Suzuki's Stair-Climbing Electric Quad Concept
Plus drill-powered skateboards, a retro bubble car, and more.
Welcome to Mod Monday, your source for all things inspiring and creative in the world of DIY riding! Did you build something shareworthy? Use the #ModMonday hashtag so we can find it on social media!
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We’re heading to CES this week, seeking to cover the most promising new technology that the mobility sector has to offer.
If your company plans to be there, use the form below to let us know and hopefully we can schedule time to meet up in Vegas!
What You Need to Know Today
Would you drive an electric car that you had to put together yourself? The Tango from Commuter Cars is a “kit car” that requires some final assembly and is impressively small, able to lane split and park sideways just like a motorcycle.
Safety gear is important for electric unicyclists, but it doesn’t make you indestructible. This YouTube guide from Wrong Way! discusses the misconceptions about safety gear, as well as shortcomings that every rider should be aware of.
Electric drills work surprisingly well as motors for DIY electrified rides. Doctor D.S. uses an Einhell drill to power an electric skateboard build with a giant go-kart wheel in the rear.
This “walking motorbike” concept vehicle from Suzuki features a wheels-on-legs design that allows it to walk up stairs and over obstacles. Dubbed the Modular Quad Based Architecture - MOQBA for short - it can be outfitted with different attachments for a wide variety of uses.
India will host the grand finale of the FIM E-Xplorer World Cup in November of 2024. It’s part of a nine year partnership that the electric motorcycle racing series has signed with the Kankanala Sports Group, an Indian sports management company.
How much power is too much power for an electric skateboard? The folks at Hacksmith Industries created one with a terrifying 44 kilowatts of maximum power. Their mechanical engineer said it best: “I’m not sure it’s smart… but we’re doing it!”
Remember the Isetta bubble car from the 50’s? E-scooter manufacturer Micro Mobility Systems re-created it with their Microlino, fully electric and weighing just 513 kg (1,131 lbs). Despite its tiny size it has room inside for “two adults and three beer crates.”
Take a skateboard deck, throw some giant wheels on the font and a track drive on the back, and you get the Track 1 from Flux Design Co. It’s a monstrous looking machine that can shred on just about any surface.
For many modders, the fun is in the journey. This chaotic photo and video dump shows the evolution of a custom electric skateboard at many random stages of the process.
If you live in a cold climate you’ve probably noticed that your vehicle batteries don’t perform as well in the winter. Some of that is unavoidable, but there are still steps you can take to improve performance as well as the longevity of your battery cells.