Being exposed to the elements as they are, motorcycle riders face the prospect of sweating through hot days under their leathers, or shivering as frigid winds blow through them on cold ones. There are some heating and cooling options out there, as well as air-conditioning units designed specifically for motorbikes, but not everyone is keen to strap one of these to the back of their bike. Enter MiClimate, a belt designed to keep bikers at a comfortable temperature without adding too much bulk.
Built around an adjustable belt strap, the MiClimate system is made up of a lithium-ion battery, a core cooling unit and a Bluetooth remote that can be attached to the handlebars. To control the climate within the jacket, the core unit draws ambient air in and heats or cools it using a thermo-electric system. Once it's been conditioned the air is directed upwards through a flexible manifold, before a flexible internal structure releases it under the jacket.
MiClimate's 12-V, 72-Wh battery should offer up about four hours of comfort before it's time to recharge. If that won't cut it, the system can also be run off the motorbike battery. According to its creators, MiClimate is capable of cutting 18° F (10° C) from what's going on outside, or adding 36° F (20° C) to the ambient temperature.
As cool as this sounds, there are a few issues we can foresee with the MiClimate. For one, there's no guarantee the air will actually be able to circulate around the inside of a tight leather motorbike jacket, especially on a hot day when things tend to get a bit sticky and sweaty. We're also not sure about the holster-style mounting for the core unit, which could make people think you're packing heat of a different kind.
The MiClimate is currently listed on Indiegogo, where it has raised over US$7,500 of its $20,000 goal with one month remaining. Assuming everything goes to plan, pledging US$249 will get you a Base Kit, which doesn't include a battery, while $269 will get you a core unit and battery pack.
Source: MiClimate
