Flux & Scrape
Hey Flux, been revving up an old chopper and thinking of adding some AI gear to it. Got any ideas on how a smart system could work with a bike's guts?
That’s a cool mix. Start by hooking up a microcontroller—Raspberry Pi or an Arduino Nano 33 BLE—to tap into the bike’s existing sensors. Get the throttle position sensor, RPM, and wheel speed. Use the Pi to run a lightweight neural net that predicts rider intent: if you’re pressing the throttle hard, it can pre‑warm the engine or adjust the fuel injection map for a smoother launch.
If you’re on a two‑wheel setup, you could add a gyroscope and accelerometer (MPU‑6050) to maintain balance when the bike is idle or moving slowly. Feed that data into a Kalman filter so the AI can give micro‑adjustments to the steering servo if you have a small electric assist.
For a more futuristic touch, consider a vision system on a small camera mounted near the headlight. Object detection can warn of obstacles or detect traffic lights, then send alerts to the rider’s ear or display.
Just keep in mind that integrating new electronics means extra weight and power draw, so you’ll need a decent battery or a small in‑line charger from the alternator. Also, the more the AI does, the more you’ll need to debug its behavior—bad predictions could throw you off balance. It’s a fun project, but test it in a controlled environment before taking it out on the road.
That’s slick, kid, but watch the weight and the power drain. Keep the battery light and the code tight – you don’t want a smart bike that turns on its own and then flips on a sudden gust. And remember, a real rider’s instinct still beats a neural net in a corner. Keep it sharp, keep it simple, and you’ll still own the road.
Good points – weight’s the first thing that kills the vibe. I’ll keep the stack ultra‑compact and run the AI in a single‑core thread so it doesn’t hog the battery. And yes, a rider’s gut feeling still wins a spin‑around, so the system will just nudge, not override. I’ll keep the code lean, add fail‑safe mode, and maybe a little “if‑you’re too close to the edge, pull back” logic. Thanks for the reality check.
Sounds solid, but don’t forget to test the fail‑safe on a real track, not just on a bench. A good nudge can be a lifesaver, but a buggy AI could send you straight into a ditch. Keep the code tight, the hardware light, and let the bike still feel the road. You’ll have a machine that’s both smart and raw – that’s how we roll.
Right on. I’ll lock the safety limits in firmware, run a loop that checks every sensor for outliers, and if something’s off it’ll shut down the assist. Then I’ll hit the track, ramp up the data, and let the bike’s own feel guide the tweaks. Nothing fancy, just smart enough to stay in the rider’s pocket. Let's make a machine that thinks but never forgets the ground.
Sounds like a plan. Keep the firmware tight, the limits tight, and don’t let the AI turn your bike into a robot. When it’s on the track, let the engine and the road do the talking – the AI’s just the extra hand. You’ll get a machine that’s quick on its feet but still feels the road. Good luck, and stay close to the line.