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- August 2, 2006 at 4:03 pm #12257ScooterChicParticipant
SPEED-CONTROL BIKE BRANDED “DANGEROUS”
A Test rider who has ridden the Governments anti-speed bike in a secret test has told MSN the bike is “dangeros”,
But the technology showcase to government officials last week is likely to be the terrifying future of biking in the uk.
Our insider said the bike took too much control away fron the rider and feared for the rider safety.
A Test rider who has ridden the Gvernment;s new “anti-speeding bike”,
Which slows down automatically if a speed limit is exceeded,has told mcn the machine is “dangerous”,But the technology showcase is secret last week is likely to be the terrifying future of bikeing in the uk.
On high-level insider gained exclusive access to the top secet tests of the bike at a teack in nuneaton,warwickshire last week the rider with the system which knows when you;re speeding and automatically shuts off the throttle.
Our source,an experienced rider who had been invited along to assess the system first hand,said the system wasn;t as intrusive as he had feared,but that he was left concered about the potential for future versions takeing more control away from the rider.
Just minutes after the secret ride he told MCN;It’s not effective at what it’s supposed to do because the intervention comes in way over the speed limit at the moment and there’s alsoan override swith.But if it was made more effective,like 70mph to enforce the national speed limit,then it would be too controlling.It would be dangerous.”
The bike used in the tests,a suzuki Bandit 650,uses satellite technology developed by leeds university and the motor industry research associatio(MIRA)to compare the bike’s speed to an on board didital speed limit map.
Our source,who can’t be identifed for legal reasons,told mcn that the system works in three stages.First comes an “advisory”stage,in which it warns you you’re speeding.This then develops into “intervention” for stage two,to stop you accelerating any more.Finally it gradually reduces the throttle to slow you down.
“When you get to about 5mph over the limit,a warning light flahes on the dash,analarm goes off in your helmet and seat vibrates,”Our man said
“After a fewseconds of maining acceleration,it just stops accelerating.Then,if you keep the throttle open,it begins to automatically shut it off and slow you down.
The throttle actually seems to start to pull back as if it’s closing”.
Accoring to our man,the advisory stage of the system is almost more
distracting then the intervention stage.He said”The vibrating seat is extremely unpleasent so your reactionis to slow down anyway.I Had to grit my teeth to sit through all the warnings”
According to a spokeman for the Depattment for Transport,the bike will be officially revealed to the press next week. - AuthorPosts
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