Lit Motors C-1 enclosed motorcycle

[randyd]

Originally Posted by kerbe

There's already a rear hatch in the design - and an operable window on the side opposite the door should provide sufficient emergency egress.

Do you really think you could fit through the rear hatch:


I don't think I could. But if there is an operable window on the side opposite the door, I am sure I could get out of that in an emergency that pinned the door closed.

Every image I have seen of the C-1 has doors on both sides of the cabin. I always thought that was overkill and had to compromise the strength of the cabin.

My vote (since I don't have a Facebook account) is to put the door on the starboard side, and the operable window on the port. Here's why: That's puts the window on the "drive through window" side. And US card drivers are used to tanning their left arms with the window rolled down. If the door is on the curb-side, the crown of the road will help open the door (when parallel parked) and should make it easier to get your butt on/off the seat.

Regarding parking, I hope that the C-1 is short enough to park perpendicular to the curb, like motorcycles usually park. I should have measured that at the Maker Faire, but I didn't. A length much longer than 8 or 9 feet will make parking that way risky.

And if Lit Motors is taking requests, DON'T FORGET THE CUP HOLDERS!!

[kerbe]

Actually, I probably could - I'm rather flexible! And besides, this is just a model - all parameters (including hatch size and cup holders) are probably going to evolve.

You know, I've been a licensed driver for 40 years - and I've never once used a cupholder... Have I been missing something special?

[randyd]

Originally Posted by kerbe

You know, I've been a licensed driver for 40 years - and I've never once used a cupholder... Have I been missing something special?

Never? Not even once? I find that hard to believe. Have you always ridden motorcycles? You don't own a vehicle, do you...

I use cupholders for all kinds of things besides cups. Change, holding the cellphone during a call, holding the cellphone after a call until it is convenient and safe for me to re-holster it, I play music and podcasts from my iPod Classic resting in a cupholder for longer road trips, and I use them to hold drink cups too.

If the C-1 had no cupholders, I might try to add one, but it would not keep me from enjoying my C-1.

Mostly I was making a joke about cupholders because they have been joked about before.

And don't forget

Originally Posted by Malcolm Gladwell

And what was the key element of safety when you were a child? It was that your mother fed you, and there was warm liquid. That's why cupholders are absolutely crucial for safety. If there is a car that has no cupholder, it is not safe. If I can put my coffee there, if I can have my food, if everything is round, if it's soft, and if I'm high, then I feel safe. It's amazing that intelligent, educated women will look at a car and the first thing they will look at is how many cupholders it has.

Emphasis mine. Read the whole article. It is really well written.

[kerbe]

I tend to not eat or drink while driving - and, if I have a water bottle, I keep it either on the floor or between the seats where it will stay out of direct sunlight.

I once parked my car in center city Philadelphia and, as I fished for change to put in a parking meter, I dropped a coin onto the center console and it rolled to the center of the passenger floor mat - so I ignored it and went about my business. An hour later I returned to my car - in an upscale residential neighborhood, mind you - and found the passenger-side window smashed and the coin missing. From that day to this I leave NOTHING visible in my cars.

I know you were joking - and I agree that the Gladwell article is very well written.

[NeilBlanchard]

Cup holders in the C-1 need to be on gimbals, like in a ship... ;-)

[SEGsby]

That's a good idea...

[smilingcat]

Good thing C-1 designers are not of German engineer mentality. They were aghast at a thought of cup holder in a car. It was demanded of them by the American consumers.

To the Germans, when you are behind the wheel you drive! Not eat or drink. If you want to eat and drink, go sit at a dinner table or at a bar!. and on and on it went.

American consumers won out and Merceds have cup holders where you expect them. The first time the German engineers were forced to install cup holders, they begrudgingly put it in the door panel below your knee height.

Most women will argue to no end on how they can multi-task while driving. I'm not brave. However, I have succombed to sipping my tea while driving. cup holder should hold other things as well.

So will it hold a 16 oz size drink or will it be super sized and hold a 2 liter bottle?

[randyd]

Originally Posted by NeilBlanchard

Cup holders in the C-1 need to be on gimbals, like in a ship... ;-)

Originally Posted by SEGsby

That's a good idea...

I know it is counter-intuitive, but you have it exactly backwards.

As a car corners, everything in the car feels the car push them into the turn. The liquid in a cup also feels the cup push it into the turn. The top of the liquid will tilt, with one side approaching the lip of the cup. If car cupholders were gimballed, the whole cup would tilt, keeping the liquid nearly level with respect to the lip. So, cars need gimballed cup holders.

As a motorcycle turns, it leans almost precisely the right amount to counteract the tendency to keep going straight. Neither the rider nor the cup of liquid feels the motorcycle to push them to one side or the other relative to the bike. All we feel is a bit more "weight" which is pushing down directly in line with the bike. I have a fixed cupholder on my bike, and the liquid remains nearly level with respect to the cup lip during constant speed turns.

Acceleration is another matter. Gimbals fore and aft would help prevent spills in all kinds of vehicles that accelerate quickly.

[c0mp13x]

C-1 gets some CNET video coverage with a new passing animation:

http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-13746_7...?tag=mncol;txt

[randyd]

I **finally** got my reservation confirmation yesterday. I placed my deposit on October 11, 2011. It's only $250, but I am surprised that I have such a high number so long ago. That's good for Lit Motors, though. :-)

I wonder how many deposits they have received since October?

[EDIT]
I just checked and the low reservation numbers are reserved for those who place a higher deposit. It's kind of like Kickstarter:
$250 = last in the list.
$500 = gets you somewhere above #201
$1000 = #101 through 200
$2000 = #51 through 100
$5000 = #11 through 50
$10000 = one of the first 10 off the production line.

I am pretty sure that when I placed my deposit, this was not an option. But it is now!

I wonder if I can increase my current deposit to get a lower number?
[/EDIT]