made in china centaur ripoff?

[Jus Sumguy]

Still.................all that being said.

This thing is cool. 20 MPH. And the price point (as far as I can tell) seems to be in the $750.00 range.

Plus you can hot rod the crap outa it.

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[Desert_Seg]

Originally Posted by Jus Sumguy

Still.................all that being said.

This thing is cool. 20 MPH. And the price point (as far as I can tell) seems to be in the $750.00 range.

Plus you can hot rod the crap outa it.

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Well, not really. Consider the history of the Q. It too had a very low price tag, had some of the very same switches and knobs, and was a Segway knockoff.

Unfortunately, according to the rep here, more than 50% come back within 3 days for being faulty, unsafe, or just plain crap (and maybe all 3!). My guess is this knock-off will be the same.

Steven

[Jus Sumguy]

As far as sales go. I personally don't really care.

As far as I go. I like it. But I'm familiar with DC motors and hybrid bikes. I make them all the time.

CLICK, CLICK, CLICK, CLICK, CLICK,

It's the unique X type suspension, which intrigues me.

The first thing I would do with that thing is pull the original motor (it prolly has better applications) put 4 wheelHub motors on it. Two brushed in the back for the torque and two brush-less in the front. Use those lead acid batteries for paperweights and throw some Li-po's in her.

A little messin with the controllers and we'd have that puppy flying at 45 MPH with unGodly torque. Fly, and I mean fly, up ANY hill. You live in Hawaii? No problem my bruddah. With (if needed) an 80 Mi. range. But that would be at economy settings. Re: Using one motor/battery combination at a time. Typical range would be in the 35/45 Mi. area.

Electric bike conversions is what I do......well, one of the things I do.

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[gbrandwood]

Originally Posted by bystander

Didn't you see the 4-5 meter turning radius in the clone video? One reason you might want it to get up on two wheels is so you can turn in your own width.

Not much of a benefit in my eyes for a 4 wheel fun type vehicle. How many situations do you think it would be useful in real-world environments where such a device is likely to find itself?

I think, similarly to you, the Centaur is the result of a frog kissing exercise and houses some potentially cool individual components that may turn up elsewhere in other products. As Jus Sumguy said, the suspension is interesting and I also think the turning mechanism has potential.

Originally Posted by bystander

You can't keep the engineering staff in a box, waiting for marketing opportunities to come up. You have to keep them exercised so that they are ready to perform when the situation calls for it.

Excellent point. However, I think frog-kissing is only a part-time occupation and most of their time is spent developing solutions to known issues and or new products, rather than to simply stay sharp until the next thing comes along. There's innovation in isolation and then there's product development along a traditional life-cycle. Sometimes these paths cross and other times they never do. But you waste time developing innovative products that no one is likely to want, unless the side-effect is learning which, if resources permit (and innovation hasn't starved you of), can be re-deployed elsewhere.

[Dallxx]

Originally Posted by bystander

Thanks for the link. By "Nope", I suppose you mean the S5.b.8. - windshield, and S5.b.10. - seatbelt requirements. It looks like the rest (lights, signals, reflectors, mirrors, parking brake) could be tacked on. Perhaps S5.b.8 could be circumvented by wearing a helmet that includes a faceshield. Not sure why S5.b.10 is apt for a vehicle with a saddle type seat. Motorcycles, mopeds, bicycles and equestrians do not face this restriction.

So they won't be able to sell these in the US without the NEV requirements right? I actually wanted to order one from this guy and check it out. I just don't want to order it if he can't get to the US.

[Dallxx]

Hey Guys,

I Just ordered one of those ecoboomers. I should have it in about 30-45 days. As soon as I get it I will test the hell out of this thing and see how it actually runs. I will also shoot video on it so I can show you guys.

[KSagal]

I obviously know segways and their riding characteristics.

I have ridden a Q. My first try was back at segfest '04 in Florida.

There is a tremendous difference even in optimal conditions. We were on a perfect floor for gliding, the corners and stopping were scary. I can only imagine how much worse it would have been outside on uneven terrain.

I have ridden a centaur, in a few different environments, inside and out.

I wonder how much difference this copy will be from the original as well. I suspect much.

These item seem similar in some ways, in many ways, on a picture or video, but the proof is in the actual device. I have seen lots of stuff that looks good on the net. Real life is a different experience.

[bystander]

Originally Posted by Dallxx

So they won't be able to sell these in the US without the NEV requirements right? I actually wanted to order one from this guy and check it out. I just don't want to order it if he can't get to the US.

Lacking a NEV classification probably won't keep it from being offered for sale, but could keep it from being used on public roads without a hassle from local authorities. If you import one and use in only on your own property, I don't think you would have any trouble.

By the way, as a new poster, your first few posts are on moderation hold, so don't be surprised that it's a little difficult to obtain a quick response at first.

I haven't seen enough specifications on this product to formulate a reasonable evaluation it's worth. The short video that showed up so far indicates that a working prototype exists, but doesn't show much of it's capabilities and limitations.

As Karl pointed out, a PT knock-off, known as the "Q" scooter, that claimed to offer similar functionality as the PT came out a few years ago. The "Q" turned out to be not at all comparable to the PT (to anyone familiar with day-to-day PT operations).

A clone product usually tries to "draft" behind sales and marketing efforts of the "original" product. The "Q" may have had limited success in doing that, but who will ever know, other than the few importers who handled them?

I don't know how many "Q"s sold in the US or world-wide, but it doesn't seem like many. If the "Q" sales are a fraction of PT sales, and PT sales are still on the low side, you can imaging that "EcoBoomer" sales will be virtually non-existent, as the Centaur is not even offered for sale.

[gibsa004]

Hey everyone,
I'm looking at getting one of these (When I was talking to the sales manager, I made the mistake of comparing the clone with the centaur!) Though they deny any connection between the two! Dallxx, Could you let me know what you think of the ecoboomer, and if you think its worth coughing up $1495 for one? Also that video would be a big help too!

[Dallxx]

I will let you know as soon as I get it. I hope it's a good product, I'll put it to the test!!!!