This 3D printed, electric motorcycle weighs just 77 pounds

[yRaz]

Please don't persist in trying to hook this into the overarching issue of electric versus internal combustion power. Trust me I'm not, and I'd sincerely appreciate it if you'd extend me that same courtesy. If everyone of these "brilliant ideas" bore fruit, we'd all be riding around on Segues. If it's a toy you want, and don't mind looking stupid while you're playing with it, buy a hover board.

Let's confine ourselves to the topic. (Yes, I know how strange that sounds coming from me). The "motorcycle" in this article is trash. It has approximately the same functionality as a mini bike. The people who are pushing it are hoping to tag the gung-ho "electric power everything now set", for every dollar they can possibly milk out of the stupidly rich and trendy.

What truly amazes me is, how the two us read the same sentence, and come away with entirely different interpretations.

To wit, "it goes 35 miles between charges". I call that "nowhere". You seem to think that's "everywhere".

Then too, I'm wondering what the process or likelihood of this contraption even being approved for use on public roads. You know, being issued a license plate. Where could you go with it, certainly not on the interstates. I'm pretty sure that being given approval for a licensed vehicle, carries with it the expectation of being able to keep up with traffic on route 95.

The most charitable classification I could assign to this bike is that it's,
" the alpha forerunner of a possible prototype".

They're trying to reverse crowd fund the monstrosity, as they'd likely get laughed off of Kickstarter, the minute they hung a price tag on it. (With that said, it's gets mitigated somewhat by the fact, there are some really stupid people spraying money around over there).

in all fairness, I was extremely drunk when I wrote at all that. I'm pleasantly pleased with myself for how few typeos I made.

I will stand by my drunken statements, though.

 

[Skidmarksdeluxe]

I honestly don't think any of us are disputing the potential of 3D printing.

Although, unless plastics take a huge leap forward in heat tolerance and surface hardness, you may have to still fire up a blast furnace once in a while for things such as crankshafts, connecting rods, truck transmissions, or the occasional wheels, axles, and frames, of your friendly neighborhood commuter train.

Then too, it's really wonderful to get all hyped over such a radical, innovative new process, but how long do you think it will be before we can actually print human organs with the damned things?

You've gotta start somewhere and possibly you and I wont be around long enough to see it come to full fruition.

 

[captaincranky]

You've gotta start somewhere and possibly you and I wont be around long enough to see it come to full fruition.

Very true on both counts. And yes, 3D printing will integrate itself into our manufacturing processes to some degree. Perhaps even to a large degree. But if you think about it, is 3D printing a plastic mobile phone case actually easier and more cost effective that injection molding the same part? I say not hardly.

However, "these kids today" have a penchant for blindly accepting "Muskian hyperboly", as a foregone conclusion of fact.

They have the 3D printer abundantly confused with a teleporter, which by all standards and imaginings of even the most devout believer in science fiction, such a device becoming fact, simply isn't possible. There are simply too many molecules, made out of too many chemicals, in too specific an ordered fashion, to disassemble a body, and reassemble it someplace else.

Obviously printing a "simple" liver, kidney, lung, or heart by itself doesn't rise to the complexity of "reprinting an entire human body", but having the right "broth" of chemicals, the correct instant climatic conditions present in a printer chamber, and enough memory and computing power to routinely and successfully produce the sequence of events necessary to pull off such an accomplishment, is well beyond formidable, and if I dare say so, nigh on impossible.

But as they say, "the hell does cranky know"? He still thinks the light bulbs in your house don't have to be connected to the internet...What a Luddite!

 

[johnniedoo]

Well the tech is still prohibitively expensive and isn't targeted to the mass market anyway. This is thing is cool, but not practical or cheap. Don't hate the tech just because it's expensive, its only going to get cheaper with time.

This stuff is cool and I look forward to the future inovations I'll see, but not afford.

I agree with comments on price vs practicality. Why would I want to spent $56,000 on one of these , even if I could get one? It is just a promotional piece destined for a collector's investment market. I have owned and rode motorcycles, and bicycles for over 50yrs. Harleys, to Treks and Cannondales. and still ride a chinese scooter which will easily get to 55mph(eventually) but it is a few seconds to 35-40mph. Costs only $1,100 new lasted 6yrs ,still running with $100 usd maintenance and 70mpg.
I had an older EVO all electric scooter for a time forget the kWh rating but it was only going 20-25miles on a charge and cost a fortune to maintain over only 2yrs.
I would love one of these with the latest Tesla driven battery development and power generation. I know the braking for these is also a function of the electric motor as it slows down and charges, somewhat. but 77lbs is nice, frame only I guess. but battery and motor could easily triple that? not sure but that would put it into the old fashioned steel tube frame and 150cc 4stroke reciprocal gasoline weight range.
all things in perspective, buyers remorse /sticker shock after dropping $50k--which isnt really the point, but...?
this whole 3D printing mfg process is still amazing me at the capabilities and future prospects seem to be limitless. a great story here
john

 

[gregzeng]

You know .... articles like this really surprise me. The whole idea of that sort of bike is ridicules. I have plans for a 3D printable time machine that I'm willing to sell for $2 M but it's pay in advance .... wonder how many orders I will get????? LOL

Blue Sky marketing, like the original post.
I'll buy. Where is your test sample, like this original post?

 

[Uncle Al]

Blue Sky marketing, like the original post.
I'll buy. Where is your test sample, like this original post?

Test Sample? Oh, it got forwarded to the next century. You have to test drive it to see it ... of course, we haven't perfected the automatic return system yet so you'll want to pack your George Jetson anti-gravity boots and a dinosaur gun, just in case!

 

[JungleBunns]

Gosh well I personally dont know what I'm going to spend my 56'000 dollars on. OMG im gonna spend it on a bike that goes less than forty miles and can get up to 50 mph!

Leave the batteries and tech to Tesla people. We all know they are the electricians who are going to run the world.