4.00 gas prices.

[The Prophet of Doom]

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.

[YellowJacket!]

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

[kiwibum]

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

[YellowJacket!]

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

[Coil Coyle]

$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

[inanecathode]

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.

[Walt_M.]

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.

[YellowJacket!]

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

[h2olawyer]

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

[Riche]

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?

[kwells]

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. 

[Night Vision]

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

[Tiger]

$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... ;)

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

[YellowJacket!]

..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

[GT @ oh.]

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.

[zore]

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.

[Night Vision]

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?   

[reardeac]

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

[Glyn]

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.

[Coil Coyle]

Lets give this guy some money.

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

$0.02
;)
Coil