Forum Home
PC World Chat
Thread ID: 86426	2008-01-16 07:57:00	Auto X Prize Targets 100 Miles Per Gallon	Morpheus1 (186)	PC World Chat

Post ID	Timestamp	Content	User
630744	2008-01-16 07:57:00	Nice to see something good coming out of the USA: dsc.discovery.com "This is not a competition being conducted in a laboratory or someplace in the desert," Foley told Discovery News. "We're seeking some places with challenging weather conditions, where it's wet or snowy, or where there are hills. These are fuel-efficient cars being operated in normal conditions, on highways and in cities." Extremely good gas mileage is just the beginning of what the winning entrants must accomplish. The cars have to go fast -- 65 mph or better -- and keep any harmful emissions extremely low. And they can't be concept cars with single, or even limited, production capability. Teams from six countries outside of the United States, including the United Kingdom, Germany, Switzerland, Finland, Australia and Canada, have expressed interest in competing as well.	Morpheus1 (186)
630745	2008-01-17 12:03:00	a scooter/small motorbike gets about that mileage.... alot cheaper to buy and have a much smaller ecological footprint both during manufacturing and during it's lifecycle and an electric car, like the tesla sports car gets 135mpg equivalent while still achieving 0-60mph in under 4 seconds and 220 miles per charge	motorbyclist (188)
630746	2008-01-17 20:48:00	a scooter/small motorbike gets about that mileage.... alot cheaper to buy and have a much smaller ecological footprint both during manufacturing and during it's lifecycle and an electric car, like the tesla sports car gets 135mpg equivalent while still achieving 0-60mph in under 4 seconds and 220 miles per charge To be honest - even if the motor cycle did not stack up as well it should be the preferred choice of many more people. Motor cycles are fun. A car is a tin box you sit in and it gets you from place to place. Why people buy a Porshe when for a minute fraction of the money they could get a 50cc Honda scooter amazes me! Classic cars - now there is a contradiction in terms. (Classic tin boxes!). Tom	Thomas01 (317)
630747	2008-01-18 05:56:00	Correct me if I am wrong, but it looks like I would have to pay at least $2000 for a (second hand) motorbike or even a scooter, then get a helmet and weatherproof gear and bags, and then have to endure cold wet winters so that would cut out long trips. But during this hot summer weather a motorbike would be nice!	Morpheus1 (186)
630748	2008-01-18 09:09:00	Correct me if I am wrong, but it looks like I would have to pay at least $2000 for a (second hand) motorbike or even a scooter, then get a helmet and weatherproof gear and bags, and then have to endure cold wet winters so that would cut out long trips. But during this hot summer weather a motorbike would be nice! so you spend 3 to 4 grand on a bike (say a 2001 fxr150 at around 20,000kms) plus gear, then spend $10 a week on gas, consider the time saved (for me that's over an hour a day) and add in parking savings (again for me that bill would be in the hundreds per month) and see how long is takes to pay for itself against buying and running a car in that 3-4 grand price bracket (so expect atleast 150,000kms) with petrol bills upwards of $50 a week. and then if you want add in all the hours you'll save per week on your commute and multiply by your hourly wage over a few years, depending on your lifestyle/useage, it actually ends up cheaper to own both rather than just the car. ****ty weather, while ****ty, isn't that bad. likewise while you can't do a large shopping trip, you can always keep a car, or get some panniers to give alot more luggage space. my brother does his shopping with his mate (or flatmate), and as my brother doesn't need to carry much into work he gets by with just a bike without any problems. i have access to a car and the only times it gets used is carting my PC to lan events while my mates without any transport manage to get rides anyway i'm not saying they're perfect for everyone. hell they're useless for alot of people like builders and plumbers, but for those who just commute to and fro they literally pay for themselves.... plus they're fun what i really meant was that their milage figure was very attainable, and more importantly, the electric cars have already beaten it	motorbyclist (188)
630749	2008-01-18 09:11:00	Correct me if I am wrong, but it looks like I would have to pay at least $2000 for a (second hand) motorbike or even a scooter, then get a helmet and weatherproof gear and bags, and then have to endure cold wet winters so that would cut out long trips. But during this hot summer weather a motorbike would be nice! And get banged off the bike onto the road after some lady driver drives into you and says I never saw you. I have had bikes and hospital stays for 20 years but uness I move to Saudi Arabia I aint getting another one. C1	chicken one (6501)
630750	2008-01-18 09:17:00	And get banged off the bike onto the road after some lady driver drives into you and says I never saw you. I have had bikes and hospital stays for 20 years but uness I move to Saudi Arabia I aint getting another one. ah yes, one must be bloody careful. and a note for the next time you get in an accident; the phrase "sorry i didn't see you" translates into "i didn't look", and implies "i didn't look, again, but i'm ok with only a minor dent on my car so i assume you are fine too and i'm not even considering how sore you are going to be for the next week or longer and the fact your pride and joy is written off and insurance will likely only give you half of what it costs to replace" get a bike and you see how bad NZ drivers really are	motorbyclist (188)
630751	2008-01-18 19:26:00	Thanks motorbyclist. Good points. I do not commute that far to work but if I did, such as in Auckland with the traffic jams that motorbikes could slip through, I would get a motorbike. But I would want something with more power than a small bike, say a 250 cc, so I guess they would still be cheap on petrol. And I'd like a 4 stroke. Found this on that fxr150 you mentioned: www.kiwibiker.co.nz Seems it can go over 100 kph, not bad for a small bike. And this: "On my way home via the Nor western motorway I get another surprise 100km/h commuting is a breeze. Sure she doesn't have a heap left to outrun the faster tintops but she makes it up by being super nimble." www.kiwibiker.co.nz Not a bad look for a small bike: tekekmeong.files.wordpress.com	Morpheus1 (186)
630752	2008-01-19 01:13:00	Correct me if I am wrong, but it looks like I would have to pay at least $2000 for a (second hand) motorbike or even a scooter, then get a helmet and weatherproof gear and bags, and then have to endure cold wet winters so that would cut out long trips. But during this hot summer weather a motorbike would be nice! Oh dear! Cold wet winters! OK they can be hard at times but years ago I rode 10 miles to work every day winter or summer through all sorts of bad weather, which was far worse than anything NZ can throw at you. On one occasion out of well over 100 drivers etc only two of us got through the snow - the other chappy had a Norton and sidecar used for trials work - I was on my 200cc Ambassador 2 stroke with leg shields and windscreen. But I loved and enjoyed every single trip -the only things to bring me to a halt were tremendous downpours which made visibility impossible - and fog once not only slowed me down but I found myself driving into somebodies garage one night. The worst was coping with black ice - impossible to tell it was ice until you found yourself sliding on your side. These experiences taught me that motorist have no idea of how to cope with road conditions - nobody should be allowed to use a car until they have driven a motorcycle for some time. I accept this is impossible for some particularly disabled people. (But every disabled person I have known who drives is also a superb driver). How I envy the motorcylists who pass me these days. Tom	Thomas01 (317)
630753	2008-01-19 02:54:00	These experiences taught me that motorist have no idea of how to cope with road conditions - nobody should be allowed to use a car until they have driven a motorcycle for some time. I accept this is impossible for some particularly disabled people. (But every disabled person I have known who drives is also a superb driver). i agree strongly, and all the "converts" i know agree too. one of the first things i hear from new bikers it about how much more you see, including the shocking road surface and the downright appalling driving over in germany the motorbike licence age is lower than the car age which might say something for a country which also has autobahns	motorbyclist (188)
1 2