Always the longitudinal mounting occupies more space and horizontal mounting uses the space more efficiently. Space comes at a premium. We prefer hatchbacks than sedan or SUVs. Then why should we buy motorcycles with wheels separated longitudinally. 18 year old (now 19) Ben Gulak (living in Canada) who dislikes the polluting motorbikes has designed an engineering wonder called ‘UnoMoto’. UnoMoto is an all electric unicycle that emits no fumes and can be easier to weave through crowded streets than a standard two-wheeler. Ben Gulak achieved this by putting the wheels side by side (only 25mm apart). “I wanted to create an alternative mode of transportation, something clean and compact.” Ben Gulak says. Though it looks intimidating at the first glance, riding the UnoMoto is made easy with simpler controls. The on/off switch is the only electronic control, and once it’s up and balancing, you simply lean forward to accelerate, lean back to brake, and lean sideways to get one wheel turning a little faster than the other. When you switch it off, it rests back on its footpegs. UnoMoto can reach a top speed of 40kmph and Gulak says its battery range is around 2.5 hours in normal use.
Always innovation demands more from you. Gulak has already put off college for a year and he has chipped his kneecap in a crash. To make the UnoMoto production ready Gulak has to do a lot more especially in areas like handling. Gulak is aware of the requirement and he says he may need some help writing the code that keeps the Uno balanced at faster speeds. “The fundamental tech is figured out,” he says. “It just needs the right people to tweak it.”