You may have heard about the all-electric "KillaCycle" -- a 158MPH drag racing
bike powered by a bank of 990 lithium-ion batteries that does 0-60 in .97 seconds. Well, the bike isn't shy about living up to its name -- in a demo for reporters at Wired's NextFest, creator Bill Dube was doing some innocent burnouts when the rear tire hooked and fired him off like a shot...into a parked minivan. Dube appears to be okay -- he was conscious and had feeling in all his fingers and toes -- but paramedics took him in for X-rays just to be sure. Here's hoping he recovers quickly -- and lets us take that thing for a spin. Hit the read link to see it all go down on video.
posted Sep 13th 2007 7:05PM
I want everything in that picture.
Oh and I hope the guy recovers OK, too.
greatness
Notice in the background of picture #8, the advertisement says "Accidentes". Ironic.
http://www.tgdaily.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogsection&id=18&Itemid=41&slideshow=20070913¤tPic=8
The picture just changed. Less than 1 minute ago.
Well thats just great Nilay, now I look like a moron.
You're doing it wrong.
ba hahahaha
who's this girl in the pic?
She is my girlfriend now bug off
killacycle.com/photos
Rebecca Bowering
http://www.electrifyingtimes.com/KillaCycle/rebecca_bowering_killacycle_pit.html
An all electric drag bike, sounds amazing and horrifying all at once. I can picture reaching a point where acceleration has to be limited because it's beyond the ability for a rider to hold on. Kinda like the YF-21 in Macross Plus.
like, apparently the .97 this thing does 60 in.
well, except that there already is a limitation on acceleration, and that is grip. of course, this limitation can be surpassed by using rocket power, but thats certainly asking for trouble.
Grip will jump up if the front tire is motorized.
By the way, what do they (or Engadget) mean by "all-electric"? The steering is mechanical, front brake seems hydraulic...maybe the kick stand is electric?
If they mean "not hybrid", shouldn't "electric" suffice?
For the older kids here, there was also that car in Speed Racer, you know, the GRX. The car was just TOO FAST for ordinary humans to drive.
Of course Speed then has to take some drugs that allow him to drive the car. (No I am not making this up.)
Hmmm. "Speed." "Drugs." Didn't catch that when I was a kid.
QUI-GON: They have pod racing on Malastare. Very fast, very dangerous.
ANAKIN: I'm the only human who can do it.
SHMI SKYWALKER (whispering, to Qui-Gon): I did a lot of crystal meth when I was pregnant...
JAR-JAR: Meesa pod race real good!
[Jar-Jar straddles the KillaCycle and flips the power switch]
QUI-GON: Jar-Jar, No! Get down --
[Jar-Jar whacks the throttle open, then releases the brake, launching the KillaCycle through a bakery's plate glass window and into a large pyramid stack of freshly-baked cream pies]
Please note:
This nearly killed it's maker for being what I'd like to call 'too f'ing powerful', not exploding, not because he was flattened on the freeway when his cells gave out, it was too powerful.
Please car-makers, an electric sedan that goes 90 miles on a charge at 80 mph for less than $20k. Think you can do that?
The company that makes those cells (probably the safest LiPo tech on the market, btw) that survived the crash with no issue are the ones making the batteries for the Chevy Volt... so hopefully, we'll see something close to what you're asking (though I doubt the price will be close to 20k to start) in the next 2 years or so...
That said, it takes a lot more to heft around a car than a bike, which is why it's not here - yet -
seriously,
everyone needs to take a second and think what 0-60 in less than a second feels like.
Thats pretty much roller coaster launching force, and anyone who's been on one of those can tell you you wouldn't want that much G-force applied when your not sitting down and strapped into it.
bottom line, the things badass.
> everyone needs to take a second and think what 0-60 in less than a second feels like.
60 MPH = 88 feet per second (after 1 second)
G = 32 feet per second (after 1 second)
So the bike is pulling about 2.75 Gs in it's first second when launched.
That's on par with a catapult launch from an aircraft carrier, I think. (~ 3 G?) Likewise Space Shuttle launch?
JESTER: That was some of the best flying I've seen to date - right up to the part where you got killed.
Rita Queen of speed at Alton Towers gets to 62.1 MPH in 2.2 seconds. I've been on that ride a good number of times and that's hellafast to say the least. You're strapped in with a backrest so you're not going to fly off the back, and on a controlled course without having to worry about dips in the road or anything like that. I couldn't imagine being on rita if it did that in less that half the time, let alone on a bike relying on my hands for grip.
Good thing those wheren't Sony batteries!
No video in the link... where is the video?
http://www.tgdaily.com/content/view/33853/113/
The Origional Meat Rocket!
ATGATT - All The Gear, All The Time
#1 rule in motorcycle safety - never, ever get on a bike without your gear and helmet. I've read a police report of a guy taking a spill on a bike in a parking lot traveling 15 mph and spilling his brains all over the pavement.
Well, duh, that's a no-brainer.
Video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDHJNG2PngQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3dRpAZci9m0
The (Un?) Official Killacycle Blog
http://www.killacycle.com/
whoa baby! saw the video. now that's a REAL crotch rocket! dude needs to stick to being tech guy/crew chief!
Hmm, the guy's name is "Dube," and he's doing "burnouts." Now, he calls it the "killacycle," so I guess that's why he didn't bother with the helmet (seriously--how could he not wear a helmet?!!). So obviously there are jokes to be made, but I really just wanted to make a comment about the chick. Chick's hot.
that thing looks like it was in a cartoon, when he took off that was like, jeez it looked fake.
From the TG Daily article: "Luckily we were able to interview Dube before the crash."
Anyone else find this a tad insensitive?
You mean as opposed to interviewing him after the crash?
Yes. That would be REALLY insensitive.
If you watched the video you can see the hot "assistant" wet the pavement. As soon as he starts the engine the motorcycle moves off the wet pavement onto the dry concrete and takes off. Pretty predictable.
They put bleach on the asphalt to make smoke so it looks more badass.
Welcome to the Darwin Awards.
Holy crap!
I hope that guy recovers ok.
yeah I know he is hurt and I hope he recovers, but I would love to feel it, its wort the hit!
It's funny because he is probably going to be fine.
That video was a waste of my time. It showed very little, and I almost had to sit through a few minutes of pointless dialog to see it.
Im really sick of seeing this insane level irresponsibility by racers. How many accidents have to occur before cities stop allowing high powered and unstable vehicles from doing public presentations that can easily kill people (assuming they even got the cities permission)? The fact that they are doing this on a sidewalk next to busy traffic with no cones or anything is highly disturbing, hes extremely lucky he didnt kill anyone.
1.So yes, everybody should wear a helmet all the time yes. He wasn't planning on riding it (not even at 15mph) only doing a burnout so i can give him a little credit. It is a sad mistake to make all the same.
2. That was INSANELY fast. Yes it almost looked fake. In fact i almost wonder if this video was a publicity stunt what with the damage that the bike actually took in the picture relative to how fast he was going in the video. *note I am not actually saying it WAS fake*
I have to say I actually agree.. and I hate admitting it.. but his position, the lack of blood, the entire lack of damage to either the minivan or the bike (which happened to be so conveniently propped up in the wheel well) just made me think twice.. three times...
But if Dbe did indeed get hurt, I hope him a speedy and complete recovery.
Sorry to be so blunt but this guy is really a dumb**s.
Driving a dragbike or burning out on any bike is an especially dangerous endeavor... If you lose control for one picosecond it´ s disaster. But still he is leasurly giving it a go in the middle of an urban area with traffic, some very hard looking concrete blocks lining the sidewalk and what not.
His ensurance will be laughing I´ m sure...
Great concept bike though. Now, make something that'll do 120 tops, 0-60 in a standard few seconds and have 200 miles per charge so that the normal person could commute with it and you might have a business model.
Leave the burnouts to stunters, squids and the pros.
I sat next to this guy on a plane last year. Nice guy. Hope he recovers quickly.
For those having problems with the tgdaily link, here is it on youtube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1pM1j2d1RMU&NR=1
He is in good condition, just a few minor injuries. He was even able to get a plug in for A123.
http://www.killacycle.com/2007/09/13/im-fine-scapes-and-cuts-bike-is-a-little-bent/#comments
"So I'm normally the crew chief, and ah ah, owner, not the driver, so this is going to be a little interesting to say the least."
Yeah,.. that should have been the first red flag.
I'm just wondering how you can justify not wearing protection when you are an unexperienced rider planning on doing a burnout on a bike that does an unheard of 0-60 in .97 seconds. You have to know that if something is going to go wrong, it's going to happen quite fast.
That said,.. Totaly awesome & tremendously unfortunate
You won't believe this but...
a few years back my cousin Stacy Banks was doing a modeling job with the Killacyle when she was asked to do a test-ride as part of the photo-shoot. It nearly killed her.
The throttle stuck on a drag track and she had to bail or let the massive bike roll on top of her at the sand-pit at the end of the drag track. Leathers and a helmet saved her life as she skidded down the track doing over 100mph, grinding her wrist joint away and seriously messing up her legs. All is well now after a long recover and multiple surgeries. But that bike is definitely living up to it's name. The photo in the link above, is of course, before the bloody accident.