Ryan Potter
Hi, I’m Ryan, and I make stuff! To me, design has become this immense toolkit of skills, from which I can use to solve a massive array of problems affecting the people around me. PIVOT is the intersection of motorcycle rider training and arcade driving simulators, allowing a beginner motorcyclist to fail fast and fail often without the risk of injury or death. Currently, in Victoria, beginner motorcyclists must undertake a mandatory 2-day training course to obtain a license. That’s it. Like any skill, motorcycling takes practice, and the only way for beginners to practice is being on the road at 100km/h. PIVOT aims to change this.

Tailored Simulation Experience

Unlike other driving simulators on the market, PIVOT uses the rider’s own motorcycle controls for a simulated ride. This allows the rider to become familiar with their own motorcycle that they then use on the road.
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PIVOT in Action

Just 4% of registered vehicles in Victoria are motorcycles, yet motorcyclists make up
16% of the annual road toll in our state. That’s, on average, 50 Victorians a year who
will never make it home, let alone the thousands of others who do but with life-long
disabilities and life-changing injuries. Motorcycling, like any other skill, requires practice. For beginners, there isn’t room to fail because failure on a motorcycle sends you hurtling towards a 2-tonne brick at 100km/h. So the question becomes, how might we create a way for motorcyclists to fail fast, fail often and without the risk of injury or death? PIVOT is my response to this question.

Simulated Lean Angle

Motorcycles primarily steer using a technique called counter-steering. As a car driver transitioning to motorcycling, this technique can take some time to get used to. The turn radius of the motorcycle depends on its ‘lean angle’, or angle in relation to the road. This skill is critical to safe riding, and PIVOT simulates using an arc underneath the bike that follows a path, with springs on all corners to re-centre the bike.

Loading the Motorcycle

PIVOT has been designed to make loading and unloading your motorcycle as easy as possible. The front wheel slips into a groove at the front of the stand with the rear wheel then strapped down.

Digital Interface

The digital interface for PIVOT is a website that acts as a reporting platform for the rider. After using PIVOT, the rider can log on and access a VicRoads type report that flags safety mistakes made on the virtual ride.

Hiring out PIVOT

Part of this project involved working out a way to provide beginner riders, who typically don't want to spend thousands of dollars on a motorcycle and associated training, with essential training provided by PIVOT. This stand is intended to be purchased by motorcycle training facilities, which is then rented out to riders.
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