Interesting Article About the Future of Alternative Motorcycles

September 10th, 2008

Today I just want to point you to an interesting article I ran across on the MotorcycleUSA.com website. It discusses the many variations on the motorcycle theme that have been tried over the last 140 years and then turns to what future bikes may look like. Now, I’m not saying visually, I’m talking about their power plant and methods of motivation.

Bart Madson, the writer, starts out describing what is believed to be the first motorcycle ever invented, which ran on a twin-cylinder steam engine. A charcoal-fired stove sat under the seat to create the steam.

Then he continues saying:

Due to environmental concerns and the fact that $4/gallon gas is now a reality, the desire for alternatives to the internal combustion engine are more in demand than ever before. So, like automobiles, future motorcycles figure to be greener, more efficient machines.

He then goes on to talk about electric bikes, fuel-cell powered bikes, and even bikes that run on compressed air. All of these are under development somewhere, and some are available now.

Madson focused specifically on bikes such as the Suzuki Crosscage, the Piaggio HyS Hybrid, the Killacycle, the electrobike Pi, the Zero X, the Brammo Enertia, the Vectrix ZEV, and the Yamaha BOBBY. Never heard of any of those? Neither had I. Interesting stuff.

Go check them out. You could be riding one of these some day.

Biker Quote for Today

The best modifications cannot be seen from the outside.

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More and More, That’s a Woman on That Bike

September 8th, 2008

If, like me, you’re a guy, you may not be aware what a large group of women riders there is out there. Believe me, though, they know. And they’re in touch with each other.

It’s not until you wander into some community page that your eyes open. This happened for me recently when I got a link exchange request from Kristen at VaVaVroom, a website where they sell “motorcycle clothing and gear for her.” Not being female, and my wife having all the gear she needs, I wasn’t much interested in the main part of the site but they have a link for “Community” where they say “The VaVaVroom Community Pages are a great resource for women riders (including those of you who ride two-up) to connect, learn what’s going on in the industry, find out about upcoming events, meet other women riders and unearth whatever you may need to enhance your overall riding experience.”

Going one step deeper for “Links,” when I clicked there it hit me. Here were links for a whole world of organizations I didn’t know existed. These included, to name just a few:

Plus a whole lot more, including some that are relevant for bikers of either sex.

Now, I’m not naive, I’ve known that there are plenty of women riders out there, and especially at Sturgis in 2006, I saw more women on bikes of their own than I had ever seen before. I just didn’t realize the size and extent of the group.

All I can say is, that’s great! More power to all of you. It seems like more often than not it is women who say “But motorcycles are so dangerous.” The more women who ride and know the true nature of the experience the better for all of us.

Biker Quote for Today

You’re a lucky guy if your woman rides her own.

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Allstate Garage Builds a Bike Before Your Eyes

September 5th, 2008

It’s not that we hate advertising on television or radio, it’s that we hate boring, who-gives-a-damn stuff that just interferes with the show. If an ad is really entertaining, heck, people will go to YouTube just to watch it.

Allstate GarageThe Allstate Garage is an online ad for Allstate Insurance, and it is one of those you actually want to watch. It’s called viral advertising, and in this case it works.

You can see from the image here that you’ve got three guys in a shop, and what they’re doing is building a motorcycle right before your eyes. They actually do it and it takes about 15 minutes, so you might want to do something else and check back in every couple minutes.

But there’s a lot more going on than just building the bike. For instance, the TV fritzes off and on periodically and if you click on it it takes you to some information about Allstate insurance. Likewise, you can click on the telephone, the yellow warning sign, and a whole lot else to bring up other information.

Most interesting, however, is clicking on the link that opens when you move your cursor to the bike being built. That link will allow you to custom build your own bike. Pick the frame. Pick the tank, the seat, the fork, and on and on. Don’t like your selection? Pick something different. Customize to your heart’s content.

This thing is really kind of fun. It’s advertising, but who cares?

Biker Quote for Today

Practice wrenching on your own bike.

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Crested Butte Has Been Ruined

September 3rd, 2008

It had been a long time since I’d been to Crested Butte, but I had really good memories of it years ago. So when I built this website I included a page for the road up from Gunnison, but had no pictures to show what it was like.

Crested ButteWell, this summer I finally got up that way again and I was a bit chagrined. First of all, despite my “memory” the road is no big deal. It’s certainly not worth going out of your way to ride this road when there are so many truly terrific roads in Colorado to ride.

Second, oh my god, what have they done to Crested Butte?! This beautiful, picturesque little town has been engulfed with condos, malls, and everything else from which it was once a refuge. So I can’t even suggest you go to Crested Butte for the town. The old part of town is still there but it is totally touristed out. The mountains are still beautiful, but that’s about it. It’s not worth the trip. Don’t go.

Really, about the only reason to go to Crested Butte now, as far as I can see, is to ride Gunnison County Road 12 over Kebler Pass. This gravel road is in good condition, even good enough for Gold Wings, and comes out onto CO 133 along the south side of McClure Pass.

I’m sorry, all you Chamber of Commerce types in Crested Butte, I just call things the way I see them.

Biker Quote for Today

Life is too short for bad rides.

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Piaggio’s MP3 Is Showing Up in Denver

September 2nd, 2008

Piaggio MP3I saw a Piaggio MP3, three-wheeled scooter the other day here in Denver for the first time. We saw a lot of them in Europe when were there this summer but this is the first one I’ve seen here at home. This photo is one I shot in Paris.

This little baby is a scooter that comes in three sizes, 250cc, 400cc, and 500cc. The marketing materials describe it saying “The Piaggio MP3 provides safety, road grip, and stability levels that no two-wheeler can match. Its power, performance, and ease of use make for a very entertaining ride.”

Let’s face it, one thing that puts off some potential motorcycle and/or scooter riders is the inherent instability of the things. If you hit ice or gravel or a patch of oil when you’re leaned over on a curve those two wheels can go right out from under you. And unlike other three-wheelers you may have seen, with one wheel up front and two in the back, this scooter leans like a normal motorcycle, up to 40 degrees, according to the company.

Priced at $7,200, the MP3 250 has a liquid-cooled, single-cylinder, four-stroke, four-valve engine with electronic fuel injection. It has a top speed of 77 MPH. As with most scooters, the transmission is “twist and go” automatic. Front and rear brakes are disk. The tires are 12-inch tubeless. The bike weighs 450 pounds and holds 3.2 gallons of fuel. Under-seat storage is large enough for a full-face helmet plus one open-face helmet.

The MP3 400 sells for $8,700 and the MP3 500 is $8,900. The 250 reportedly gets about 65 MPG, while the 400 and 500 only get around 50. Top speeds on the 400 and 500 are 89 and 92 MPH respectively.

Other features include the following:

  • An electro-hydraulic suspension locking system that makes it unnecessary to set it on its center stand, even on sloping ground, and making it possible to park the two front wheels where there is a height difference of up to 8 inches.
  • Two dual effect hydraulic shock absorbers, a helicoidal spring, and four-position preload.
  • Linked braking.
  • Splashguards on either side of the front shield protect the rider and the vehicle.
  • A remote control button on the ignition key opens the seat lock and the rear boot lid.
  • Ergonomical seating.
  • A dashboard including a speedometer, fuel gauge, coolant temperature indicator, clock, trip and mileage odometer, fuel reserve indicator, oil pressure, turn signals, low and high beam, seat or boot lid open warning, and an Immobilizer LED.

So. Maybe not everyone’s cup of tea, but another example of motorcycle designers who are looking beyond the basic two-wheeled concept. I’d like to ride one just to see what it’s like.

Biker Quote for Today

I’d trade all my motorcycles for one flying dragon.

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A Motorcycle Like You’ve Never Seen

August 29th, 2008

Just when you thought you’d seen it all, trust some 19-year-old kid to come up with the most revolutionary two-wheeler yet.

The Uno electric vehicleBen Gulak, from Toronto, has developed an electric-powered vehicle with two wheels side by side. It has gyroscopic stabilizers that allow it to stand upright, and you lean forward on it to move forward, much like Dean Kamen’s Segway. The further forward you lean, the faster it goes. To turn you lean in the desired direction.

Called the Uno, the starting point is a Yamaha R1 frame, but the commonality ends right about there.

Gulak is clearly a whiz kid, and he was inspired when he went to Beijing for an international science fair. He saw the smog created by all the two-stroke scooters and motorcycles and decided an electric vehicle was what was needed. Gulak worked out the basic design on his own but turned to Trevor Blackwell, the inventor of the Eunicycle, a single-wheeled gyro-stabilized vehicle, for further development assistance.

So far, the top speed is 15 MPH, but Gulak thinks it can get up to 40 MPH with further development.

Keep your eyes open. I’m thinking we’ll be seeing more of this soon.

Biker Quote for Today

Just ride the damned thing.

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