3D Customization Hits The Motorcycle Industry

    PHILADELPHIA--April 12, 2001--With the motorcycle customizing industry continuing to grow, a new company, Virtual Cycles, Inc., has developed technology that will allow the customization process to take place in a three-dimensional environment.
    Motorcycle enthusiasts now have Internet access to Virtual Cycles' proprietary technology that takes images of motorcycles and parts and allows customers to manipulate them in a 3D environment. In these 3D scenes, users can click on parts or paint colors and watch the motorcycle transform before their eyes. The prototype of the 3D technology can be seen at Virtual Cycles' website, virtualcycles.com.
    Virtual Cycles' President, Michael Day, explains that "the company seeks to provide motorcycle customers with a method for seeing their purchase selections in a realistic and functional environment." He goes on to stress that "a motorcycle is a reflection of its owner and that the 3D technology opens doors for both creativity and imagination."
    Virtual Cycles now plans on licensing its technology to motorcycle dealerships and manufacturers, setting up either kiosks at specific locations or web-based applications used for the dynamic marketing and selling of parts.
    To supplement its business-to-business operations, the company will offer a full version to individual bikers sometime this summer. Included with the 3D, bikers may use a variety of free services such as classifieds, discussion forums, and news. Site visitors may also search for dealers, parts, and information using search engines that are specific to the industry.