[SkaredShtles]

I love it when things get bad enough to bring the snake-oil salesmen out of the woodwork.

 

[jimmydean]

I just watched this go head to head vs. a Yamaha YZ250F on Discovery Channel. It was slower in the open track, but faster in the twisties. It was a full 5 minutes faster on a cross country track. I might have found a new toy.

http://www.zeromotorcycles.com/index.php

 

[TheMontashu]

People should just buy mini vans, decent millage, roughly the same storage space as an SUV

 

[jimmydean]

People should just buy mini vans, decent millage, roughly the same storage space as an SUV

What people? I sure as hell don't need that level of space. Most people that own 7 passenger SUV's carry no more than 3 people at a time.

I am getting a tank bag because I couldn't get nachos on my motorcycle. Other than that, my moto works for me 90% of the time (when not on the bus, so 90% of 50% mind you).

 

[CBJ]

In Europe you just rent a trailer if you need haul crap or have a trailer. Except if you need to haul your boat a little trailer and a normal car will be more than enough especially with all the new high torque diesel cars in Europe.

Just trying to say there is plenty of easy solutions to get rid of the SUV plus a sedan is normally much more fun to ride and safer.

 

[Toshi]

my proposed solution for america's congestion, parking, energy price, and fitness problems:

daily drive a pair of shoes, a bicycle, an e-bike, or the bus system, or an Aptera if you have the cash

rent or carshare when you need a bigger vehicle for towing or hauling mass quantities o' junk -- Zipcar has Toyota Siennas and Tacomas as well as Honda Odysseys and Elements for the times when you need a bigger ride.

 

[Toshi]

People should just buy mini vans, decent millage, roughly the same storage space as an SUV

and to correct loren here, minivans have poor mileage (SUVs are extremely poor in my book) but are way bigger inside than SUVs. compare the interior volume of a Ford Explorer vs. a Toyota Sienna if you don't believe me.

SUVs are packaging nightmares.

 

[stevew]

I've reduced the amount of miles I've driven in the last 4 years by about 140,000 miles since I moved to NC.

I'll keep my cars.

 

[TheMontashu]

and to correct loren here, minivans have poor mileage (SUVs are extremely poor in my book) but are way bigger inside than SUVs. compare the interior volume of a Ford Explorer vs. a Toyota Sienna if you don't believe me.

SUVs are packaging nightmares.

The EPA estimate on the odysseys is 25, if you really do have a big family or you really are hauling a whole bunch of stuff then its not a terrible option, compared to a comparable SUV

 

[Toshi]

buildyourown built me a sweet, sweet torque arm setup. i'll let the photos speak for themselves:

 

[Toshi]

i think (har har) i mentioned it earlier in this thread, but late last week there was a writeup on the TH!NK city electric car in the Wall Street Journal. key fun-facts: $25k targeted price, plugs in overnight, may be offered first in SF and Seattle (! woot), and choice of three battery packs including the Tesla's darling A123.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121207677528729631.html?mod=rss_whats_news_technology

Norway's Think to Produce,
Sell Small Electric Cars in U.S.
By NORIHIKO SHIROUZU
May 30, 2008 4:55 p.m.

DETROIT – Norway's Think Global AS, with backing from U.S. venture capital investors, plans to produce and sell a small all-electric car in the U.S. that could go as far as 110 miles when fully charged – fresh evidence that the race to woo American consumers with electric cars is heating up and drawing interest from the same investors that helped build Silicon Valley.

[... click the link for the rest of the article]

if you're interested in the car itself here's TH!NK's press site: http://www.think.no/think/Press-Pictures/Picture-gallery/Photos/TH!NK-i-city-i/Think-city-13

 

[jimmydean]

buildyourown built me a sweet, sweet torque arm setup. i'll let the photos speak for themselves:

Wow, those look great! Nice work, for sure. Is the GT fork beefier than the stock one as well? I was thinking a Kona Project 2 might be an option.

 

[Toshi]

Wow, those look great! Nice work, for sure. Is the GT fork beefier than the stock one as well? I was thinking a Kona Project 2 might be an option.

the GT fork is steel while the oem bit was alloy -- it was surprisingly light when i stripped off its crown race, fenders, brakes, etc. and took it off the bike.

 

[N8 v2.0]

I cant link the image from here but it's a semi-LOL

http://www.smartcarofamerica.com/gallery/displayimage.php?imageid=1364

 

[jimmydean]

I cant link the image from here but it's a semi-LOL

http://www.smartcarofamerica.com/gallery/displayimage.php?imageid=1364

That's awesome.

There is a VW bus painted like that with a Porsche 911 on the side.

 

[ridiculous]

interesting. Speaking of Smart, anyone know if they are planning on bringing their roadster model to america?

 

[Toshi]

cool, and it uses a Nexus hub... but why? it would make a nice electrification platform for kicks, i suppose...

Trail Cart. www.trailcart.de [translated link]

human powered with 290 N-m torque claimed so probably some ridiculous gear reduction underway through the chain drive, triple chainring setup, and nexus 8 hub. unknown price, but who's really going to buy it anyway? permanent awd - sweet. wheel articulation up to 400 mm. dual hydro brakes.

from the translation:

... and last but not least, the high processing Trail Cartwright to a guarantor of fun with that certain addiction factor.

yes.

[i spotted this on gizmodo but it looks like eaterofdog did as well earlier today in another thread http://www.ridemonkey.com/forums/showpost.php?p=2951004&postcount=5]

 

[JewBagel]

"I was thinking a Kona Project 2 might be an option."

Those kona project forks are very very flexy. I was thinking of getting one to put a front disc brake on the long haul trucker I'm building but a customer came in with the same set up and it was just ridiculously flexy.

 

[Toshi]

"I was thinking a Kona Project 2 might be an option."

Those kona project forks are very very flexy. I was thinking of getting one to put a front disc brake on the long haul trucker I'm building but a customer came in with the same set up and it was just ridiculously flexy.

this GT fork will surely work out, but initially i was thinking of going with one of Surly's options. a steel tandem-rated fork would have have been my pick, and one that already had disc tabs as well as canti posts would have required less fabrication on the part of buildyourown.

 

[CBJ]

Nice work on the fork from buildyourown.

 

[N8 v2.0]

Smart Car Review

Chances are, you've seen one by now: the bubble-shaped, Jettsonsesque minicar skirting around traffic with hug-me styling and a no-parking-spot-is-too-small attitude. Despite looks to the contrary, it's not a hybrid car or an electric vehicle. It's the Smart ForTwo, an ultra-compact 2-passenger car out to wiggle its way into the hearts and garages of truck- and SUV-loving Americans.

ForTwo is available in coupe and convertible bodystyles in Pure and up-level Passion trims. Power gets to the rear wheels via a 70-horsepower 3-cylinder engine and 5-speed automated manual transmission. Built by a division of Mercedes-Benz, these micro-mobiles have been on sale around the world since 1998 but are just now sprouting up in U.S. cities.

With polarizing, love-it-or-hate it styling and rumors of out-of-this-world fuel economy and questionable safety, this horizontally challenged go-kart is hard to miss and creating a lot of buzz. But the question is, does Smart makes sense?

Size

Smart's tiny exterior is one of its tickets to winning over urbanites in crowded, parking-spot-challenged cities. At just 106.1-inches long and 61.4-inches wide, virtually no spot is too small. Depending on the city, it's even legal to park ForTwo nose-first into a parallel parking spot.

Smart is so tiny that pulling the wrong side of the car up to the pump isn't a problem.

On the downside, carrying anything other than one passenger and four bags of groceries presents a challenge. Because the cargo floor is significantly higher than the passenger area, cornering at any speed means parcels sloshing around and lodging under the seats. The result is smooshed buns and bruised fruit. There's also no cargo cover, which invites characters of the smash-and-grab variety to help themselves to your stuff.

Performance

ForTwo's tiny 1.0-liter 3-cylinder engine is unsurprisingly sluggish. Need a boost for highway passing? The Flintstone mobile would provide more power. But again, this is expected. More alarming, however, is the automated manual's tendency to bog and surge at nearly every shift. Smoothness is not this drivetrain's forte. There is a long lag between shifts and then a jarring pitch backward when coming out of them. One editor noted that "poor transmission behavior is this car's worst feature." Another editor summed it up as "the worst transmission EVER."

This was a deal breaker for many Consumer Guide test-car editors and their passengers. A couple of editors mastered the quirky automated manual by selecting the manual mode and finessing the steering wheel paddle shifters. Smoothness resulted, but it took some time and skill to get there.

Ride and Handling

On the positive side, most testers agreed that close-quarters maneuvering in the agile Smart was outstanding. Also, because the driving position is tall and upright, the driver doesn't feel dwarfed by surrounding traffic.

The bad news is the ride can be considerably rough. One tester complained of ForTwo's overly stiff suspension and said "potholes and pavement heaves pound through. So do sticks, dimes, bugs, leaves, and soggy scraps of tissue paper. Okay, maybe that's a bit harsh, but so is the Smart's ride over anything but smaller pavement blemishes."

Other elements that enhanced the overall uncomfortable ride include the lack of a tilt steering wheel or height-adjustable driver's seat. These features aren't offered on ForTwo but come standard on many budget cars like the Chevrolet Aveo and Toyota Yaris.

Safety

Can anything this small actually be safe? According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, sort of. NHTSA gave the ForTwo coupe four and three stars in the driver and passenger frontal crash test. ForTwo got five stars in the side impact test and three stars in the rollover evaluation.

According to Smart, ForTwo gets its toughness from a "tridion safety cell," which is composed of three layers of reinforced steel. Also, Smart is equipped with standard safety equipment like an antiskid system, traction control, ABS, and front and side airbags--but no curtain side airbags.

While all the numbers and equipment indicate that Smart is safer than it looks, how it feels is another story. Sidle up to a semi-truck during some highway miles in Smart, and you might not feel so secure in your safety cell. Because of its tall roof, any wind force while traveling at higher speeds induces some pretty unnerving lane wander. Its height also makes ForTwo feel slightly tippy in fast maneuvers.

Dollar Value

The ForTwo Pure coupe starts at $12,235, including destination. Standard equipment, aside from the aforementioned safety features, includes a tire-pressure monitor, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, power door locks, and remote keyless entry. Passion models start at $14,235 including destination, and adds air conditioning with automatic climate control, heated power mirrors, power windows, a CD player with MP3 compatibility, a non-opening glass roof panel, and alloy wheels.

While at first glance this seems like an affordable economy car, it's really no bargain considering its lack of practicality. It's limited in cargo and passenger space, yet costs about the same as a base-model Hyundai Accent, which measures a tidy 159.3 inches in length and can carry four people. An Accent GS 2-door hatchback with a 1.6-liter 4-cylinder engine and 4-speed automatic transmission costs $12,425 after destination fees. For that similar chunk of change you get standards like dual front airbags, front side airbags, curtain side airbags, a tire-pressure monitor, a tilt steering wheel, cloth upholstery, a height-adjustable driver seat, a split folding rear seat, and a cargo cover.

Do you make the same styling statement? No. Will you be the celebrity on your block for a week? No, but you'll have a car with a backseat and a smidge more cargo room for the same price. But what about gas mileage? That's where the Smart car makes up for it, with excellent fuel economy, right? Think again.

Fuel Economy

Common sense dictates that small cars with tiny engines should deliver big in the fuel economy department. The EPA rates the ForTwo at 33 mpg city/40 mpg highway. Compared to a Chevrolet Tahoe, those numbers are impressive. Compared to a larger, but still subcompact Hyundai Accent, they become just OK.

Consumer Guide averaged 38.8 mpg in a test 2008 Smart ForTwo.

During a mix of several-hundred highway and city miles, Consumer Guide averaged 38.8 mpg in our test Smart ForTwo. In a test Hyundai Accent (with a 5-speed manual transmission, however) Consumer Guide averaged 34.2 mpg in a mix of city and highway driving. How much are you willing to give up for 4.6 miles per gallon? Also add the higher cost of premium gas to this fuel economy equation because this Smart will sip nothing less.

Bottom Line

Smart makes sense as a quirky, personality-filled city car for those seeking low-cost, high-profile transportation and the ever-elusive parking spot. But the bottom line is that the Smart may work for you in some areas, but in most situations a similarly priced subcompact should deliver just about everything ForTwo can without demanding extreme sacrifices in comfort and utility. Though attention-seekers won't find themselves getting stared at, beeped at, or accosted by strangers when driving a Hyundai Accent.

As one Smart tester summed, "the Smart's appeal as a city car is obvious, though its suitability as such is somewhat less so. Unless Smart manages to correct some of the ForTwo's glaring faults--most notably a recalcitrant transmission and ox-cart ride--the car will likely remain little more than a boutique curiosity whose appeal will quickly wear thin."

 

[Toshi]

Prius newz:

http://pressroom.toyota.com/Releases/View?id=TYT2008060335766

YTD Toyota/Lexus hybrid sales of 127,353 units
Prius availability limited by supply this month, but 79,675 of them sold this year
strong Yaris and Corolla sales, up 26.6 and 12.4%, respectively
FJ Cruiser sales down 50.1%
4Runner sales down 40.3%
Tundra sales down 34%

 

[Toshi]

 

[Toshi]

next up, fuel cell-electric hybrids. both Toyota and Honda are bringing them to market (as in regular consumers will be able to lease them!) in the next few years.

Honda Clarity FCX. http://www.motorauthority.com/news/sedans/honda-fcx-clarity-production-fuel-cell-car-announced/

The fuel-cell powered car will go into production and be available for lease around mid-year 2008. Leasing is will be limited initially. Now word yet on total costs, but montly payments are expected to run around $600, which includes insurance and maintenance. Southern California gets first dibs on the program.

Fuel economy is rated at the equivalent of 68mpg from its 5,000psi hydrogen tank, giving the FCX Clarity a range of 270mi between fill-ups. That range is an increase of 30 percent over the concept, thanks to a 400lb diet in the powertrain. Further weight loss improves the power-to-weight ratio by 25 percent. The size of the powertrain has also been reduced by 45 percent, and is now about the same size as a gas-electric hybrid powertrain.

The FCX Clarity is not just a drivetrain technology showpiece - it boasts some pretty unique materials in other areas as well. The seat upholstery and door linings are made from ‘Honda Bio-Fabric,’ a material made from plants. The interior is also chock-full of just about every feature you can think of, from airbags to Bluetooth, from sat-nav to climate control.

Because consumers adopting the FCX Clarity in this limited test-run are certainly going to be environmentally conscious, Honda has taken special care to reduce CO2 emissions from all sources - from production to end-user. Although the FCX Clarity’s only local emission is water from the burning hydrogen, the process of creating the hydrogen from natural gas does create some CO2. The amount created translates to approximately half that of a petrol-powered vehicle, given equal use. Hyrdrogen from other sources, such as water electrolysis, can be even cleaner.

Toyota FCHV-adv. http://www.motorauthority.com/cars/toyota/toyota-develops-next-generation-fuel-cell-hybrid/

The improved model’s maximum cruising range is 516miles (830km) compared with 205miles (330km) for the previous generation. Dubbed FCHV-adv, the new prototype vehicle has been approved by the Japanese government for leasing. Speaking with the Associated Press, Toyota spokeswoman Kayo Doi revealed there were plans for an overseas launch but final details are yet to be confirmed.

Fuel cell cars are essentially all-electric vehicles that run on electrical energy created by a chemical reaction that combines hydrogen with oxygen. Toyota’s FCHV-adv, however, is a hybrid and includes both the fuel cell powertrain as well as a conventional petrol engine.

Fuel efficiency in the FCHV-adv was improved 25% with better braking and other changes, including minus 30 degree Celsius operation.

thoughts:

1) Honda's model looks somewhat like their euro-market Civic but is a ground-up new design.

2) Toyota's Highlander clone is deceptive: it's both a fuel cell-electric AND gas-electric (a la Prius and current Highlander hybrid models) hybrid. that means you'd fill up both with H2 and with gas. strange!

3) where does one fill up with H2? nowhere around seattle, sadly. here's the worldwide list as of last month: http://www.fuelcells.org/info/charts/h2fuelingstations.pdf

 

[Westy]

Smart Car Review

A friend of mine was considering one but he found that once optioned out past a trim level of golf cart it was fairly expensive. A Honda Fit was significantly more practical and only a little more dough.

 

[jimmydean]

Coming this summer:

Power: 14.2 kW
Top Speed: 70 mph
Range: 35 / 60 miles (power / Economy)
Brakes: Dual Hydraulic Disk
Charge Time: 4 hours with stock on board charger or 1.5 hr W/ Optional speed charger with integrated BMS

http://www.electricmotorsport.com/store/ems_electric_motorcycle_gpr-s.php

The latest advancement in Personal Electric Vehicles is here. The Electric GPR-S represents a forward thinking design that is upwardly expandable to meet the needs of the rider. Electric Motorsport recently debut the Electric GPR-S also called the E-Boxer at the International Motor Show in Bangkok Thailand, stay tuned for photos. We are now accepting orders for our first 100 production units. Our production goal is to produce 300 units this year. The first 100 Electric GPR-S motorcycles will be numbered special edition units with extra graphics and accessories.



ELECTRIC GPR-S with Lithium batteries MSRP $8000

 

[DaveW]

lol optional touring cases on a bike with a 60mile max range.......

 

[jimmydean]

lol optional touring cases on a bike with a 60mile max range.......

That's further than a horse and it's got a 90 minute quick charger.

I would never consider trying to tour on one, but it would help to haul work related crap.

Here it is smoking a Honda gasser on the inside line:

 

[Toshi]

e-bike newz: popped a Hall effect sensor in the motor today (as in broke one of the three already there, not adding something in), at the 292 mile point. whoops. time to figure out warranty vs. local repair issues. as a result i logged some errand miles on the road bike later in the day. that's a slog!


in other news: did you always like the BMW C1 scooter's enclosed canopy but want something a bit more sporting? well, now you can buy a detachable roof for your sportbike from Rocketshields:

http://rocketshields.com/

With my Rocketshields canopy, I no longer have to wear a full face helmet that squishes my fat cheeks, fogs up when its too cold or too hot, impairs my peripheral vision and hearing, and makes my head smell like a sweaty sock. I now sport a skateboard style motorcycle skid lid without having to wear sunglasses or goggles. Even at high speeds, the turbulence felt and heard is equal to that of driving a car with both windows rolled down.

The back draft created in the cockpit area circulates engine heat creating a warmer riding temperature for me on those misty, cold Baja California nights. While in contrast, the canopy offers shade and deflects oncoming blasts of heat while riding up through Tecate in the middle of a 100 degree summer day.

I can still lay down on my tank and tilt my head all the way back, looking through the top of my eyes if want to. But there's no need to when I can ride in a natural sit-up position whether I'm at a dead stop or going a 150 MPH!(top speedometer reading to date)...I think it'll go faster!

 

[DaveW]

looks dumb.

 

[WTGPhoben]

doors are coming up!

first one other motorcycle, albeit not an electric. this one runs on diesel, and if one would run it on biodiesel then it'd be a sound environmental proposition.

I challenge the idea that bio-diesel is a sound environmental alternative, especially if one considers biodiesel made from soy (80% of US production), which is one of the least efficient sources by as much as a factor of 6 from other commonly used sources.

Even considering the most efficient sources, emissions reductions when one considers the balance of energy to produce vs. energy out is only about half of regular diesel, and this does not consider the fact that biomass of the soy is being largely burned up instead of trapping its carbon in the soil and releasing it slowly over time as it would if the land were not cultivated. When combined with the added financial incentive biodiesel provides for poorer countries to cut down forests and plant oil palms, it's really just a finger in the dyke of our energy problems.

 

[Toshi]

i stand corrected on soy biodiesel. what about waste veggie oil (WVO) biodiesel? assuming fried foods are a necessary social evil the waste oil is otherwise lying there unused...

 

[Westy]

Just render down fat people.

Amoco Gold is people!!

 

[WTGPhoben]

i stand corrected on soy biodiesel. what about waste veggie oil (WVO) biodiesel? assuming fried foods are a necessary social evil the waste oil is otherwise lying their unused...

as long as you're pumping it out of a nasty dumpster behind a Denny's, I won't complain. Though you may be doing the world a disservice by spewing french fry odor out of your exhaust pipe and reminding people that they need their whopper fix (not a bad idea tho if you might end up a cardiac surgeon)

 

[Arkayne]

 

[jimmydean]

I challenge the idea that bio-diesel is a sound environmental alternative, especially if one considers biodiesel made from soy (80% of US production), which is one of the least efficient sources by as much as a factor of 6 from other commonly used sources.

Even considering the most efficient sources, emissions reductions when one considers the balance of energy to produce vs. energy out is only about half of regular diesel, and this does not consider the fact that biomass of the soy is being largely burned up instead of trapping its carbon in the soil and releasing it slowly over time as it would if the land were not cultivated. When combined with the added financial incentive biodiesel provides for poorer countries to cut down forests and plant oil palms, it's really just a finger in the dyke of our energy problems.

As stated before, there is no replacement for crude oil. There is no single or even multiple solutions that will sustain current trends.

bio-fuels as an alternative are good. Solar as an alternative is good. Wind as an alternative is good. But NOTHING (at least right now) is as efficient as crude. But seeing how crude will only continue to increase in price as the resource continues to deplete, alternatives are all you have.

 

[jimmydean]

bus action

That's my commute, sans 40 more crazy people crammed in.

 

[WTGPhoben]

As stated before, there is no replacement for crude oil. There is no single or even multiple solutions that will sustain current trends.

bio-fuels as an alternative are good. Solar as an alternative is good. Wind as an alternative is good. But NOTHING (at least right now) is as efficient as crude. But seeing how crude will only continue to increase in price as the resource continues to deplete, alternatives are all you have.

Crude is only efficient because we didn't have to make it, but everyone can agree that we should be figuring out ways to stop using it, not necessarily because of price (though that helps) but because it's really bad for the future of the planet. Biodiesel doesn't stand up as an obviously better alternative to regular diesel from an environmental standpoint, forgetting about costs and efficiency. Is it marginally better on paper than petroleum based diesel? yes. Should we be basing our national alternative energy policy on it? Definitely not.

 

[Stray_cat]

next up, fuel cell-electric hybrids. both Toyota and Honda are bringing them to market (as in regular consumers will be able to lease them!) in the next few years.





thoughts:

1) Honda's model looks somewhat like their euro-market Civic but is a ground-up new design.

2) Toyota's Highlander clone is deceptive: it's both a fuel cell-electric AND gas-electric (a la Prius and current Highlander hybrid models) hybrid. that means you'd fill up both with H2 and with gas. strange!

3) where does one fill up with H2? nowhere around seattle, sadly. here's the worldwide list as of last month: http://www.fuelcells.org/info/charts/h2fuelingstations.pdf

Maybe we should figure out a decent way to get hydrogen first (i.e. one that doesn't use mass amounts of electric, or use toxic chemicals), or find a catalyist that's not incredably finicky. If I wore a hat, I'd eat if those cars hit market in a short term time frame.

 

[Toshi]

Maybe we should figure out a decent way to get hydrogen first (i.e. one that doesn't use mass amounts of electric, or use toxic chemicals), or find a catalyist that's not incredably finicky. If I wore a hat, I'd eat if those cars hit market in a short term time frame.

finding a way to make electricity cleanly and cheaply may turn out to be easier than finding a way to make batteries capacious, clean, and cheap to manufacture...