For decades, the Pinoys have been manufacturing motorcycles under other well-known, international brands. The market has been mostly dominated by these companies with few home-grown makers daring to compete against these giants.
Yet one startup from Quezon City hopes to challenge them, and with high-tech, futuristically styled models at that. That company is Lycan Motorcycles, a Filipino motorcycle company that plans to leverage technology to create the dream bike of many Pinoy riders much more accessible.
Lycan hopes to use technology to not only make its motorcycles high-tech, but also highly customizable, and incredibly smart with features like artificial intelligence and voice-command assistant functions.
Building your own dream bike
Lycan wants its customers to fully personalize their motorcycles from scratch -- from its body parts, colors, and engine displacements. The company will make this possible using its cloud-based motorcycle designer application.
Lycan says it hopes to drastically reduce safety hazards and added costs from third-party garage customizations while giving its riders a straight-from-the-factory personalized motorcycle.
Once these elements are chosen, they are assembled, registered, and delivered straight to the buyer’s home wherever they are within the Philippines.
Integrated AI technology
Lycan also wants its customers to enjoy the very latest technology in their motorcycles. The company plans to use artificial intelligence, machine learning, and Internet of Things (IoT) technologies to let its riders communicate with their motorcycle.
The bikes will have a proprietary LUNA A.I. smart voice assistant, similar to Apple’s Siri or Amazon’s Alexa, which will be installed in all of its motorcycles and other devices. This will allow the rider to request navigation directions, perform hands-free dialing, remotely start its engine, and run motorcycle diagnostics all through verbal commands.
To create a seamless experience, Lycan has a smart helmet specifically designed to work with the bike. It has built-in microphone and speakers to communicate with its LUNA voice assistant. Besides communicating with LUNA, the will also allow communication with other smart helmet users using a dedicated frequency wave, as well as make and take calls when a mobile device is connected. Naturally, it will need a downloadable mobile app to manage and control all of the features and software across all Lycan products.
The helmet will also have an adaptive display screen within its visor that displays a map, notification bar, and speedometer. The smart helmet will also have a breakthrough emergency feature that can reduce road fatalities. Lycan says it wants its riders to feel like Tony Stark inside his Ironman suit with the smart helmet.
Starting with two models
Lycan will enter into the Philippine market with two original motorcycle models: the G6 and Challenger 1. The G6 is a modern cruiser while the Challenger 1 is a sporty, futuristic single-seater sports bike. Both models will be powered by the Lycan motorcycle operating system, include its LUNA A.I. smart assistant, touchscreen dashboard display, and other high-tech features such as a voice-activated and biometric engine starter.
All these prototype models, from motorcycles to smart helmets, will bear unique and distinct modern designs. They’re also works in progress with upgradeable software and firmware.
Launching this December
Lycan hopes to introduce all of this on December 11, 2021 via its first-ever virtual conference event entitled “Transpire: 2021.” At the event, the company hopes to inspire not just the next generation of motorcycle enthusiasts, but to also motivate more people to innovate new ways of doing things through technology and to prove that Filipinos are capable of doing great things when given the opportunity.
To learn more and join Lycan’s free virtual event, participants may sign up at www.lycan.com.ph/event-q4-2021