INTEL & BIKE

1. When I first got to know of the joint embarking between Intel & OCC ie Orange County Choppers,global manufacturers of rugged & custom choppers(….we call bikes). I read the whole article once again to believe it and leaped 15 years back …of course in memoirs…when I got my first bike Hero Honda SPLENDOR.This bike ruled the Indian roads for a good 5-6 years with no stiff competitors around till 2001 when Bajaj PULSAR was launched with the DTSI 150/180cc with the option of a DIGITAL SPEEDOMETER….the first of its kind in the bike segment in INDIAN context.

2. The kind of spark this created to the bike customers was stupefying.In no time Pulsar swept over the bike segment complete in all aspects. Marketing, sales, roads….colleges, schools, offices….Pulsar made its comportment every where just because of its Male look(..as advertised) and of course a small  contributing factor was the electronic speedometer which made Bikies like me think then if ever computer will do something with bike. 

3. So it first happened about 2 years back when Intel® and Orange County Choppers got together to build an Intel® themed masterpiece. They needed a computer that could take all the abuse the bike would dish out and still be flexible, portable, and powerful enough to power all the systems of the bike.Black Diamond Advanced Technology (Black Diamond), a technology development firm specializing in the design and implementation of rugged electronic systems, provided engineering support to create a fully computerized Intel® themed motorcycle by Orange County Choppers.The following are the key features of interest :

a.         “Sunlight Viewable Detachable dashboard” and fully computerized processes on the motorcycle such as keyless ignition and electronically controlled kickstand activation.Keyless ignition is replaced by finger print recognition software. The figure shows a pictorial representation of how the dash board looks like.

b.         Designed to meet military specifications to endure shock, vibrations, dirt, water and extreme temperatures). PC features a custom module that allows for easy portability of the computer, which is mounted between the handlebars on the motorcycle.Portability means you can take the detachable dashboard from the parking stands to your office and open Microsoft Word and do some office work after attaching the keyboard.

c.         Rear-mounted cameras that replace standard rear-view mirrors,so web cam time is no more confined to your desktops and laptops...it has started making presence felt in vehicle infotainment.

d.         Audio and video systems integrated with the handlebars and headset in the helmet 

e. Wireless connectivity including Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and GPS.

f.        Processor details includes 1.0 GHz Intel® Celeron® M processor, 1GB of 400 MHz DDR2 and can run Windows XP, Vista, CE, Mobile or Linux, packing the power of a desktop PC in a lightweight, handheld rugged form factor.