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Tech Riders: Biking Goes Electric

Along with technology, I’m also a huge fan of cars and motorcycles. How do you not love things that move fast and look good doing it? So when I saw this bike on Engadget, I had to share it with you.

There’s been talk of electric motorcycles for awhile with plenty of prototypes and concept models that never made it to market. British company Mavizen, has unveiled the first electric supersport bike, the TTX02. The bike is a lean, mean, green machine producing not a single harmful emission thanks to the lithium ion battery. Which makes sense since Mavizen is also “the technology, advisory and consulting arm of TTXGP eGrandPrix, a race held for zero-emission motorcycles. A 37-mile time trial, it’s a grueling competition that taxes even the best riders.

And while it’s sweet design and tiny carbon footprint has my engine revving, what’s really got me gassed is its geek tech insides. The TTX02 is also the first motorsport vehicle to have its own dedicated IP. It also has open source Linux OS and WiFi so the bike can actually talk to the folks back at Mavizen. The USB-based system bus allows riders to hook up any peripherals they see fit.

So why all the heavy duty tech? While the TTX02 comes race ready, complete with its own drivetrain and chassis, racing teams are going to want to tweak the bike to their own specifications in a hunt for that elusive edge that is the difference between winning and losing. Teams have the choice of purchasing the body and software separately if they want to cobble together their own creation. The flexibility of Linux allows developers change bike settings as they deem necessary.

So what does this mean for those of us that ride motorcycles for pleasure? Well picture your bike as a mobile hotspot with USB ports for all your stuff – webcam, iPod, etc.? How much cooler would the ride be if you could stream your cross country ride to Myrtle or Daytona Beach for Bike week in real time or access internet at any time, just in case you need to use Google Maps? Add to that the promise of electric biking. As it stands, the TTX02 has a maximum speed of about 100mph and as eager developers get their hands on Mavizen’s well-laid foundation, it’s only a matter of time before all this tech is available in commercial models.

But for now, I’ll just keep drooling over the video posted on Mavizen’s site.

BlackWeb20.com is the premier destination for African-American’s in Technology and New Media.  We cover culturally relevant Technology industry news; mainstream Technology industry news; & African-American Technology and New Media Executives, Entrepreneurs, and Influencers. We also analyze emerging web trends and how they apply to web properties that target African-Americans or African-American culture.

 

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