Awesome Stuff: Goofy Looking Scooters

from the getting-around dept

Remember the hype around the Segway before it came out? Before people even knew what it was, people talked about how they were going to "re-architect cities around it." There were all sorts of rumors about what kind of magical device it might be... and then it came out and people saw it was a kind of googy looking scooter, with funky gyroscopes to keep it upright. It didn't quite change history the way some predicted. However, apparently "goofy looking scooters" is becoming something of a market niche, and here are a few such projects currently being crowdfunded.
  • First up, we've got the kubo from Lit Motors. You may recognize Lit Motors from the tremendous hype they've received over the past few years for a different vehicle, the C1 an astoundingly awesome looking half-motorcycle/half-electric vehicle that rides on two wheels but is nearly impossible to tip over. Apparently, while they're still working on bringing that to life, they've also been working on a "side project" to create a goofy looking scooter, whose main selling point is "it has a ton of cargo space." They describe it as "the pickup truck of scooters" and that's probably the best way to think of it.
    This one just launched a few days ago, but has already brought in about 10% of its $300,000 goal. The pricing of these scooters seems a bit steep, frankly, as it starts at $5k to get one. I may not be the target market, but even if I was a scooter rider, how often do I really need huge storage? Then again, I'm not a pickup truck driver either, so maybe I'm just not the right person for this.
  • Next up, we've got the Acton M Scooter, a goofy looking electric scooter whose main selling point is that you have the choice of sitting or standing when you ride it. I hadn't realized this was a big concern for scooter riders, but having choices can be a good thing. Part of the idea is that it's also fairly compact, so you can store it pretty easily.
    At a $999 starting price, it'll run you 1/5 the kubo above, though you're trading the storage space for that sit/stand option. This project is seeking $55,000 and they're just a bit short, with a week and a half to go. It looks like they're close enough that they'll probably reach the target, but it might be close.
  • Hey, remember, that not all scooters are powered by motors. That brings us to our final goofy looking scooter: the Bowboard, which takes your basic kickscooter and adds a... "bow" arch thing to it, to propel the scooter by pushing the bow down with your weight. It's... um... tough to describe without watching the video. As goofy as it looks to ride, I will admit it looks like quite a bit of fun too.
    These are starting at $299, which is certainly a bit more than your run of the mill Razor kick scooter, but obviously this is something more than that (and the pricing puts it on par with some basic electric powered scooters). Still, so far this project looks like it might have trouble hitting its goal. They need $150,000 and are only around 5% after over a week, with a little less than a month to go. Perhaps the project will get some shot of publicity, but otherwise it might be difficult to make up that gap.
That's all for this week. Next week, we promise that whatever we put in the awesome stuff will not include any description of something being "the pickup truck of x."
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Filed Under: awesome stuff, scooters


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  • icon
    ECA (profile), 23 Nov 2013 @ 11:31am

    YOU MISSED ONE

    this one is in production..

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    Paraquat (profile), 23 Nov 2013 @ 5:20pm

    front wheel has to be larger

    The Bowboard with that very tiny front wheel would be truly dangerous to ride, especially on a road that is a little rough or potholed. Hit a pothole with such a tiny front wheel and you'll get thrown over the handlebars. From the photo, it appears that the front wheel is what you'd expect to find on a skateboard or roller skates.

    I can back this assertion with some experience. I own both a regular motorcycle and a motor scooter (not electric, sorry to say, but gasoline powered). The diameter of the motorcycle's wheels are nearly double that of the scooter's - usually no big deal downtown where roads are good. But out in the boondocks there are some very bad roads and the scooter is unrideable in such places. Even downtown, potholes can suddenly appear after a heavy rain, and a friend of mine hit a sizable one with his scooter and got thrown off and seriously injured.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Tosh, 24 Nov 2013 @ 6:22pm

    Bloody horrible

    The third one will surely make it onto Tosh.o.

    I am so tired of these douche-bag-made marketing videos!

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    MileyCyrus12, 12 May 2015 @ 11:35pm

    Latest Electric Mission R Bike Reaches 60 Mph in 3 Seconds

    The latest Electric Mission R Bike can reaches 60 Mph in just 3 seconds. It is the latest invention in the field of vehicles and bikes. This is the electric bike with high speed and powerful engine. It is a dream of every person to have expensive and unique vehicles including bikes and cars.

    link to this | view in chronology ]


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