91视频

For a product not yet on the market, the one-wheeled electric motorcycle developed by has already sparked a lot of attention.

The motorcycle was featured on the Discovery Channel. It also appeared in episodes of 鈥淧ortlandia鈥� and 鈥淟everage,鈥� two series that are filmed in Portland, where RYNO Motors is based.

鈥淲hoever rides it looks like a rock star,鈥� said Chris Hoffmann, the bike鈥檚 inventor. 鈥淚t has global appeal.鈥�

But Hoffmann鈥檚 goals for the electric unicycle, which is expected to reach the market in early 2013, are far loftier than simply making people using it stand out on the street. He and others in the electric vehicle industry believe that his invention can help fill the gaps that exist in urban transportation.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a good example of the type of innovative, out-of-the-box products coming out of companies here in Oregon,鈥� said James Mast, a local electric vehicle consultant. 鈥淭hese next-generation-type vehicles are thinking beyond four wheels and figuring out how we can change the dynamic in the transportation space.鈥�

Like a Segway scooter, the bike is self-balancing, and city codes will permit riders on sidewalks at speeds of 12.5 miles per hour. So the RYNO bike can help make it easier to get around a downtown area or speed up travel time to a bus or train stop.

But in terms of power, RYNO鈥檚 six-horsepower vehicle can kick it into a higher gear; Hoffmann likens it to a John Deere tractor. The bike is permitted to travel on streets at 20 mph, and for off-road use, the scooter can reach 25 miles per hour.

鈥淚t鈥檚 got the guts to carry heavy riders and to make it up serious hills,鈥� he said. 鈥淲hen you put it all together, it鈥檚 easy and fun to ride and really ideal for people in a city.鈥�

And with an expected retail price of $4,500, the RYNO will be cost competitive with other electric scooters.

The idea for the one-wheeled motorcycle actually came from Hoffmann鈥檚 daughter, who saw one in a video game. Hoffmann, who previously worked in the automotive industry, had never seen anything like it. About five years ago, he enlisted a software developer and took on the challenge.

The first prototype, however, was 鈥渢otally unrideable.鈥�

鈥淲e got stuck,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 knew that if we couldn鈥檛 do this really, really simply, we shouldn鈥檛 do it at all.鈥�

Now the steering geometry uses accelerometers and gyroscopes to accelerate, brake, and help maintain balance. The commercial model will have full suspension, a removable battery, and a larger seat than the early prototypes.

Extensive testing has been an important business strategy for RYNO Motors, although it was difficult to resist early demands for the bike. One person offered to buy two bikes for $25,000 each, but Hoffmann strategically resisted the temptation to go to market too soon.

鈥淲e鈥檙e just keeping our heads down,鈥� he said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 a temptation to build and sell some bikes, but we don鈥檛 want to get bogged down in that hand-sold ride space; the whole strategy must be scalable.鈥�

Hoffmann is now working to raise $1 million to hire a full-time marketing team and to sell the first wave of 20 bikes. Meanwhile, RYNO is redesigning the bike for high-volume manufacturing and will then work to raise $5 million to $6 million more in order to start up a supply chain in Portland.

RYNO Motors is also a semifinalist for the Pacific Northwest region in the Cleantech Open, a national competition that aims to identify and help fund entrepreneurs who are trying to address energy and environmental challenges.

Regional award winners will be announced in October, but networking with other electric vehicle startups has already inspired Hoffmann with some new ideas. He noted that a lot of startups are working to develop ride-share software so that travelers who are going in the same direction can connect with each other and ride together rather than use extra resources to travel independently.

鈥淭hat鈥檚 going to start really emerging 鈥� there are a lot of different opportunities for us to cross-pollinate with other companies,鈥� he said.