Riders Of Vision

I'll let you know when, should be any day now (for 87 octane..)

Still getting 40 mpg city..

Brian

4 bucks, and it is still somewhat of a bargain. Consider this, my truck weighs 5000 lbs and it contains approximately $80K of equipment I need for work. For $4 I can move that 18 miles from where it sets whenever I want to. I have in my lifetime paid $0.25 for a gallon of premium and gotten a free BC drinking glass with a fill-up.
When gas prices get too high for people to waste fuel driving around shopping mall parking lots looking for a space close to the store so they don't have to walk.
Sorry about that last part but I am starting my 3rd week here in Orlando and I am just p*ssed off!

I happen to agree.  The fewer people driving around alone in their Hummers, the safer I am on my Vision...

Brian

remember the '73 "oil embargo" when the price doubled into $0.50 range?

I live in California, premium has gone beyond $4.00, reg now $3.75/$3.85, not far off. I have a friend that lives in London, gas there is almost $10.00 a gal, Thats $50.00 to fill the average motorcycle.

  Ken G.

Quote from: motoracer8 on April 18, 2008, 08:52:33 PM
I live in California, premium has gone beyond $4.00, reg now $3.75/$3.85, not far off. I have a friend that lives in London, gas there is almost $10.00 a gal, Thats $50.00 to fill the average motorcycle.

  Ken G.

Boy, and I thought Exxon was screwing us.  BP is really putting it to their own.

David

Gas is not getting more expensive; money is becoming worth less.

$0.02
"No price increase in 58 years!"
;D
Coil

1 liter of gas is about a $1 here in the US

1 liter of beer is about $1.90

1 liter of bottled water at a gas station is what? $2? $3? (I don't buy much water)

1 liter of Scotch is $50 (high test)

I'm glad I don't run on Scotch  :D :D

Quote from: motoracer8 on April 18, 2008, 08:52:33 PM
I live in California

I'm going by San Francisco prices, where I now live.  My last fillup of 87 was at 3.96.  (I think that was Wednesday...)

Brian

3.45 in Kingman AZ,  I just got the new tyre for my xl350 , thank goodness !  It only holds 2 gal after reserve.

3.39 in Denver

3.61 here in Oahu Hawaii

hey packman
is there anywhere to rent a bike out there?
I am coming there in sept for about 8 days and wanted to do some tooling around.

When I checked online it was about 250-300 a day to rent a bike.  However I saw a bike outside a shop on the north shore in Haleewa Town that said "Rent Me 99$ Special"  Dont know if that was a day price or hour price, looked like a harley.  Im leaving tomarrow After noon, Back to Washington, and Its Snowing there, in the middle of April, Im so Pissed, I was hoping to have riding weather.

(http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site6/2008/0419/20080419__20080419_Local08~01_Gallery.jpg)

From Santa Cruz, CA  On the main street though town, Highway 1/Mission St.

I got my Aerostitch catalog today and it has a T-shirt in it that shows a gas pump holding the nozzle to itself like a gun with a splat coming out the other side.  I may get one.

David

$ 185.9  for 91 octane
$ 191.9  for 95 octane
$ 199.9  for 98 octane
$ 151.9  for diesel

As of the 18th April 2008,  these prices are per " LITRE ".

Iain
NZ

should be

$ 1.85
$ 1.91
$ 1.99
$ 1.51

oop's put the decimal point in the wrong place.

Iain
NZ

Yikes! But a misplaced decimal will do that. In the US, due to refinery capabilities and increasing demand, diesel is higher than gasoline. It has been over $4 per gallon for some time now while we are paying around $3.40 for 87.

What really amazes me is that when the nes are covering the rise of gas prices and comparing them to European prices , they fail to mention that here in North America (CANADA, USA ) our lowest grade of gasoline is 87 octane.  While in Europe, NZ, England and anywhere else the lowest grade is 91 octane.  So why don't we also have 91 octane as our lowest grade?

Ever wonder why cars,bikes make more horsepower across the pond?  Not just because of different emmissions but also because their lowest fuel rating is stronger than our lowest fuel rating.  If we had 91 octane as a cheap fuel than allour engines would run better and most likely longer.  The hell with additives in the fuel at the pump.  I think that the gasoline should be as close to raw form as possible and let the owner put a can of what ever additives/cleaners he wants into his fuel every fourth or fifth fillup.  I think the price should be cheaper because there wouldn't be the need to mix all those dtergents/additives/cleaners into each brand of fuel.

But hey, the price won't drop because every stockk investing monkey will put more money into oil stocks instead of investing in other stock that can help USA and Canada come back to being the juggernaughts they were.  Could be that it's just our time to get a good whipping ang have our eyes open to the way we were/are wasting our precious oil supplies.

BTW, I wonder if anybody has tried to findout if a motorcycle motor can be made to rum on diesel or propane?

I'll get off my soap box now............... ;D

Quote from: vadasz1 on April 20, 2008, 03:42:22 AM
BTW, I wonder if anybody has tried to findout if a motorcycle motor can be made to rum on diesel or propane?

Diesel, jet fuel, propane all have a much lower octane rating than gasoline (will ignite at much lower temperatures/pressures.  If you were to use these in a current gasoline engine, you would get sever pre-detonation, probably destroying the engine quickly.

Brian

I didn't mean to be used in the same engine but an engine specifically designed for diesel.

BTW propane can be run on an ordinary combustion engine with afew modifications.  Look at all the taxis that are converted to propane.  The only thing I see that might be a problem is to get a tank designed to fit a motorcycle that can hold propane.

Ah my mistake... :-)  I've met quite a few people who think that if they add Jet fuel to their car, it will perform better....  When a small amount of Jet fuel was added to the 100LL at Watsonville airport around 1994, the fuel company had to pay for all of the airplanes that fueled up to have their engines rebuilt.  My plane was one of them.  Unfortunately, that was during a very large airshow, and they had a lot of plane engines to deal with. 

I'd hate to see the cost on rebuilding a Merlin V-12...

Brian

The US army has a fleet of diesel powered KLR650's  The engine is specially built from the ground up , for that purpose.  It will be available next year to the public , as well.
Arctic Cat  has a diesel powered  ATV. it has a Italian, Lamborghini 650cc (not the car people) twin .  Its slower than  a 150 cc gas rig ,but will climb anything at the same speed , it just doesn't slow down under load.  Polaris has a diesel too.

Alternate fuel motorcycle?  8)

Gas is getting kind of pricey here in the states, sure, but we are still paying less than a ot of other places. I spent a summer in Hamamatsu Japan and I was paying about 200 yen a liter, which comes to about 757 yen a gallon, with a currency trade rate (at the time mind you) of 123 yen per 1 USD, makes the gas I was buying $6.16 a gallon. I was driving a small bike at the time but it was still quite pricey. Mind you, Japan is an island nation that imports almost all of it's oil, but we are well on the way to paying $4 a gallon and higher. But that's life I guess, and I will probably keep paying it.  :-\

Everyone, BOYCOTT EXXON/Mobile.  Supply and demand.  If we buy it elsewhere reducing the demand from then, they will have to lower their prices to sell fuel.  C'mon...their profits have been in the BILLIONS of dollars at our expense.  Spread the word.  Just MAYBE it might work.  Couldn't hurt to try...unless any of you work for them.  :o

David

Premium 1.99 NZD here now. No signs of it ever going down either.

I hate these doomsday scenario sites, but PLEASE someone find something wrong with the arguements or logic in this site   www.lifeaftertheoilcrash.net

Apologies for not being tech savy to put in the hyperlink.

If even some that stuff is true then the days of running any type of gas powered vehicle for recreational purposes is numbered. Better go and fill the XZ up and give it a good thrashing before it's too late.

Does anyone recall the movie starring Lee Majors who defied the city (whatever the name was) by driving around in a Porche TransAM racecar (if I remember right) with a kid.  They were trying to get to another city where using gasoline powered vehicles was not outlawed.  It was kind of a cheesy movie but showed what the future might be like....

OK....did an IMBD search and came up with THE LAST CHASE. 

Here's some info:

Overview
Director:Martyn Burke

Writers:C.R. O'Christopher (story)
C.R. O'Christopher (screenplay) ...
more
Release Date:5 June 1981 (Canada) more
Genre:Action / Adventure / Sci-Fi more
Tagline:A phantom jet must catch and destroy the last car left on earth. more
Plot Summary:In a future United States, the only transport available to an individual is public transportation. Predicated... more
Plot Synopsis:This plot synopsis is empty. Add a synopsis
Plot Keywords:Government / Dropout / Chase / Jet Fighter / Oppression more
User Comments:Six-Million Dollar Man goes cross country hunted by the guy who broke his glasses in the Twilight Zone more

 I fear that the powers the be ,will dip into the strategic reserve to control prices.Heaven help us if "they" have  the last oil and we have none!

Quote from: vadasz1 on April 21, 2008, 09:33:33 AM
OK....did an IMBD search and came up with THE LAST CHASE. 

Here's some info:

Overview
Director:Martyn Burke

Writers:C.R. O'Christopher (story)
C.R. O'Christopher (screenplay) ...
more
Release Date:5 June 1981 (Canada) more
Genre:Action / Adventure / Sci-Fi more
Tagline:A phantom jet must catch and destroy the last car left on earth. more
Plot Summary:In a future United States, the only transport available to an individual is public transportation. Predicated... more
Plot Synopsis:This plot synopsis is empty. Add a synopsis
Plot Keywords:Government / Dropout / Chase / Jet Fighter / Oppression more
User Comments:Six-Million Dollar Man goes cross country hunted by the guy who broke his glasses in the Twilight Zone more

;D I am going to find this movie

I paid 4.49 for diesel last week end and am rebuilding my Vision starter to get my Vision running again after a month or so I get 38-40mpg in the Vision but 14 in the F350 diesel.   Gas is 3.92 for 87 in Western Washington.  I am appauled that we are allowing the futures traders to screw uis again this time for gas.   Last moth the diesel wa 3.95.

Hey Coil

Where do you get your Bush Fan club icons from!

The thing is the world is running out of it's most important finite reserve. We'd better get used to pushing the Visions soon. No new refineries have been built for ages because of this. Now if the world would get rid of those huge SUV's it may just last a bit longer...

You guys might be interested in this:

http://www.vbs.tv/shows.php?show=987200225

It is a set of short videos done by this online "journalism" group. Some of the videos are pretty funny, but then they have a lot of though provoking stuff. Anyways, this one "Toxic: Alberta" is about the oil industry in Canada.

Quote from: coilXZcoyle on April 18, 2008, 09:07:48 PM
Gas is not getting more expensive; money is becoming worth less.

$0.02
"No price increase in 58 years!"
;D
Coil

The price of gasoline in Euro's (the price of their gas, not the added taxes they pay over there) has dropped 50%, the value of a US dollar has dropped from 1.20 Euro in 2002 to 0.62 Euro. Our gasoline prices are also being driven by both unregulated speculation in the crude oil markets and the fact that we are spending money we are borrowing to have a war that we are not taxing ourselves to pay for.

If the "terrorists" goal was to ruin us, they've got a real good start on doing it. Heads up, citizens!

I'm putting 2.5 gallons a week in the Vision for my commute at $4.30, plus I get the therapy value of the ride.

;)
Coil

I'm doing my part, my gas sucking Blazer only moves to take us to the doctor or the grocery store.
Most of my travel is on my XL30 at 50/60 mpg . long distance is done on my Vision, at 40 / 50 mpg.

Enfield made (and probably still makes) a diesel bike in India. I believe it was rated at 75 km / L, and would just about smoke a turtle on a good day. I do know that they're not legal to import into the US, though (not sure why...emissions?).

A lot of cars in India have switched to using natural gas cylinders instead of gas or diesel, for the cost savings. Not sure anyone's tried it with a bike (carb'ing would be screwy, since the cylinders are pressurized).

I saw an article for a completely quiet (and therefore dangerous) prototype electric bike developed in the UK...wonder if those will ever be enough fun to actually ride?

  Dave.

For a while now I have been adding acetone to my fuel at the rate of around 1ml per litre.

The mileage consistently increases by around 18- 20%, "sport" riding somewhat less at around 15-16% improved mileage. This idea has been around for a very long time now, is well proven, with quite a bit of info available on the net if you care to look. Apparently it does not increase the "power" of the fuel but breaks down the surface tension of the fuel and thus better burning, anyone who has seen the fire hose of fuel that the xz squirts at a twist.... will see the advantages of this.

When I initially tried it I did the same 101k circuit of mixed terrain several times with the first two runs being under the exact same conditions, riding style etc etc. The results were always centered within the 18% - 20% of increased mileage. The ride with the Ducati boys last weekend.......... well that's when it dived a tad.

It is safe (but don't take my word for it), cheap, readily, available and such substantial increase for a tiny amount added. If I don't add it I lose 50 something k's of range per tank!

Well, I am paying about $10 per gallon in Norway. The prices are almost the same in Sweden.

But: My Volkswagen EuroVan, a 2000 kilo heavy car with a 2.5 litre TDI engine spend 40-45 miles per gallon.

Hence, I am paying almost the same as Visionrevisit per mile, although the gas price are two and a half time those in US...

All I can say, is that milage per gallon was an issue when I bought my car, and has been in Norway for a long long time.

A Friend of mine sent me this pic.... ouch

(http://i188.photobucket.com/albums/z62/Superfly902102000/Funny/Gas.jpg)

:o

I swear when I was lost on the backroads of Virginia and Maryland last Saturday, gas was like $4.9995 and $4.9999. Finally saw one bold entrepeneur who had it over $5.00. Seriously glad I topped of in DC in my "no splooge, holes in my tank throat at 3 and 9" modified Vision tank. I did about 4 hours of riding and still had a gallon left in the tank (drained it).

Glad to see that advice is still only $0.02

I'm so broke now, I can't pay attention.

Ed--

They sure do make diesel bikes. Thanks to DoD. When I was on an LHA (amphib helo carrier) every thing with an engine ran on JP-5 (jet/turbine fuel), That's everything from forklifts and tow motors to AV-8B Harriers.

The M-1 Abrams tank has a turbine engine that will burn any type of fuel.

Ed--

So figuring that my little 550 gets the worst fuel mileage out of any of the bikes I have owned ever, I decided to do something about it.  My average mileage has been 41 to 43 mpg.  My first plan was to rejet to lean it out a bit but I thought I'd do something easy like, slow the f*%k down.  So I did, instead of doing 70 to 75, I'm now doing 55 to 60.  What did I get for all this lack of breeze?  48.8 mpg and that was in stop and go traffic. 

I'm going to still try jetting it down since she's a bit on the rich side anyway.  I'll keep you posted.

With the choice of my F250 (460 V-8) and 9 MPG around town / 13 MPG highway or the 43 MPG Vision, I find the bike does just fine.   ;D  Not sure how the carb swap will change mileage, though.  Am headed out for a 100 mile ride this afternoon to test that out.

My parent's traded off their Lincoln Town Car (14 MPG city / 23 MPG hwy) for a 2005 Mercury Montego.  (Mercury's sibling to the Ford Five Hundred)  That car is almost as big as the Town Car but its 3 liter V-6 & 6 speed auto is much less thirsty @ 21 city & 29 hwy.  Mom likes big cars and says the Montego is a nicer car to drive than the Town car was.  There was some drop in power, but the Montego does everything competently - even climbing high elevation mountain roads.  However, about 95% of its mileage is around town.  They generally put between 2000 - 3000 miles a year on their car, so high fuel prices aren't that big a deal to them.

H₂O

Quote from: zore on June 20, 2008, 03:16:33 PM
So figuring that my little 550 gets the worst fuel mileage out of any of the bikes I have owned ever, I decided to do something about it.  My average mileage has been 41 to 43 mpg.  My first plan was to rejet to lean it out a bit but I thought I'd do something easy like, slow the f*%k down.  So I did, instead of doing 70 to 75, I'm now doing 55 to 60.  What did I get for all this lack of breeze?  48.8 mpg and that was in stop and go traffic. 

I'm going to still try jetting it down since she's a bit on the rich side anyway.  I'll keep you posted.

yep... I get close to 50's on 55-60mph backroad rides....... 70-80mph on the flyway results in around 40mpg

but doing 55-60 in stop-n-go traffic  ::) is tough to do around here  ;)

Remember, air resistance (drag) goes up by velocity squared.  That means if you double your speed, the drag will quadruple.  Over coming that drag comes straight out of the gas tank...

So, only go faster when you have a tail-wind  ;D

I'm seriously thinking of getting a buell 1200 or another triumph sprint st.  That 955 could get 55 to 60 mpg just riding normally. 

mmmmm.... the STT looks interesting, Uly too.... funny, their hwy mileage is higher than city..... kinda like a cage 

The problem I have with AZ. is the vast distances, If I run along at 65 mph I get very close to 50 mpg . But on a 250 mile ride it feels like I'm crawling along. Even  80 mph doesn't feel that fast , when the trucks are  passing you doing 90 to 95 . Some of them have slowed down a bit though.
I always feel nervous when they pull along side , I've seen those destroyed  tyre caps along the I'll probably have to shorten my rides (yuk)  or slow down eventually (yuk).

Quote from: Glyn on April 23, 2008, 07:30:08 AM
Hey Coil

Where do you get your Bush Fan club icons from!

The thing is the world is running out of it's most important finite reserve. We'd better get used to pushing the Visions soon. No new refineries have been built for ages because of this. Now if the world would get rid of those huge SUV's it may just last a bit longer...

Glyn,

          They got 'em here. http://www.motherearth.org/bushwanted/wanted.php (http://www.motherearth.org/bushwanted/wanted.php) you can even download a poster.

;D
Coil

Maybe we can just push them up a mountain and coast down, that would take dedication.
I don't believe motorcycles are part of the problem. If a million motorists would ride a motorcycle 2 or 3 days a week , we wouldn't have a problem for along time.

...or if Americans accepted less horsepowers in their cars. As I stated earlier, I am riding my VW Eurovan more fuel efficient than my Vision.

My V gets around 47mpg when riding normal so that's more than acceptable.  I was getting 50mpg on the Sprint a couple weekends ago when me and Inane did Guanella pass and some dual sporting.  Last weekend 2up and loaded with camping gear I got about 45mpg on the sprint.  Fuel injection definitely is a plus for varying terrain and altitudes.

On the freeway, I get about 50, riding in San Francisco city streets, it's 40.  I've seen some cars that do better, but I really can't afford a new one right now (wife is unemployed) so it's off to work I go on my Vision...

Brian

Quote from: macroars on June 24, 2008, 08:11:25 AM
...or if Americans accepted less horsepowers in their cars. As I stated earlier, I am riding my VW Eurovan more fuel efficient than my Vision.

Used to be a hot rodding phrase, but applies to fuel economy just as well:  Speed costs money, how fast do you want to go?

I get a real kick out of all the people complaining about high fuel prices yet they refuse to slow down at all.  With the semis mostly going 60 - 65 & much of the rest of the traffic trying to go well over 80 when they can, it makes for a more dangerous situation as well.

The higher horsepower here is nice to have when going over the high passes & towing trailers / hauling heavy loads, but for the most part, I agree with macroars statement.  However, it needs to be a market driven change & NOT legislated from Washington DC.  Mom just traded off her big Lincoln with a small but thirsty V-8 for a still large Mercury but with a much more economical V-6  & 6 speed auto that gets better mileage in town than the Lincoln got on the highway.  Sure it ain't no rocket ship, but the performance is adequate.  Haven't had a chance to try it out much in the mountains, but it goes great on the Interstate.  EPA states 29MPG highway & from what I've seen, that's pretty close @ 75MPH.  However, it handles surprisingly well for a large car.  It runs on a modified Volvo XC-90 suspension so the ride is more 'european' (firm) than traditional large American cars.

We are seeing the change already as sales of large pickups & SUVs have plummeted over the last couple years.  Ford & Chevy have delayed the introduction of their redesigned pickups - Ford until later in the year & Chevy indefinitely.  More technology is also coming into play.  V-8s that cut several cylinders when the power isn't needed have been around for a while, but now they actually work smoothly.

Fuel around here (Northern Colorado) was over $4 for a couple weeks, but is back down to around $3.95 now.  Diesel is still close to $5, though.

H₂O

To be perfectly honest, I don't sweat the gas prices and in fact applaud that fact that it is high.  I've always felt that any real lasting changes will come from (as H20 states) market driven.  If you don't mind paying the price to do it...I say drive your SUV or sports car 85mph.  Those that cannot afford to do it shouldn't bitch about it when they have to fill up twice a week.  The US economy was built on super cheap fuel and these macro economic changes aren't sitting so well for those that thought they'd look cool driving a giant truck or SUV.  Image over substance has a price.

My first car ,bought by my father, was a English Ford Consul  (what do you get when you cross a ford Consul with a Ford Cortina ? you get a Concertina  LOL)
One of my first cars was a NSU Prinz , 583 cc air cooled , parallel twin . Single over head cam driven by monkey motion, So I'm no stranger to small cars. I just traded my really clean '76 Dodge ,extended cab pickup, for a '88 Honda Accord (the old ones have 4 cylinder engines )
Its pretty straight , except its half way through a paint job. I'm going to love the mileage!!

I drive a 72 beetle. I run dual 34 weber carbs, a stinger exhaust, it blows fuel if you stomp it, and it runs on hippies.
It gets about 22 miles per hippy, but i never really drive it that much. Not the greatest fuel economy, but i dig the car, and thats how i roll. If i ever get concerned about fuel economy with a cage i'll drive a metro or something similar. I dont ever see that happening though :).
I guess it all ties in with the green movement. But honestly i dont see how driving a hybrid and giving al gore money is going to make chinese coal plants any more efficient :o

Hybrids are good on gas, they are not good for the envirnment.  You can get a Prius for 22k that will get 44 to 50mpg or you can get a yaris that will do 35 to 40mpg at 11k.  You then have to think about what happens to all those batteries to expose of.  They really need to get 90mpg or better to really consider it green.

drive a scooter...70-100mpg...under 3k

Bicycle, 10 miles per donut...

If I'm operating a manual pedal machine, I'd figure on 10 donuts per mile.   :D

H₂O

Quote from: h2olawyer on June 25, 2008, 01:24:22 PM
If I'm operating a manual pedal machine, I'd figure on 10 donuts per mile.   :D

H₂O

At the cost of ten donuts per mile!!!!!!!!!!  :o :o :o

Man that's too much.   :P  You are better off sitting in your cage with a nice hot cup of  I Don't give a kcuf!!!    ;D

Just my way of saying I don't manually pedal anywhere.   ;D  There was a time I actually enjoyed it enough to ride a ton.  Even entered a triathlon once.  Unfortunately, while training for it, I hit a patch of sand on the road in a turn and did a slide for life deal.  Tore up my thigh real good & a rock went about 3/4 inch into my right elbow.  That was one week before the race & I was under doc's orders not to get the road rash or elbow wet for at least two weeks.  I still have three black stripes on my right thigh & that crash happened about 25 years ago.   ::)  I pretty much quit riding after that experience.  Bought the V the following summer.  I'd be amazed if I put more than a mile on a bicycle since then.

H₂O

My wife is a triathlete.  Not me. :-\  The last time I ran anywhere I was being chased!

I did do a stint of mountain biking for a few years...   I liked it but that is rough on the old body and I managed to re fracture an old broken collar bone that I broke in a motorcycle crash I had many years ago.  (don't worry it wasn't my V,  it was my brothers new Virago!)  ;D

My wife is doing a race this weekend and all I can think about it is how I can ride my motor bike to it!  8)

My wife's friend's husband and I support them though...  We cheer them on with bloody mary's vodka- tonic's and lawn chairs!!! 8)

Bicycles on the highway waste fuel! Every car that passes one has to slow down, move over and speed back up. If bicyclists want their own roads, let them be licensed and taxed to pay for them. I do have a couple of bicycles but when I ride, I try to stay out of the way.

If I ever get back into bicycling, I'll haul a mountain bike up to the trails.  The idiots  on bicycles around here pay absolutely no attention to traffic laws or even traffic.  I often run into packs of them taking up the entire land & then get flipped off when I finally find a safe place to pass legally.

The way they don't even stop for stoplights around here (stop signs also don't exist for pedalers), I'm amazed there aren't more fatalities.  There are several every year, but with the sheer volume of bicycles here (Colorado State University is 5 blocks from my house -- 25,000 students), I see all kinds of extremely dangerous riding.  Often, I see them late at night, at the last second, no lights, no reflectors, talking on their cell phone & cruising through stop signs without slowing down or even looking either direction.  Young & invincible.   ::)

H₂O

in Eeeeurope... bikes have their own lanes, traffic signals, and now are require to be insured... guess they were causing too many accidents

Quote from: Night Vision on June 25, 2008, 08:47:38 PM
in Eeeeurope... bikes have their own lanes, traffic signals, and now are require to be insured... guess they were causing too many accidents

...and I have heard that in the US all roads have six lanes...

It's not true.  Though many of the roads that do have 6 lanes are usually not moving much...

It's not unusual for Interstate Highways in major urban areas have 10 to 12 lanes.  Interstates between urban areas are usually 4 lanes.

Thanks for making my point very clear Brian and QBS!

The way traffic in the European countries are handled are very diverse. This includes bikes - but what we have in common is older cities, and hence with important passages made to fit people walking or by horse. This is infrastructure that is hard to change, without demolishing greater parts of the city - something that is impossible due to the historical value of the buildings.

This have made gas-prices an important tool in regulating the behaviour of people in Europe. It has to be both cheaper and easier to not use the car if people not should do it.

$ 4.77 for regular here in Santa Barbara.

I'm real happy for you if you still ride a bicycle..
Me.. once I got a motorcycle at age 13 I lost all interest
in the leg work.

And now that I'm old an overweight..
I really don't want to wear spandex to be cool.

I have noted here on my 30 mile trip to work
that the people seem to park in the fast lane at 65
in there little econo boxes.. and maybe there heart is
in a good place.. but there head is up there a$$.

I'm not a very good person as all my toys require gas..
Oh the shame of it all..

WELL I'm tired of all these GREEN
people.. who are so full of themselfs.. and there new ECO
profits!

Do we want to be out friends overseas.. over taxed..
with the govenment in control of EVERYTHING.. I think not..

My .02

What country are you living in ?...... the goverment does control everything...... or should I say the rich who control the goverment control everything......soon gas will be unaffordable for everyone but the wealthy.....the goverment is so corrupt its sickening.....a for instance.... my parents are at retirement age now collecting social security both have worked and paid into s.s. their whole life .....but if something happens to one of them..... the other can only collect one or the others s.s. payment....meaning the other is lost to the system :o .....and the other has to now live on one payment instead of the two they should get...how the hell is that fair it was their money......in my wifes country.... one of the smallest countries in the world...a island the size of the smallest county you could think of.... population 4+million..... with no real natural resources....the money paid into s.s. is always yours....it can be used to buy homes.... or medical for anyone in your family....and medical expenses are not gonna bankrupt you like it does here.....and you get it all !!!! when you turn 60!!! not 65 or soon 68 or even 70 which they are talking about doing already.....I could go on and on how our goverment screws its people double dipping taxes,giving money thats not theirs to other countries which then mysteriously dissappears never to be seen again,gunning down their own citizens during protests.......if you believe all the crap the U.S.gov. controled media shovels at us..... you probably believe we are in Afganistan...... looking for Osama and fighting a war on drugs..... and not what former cia agents have devulged..... that its to control the regions people so they can run a pipeline thru the country.... yes oil..... I'm sooo afraid.... of those poor people on the other side of the planet..... but not the criminals roaming our own streets.... or the ones in jail that we have to take care of the rest of their lives.....Its funny how most americans follow blindly what is told to them by the U.S.gov. and loathe middle easterners,muslims,chinese,communists,...and call themselves loyal american christians.......well guess what Jesus was a middle easterner who was against the control of the establishment over people,and the chinese are not in a war every 5 years, and our democatic gov. has as much control over this country as a communist gov. only in different ways.I know some are thinking "then get out of this country if you feel that way" what I'd say to them is... the country itself is a great place to live the people here are more open and sociable then eslewhere its the U.S.gov. that gives our country a bad name and should leave.If you think I am blowing things out of proportion look how they treated and lied to the native americans.... but I suppose they should leave their country too.

cheap gasoline is not a right given to you by the constitution.  It is, sorry to say, a luxury any way you slice it.  Don't count on it getting cheaper and make proper adjustments to accommodate this fact.

By no means a right but just another tool used by those in control to control

Just my 2 cents, if another 50 cents per gallon keeps some soccer mom with a cell phone attached to her face out of an excursion and into something I can actually see around, I'm all for it.  Since the gas prices have been going up, the traffic conditions have much improved in my neck of the woods.  I look at it as money well spent if I don't have to stare at brake lights for 2 hours while going to work.

In general, no change in traffic around here.  Still going way over the speed limit, I-25 is possibly even more crowded between here & Denver & it's all pickups & SUVs.

Government is a vast left wing conspiracy!   ;)

H₂O

dare I say it?

lower the speed limit back to 55 mph like Nixon did in '74


'course that would need some enforcement too

LOL, funny reading this. I was saying a while ago you guys in the US will be looking to fit Euro gearing in your bikes once gas reaches $4/gallon. It's over $4 here in Panama and as others have said it's gone up 35cents/lt ($1.20/G) in the last 4-5months in New Zealand since I left. Diesel is more that regular there too. Put it up I say, $10/Gallon will help start getting people to think twice about using their cars and may help reduce the load on the environment a bit more. Because of the over use of cars in developed nations we have a very large ozone hole over NZ causing the highest counts of skin cancer along with Australia than any other country. For every American that revs their engine a small child in NZ dies of melanoma >:(

Can't wait till I'm rich enough to develop a decent electric motorcycle and enjoy the real freedom of low down power.

Enjoy your bikes while you can, one day you might be telling your grand children about these once mighty animals that tore up the roads.
Steve

I haven't seen any efficiency data that includes the entire chain from fossil fuel to rear wheel, but i'd be really surprised if electric is much more efficient than exploding it as you are riding, and it's certainly a lot less fun.

Quote from: zore on June 27, 2008, 12:11:04 PM
Just my 2 cents, if another 50 cents per gallon keeps some soccer mom with a cell phone attached to her face out of an excursion and into something I can actually see around, I'm all for it.  Since the gas prices have been going up, the traffic conditions have much improved in my neck of the woods.  I look at it as money well spent if I don't have to stare at brake lights for 2 hours while going to work.

The problem is that they can AFFORD it.  I have a computer customer that has 2 hummers and a freakin Yukon.  Total combined gas mileage from all 3 of their cars is still less than my single Honda Accord.  They also have a yacht and powerboat...jetboat etc.  West Knoxville where I live is like Beverly Hills.  There are more banks than gas stations and you see some of the most exotic cars and biggest suv's driving around here.  Regular is 3.92 but go a couple miles down the road and its 3.87.
As a side note, my zip code used to be 37922 which is "one of the most desireable zip codes in Knoxville".  Because I live in "Concord" which is within Farragut, my zip code was just changed to 37934....which reflects the "lower income" part of town.

David

Quote from: roro on June 28, 2008, 06:43:55 AM
I haven't seen any efficiency data that includes the entire chain from fossil fuel to rear wheel, but i'd be really surprised if electric is much more efficient than exploding it as you are riding, and it's certainly a lot less fun.

maybe but don't be too sure about the fun part, a dedicated build from ground up for electric not a retro fit allows for far better design AND two wheel drive. Now you can have real fun with instant power at both wheels. If you are thinking about electric and you think standard DC battery & motor mounted central as in petrol version and golf carts then it's not going to be a lot of fun. If you consider you can make the wheel the motor, most of your weight is low and unsprung plus you are now driving with a push as well as pull using both wheels. Computer control frequency drivers to the motors and you are into a new way of motoring. Yes the main issues are tolerance design of the wheel motor combination, manufacturing processes have this at a price point that it is now available at consumer prices for mass produced items. And limitations of batteries, these will get better, my mobile phone is now smaller than the battery of my first mobile phone ten years ago and phone use lasts 5 times as long. Improvements in battery technology will help drive this electric motorcycle design, so too will $10/G for gas. Oil companies will start looking at all the technology over the years they have bought to prevent it getting to the public and start investing in it as their next future income.

I have a bet with a friend that an electric motorcycle will have the Manfield lap record with in our life time. Being a petrol head and racing enthusiast he wont believe it but then he doesn't understand anything about electronics ::). If I get the opportunity I would like to be part of setting that record. ;D

One more thing.  For around town driving, my accord gets about 20mpg on 87 octane.  I can go about 270 miles on about 14 gals of gas.  Costs me about $58.00 to fill my accord. One way trip to work is roughly 8 miles so it is costing me roughly a gallon of gas a day to go to work. On the other hand,  I can fill my Vision with about 4 gals of 89 octane for just under $13.00 and go about 200 miles; a roughly 23% cost savings and nearly twice the mileage savings.  If I cut to 87  octane, the savings are even more.
For the first time in a long time, I managed to ride almost 10 days in a row exclusively on YJ!  It was great.  It takes me a little longer to get ready in the morning and I have a bit more to carry in to work. (Backpack, tank bag and helmet) Plus, everyone looks at me wearing my riding jacket and chaps (you should see all the funny "chaps" cartoons" people have stuck on my locker.  But my anser to them is "Try filling YOUR tank for under $15.00".  ;D

David

$1.00 = EU 0.634920
$1.00 = CDN 1.012
$1.00 = JPN 106.13

     Europeans have taxed themselves and paid their bills as they went, we have spent money we borrowed to fight a war based on some buildings that were demolished by their landlord as an insurance scam. Ken Kesey once said of his bus, "If you paint it bright enough, they can't see it". That truth lives on; you can see it at the pump.

      I did not see it until I looked at WTC 7 and tried to understand its collapse.

     "We the People will blame it on the next President and his political party; the same way We blamed Jimmy Carter for the recession caused by the money we spent in Viet Nam. Then, the lying bastards who did this "unbelievable" hoax will get back in power at the next election; unless you, personally, figure it out for yourself and start doing something to stop them.

     Inane, you should start with the "Gulf of Tonkin". You have much to learn before you form an opinion.

     We each must figure our money is worth half of what it was 5 years ago and "get over it", I hope you have enjoyed the delusion we have been living in.

      Next summer we'll be paying $5.00 gal, budget for it.

$0.02
;)
Coil

Once again coil somehow links a thread topic to 9/11 truth.
High gas prices are proof of 9-11 truth? I know you have to be joking at this point because thats so far out there its coming up from behind. Are you sure ufo's didnt do it? Chemtrails, monsanto? You know i read this interesting article where nasa has just put up a satellite thats capable of beaming brain waves from space to control your every move! (obviously they have already used it to convince arabs to withold on higher output, but thats OBVIOUS)
Its so obviously true it's blowing everyones mind, except for you. You dont believe it because you're blind to the truth! If you dont research it for yourself and come up with the same conclusion as I do, you're still just a sheep! Baaaa!
Is there a finger rotating around your ear 'crazy person' smiley, i'm not seeing one.
It's a silly way to go about life thinking everyone is out to get you, and that theres a man in a cloak smoking cigarillos behind every
corner, plotting the downfall of your dollar and your righteous life.
Then again i guess the sicker truth is that most people who drive gas powered vehicles can afford to put fuel in it. Go figure, an american indulging in a luxury they can afford because they work for the money they pay to the gas station. Thats what global warming is for though, so even the people who can afford to fuel their gas guzzling four seater school bus will be unable to.

If you want to construct a conspiracy, how about construct one based on how the powers that might be are trying as hard as they can to implode the us economy through taxes and regulations.

We'll figure out the high gas prices as we go. Its not the end of the world, its not even close. Maybe you'll have to go back to a basic phone service, or maybe eat out less per week, but even 5 dollar a gallon gas isnt really that bad. It's an expense, its always been an expense, its just it'll be a more significant expense as time goes on. It's not a loaf of bread, it's the guarantee of luxurious personal transportation thats never late, goes wherever you want it to, and however fast you want it to. I'd pay 5 dollars a gallon to drive myself, and maybe other people, around. Maybe even drive one of those horrendous poor fuel economy trucks you read about, and haul around two thousand pounds of rocks.

Inane, I am on your side but you can't win over the 'kool aid' drinkers. Coil is way over on the other side. I just wish they would wear their 'aluminum foil beanies' so regular humans could recognize and avoid them. Just leave them in their little delusional world, they are happy there.

OK, I'm gonna play moderator here.  This is one of my favorite forums and is by far the cleanest and friendliest I have ever been on.  We are a community of FRIENDS with a Vision...no pun intended.  In all the years I have been posting on this site I have hardly ever seen members get stressed over one another (well, once when someone made a comment towards me and my inflated post count).  I sense that this conversation is getting stressed.  So please for the sake of our collective friendships, lets tone it down a bit and continue to be friends with a common vision and bond.

Thanks,

David

Thanks, David.  Well said!   ;D

I've started to write posts several times only to say, "No, this is NOT the place for this conversation."  Then I delete the stuff I wrote & move on - but with by blood pressure a little higher.   ::)  (That's the last thing I need at this time.)

H₂O

Well said Dave. Thank you I was reading this and thinking the same.
We in the USA have enjoyed low feul prices but it is changing. In NY regular (87) is $4.21 with 93 for my Honda even more. I've not filled it for a few weeks and back then 93 was prices like 87 is today. Just over a week ago I paid 1.56€ per liter in Helsinki. Not a big change from last January when it was 1.42€ up from Decembers 1.32€ because of a tax increase. And remember there is only one grade for sale there, 93. Back then with an exchange rate of about 1.43 the cost of a gallon in dollars was over $8. You want to go you pay that is the way it is. As far a politics goes, you vote, what more can you do?

on the side, I was in the LG area during the last weekend of Americade. Lots of bikes but no Visions were sited by me. Anyone here make the trip?

not everyone is going to hold hands and skip. Nothing wrong with some disagreements.  However, if a reply has to do with the thread "4.00 gas" then I say have at it.  This thread could just as easily be about record high corn or wheat prices.  Nobody likes to shell out big time for things that were half as much just a couple yrs ago.  My view is most Americans(not just rich) drive their cars around without even considering that it is a luxury.  If high gas prices force individuals to consider that there are other options than simply importing more oil than I applaud it.  IMO it is a long term solution to securing our nation. 

well then, so be it.... but you'd be prepared to dig a little deeper into your pockets when the borderline folks who can just barely afford to go to work decide it's cheaper to go on welfare....

not to worry though, there's plenty of middleclass Americans out there to help them out

Jim; don't dispare... the truth is out there.....

it may take 45 years to find the magic bullet... but it will be found.... just be prepared to accept the results

Quote from: coilXZcoyle on June 28, 2008, 12:30:34 PM
$1.00 = EU 0.634920
$1.00 = CDN 1.012
$1.00 = JPN 106.13

$1.00 US = 0.63310 Euro
$1.00 US = 0.9895 Canadian.
$1.00 US = 106.14000 Japanese Yen

The Brits pay nearly twice the price for gas we do...so do most Europeans!!!

Me, I'm a salesman plying my wares around Southern Ontario, Canada...(Ontario is a large chunk of real estate...a Province that will take me longer to get to its Western border than to get to Florida!!!) I don't have much choice but to "pay the piper" when he plays his tune ::) I have a couple of customers who have no problem me going to see them on the Vision, which is great...I get to ride, make money and save a chunk on my gas bill... but I still have the choice, as many of us do, to go play with my toy(s) when I want...and as long as I have that choice I will exercise it as and when I feel the need. Its called capitalism!!! and we ALL, here in North America, enjoy its freedom to varying degree's... ;)
The rich will continue to get richer, that is the way of the free and communist world. No conspiracy...just plain old fashioned business doing business... ::)
..as for Jim, (coilXZcoyle), I don't really agree with his views, hence my lack of replies in his posts...however, I respect his right to air his opinion...just like the rest of us. So lets drop the innuendo's and snide remarks.

Remember this "sticks and stones may break my bones...but whips and chains excite me" :o ;D :D :D :D :D :D

Please, lets move on... ;)

                   

Quote from: Tiger on June 29, 2008, 12:38:42 AM
..as for Jim, (coilXZcoyle), I don't really agree with his views, hence my lack of replies in his posts...however, I respect his right to air his opinion...just like the rest of us. So lets drop the innuendo's and snide remarks.

Remember this "sticks and stones may break my bones...but whips and chains excite me" :o ;D :D :D :D :D :D

Please, lets move on... ;)

                   

8).......TIGER....... 8)

I fully respect jims views and his right to post them here on the boards.  My reason for stepping in though was that the discussion was in the general boards and was going way off topic.  I have read many of jims posts in the OT forum and some I agree with and some not and I post accordingly as you do.
However, my concern was that we are all friends here and the nature of the psot shifted in a very negative direction and I felt that if someone didn't say something, it would have gotten worse.

Respectfully to all,

David

Doh! I hope I didn't start something....just frustrated with U.S. govs. uselessness and crookedness....I just feel my parents should get the money they paid in....and their kids shouldn't have to pay extortionist taxes for receiving what possesion they have to leave them....... we do have to face the fact that the U.S. is not driving the world economies the way it once did...and goods with increase 400%+ while wages increase only 50% which is the case...... in my life time....well since driving I mean.....I won't vent anymore and sorry if I started this down the wrong way.

There is no such thing as honest government.  It doesn't exist in any country.  Some are just able to do a better job of hiding the fact.  As for all the 9/11 conspiracy theories, I'll just put on my aluminum foil hat to protect myself.

As for raining in this topic again.  I have not driven a car since my gap trip in May.  Ride to work day is July 16th.

I hope I wasn't being considered snide,  but I guess I should have elaborated more on my reply about conspiracy theories...

I had just finished watching a 2 hour Discovery or History Channel special about the the assassination of JFK...

45 years after the event, and after 45 years of better technology, a team from Australia (I believe) demonstrated with the same ballistics that a "magic bullet" could create 6 out of the seven wounds... it could possibly have created the seventh (thigh wound on Connelly) had the bullet struck only 1 of Connelly's (ballistic dummy) ribs instead of two....

of course, that bullet was probably trivial compared to the head shot...

point being.... the truth is out there, and after enough time and probably after everyone involved is dead, the truth will be "discovered" Right Marilyn?   

http://www.killacycle.com/
http://www.dieselbike.net/
both interesting websites.

Hey there IIan, I'm in Auckland. What sort of Vision have you got? Drop a mail to  pickteam@xnet.co.nz if you like. Cheers Glyn.

Lets give this guy some money.

http://www.controlglobal.com/articles/2008/158.html?page=1 (http://www.controlglobal.com/articles/2008/158.html?page=1)

$0.02
;)
Coil

Quote from: inanecathode on June 28, 2008, 01:12:24 PM
Once again coil somehow links a thread topic to 9/11 truth.

1. The Iran invasion disrupted world oil supplies.
2. Lower oil supplies raised world market prices.
3. We invaded Iran after being lied to about terrorism from Iran.
4. The demolition of the WTC buildings was "sold" to us as a terrorist act by the people who sell us consumer goods, the advertising industry.
5. Before any one began doubting the "true story" a majority of Americans had already been "brainwashed" that  "conspiracy theorists" were going to try and lie to them.

    The attack on Our Country is still going on. Any world situation that is described by a person who tells us that I'm a "nut, wacko, conspiracy theorist or asshole" should not just be doubted; their position and evidence should be thoroughly analyzed by each of us.

    We all are friends here, I respect and would defend, to my death, your individual right to disagree with me. I agreed with the "official theory" until after the 9/11 commission report was issued. By mid 2006 I became aware of doubters by watching Bill O'Reilly basically tell a reasonable person who he was interviewing to shutup! It was another six months before I spent any time searching the internet and reading opinions. I found that there were "wackos", "nuts", "conspiracy theorists" and that the "assholes" were there also; mostly they were defending the official story.

    I'm not going to lie to friends, the World Trade Center buildings were blown up with a controlled demolition while civil servants and office workers were trapped in them, we were lied to about that fact to get us into a war that were did not tax ourselves to pay for, the world oil supply was decreased, the market price went up.

     I could rest if the powers that run our media just let us know that all of the building in New York above, say, 25 stories tall are pre-rigged for controlled demolition in case of a fire. Maybe because of the 93 WTC bombing, that would make sense. The timing of the demolition would not make sense but that they were able to do it the same day as the fire started would, at last, make sense.

     What's gas going to cost in dollars after we do this financial bailout? What lead us to spend all this money chasing our tail? Did seeing the towers fall have anything to do with our willingness to spend money with out taxing ourselves to pay the debt?

     I don't usually agree with people on the following link but they are making more sense daily.
http://www.brasschecktv.com/page/433.html (http://www.brasschecktv.com/page/433.html)

      I'll avoid subjecting the General Board to truth, sorry.

      I hope we get to ride together someday.
;)
Coil

"Why is it that anyone who asks questions about September 11 gets attacked?"
                                                                                                        Governor Jesse Ventura

Old thread is oooooolde

(http://img.sparknotes.com/content/sparklife/sparktalk/instructoart_cuckoo.gif)


Anyhow. Does anyone have a handy explanation why diesel is $4.30 a gallon and gasoline is $3.87? The reason i ask is this:

1) You get diesel fuel almost on accident refining for gasoline
2) You get much much more diesel than gasoline out of the same barrel of crude oil

Is it the taxes they put on it? Supply and demand? I knew there was a big jump in people buying diesel trucks and cars but i didnt know it was big enough to hike the price of lamp oil diesel fuel almost 60 cents :o

Quote from: coilXZcoyle on September 28, 2008, 02:51:08 AM



      I'll avoid subjecting the General Board to truth, sorry.

 

Who's truth?  Just because you agree with it, doesn't mean it's so.  Speculation doesn't = facts.

Quote from: inanecathode on September 28, 2008, 03:27:55 AM
Old thread is oooooolde

(http://img.sparknotes.com/content/sparklife/sparktalk/instructoart_cuckoo.gif)


Anyhow. Does anyone have a handy explanation why diesel is $4.30 a gallon and gasoline is $3.87? The reason i ask is this:

1) You get diesel fuel almost on accident refining for gasoline
2) You get much much more diesel than gasoline out of the same barrel of crude oil

Is it the taxes they put on it? Supply and demand? I knew there was a big jump in people buying diesel trucks and cars but i didnt know it was big enough to hike the price of lamp oil diesel fuel almost 60 cents :o

If I'm not mistaken, they are taxing diesel to subsidize the cost of gasoline.  I could be wrong on this, but that's what I read.

I'd actually be interested in euro gears for mine.  I guess I'll start combing ebay.

The probelm I see (and I may have missed this becasue I hadn't read all the posts) is that the oil industry is creating artificially high gas prices anb laming the supply on natural disasters.  "Disasters" that pres-Katrina never made a difference in oil/gas prices.  Right now, oil is well below 100.00/barrel which would put gas prices in the mid 2.00 per gallon price range.  Is it there? NO because they are creating an artificially high demand for gas by intentionally restricting the distribution of gas.  Supply and demand.  If the supply is low and the demand is high, they will set the price according ly. Now, gas prices arent dependent on the low price of oil, they are dependent on what the mega billion dollar profit industry is setting the prices at to meet the diminished supply that they themselves created.  Its only gonna get worse.

David

that's why I've been taking the bike to work instead of cruising in the Jeep.  From my stand point I think by now every American should have a plan in place to reduce their fuel usage.  High gas prices now are not something new.

Zore , the "euro" primary gears are also usedin the SR500 and probably other models. It you go to Old Bike Barn or maybe Bike Bandit, you could compare part numbers ans find out which models used those reduction gears. It would make your search much easier.