[Transportation] Motorcycles & scooters

mortifiedpenguin · Heavy Crude Joined: Oct 15, 2004 Posts: 119

How to increase mileage on your Segway: attach a third wheel to the center. That way, all you need is the motors, gear box, wheels, and batteries. Throw everything else away.

eastbay · Posted: Mon May 23, 2005 11:42 pm Post subject:

I do 80% of my commuting on San Francisco Bay Area freeways on my motorcycle. The other 20% is on lousy weather days in my Civic which gets better gas mileage than the motorcycle. Maybe some day nice freeway capable bikes will be made that get much better mileage than the best cars.

But I am really amazed how few people commute on motorcycles. Some days I see zero others on my wonderful 3am ride home. The bridge is free during commute hours, the parking is almost free and the kick is unreal.

Car people are really missing out.

EastBay

Ayoob_Reloaded · Heavy Crude Joined: Dec 07, 2004 Posts: 383

eastbay · Posted: Tue May 24, 2005 10:22 am Post subject:

but it's too dangerous around here.

I think that's the big reason so few ride regularly. Fear. It seems like every other day someone gets squished while riding.

EastBay

Revi · Fusion Joined: Apr 25, 2005 Posts: 3233 Location: Maine

I just got a small moped. It should get 100 mpg, but it could not be used for any long commute. It goes around 15 mph and has baskets. We could use it to pick up groceries. It's really not a machine to live a full high energy lifestyle, but it could get you around in a pinch.

bentstrider · Posted: Tue May 24, 2005 1:34 pm Post subject:

Shannymara · Master Joined: Oct 04, 2004 Posts: 5389 Location: Oklahoma

Bump.
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Peakprepper · Heavy Crude Joined: Jun 15, 2006 Posts: 104

As a bicycle rider, a motorcyclist, and a car driver, all of them for 25+ years, I can honestly say that riding the m/c is the most fun, but also the most dangerous because of the car drivers who "just don't see you."

I have a big (1800cc) bike, which I fitted with a car tyre on the rear for extra traction in the rain/cold, and extra lights so as to be seen - you still have to have eyes in the back of your head.

Air horns are a must, most ordinary bike horns just won't get heard when the guy in the next motorway lane drifts into yours at 70mph.

As for winter riding, you just have to pile on the layers until you are as wide as you are tall, works fine for me!

I have also been pestering the Cranfield folks for about a year regarding the JP8 Nato diesel bike, but any deliveries to us mere mortals has just been delayed AGAIN because of yet another military order which has been placed (interesting in itself) - have a look at

http://www.dieselmotorcycles.com/

for details. I'd really like one of these, as I could run it with veggie.

gg3

102 miles per gallon at 55 mph, top speed of @ 90 mph, range of 600 miles on a tankful of diesel, and will climb a 60% grade. Also appears to have decent tie-down points at the rear for a cargo container, e.g. for work-related tools, groceries, etc.

Hot damn!, make me drool (again), will you?:-)

OK, so what's the price tag? And do they expect to have a dealership signed up in the San Francisco Bay area?

This one is definitely worth waiting for.

Peakprepper · Heavy Crude Joined: Jun 15, 2006 Posts: 104

Last time I checked the price, it was about $18000.

Looking closely at the chassis/frame, it also looks like I would be able to weld up a towbar - a diesel with that much grunt should have no problem towing.

If you go to the "contact" page, you will see they are in Hesperia, CA - there is a phone no. there, so you could try calling them, but be aware of the following message on the web page:

"Due to the overwhelming response to our commercial
motorcycles we regret that we are not able to respond
to each inquiry, question, or phone call."

... So I registered for their "Newsletter", and have been waiting ever since.

Furthermore, if you call or email Cranfield in the UK, who designed the thing in partnership with HDT(Google:diesel+cranfield, and you'll get a wealth of info, btw:luggage rack takes about 22kg), they just don't want to know.

I made a point of calling them once a week for 6 months, and eventually this weary junior called me back last week and told me to go to the HDT site (the manufacturer in CA)...

So as usual, briiliant stuff designed in Britain gets exported, and we don't even get a sniff at it...lol.

If you do try and call them, let me know what the outcome of the conversation is.

The alternative would be to strip a Kawa KLR 650 (the unit the bike is based on), and rig your own Yanmar or Lombardini diesel into it - lots of work though.

Peakprepper · Heavy Crude Joined: Jun 15, 2006 Posts: 104

There's also these guys in Holland:

http://www.neander-motors.com/

... but the price is outrageous.

However, if you look at some German m/c websites, you will find a lot of extremely clever people who have shoehorned automotive aircooled engines into a m/c frame with great success.

This is the best place to keep abreast of all diesel biking stuff:

http://www.dieselbike.net/

Enjoy!

TommyJefferson

I keep toying with the idea of getting a Ural.
http://www.imz-ural.com/products/

I like the BMW airhead design. Simple. Can Self-repair. Good for post peak.

I climbed all over them at the International Motorcycle Show in Houston last year. They seem solid, but have that cheap, rough sloppy, clackety feel like AK47's do.

Their Russian rep repeatedly picked up to sidecar and dropped it to the floor to show how tough they were. When I asked him about repair parts availability, his tack was (avoidance) that you could make most of them yourself if you had to.

Well, that's kinda true, but not true enough.

MSRP $10,595 for this?

Mmmmmm. Hard to justify.
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gg3

$18K...?! Eeyow!, for a couple thousand more than that, you can buy all of the following: one VW Lupo for long distances at 80 to 100 miles per gallon, and one Zap Xebra electric for local transport, and an electric scooter for personal trips across town when the weather is nice and you don't have more than a knapsack's worth of stuff to carry.

At $18k per unit, no wonder they don't need to return phone calls.

Though, over time, the technology should become more affordable. Count on the Japanese manufacturers to do that in a few years.

Madpaddy · Expert Joined: Jun 25, 2004 Posts: 2060

I don't cycle my Giant Lite comfort electric bike to work anymore. I nearly got killed by an ahole in a car last winter and I took the hint. It's waiting patiently for the energy shortage.
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Peakprepper · Heavy Crude Joined: Jun 15, 2006 Posts: 104

http://www.webbikeworld.com/diesel-motorcycle/

The Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price for the D650-A1LE Bulldog will be $18,999.00 (the price is subject to change until the opening of the initial offer to sell and some restrictions may apply.)

A non-refundable deposit of 10% of the purchase price will be required to hold the bike. The balance will be due on presentation of documentation and notice that the unit is ready for shipment. Deposits will be refunded if HDTUSA is unable to deliver their motorcycle.

...but you will get special graphics designed by Wally World!
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