9 crowd-funding motorcycle projects which are clever, cunning or just plain crazy

Skunklock
Motivated by the theft of his ride and learning that nearly every motorcycle lock on the market can be broken by a cordless grinder in under 60 seconds, San Francisco-based Daniel Idzkowski has come up with a brilliant solution. His Skunklock, which looks like any other U-type lock currently available on the market, houses pressurised noxious chemical which induces vomiting when inhaled. The idea is the would-be thief will be too crook to finish cutting all the way through the lock and will disappear (making a mess of him or herself) before they’ve got a hold of your pride and joy. Seems we’re not the only ones who like the idea, Idzkowski raised 262 percent of his funding goal, reaching $US69,901.

Wheelies
Our motorcycle wheels might be the next big thing in outdoor advertising, according to a New York-based start-up which wants to turn their fast-spinning facade into a digital canvas. For personal use, the idea of beaming still or moving pictures into wheel centres might be a fun if kitschy gimmick, but if moving motorcycles become the next brightly-lit advertising billboard, then one needs to wonder where it might end. Luckily for us, the idea didn’t attract enough interest to reach its funding target of $US250,000, in fact it only raised just over one per cent through four backers.

Rally for Rangers
There’s only three days left for Mongolian-based Tom Medema to raise the $US3860 needed to be able to supply the volunteer rangers with off-road motorcycles to aid their work protecting the area’s landscape and fauna. Medema says Mongolia’s Otgontenger Mountain is home to some of the world’s most pristine resources and he wants to supply 10 Yamaha AG200 motorcycles to help them protect the area from poaching, ninja mining and from unauthorized commercial development responding to increasing tourism to the area. So far he’s managed $US140 for two people.

Torch jacket heater
This universal and inexpensive heating system which can be transferred between jackets has reached its funding goal and is now in production. It’s a battery-powered, fully rechargeable system which offers four levels of heat between 32 and 57 degrees Celcius. It uses three, flexible nickel chromium pads, two on the chest and one on the back, which Velcro in and out of any jacket. It’s a beaut addition to any year-round rider’s kit and the people agreed: Torch raised 113 per cent of its target, peaking at $US38,477 early last year.

Ahead
The 63-gram Ahead device snaps onto an external mount on your helmet and uses an oscillator which transmits sound via vibrations through the helmet’s shell. It’s waterproof, dustproof and shockproof, can be controlled hands free using voice-activation or via a click-to-talk capability. There’s a walkie-talkie function for other users nearby, and can be customised to your needs via a free smartphone app. The American company behind it had raised $US60,418 as of the first week of this month, reaching 117 per cent of its target.

Motorcycle-powered Chariot
Perhaps the most absurd project ever to seek crowd funding is Georgian man Sam Hicks’ dream to build a motorcycle-powered Roman chariot. The project, which Hicks predicted would cost $US40,000, would see the rider control the rider-less motorcycle while standing in the bike-drawn chariot. “I believe this is a worthwhile venture because it does not exist and I believe the customer world has evolved into a bunch of copy-cat motorcycles,” he said. Unfortunately for Hicks — and undoubtedly the world which is a lesser place without a self-driving motorcycle-drawn Roman chariot — he was only able to attract 50 bucks towards his $40,000 goal.

Tapcaps
A capacitive sticker which turns any glove into a touchscreen capable one. The sheet of disposable stickers could be kept in your pocket and could be useful for the motorcycle courier trying to find his or her way through the city, or the long distance tourer who has only a few days where touchscreen capability is necessary. They’ll work on any glove, motorcycle or otherwise and inventor Alice Ning managed to raise $US18,674 from 348 supporters.

Greek teen builder
In true 16-year-old style, Greek teenager Anestis Mazarakis’s crowd-funding campaign is light on both feeling and detail, but from what we can tell a kid in Greece wants to build a motorcycle from scratch. And if Australian new bike sales are anything to go by, we all should be nurturing any interest in motorcycling from today’s youth lest it falls into the confines of the fuddy duddies. “It would be the best gift to me if I will collect this money because then I will finish my built [sic],” his very short plea reads. With 20 days left, he’s yet to raise a brass razoo of his $US3000 goal.

ARM-XR
Péter Bengo, the general and technical manager of Arma Lab Kft, had a dream to bring a high-end prosthetic arm to market which is aimed at amputees using handlebar-equipped vehicles. The campaign itself is not about raising enough money to progress the invention from prototype stage to production, but instead aims to decrease the manufacturing costs in a bid to reduce the retail price so more people can benefit from the technology.