[ExI] Crazy electric scooter racing

[BillK]

On Thu, 30 Sept 2021 at 13:43, spike jones via extropy-chat
<extropy-chat at lists.extropy.org> wrote:
>
> BillK, there are pleeeenty of us who would ride one of those babies.  I wouldn't race one, but if I had a chance to get out there on a track by myself I damn sure would jump at that opportunity.  When I was 40 years younger I might even race on one of em.  Looks like a hell of a lotta fun to me.
>
> This brings up a whole new and interesting engineering problem.  Assume guys racing eSkootrs at freeway speeds and obviously the risk of a crash is high.  How do you build some kind of protective clothing that is a step up from the Kevlar suits the bike racers wear?  Those are damn good: we regularly see the bikers crash at 150 mph and walk away.  The bikes don't, but the riders usually do.  So it might be the Kevlar suits are good enough for this application, but what if... old guys like me want to go fast on an eSkootr?  Could we make a racing suit with inflatable bladders to pad my aged but still eager hips and elbows?  How about if we race on a flat track with plenty of run-out area on the periphery so if we fall off we don't hit a damn wall.  Or what if we race them on ice or something?
>
> spike
> _______________________________________________


I think I'll just watch!  :)
Falling off at 60 mph doesn't sound like a good idea.

I remembered reading that motorcycle airbags are already available.
<https://www.motorcycleid.com/airbags.html>
Quote:
Airbag jackets and vests for motorcycles appeared quite a while ago.
The first motorcycle airbag jacket was invented in Hungary in 1976,
while the first inflating airbag was developed in Japan in 1996 and
launched in 1998. Since that time, this protective garment has become
more advanced in terms of technology. Today, you can find airbag vests
and jackets that can function completely independently, so you will
neither need to link the airbag cushion system to your bike nor
install additional sensors on it. Self-contained vests and jackets
give you the freedom to ride on any motorcycle at any time you want,
while still offering maximum safety and reliability.
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BillK