A LUCKY ACCIDENT
Like many brands, Forcite was born out of first hand experience. In 2013, co-founder and CEO Alfred Boyadgis, at the time a graduate of industrial design and engineering, took a slide on his Yamaha XVS650 while riding through an oil slick, seriously injuring his knee in the process. Having had a keen interest in wearable technologies and autonomous computing during his studies, and given the availability of modern, sophisticated tracking technology, Alfred couldn’t shake the thought that there surely must be a way to combine such technologies in a way that could allow riders to foresee these types of hazards, enabling them to take evasive action before they become a danger.
So, far from being the end of a journey, this “lucky accident” sparked a new one. Alfred linked up with former university classmate and fellow graduate of Industrial Design, Julian (Jay) Chow, and sharing a mutual passion for motorcycle culture as well as innovative design, the pair began to conceptualise the first iterations of what would eventually become the Forcite MK1 smart motorcycle helmet. All they needed now was an army of riders to help them perfect it.
Calling All Riders
The ultimate riding experience means something different to each of us. Style. Speed. Sound. Technology. These factors influence the way we ride in a seemingly infinite number of combinations. We understood from the beginning that if we were going to create something that could potentially enhance every ride, we needed to understand the needs of every type of rider.
So in 2014 during the formative stages of the Forcite Smart Helmet journey, our co-founders placed a callout to their local Sydney riding community. The message was clear: We want to leverage the best available technologies in order to transform the riding experience for the better, and we want riders of all types to be a part of the process. A few dozen riders responded with enthusiasm and intrigue, and the “Forcite Test-Pilots” community was born.
Growing steadily over the next few years and then exploding with a surge of interest shortly before the launch of our first product in 2019, The Forcite MK1, the group would eventually peak at almost 8,000 Aussie riders sharing their insights and experience to aid the Forcite development team.
Track demons, commuters, tourers, cafe racers... Forcite Riders come in all shapes and sizes.
