Developer Touts Gyro-Stabilized Electric Two-Wheeler

San Francisco-based Lit Motors is developing an enclosed motorcycle that uses a pair of gyroscopes to maintain its balance even at rest.

The C-1 two-seat motorcycle is expected to be powered by an 8-kWh lithium-ion phosphate battery and 40-kW electric motors in each wheel hub. Lit Motors predicts the vehicle will have a range of 150-220 miles per charge, depending on the battery used. The battery can be recharged in four to six hours.

The steel-bodied prototype has doors, glass windows, outside rearview mirrors, a transparent roof and a carlike seat and steering wheel. The company expects to put the 800-lb vehicle into production by the end of 2014 at a retail price of about $24,000.

The prototype can move at only 10 mph, but Lit Motors aims for a system that can propel the production version of the motorcycle to a top speed of 120 mph.