Navigation Comes to Pocket Bikes

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, “NHTSA does not define the terms ‘motor scooter,’ ‘moped,’ ‘pocket bike,’ ‘mini-chopper,’ ‘mini-ninja,’ or any other terms of this nature that may be used for the purpose of marketing motorcycles and motor driven cycles. Those terms, therefore, have no relevance to the classification of a vehicle for the purpose of determining which FMVSS would apply to it. Note that states are free to regulate the use of such vehicles and may use their own terms when describing vehicle types for the purpose of their regulations.”

So what does NHTSA call those small two-wheelers? “If the motor scooter is capable of a top speed of 20 mph or greater and is equipped with components (such as lights, mirrors and turn signals) that are needed for on-road use, NHTSA will regard it as a ‘motor vehicle.’”

Which we point out in order to segue into what is said to be the world’s first “scooter smartphone-connected sat nav,” the TomTom VIO.

You’ve probably spotted the “sat nav” and know that this is a development out of Europe, where scooters are a form of transportation for the many rather than the few, as in the case in the U.S.

The nav system, which runs off the smarts of the smartphone, which runs an app for the system, uses a waterproof display system. There are six different optional silicon covers that can be selected to accentuate the color of the mini-ninja, or scooter, whichever the case may be.

There is also a Bluetooth helmet audio system: when a call comes in, a picture of the person calling is shown on the display (assuming said image is in the phone) so the rider can take the call through the helmet audio system (or not).

Another interesting feature of the VIO is that if the scooter is exceeding the speed limit, the face of the screen turns red so that the rider can get a sense in a glance as to whether she’s speeding.