Lit Motors C1 - the future of motorcycling?

This is the two-wheeled vehicle Lit Motors founder Daniel Kim hopes will be the future of transportation, and it’s called the C-1.

What you have here is a gyro-stabilised electric vehicle which Lit Motors say will be on sale by 2014.

The two gyros – housed under the seats – keep the vehicle upright, even in the event of a collision according to Lit Motors. Which if true, is quite impressive.

The electric motor will be able to propel the C-1 to a claimed top speed of 120mph, with a range of up to 200 miles. Charging will take six hours on a 120V connection.

Despite its diminutive size, the C-1 has room for a driver and passenger. Like a bike it leans in to corners, but it also has seatbelts and airbags.

A small-scale production run will go on sale in 2014 for $24,000 (£15,445 at the time of writing), with a larger production run planned after, with a retail price of $16,000 (£10,294).

There’s no doubting it looks cool – like something out of a sci-fi movie – but would you use one?

Personally, if range and speed were similar to traditional bikes as the company states, I think I’d be tempted. From the pictures it doesn’t look too wide, meaning filtering could still be possible and weather conditions wouldn’t be an issue.

Of course there is another question; is it really a motorcycle? The Wikipedia page for motorcycles says they are simply a two or three wheeled motor vehicle. So by that logic yes they are, but the C-1 has a steering wheel, roof and doors. Which to me and probably most motorcyclists means no.