, you would be forgiven for assuming that it is difficult to manoeuvre around in. However, this is not the case. Motorcycle leather jackets are extremely comfortable and they provide no barrier in the form of movement. This is very important. The rider needs to feel completely comfortable and free in the clothing that you are wearing; otherwise, you put yourself in harm’s way when you are driving. If someone cannot manoeuvre properly, then how are they supposed to ride their motorcycle properly?

Another important quality associated with leather motorcycle wear is the fact that it is long lasting and filled to the brim with quality, so you are going to purchase a gift that will stand the test of time. The material itself is strong and highly durable. You do not need to worry about the changing weather conditions affecting the motorcycle jacket e.g. the sunlight will not take away the colour of the jacket nor will it wear the material away.

In addition to this, there are also advantages associated with leather protective clothing that you may not expect. One of these benefits includes the fact that motorcycle leather jackets offer a sufficient amount of ventilation. This adds to the comfort factor that was earlier mentioned. Leather is a material that ensures that air flow is sufficient. This creates the right atmosphere for riding a motorcycle, and the importance of this is crucial.

Finally, there are some great designs of leather motorcycle jackets available. This means you can purchase something that will look amazing and impress from the moment the recipient unwraps it. After all, if you are going to spend your hard earned cash on clothing, then you want it to be clothing that looks great. When it comes to leather motorcycle clothing there are lots of bright colours and intriguing patterns. These look great and you are bound to find something to suit your friend or family member. Moreover, the bright colours are also beneficial because of enhanced visibility.

Don’t want to buy a motorcycle jacket?

If you don’t like the sound of this gift suggestion, there are plenty of other options available to you. If you want to buy something special, personal, and one-of-a-kind, private plates are a good choice! Just make sure you choose something the rider would be proud to put on their motorbike. Other options include tickets to a motorbike event, a motorcycle cover, the MotoGP Yearbook, a motorbike-based game, or a helmet camera.

If you choose one of the gifts mentioned above, or you decide to go down the leather motorcycle jacket route, you are bound to impress. Happy shopping!

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

New dashcam recorder for motorcycles

More and more dashcam evidence is convicting traffic offenders and protecting vulnerable motorcyclists involved in SMIDSY crashes.

Riders have a few options:

  • Riders can wear a helmet camera which even Queensland police recommend and most police use, although victorian police still believe it is illegal;
  • They can wear an action camera on their body, but these are limited in vision and difficult to deploy for rear-enders; or
  • https://motorbikewriter.com/cops-motorcycle-police/
  • Permanent cameras can be mounted on and hardwired to the motorcycle.

The latter is becoming more popular, especially for commuters as they are a fixture, difficult to steal and will start recording as soon as you start the bike.

Basically they are a set-and-forget option … until you need them.

Then they supply looped intervals of recordings so you can easily find the bit you need.

Latest bike dashcam Dashcam 1

A new dashcam with the easy-to-remember name “Model MCDV2HD-W2G” is available online in December for $320 and through some specialist installers.

Not that you will need a professional installer.

Installation is easy with a Smart Power module that connects directly to the battery and switches power to the dashcam automatically after the engine starts and switching off when it stops.

With more bikes now using CANBus (a simplified wiring loom) and not having easy access to accessory/ignition power, the Smart Power module solves this issue.

The unit consists of two small front and rear cameras which are permanently fitted and difficult to see on most big bikes.

The front camera is a full HD 1080P device with a Sony IMX323 sensor that has a low light facility while the rear camera is a HD 720P unit.

This new model has a weatherproof main unit (IP65) and, of course, weatherproof cameras (IP67).

One of the niftiest features is that it has built-in Wi-Fi so you access it from a smartphone app (iOS or Android).

That should make it easy to access recordings while out on the road.

It includes GPS included to automatically confirm time and location of an event. Dashcam 1

The handlebar controller is retained from previous models to allow the rider to save particular files in a simple-to-find format.

You won’t need to search through a large number of video files to find just the one or two events that were notable. Pressing the button saves a file with a different prefix to allow quick and easy sorting and location. 

Data storage is by Micro SD card up to 128GB.

Distributors Chipatronic recommend and supply Samsung cards when you order (SD cards cost extra and depend on the size you order.) 

Video files can be re-played using the smartphone app or the card can be connected to a Windows PC where the files can be accessed and viewed in the same way as any external storage device.

Files are saved in MOV format which can be played by most up to date media player software including Windows Media Player, Photos, VLC and others.

To be able to view the maps from the GPS data on PC the user will need to download a free software package.

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

Momodesign helmet fan keeps a cool head

Italian motorcycle helmet manufacturer Momodesign has added a fan that activates at low speed to keep the airflow going to your head in the hot summer months.

The Aero helmet features a Tornado Ventilation System that switches off at high speeds and only activates at low speeds thanks to a built-in GPS.

It’s not the first helmet with a cooling solution.

The Encephalon from Nando Logic has a fan, but it doesn’t seem to have gone into production yet.

Encephalon hi-tech motorcycle helmet events fan
Encephalon helmet

In August the air-conditioned Feher ACH-1 was DOT approved and began selling at $US599 (about $A820). It has not yet received ECE certification.

Feher ACH-1 air-conditioned helmet fan
Feher AC helmet

And AptEner Mechatronics hopes to release its BluSnap add-on airconditioner unit which simply straps to the front of a full-face helmet.

Airconditioner or full-face helmet - feher fan
BluSnap AC

Aero fan helmetMomodesign Aero helmet with fan

The Momodesign Aero helmet is ECE approved and will be available in four colours at €368 (about $A580, $US420).

Momodesign makes only one full-face helmet and this is open-face like the rest of their range with a full-length visor.

They don’t say how much the fan, battery and GPS weigh, but it must increase the weight.

The mechanism will also slightly increase helmet noise by 16dB which is the sound of rustling leaves.

It has a 3.7V lithium-ion battery with eight hours of life and a one-hour charge time.

Riders can choose to turn the fan on manually or use the Tornado Ventilation System app.Momodesign Aero helmet with fan

You can set the app to activate the fan below 50km/h when natural airflow is minimal or above a certain temperature.

The swirling blades simply assist airflow through the front and back vents.Momodesign Aero helmet with fan

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

MotoCAP rates eight textile jackets

The world’s first motorcycle clothing safety ratings program, MotoCAP, rates eight new textile jackets poorly for safety and comfort.

Unlike the 10 leather jackets MotoCAP rated when it launched in September, none of the textile jackets rates more than two stars for comfort or safety.

An official MotoCAP release says they expect better gear with higher ratings to become available as the industry responds to customer demand.

When it launched, only 10 pairs of protective jeans and 10 leather jackets were tested. No gloves have yet been tested.

MotoCAP has set a target of testing 10% of available jackets, pants and gloves in its first year of operation.

Textile rates worse than leather

The new textile jacket ratings are for the Merlin Everson, Ducati Giacca Tour V2, RJays Dune, Dainese D-Blizzard D -Dry, DriRider Air-Ride 4, BMW AirFlow, Alpinestar Chrome Sports Hoodie and Harley-Davidson Bentan.

All are men’s jackets. No women’s gear has yet been tested.

Prices for the eight jackets vary from the $200 DriRider to $659 for the BMW jacket. They both rated just one star for safety and two for comfort.

Click here to see the full ratings for the jackets.

By comparison, the 10 leather jackets rated from two to fives stars for safety and half to two stars for comfort.

Testing target

Motocap Motorcycle clothing rating system launched target
MotoCAP testing equipment

Last month a Transport for NSW spokesman told us that gloves have been tested and the results would be published “soon”.

Leather pants are also being tested.

The clothing is bought anonymously from stores and local online outlets.

Motocap Motorcycle clothing rating system launched testing

Invitation to industry

When MotoCAP was launched, the motorcycle clothing industry was not invited to pay for testing to guarantee independence.

However, MotoCAP has invited companies to submit products for ratings and pay a low fee to cover testing.

It is not known if these eight textile jackets were randomly selected or provided by distributors.

Companies can voluntarily advertise their rating using the MotoCAP logo.

MotoCAP is a not-for-profit organisation in partnership with the following: from NSW – Transport for NSW, SIRA and the NRMA; from Victoria – VicRoads, TAC and RACV; from South Australia – DPTI, MAC and RAA; from Queensland – TMR and RACQ; from Western Australia – the Western Australian Road Safety Commission; plus the Australian Motorcycle Council and the New Zealand Accident Compensation Corporation.

The Transport for NSW spokesperson says MotoCAP is designed to “reduce road trauma and injury severity for motorcyclists” by informing riders of their choices.

It is hoped this will be achieved by raising consumer awareness of, and demand for, better protective clothing, and manufacturers and suppliers will respond to that demand,” he said.

The MotoCAP rating system will be continually monitored and feedback will be considered to identify any improvements that can be made.”

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

Do you really need a bigger fuel tank?

Some adventure bikes are big and heavy enough already, so adding a larger fuel tank seems an unnecessary addition of weight.

Do you really need up to 500km of range when service stations are a maximum of about 250-300km apart even in the remote outback?

It’s also extra weight right over the front wheel; just where you don’t want it in soft sand and mud.

Reasons for bigger fuel tank

However, Robin Box of Safari Tanks says there are many reasons for carrying extra fuel.

“It’s true that there aren’t many occasions when you’ll need the full 500km range that our larger tanks offer, but things don’t always go to plan,” he says.

“For starters, with a bike’s standard tank you will often have enough fuel to get you to where you’re going, but that will often mean topping up three to four times a day, just so you have enough fuel to get to the next fuel stop.

“It will probably also mean that you’re only half filling your bike every time you stop, and the novelty of that wears out pretty quickly.”

His comments come in a press release about their new $1140 34-litre tank for the Honda Africa Twin which provides up to 500km of range.  The standard tank is 18.9 litres.

Honda Africa Twin Safari tank Adventure fuel tank
Honda Africa Twin with Safari tank

Fuel tanks in many touring and adventure bikes are getting smaller as bikes become more fuel efficient. It’s also done to reduce weight and costs.

Robin says a bigger fuel tank is an “insurance policy” that you have more than enough fuel to do the job.

“Nobody likes getting low on fuel, and we all know the feeling of staring at the fuel gauge in sparsely populated country when the tank gets below a quarter full. It’s nobody’s idea of fun,” he says.

“Carrying extra fuel will also give you peace of mind should that next petrol station – just 250km away – be out of fuel, and it does happen.”

Robin says that on several occasions he has had to camp for a couple of days to wait for a fuel truck to arrive after bad weather or a breakdown delayed delivery.

I also encountered an outback servo that had a power failure and couldn’t pump any fuel. We eventually siphoned some out of the owner’s truck and I paid top dollar for the privilege!

After that, I carried a five-litre plastic gerry can on the back rack as my own insurance policy. It also meant I didn’t have extra weight over the front wheel.

Adventure fuel tank
Back-up fuel on a three-state Transalp adventure

Exploring

It’s not just about surviving a lack of fuel, Robin says. It also presents extra opportunities to explore.

“The extra range also gives you the option of checking out that side track you’ve been told about or, in some instances, even turning back and retracing your steps if weather or other events put your trip in jeopardy,” he says.

“The extra fuel range helps to bring out the serious adventure capabilities for those who like the long haul.”

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

Map expert reviews TomTom Rider 550 GPS

TomTom has finally released their new Rider 550 satnav with new routes, wifi, personalised trips, smartphone connectivity, group sharing and voice activation.

It costs $599 and we wondered whether it is worth the money when smartphones these days seem to do so much of the tasks of a satnav.

So we handed over the unit to regular riding partner and map expert Peter “Worldmapman” Davis.

Map expert reviews TomTom Rider 550
Peter Davis

The qualified cartographer has spent 20 years as Sales and Marketing Manager of HEMA Maps and five years running his own geographic information consultancy, so he knows what he is talking about.

Here is his review:

Tom Tom Rider 550Map expert reviews TomTom Rider 550

Out of the box the first thing that impresses is the handlebar mount.

It is RAM brand which I believe to be the best, most secure and robust range of vehicle electronic mounts in the world.

When I attached the mount to the handle bars and went for a run, it did not disappoint; solid with virtually no vibration.

It also allows you to quickly swivel the unit from landscape to portrait mode depending on what you prefer.

The Rider 550 came fully charged and ready to go. And with faster processing, it fires up very quickly. No more waiting for it to load.

It includes a short cable with a proprietary plug on the end to connect to a cable with bare wire ends to route it straight to your battery terminal. There is also a cable with a USB plug to go to a USB charging port. Handy.

However, on my first test I didn’t bother plugging it into power. I ran it on full nav operation for more than four hours and it still had 3/4 battery left. (It is claimed to have six hours’ battery charge.)

I haven’t yet got around to plugging in the power cable and might never feel the need with that much battery power storage!

Speaking of storage, I downloaded the complete set of free world maps. Not many satnavs have that much storage capacity. 

The instruction manual is concise but tells you everything you needed to know.

Wifi connection

TomTom Rider 550 wifi

Since it has wifi, you don’t have to connect to it to a computer for updates.

Once connected to home wifi, the TomTom Rider 550 tells you if there are any updates required and you do this while you are connected.

Operationally it is typical of any modern satnav devices. It is easy to use and quite intuitive. When you take a wrong turn it is lightning fast at recalculating. So much faster than any other GPS unit or smartphone navigation app.

Its stored POIs (points of interest) are also extensive.

On the bike, the screen visibility is very acceptable even in full sun. I could read the screen in all light conditions with minor head adjustments. It automatically reverts to night mode when it is dark.

Its touchscreen works with most gloves, so long as they are not too thick. So if using winter gloves, get a pair with touchscreen-sensitive fingertips like these from Macna.

Macna Saber gloves rider 550
Macna gloves with “touchtip”

Mapping data

The mapping data is very up-to-date which is underlined by the accuracy of the speed zone, speed camera and red light cameras.

Another thing that impresses me is that during school hours the speed in school zones automatically change.

Here’s another impressive feature: the strip map window down the side shows distance to speed cameras, fuel, etc. Very handy!

As you would expect, the device can connect to Bluetooth intercom units. However, if you turn up the volume, it’s easy to hear without Bluetooth connection at all but highway speeds.Map expert reviews TomTom Rider 550

Given that I don’t use Bluetooth much, I wasn’t able to test the voice activation or the new feature that reads smartphone messages aloud in your headset.

However, that sort of technology works well elsewhere so Im sure it’s fine, if you like that sort of thing.

My only concern was that the view randomly swapped orientation between horizontal to vertical, but it did correct quickly. (We noticed this with the previous model if you set it too close to horizontal. It needs to be positioned closer to vertical – MBW).

Conclusion

TomTom Rider 500 is a useful navigation tool and much more suitable to the rugged conditions on your bike than a delicate smartphone.

Given that traffic warnings, speed camera locations and worldwide mapping is included free for the lifetime of the unit, it could be taken and used anywhere in the world.

Tech specs

Price

$599

Battery

Rechargeable Lithium Ion

Battery charge

Up to 6 hours autonomous operation

Screen type

11 cm (4.3″) touchscreen. Capacitive, glove-friendly, sunlight readable screen

Screen Resolution

480 x 272 WQVGA

Processor

Quad-Core

Memory

16 GB

RAM Size

512 Mb

SD slot

Micro SD slot

Waterproof

IPX7 – Protects again any wet weather conditions

Connectivity

Smartphone Connected, Bluetooth audio

Wi-Fi

Update and download without plugging into a computer

Features

Hands-free calling. Smartphone messages. Siri & Google Now

Services

TomTom Traffic, TomTom Speed Cameras, QuickGPSfix via Bluetooth® on your smartphone

Maps

Pre-installed Australia, New Zealand, North America, Canada, Mexico. Worldwide maps available to download. Lifetime map updates.

Services

Lifetime Traffic and Speed Cameras Updates

USB

Micro USB port and 2.0 USB cable

Dimensions:

136.8 x 88.4 x 30.5

Weight 

280g

Mount

RAM universal mounting kit – fits nearly all bikes

Bluetooth®

Yes

Bring Your Own Connectivity

Yes

Automatic Speech Recognition(ASR)

No

Tilt Sensor

Yes

Light Sensor

No

Wi-Fi

Yes

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

Dynamoto motorcycle stand is amazing

The two-part Dynamoto motorcycle stand is an amazing invention designed, engineered and built in Australia to make your bike easy to clean, maintain and move around your garage.

This invention is the genius of Brisbane mechanical engineer Stuart Black and designer Stephen McGuiness. I interviewed them three years ago when they were looking for crowd-funding to get started.

They now have a thriving business with export sales to countries such as the USA and Taiwan.

Dynamoto front and rear stands cost $785, or you can just buy the rear for $540.Dynamoto Motorcycle Stand

However, the real beauty of this invention is that, with both stands, you can push the bike sideways. That makes it so easy to store your bike if you have limited garage space.

Ducati-Panigale-V4-Dynamoto Motorcycle Stand

It’s all thanks to the use of Australian-designed and manufactured omni-directional Rotacaster wheels.

It may sound like a lot of money, but the versatile, elegant, quality product also shows off your bike. So you can spend hours in the garage with a beer just admiring it.

Dynamoto testDynamoto Motorcycle Stand

I’ve been testing the Dynamoto stand with my Triumph Street Scrambler and it simply makes my life so much easier.

I can ride into the garage, put it on the stand, turn it around and it’s ready to ride straight back out.

No need to back into or out of the garage and no multi-point turns to manoeuvre is in tight spaces.

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In fact, it’s so secure yet light to move, your kids could even move the bike for you. Plus, there is no fear of anyone bumping your pride and joy and knocking it off the stand.

If your floor is slanted, you will need to chock the wheels s it doesn’t roll.

I’ve used paddock stands before, but none has ever been as versatile as the Dynamoto.

While it’s on the rear stand, you can maintain the chain and clean the back wheel.

Front stand ‘genius’

But here’s the genius; you can also clean the front wheel, then simply pull it forward a couple of inches to clean were the forks were in the way.

What other stand will allow you to do that without the fear of your bike toppling off the stand?

This is safe and secure because the handle relocates to the side to act as a brake. That stops the rear stand from tipping up and dropping the bike.

So why would you need to also buy the front stand? Well, you may not if you don’t need to move the bike sideways, but Stephen says they have had few buyers so far opt for the rear stand only.

Dynamoto Motorcycle Stand
Front stand

“We have had a great response from people who have purchased the stands, with many being repeat customers,” he says.

Dynamoto stands will fit most bikes wth pick-up bobbins on the rear.Dynamoto Motorcycle Stand

They are currently working on a solution for cruisers and a rear-wheel stand for bikes without pick-up bobbins.

Dynamoto stands are manufactured in Brisbane using high-quality steel precision tube, CNC laser cutting, CNC bending and robot welding.

“We decided to manufacture in Australia because we have direct access to and close relationships with our suppliers and we can be assured of the quality,” Stuart says. 

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

Speedo Minder app might save your licence

Unlike many speed-alert apps and GPS devices, the new Australian Speedo Minder Pro app alerts riders when they are over the posted speed limit and until they slow down.

It also has a lot more adjustment to suit your needs.

App developer Steve Grealy, 60, of Adelaide says it took “nearly four years, quite a few thousands of dollars and even more thousands of hours work” to create Speedo Minder Pro.

It is now available on the Apple App Store and we have been trialling it with success for several weeks.

“The app integrates HERE.com mapping information for speed limits in 89 countries, plus more than 172,000 speed camera locations around the world,” says the firefighter and veteran rider.Speedo Minder Pro app by Steve Grealy

“Speedo Minder Pro will be the best copilot a driver or rider could ever need or want to stay under the radar and avoid costly speeding fines.”

How Speedo Minder works

The app provides visual and audible alerts through your bluetooth intercom when you go over the speed limit.

There are similar alerts on many satnavs, but this app continues to alert you until you slow down and allows a lot more adjustment.

For example, you can select at what speed over the limit the alert activates and how frequently it beeps until you return within your set limit.

In fact, you can set a low-level warning for 0-5km/h (or mph) over and a high-level warning for 5-10km/h over.Speedo Minder Pro app by Steve Grealy

If the beeps become annoying such as in a shopping centre carpark where the limit is 10km/h, you can mute the app for 30 seconds by tapping the Speed Limit circle or simply tapping the screen twice.

When your ride is finished, the app will automatically shut down after five minutes of being motionless or if you manually turn off the app or simply hit the phone’s lock button. This will also turn off the Location Services for the app.

Steve is also working on an Android version and one for the Apple watch which will deliver “Haptic” alerts or vibrations.

Free trial

Speedo Minder Pro app by Steve Grealy
Free trial

You can try the app for free for seven days after which you have two options:

  • Fully featured one-year licence with no advertisement for just $US4.99 (about $A6.85); or
  • Fully featured one-year license with ads for $US2.49 (about $A3.40).

If you choose the cheaper option and find the ads annoying, you can upgrade to no ads for an extra $US2.49.

Developing the app

Speedo Minder Pro app by Steve Grealy
Steve with his Triumph Speedmaster

Speed cameras and governments’ addiction to speed fine revenue have turned us into a nation of speedo gazers which dangerously takes our attention off the road.

Steve says he developed the app because of the possibility of accidentally speeding and being caught.

“Driving a 22 tonne Fire Appliance under lights and sirens is even more exciting than riding a bike through the hills,” he says.

Steve points out that South Australia has the highest speeding fines in the country, and in recent years stopped signposting speed cameras, increased the number of fixed cameras and reduced over-speed tolerances. 

In 2016-17, the state raised $144m in traffic infringements.

“Officially I adhere to the road safety line rather than the speed camera bashing, revenue raising whinging. However, with road use habits formed of bike riding and fire truck driving, I’d usually find myself driving towards the top end of the speed limits.

“About five years ago I got myself a GPS speedometer app and realised I was creeping over the limit all the time.

“The combination of all of the above resulted in me wanting to develop a driver’s co-pilot app that not only warned me when I was over the limit but one that would repeat that warning until I slowed down, which was something no GPS unit nor driver’s app provided.”

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

Haptic jacket warns rider of collision

Imagine a motorcycle jacket that vibrates when it senses you are about to have a collision or delivers that disco bass rumble in your gut when you play music in your helmet?

The Origin “haptic” jacket will come as part of a package with a Zenith head-up display helmet (HUD) when you buy the coming 240km/h Arc Vector electric motorcycle costing about £90,000 ($A160,000, $US117,000).

Click here for more information on the British Arc Vector.Arc Vector electric motorcycle with collision warning

The bike features “haptic” handlebars and seat that vibrate if they sense a crash or you try to merge into a lane where there is a car. Similar technology has been around in some cars for years.

Vector is also integrated with the Zenith head-up display helmet.

No further details are available, but there are several HUD helmets hitting the market with different functions.Zenith HUD helmet Arc Vector electric motorcycle with collision warning

Haptic collision warning

Their Origin jacket takes collision warning even further with haptic pads that vibrate.

It features different modes including “Dynamic” to “amplify the sense of excitement during a dynamic ride”.

Another is called “Euphoric” that produces that deep bass rumble.

While these are entertainment modes, Arc founder and CEO Mark Truman says the normal haptic mode that responds to crash threats can be used to “augment mirrors as a threat detection system”.

Riders will experience a buzz in their back or one shoulder to indicate the presence and direction of another threatening vehicle.

Origin jacket Arc Vector electric motorcycle with collision warning
Vibrating haptic pads

“The haptic jacket and high-tech helmet are designed to help meld man and machine into one,” Arc claims. 

Mark says it allows the rider to keep their eyes on the road ahead. However, we would argue that a shoulder check is always advisable.

“People ask me if this could be distracting, but it is actually designed to be the total opposite,” Mark says.

“The tech frees you and your senses because the distractions have been removed.

“It allows you to concentrate on the road and your oneness with the bike, to just enjoy the moment knowing the bike is looking out for you and the information you need is right in front of you.”

So why provide entertainment haptic modes?

Arc VectorArc Vector electric motorcycle with collision warning

Meanwhile, the 95kW Arc Vector has a top speed of 241km/h (150mph) and accelerates to highway seed in 2.7 seconds.

Range is claimed to be 190km (about 120 miles) on the highway or 274km (170 miles) in the city.

Only 355 bikes will be produced.

It features a lightweight carbonfibre swingarm and a new type of battery that makes the bike a chimed 25% lighter than its competition.

It also comes with custom Ohlins dampers and Brembo brakes mounted in the 6 o’clock position.

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com