Segway? Motorcycle?

[thecatsandi]

Originally Posted by craftsman

I love Triumphs: the cars and bikes. I learned to drive in a Spitfire. My son has his eye on this Triumph, I like the more traditional look.

That little symbol on the side is the spinning prop.

[HiHoAgRV]

Originally Posted by RedSHED

That's what I heard: Stan, the Prince of Darkness was an electrical engineer with Lucas.

Makes sense.

As a multiple British auto owner I can comment on them-
Lucas head lights... Off, Dim and Flicker
"All parts falling off of this car are of the Finest British Craftsmanship"
Lucas- the inventor of the Intermittent Wiper

[Folkie53]

I own two Segways and use them to run errands around town. One of the fundemental mistakes ,I think, we make is that another form of transportation will take the place of our cars or trucks. What is required I think is a redefinition of how we think, when we think "commute". For instance, I can't "commute to work here in Central Fl because the infrastructure is not there for the Segway. But I can run to the post ioffice or the local grocery store to pick up things that I would have otherwise had to take "the beast" to get. Since the Segways fits in the back of the truck I can take them with me to do the exploring that I want to do when we camp. One word of warning should be givien, when you ride (we call it glide) on a Segway you give up your privacy. Everybody wants to talk to you about what you are rideing and how much does it cost, how does it work, etc. Hope this helps answer some of your questions. Gotta Go Gotta Glide

[pmclemore]

Ditto on the BMW. I just passed my '91 K75RT to my son. Wonderful bike for riding, touring, commuting.

Folks can't imagine how enjoyable a smoooth ride can be - unless they've ridden a beemer.

Pat

[ScottW]

We've got a Beemer R1200C - a really nice ride. Also have a Vespa! Another classic. Both get great gas mileage.
As I told my oldest son after he finished the Motorcycle Safety Foundation course...You must ride a bike with the idea that you are INVISIBLE! Not to mean you are bullet proof, but other drivers will not see you...period! 'Nuff said. enjoy and be careful.

[mrmossyone]

I've ridden motorcycles for about twenty years and I have had 6 wrecks and totaled two bikes and I still love to ride. Only two of those wrecks were my fault, one was on the race track and one was on a very remote section of twisty mountain road and both were at high rates of speed for the road or corner on the track(both were single vehicle wrecks and one involved a 4 inch wide swath of gravel the same color as the pavement that I failed to see the other was while trying to pass on the outside of a decreasing radius right hander where my lean angle became too great and my exhaust header hit the track and leveraged the whole bike off the track). That is part of the sport, if you ride sport bikes at a very spirited pace you will eventually lowside or highside. I should preface this by saying that I have just recently finished a term of President for Mid South Sport Riders, the oldest sport riding club in the mid south. I have a lot of experience with city riding as well as performance riding and you must ride as if you are invisible at all times. Only my experience and constant attention to my surroundings saved me from what could have been very serious injuries or death on three occasions, on all of these occasions an auto pulled right out in front of me. I had to lay the bike down on each occasion but walked away from each crash with very minor injuries(this is not the norm for most riders I have just been particularly unlucky with auto's pulling out in front of me). No matter what anyone says riding motorcycles in America is much more dangerous than riding in a car( this may change if fuel prices continue to increase and we gain a better awareness of motorcycles here), this is something you must accept each time you throw a leg over the bike. I sold two bikes recently to purchase the Airstream and other family recreation supplies but I will own another probably in the near future. A motorcycle can be a wonderful and efficient means of transportation but you should always be aware of the dangers. There are many, many people who have ridden bikes for years and never had an incident, they have been lucky. That luck is surely effected by a great deal of awareness of your surroundings and experience. There is an old saying amongst motorcyclists, "There are those that have been down and those that will go down".

I am currently interested in a Kawasaki Ninja 250, it gets 55 mpg and costs about 25,000 dollars less than the afore mentioned Civic and Prius. You can easily ride it on the interstate with a top speed of 92 mph and 0-60 time of 7 seconds. The bike sells for 3300 dollars new. As mentioned a Honda rebel or nighthawk 250 gets around 85 mpg and costs about the same as the Ninja. If you have back problems I would recomend a sport touring bike as the seating posture is much closer to a natural back saving posture. I have had cruisers, sport bikes, sport touring bikes and dirt bikes and sport touring bikes are in my opinion the most comfortable to ride. I have done several 750-1,000 mile days in the saddle of my Honda VFR(best sport touring bike ever made). Honda has the best reputation for maintenance free reliability of any bike made. Be careful buying a newer BMW with Cantelever front end, I've known three people who bought them and sold them quickly. BMW's are nice bikes but quirky and prone to elec. problems.

I would never take a segway onto a city street let alone a highway. It's a toy that doesn't have the power or manuverability to get out of it's own way. In my opinion they are a toy for neighborhood streets or they would be useful on sidewalks in large citys to run errands.

The most important advice I can give is to take the MSF course and never ever let your guard down while riding. Motorcycle riding is a very visceral experience that requires all senses to be highly attuned and involved in the activity. I love riding and would recommend it to anyone, be careful and enjoy. IMHO it is one of life's greatest experiences.

[RedSHED]

Originally Posted by mrmossyone

I've ridden motorcycles ...

I think I understood that, although the absence of a couple of commas flipped the meaning 180 degrees from what I think had been your intention.

When I was flying, people - usually recently divorced guys - would come out to the airport and say, with a quivering voice: "Is, uh, is it safe?"
The first time I got a little P.O'd and nearly responded, "No, we all have death wishes. Roy over there, he's hitting on his IRS agent's wife."

But I thought better of it, and finally started answering this way. "You're asking the wrong question. What you need to ask is 'Are you safe?' Santilli over there has been flying since 1929 and has a license signed by one of the Wright brothers."

I still feel this way. I'm convinced you can do nearly anything if you go at it with the right attitude, but that's the fiendishly hard part: maintaining the right attitude. When do you stand down and give yourself a good chewing out, how do you never take it for granted, and NEVER EVER get yourself into a position where you have no "out."

"What am I going to do when (not if) a guy comes around this corner in my lane?"
"Which car ahead of me is going to change lanes?
"Where will I land when the engine stops?"
To pursue an activity your insurance agent would rather you didn't, and to do so successfully demands a mental and emotional commitment bordering on religous.

When we were dating, my wife worried that I was obsessive compulsive. I assured her that I was merely a pilot. And alive.

[mrmossyone]

What part didn't you understand and which part got flipped 180 degrees? I will try and clarify.

[deauxrite]

Mine is an electric Bicycle. I ride it to work everyday here in Alaska and just charge it up via the external 110 volt outlet on the outside of the AS.

[Fyrzowt]

Originally Posted by deauxrite

Mine is an electric Bicycle. I ride it to work everyday here in Alaska and just charge it up via the external 110 volt outlet on the outside of the AS.

More info?
I'd be interested in your experience with it. What brand, weight, range per charge, how long to re-charge, where you purchased, etc.
If it's not too heavy or expensive, it sounds like it would be great on a trip for cruising after parking the rig.
Dave

[elbundi]

Originally Posted by Fyrzowt

More info?
I'd be interested in your experience with it. What brand, weight, range per charge, how long to re-charge, where you purchased, etc.
If it's not too heavy or expensive, it sounds like it would be great on a trip for cruising after parking the rig.
Dave

Im thinking of using my share of our stimulus check to buy the roadrunner kit for my bike from Crystalyte Hub Motors, Eon Lithium Batteries, Electric Bikes, Electric Scooters, Parts, Service
My commute is only 7 miles but will have to figure a back roads route as the highway is out of the question.

[Journalist]

Originally Posted by elbundi

Im thinking of using my share of our stimulus check to buy the roadrunner kit for my bike from Crystalyte Hub Motors, Eon Lithium Batteries, Electric Bikes, Electric Scooters, Parts, Service
My commute is only 7 miles but will have to figure a back roads route as the highway is out of the question.

You're a prime cantidate for one of these:Enertia Bike

[85MH325]

I'm considering picking up a couple of these...

Roger

[Journalist]

That thing kind of reminds me of a 19th century wheelchair:


In searching for the above photo I found this. I want one!