DTV Shredder
| DTV Shredder | |
|---|---|
| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | DTV Motor Corp. |
| Model years | 2010–present |
| Designer | Ben Gulak Ryan Fairhead |
| Body and chassis | |
| Class | ATV |
| Powertrain | |
| Engine | 208cc, air-cooled, single cylinder, four-stroke |
| Transmission | Automatic |
| Dimensions | |
| Length | 47 in (119 cm) |
| Width | 27 in (69 cm) |
| Height | 50 in (127 cm) |
| Curb weight | 320 lb (145 kg) |
| Chronology | |
| Predecessor | Uno |
The DTV Shredder is a 208cc air-cooled single-cylinder four-stroke all-terrain vehicle. It was invented by Benjamin Gulak and Ryan Fairhead, produced by Canadian company BPG Werks, and launched globally in 2012. It is currently being manufactured by DTV Motor Corp. The name stands for "Dual Tracked Vehicle" that "shreds everything".[1]
Description[edit]
The DTV Shredder has been described as a hybrid of an M1 Abrams tank, a Segway, a skateboard and a jet ski.[2][3][4] It has a Honda 208cc, air-cooled, single-cylinder, four-stroke engine that generates 15 horsepower, an electric starter, backup recoil pull starter, and hydraulic brakes.[1] It can travel at 30 mi (48 km) per hour and up slopes of 40 degrees, with a low center of gravity and a turning radius of four feet. Made from tubular steel and aluminum, it can tow small trailers with a payload of up to 1,200 pounds, including the rider.[1][2][5] It weighs 245 lb (111 kg), and measures 47 in (119 cm) long, 27 in (69 cm) wide and 25 in (64 cm) high with handlebars folded down, or 50 in (130 cm) high with handlebars at full height. It has a 3.8-liter (one gallon) fuel tank.[1]
The vehicle's rider stands gripping a fixed handlebar, with steering controlled through the pilot-deck platform; similar to a skateboard, the rider leans the machine in the direction they wish to go.[1] Its tank treads give it the ability to travel on a variety of surfaces, including snow, sand, trails and mountainsides.[3][6] It can be used for military operations including rescue and recovery, reconnaissance, surveillance and medical evacuations.[6] Customizable with a variety of configurations, it can be equipped with weapons, and can be operated remotely.[7]
Background[edit]
At age 17, Ben Gulak invented The Uno, a dicycle that Popular Science named Invention of the Year.[8] In 2010, when he was 22 and a student at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Gulak conceived of the DTV Shredder along with Ryan Fairhead.[8][9] Their intent was to create an ATV that could be used year-round, and would capture the freedom of skateboarding and other traditional board sports with the engine power of motocross.[1][8] They realized the freedom of movement provided by motorized scooters like the Segway had potential military applications, and aimed to create a similar type of vehicle combined with elements of a tank.[2] After they came up with the concept, Gulak took a year off from school to work on the vehicle. By 2011, they had a contract with the United States Air Force to develop a militarized version.[6][8] Though it was envisioned as a recreational vehicle, the DTV Shredder has also had interest from the military. It first appeared publicly at the 2010 Military Vehicles Conference in Detroit, Michigan, billed at the time as a military vehicle.[10] It was first made available for purchase through the BPG Werks website and international distributors in 2013.[11][12] Since 2014, it has been marketed as a recreational vehicle for use in action and power sports.[10]
In popular culture[edit]
The DTV Shredder was showcased during an appearance by Gulak on season 4 of the Canadian reality television series Dragons' Den.[6] The vehicle has also been purchased for use by the Canadian DJ deadmau5,[13] and ridden by Travis Pastrana, head of action sport collective Nitro Circus.[14]
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Jonathan Lopez, "The go-anywhere landlocked jet ski skateboard you didn't know you needed," Top Speed, October 23, 2016.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Roman Cruz, "DTV Shredder: the Segway for Warzones," Tom's Guide, November 18, 2010.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Tim Stevens, "The DTV Shredder is the craziest thing I've ever ridden," CNET, June 30, 2016.
- ↑ Kathryn Nave and Kieran Alger, "Radical rides: from the Johammer J1.200 to the BPG Werks DTV Shredder," Wired, May 2015.
- ↑ Alexandra Dean, "Ben Gulak's DTV Shredder All-Terrain Vehicle," Bloomberg Businessweek, August 23, 2012.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 W. Brett Wilson, "Ready to shred the extreme sport market," Financial Post, March 26, 2012.
- ↑ Brian Osborne, "DTV Shredder: an all-terrain powered skateboard for the military," Geek.com, September 13, 2010.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 Alana Herro, "Fellows Friday with Ben Gulak," TED Blog, January 21, 2011.
- ↑ Sabrina Rubin Erdely, "How Inventor Ben Gulak Went From Nerd to the Playboy Mansion," Rolling Stone, October 28, 2011.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Jared Keller, "This All-Terrain Snowboard-Meets-Tank Makes The Segway Look Like A Kid's Toy," Task and Purpose, April 3, 2017.
- ↑ Darren Quick, "All-terrain DTV Shredder hits the market," New Atlas, February 7, 2013.
- ↑ Josh Mings, "Finally. Buy Your Very Own DTV Shredder, Commence Shredding," SolidSmack, February 8, 2013.
- ↑ Ionut Ungureanu, "Deadmau5 Sends His McLaren P1 in for Repairs after Doing Donuts in the Desert," Auto Evolution, June 8, 2015.
- ↑ Kevin Shaw, "DTV Shredder Goes Freeriding With Travis Pastrana, Mark Gomez and Zack Bright," The Watercraft Journal, October 23, 2014.
External links[edit]
This article "DTV Shredder" is from Wikipedia. The list of its authors can be seen in its historical and/or the page Edithistory:DTV Shredder. Articles copied from Draft Namespace on Wikipedia could be seen on the Draft Namespace of Wikipedia and not main one.
