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Gr3y posted:I mean the idea is pretty sound, and definitely in the realm of possibility. The problem is that it's designed by a lunatic. Modular suspensions have been tried to various degrees on a bunch of vehicles, sometimes even making it to production. The issue is there is no realistic set up that's a magic bullet for every situation a machine is likely to encounter. You can reliably and effectively change one aspect of a vehicles suspension on the fly (look at the ground clearance settings on a Toureg for example), but once you start screwing with multiple variables you're going to run into all sorts of problems. Not to mention the added mechanical complexity that brings, which means more parts to fail and more weight on the vehicle, and you're asking for problems. I admit, that it doesn't seem that batshit insane on the surface. Here's a few more quotes: Cost at the time was listed at 80-110k. quote:The bike is not “incredibly expensive”. You would have a hard time paying less than a million for a home within a 2 hour drive of San Francisco. You are , I am guessing in your 20’s and you won’t reach your maximum earning potential for a couple of decades, so what may seem out of reach for you now, will seem reasonable soon enough. quote:Some 400,000 people a year die in traffic accidents around the world every year. It is a war out there. Ten times that many are injured. We have 30 percent of the vehicles in North America and just under 25k deaths. In Germany that tribe can drive fast. Try that in Ireland and you have a mess on your hands. A.I. controlled shapeshifting! quote:The 4 seconds is from one shape extreme to another. A shapechange in a corner would be a 1-second shift. If you are stretched full out and hit a fast curve, then maybe a 2+ second shift. The bike “sees” the loads change on the frame ( stress registering textile patches) and sees the road via sensors and can adjust automatically. How much automation we will want depends on real-world tests over the next 3 years as I stated in the WebSite, and the rider always has the option of shutting the A.I. off. Because when you're coming in too fast, you always have 2 seconds of the bike shifting about under you before you get into the corner! quote:I agree with the assertion that a fast car made cheap would result in irresponsible people getting into more accidents, but at the same time I can put a Porsche into a side slide at serious speed and get the rear end to tuck back under. I can’t do that with an American car. That is the difference between an appliance and an instrument.  quote:We don’t like the soft metal 30k mile wonders from Asia. Has he gotten rid of the governer yet?  Also laffo at the "soft metal 30k mile wonders from asia". No one's ever taken a bike over 30k, much less around the world...oh wait. My personal favorite, and the quote that shows his absolute lack of understanding as to how motorcycles work: quote:If you are in whatever mode and your bike goes into a slide, Yes, it's going to change into enduro mode mid slide, and that's going to help you recover it. 
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Apr 10, 2009 20:34
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Gr3y posted:But are there any current designs that change the angle of the steering head in relation to the frame/road? Because that was more what I was talking about, where the actual angle of the forks to the rest of the bike would change. The aprilia RSV4 and ducati 999 allow you to adjust the angle of the headstock and the offset of the triples respectively. There's a number of other bikes that allow for somewhat minor changes. The RSV4 has the most adjustability of any bike I've seen out there thus far (according to their press info), with an adjustable headstock angle, swingarm pivot location, and engine location. Don't get me wrong, minor change is not a big deal, and can even be beneficial when controlled correctly, but he was talking about 20+ degrees of rake change and 11 inches of wheelbase change. That's nuts.
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Apr 10, 2009 20:37
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Gr3y posted:But are there any current designs that change the angle of the steering head in relation to the frame/road? Because that was more what I was talking about, where the actual angle of the forks to the rest of the bike would change. I know what you meant. Most people don't grasp how wildly motorcycle's chassis change shape as it stands. When the fork compresses under braking, you've suddenly got a bike that dropped it's CG anywhere from an inch to four inches. With proper drivetrain design, you can even get the rear suspension to stiffen up under load. that prevents squat.. squatting makes bikes wheelie. Longer swingarms help that too. The guy who wants to build the changing chassis doesn't really get what he's trying to do. There's something else to ponder. If your bike is constantly changing underneath you. How can you predict how it's going to behave? Bikes went to stiff chassis for predictability. Soft, flexable chassis make more grip. For this guys thing to work it would have to be a freakishly rigid chassis, and the servos would be big and heavy. ther'es just so much wrong with it. As a styling experiement, I say go for it. It's practical uses are slim.
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Apr 10, 2009 20:44
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Nerobro posted:Depends on fork angle. choppers will lose inches of wheelbase. A sportbike, might lose an inch from the fork. It also will lose wheelbase from the back tire coming forward. When the bike pitches forward, the fork angle DOES change in relation to the road. Okay there's something I'm missing here. The more I think about it the less I'm seeing how suspension compression is changing wheelbase. I guess i could see it on a hard tail... but what your saying is that as the front forks extend or contract they're bringing the front wheel closer or further from the bike. But isn't the frame pivoting on the swingarm and rear springs, changing it's attitude to the front forks while maintaining wheelbase. Because as the front suspension loads up the rear unloads "tilting" the chassis forward, and vice versa when the rear loads up. Also if your going into a corner, and the front tire is carrying weight, wouldn't a decrease in wheelbase be dragging the contact patch opposite the direction of tire rotation? Because that seems terrifying.
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Apr 10, 2009 21:31
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Go Go Gadget Enduro Mode!Z3n posted:Also laffo at the "soft metal 30k mile wonders from asia". No one's ever taken a bike over 30k, much less around the world...oh wait. I'm partial to this soft metal wonder.
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Apr 10, 2009 21:34
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Gr3y posted:Okay there's something I'm missing here. The more I think about it the less I'm seeing how suspension compression is changing wheelbase. I guess i could see it on a hard tail... but what your saying is that as the front forks extend or contract they're bringing the front wheel closer or further from the bike. But isn't the frame pivoting on the swingarm and rear springs, changing it's attitude to the front forks while maintaining wheelbase. Because as the front suspension loads up the rear unloads "tilting" the chassis forward, and vice versa when the rear loads up. Apologies for the absolutely poo poo diagram, but  There you can see a motorcycle at rest, and the direction that the suspension will travel when you unweight everything. The front wheel will shift up and back as the forks compress, and the rear swingarm will extend down and forwards, shortening the wheelbase.
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Apr 10, 2009 22:08
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While I know this is bicycles and bicycles and motorcycles are two different beasts this has been done very well by this company. http://www.bionicon.com/standard.xml?vpID=425&SID=1239398000_099d00000000009f2ad6 I have ridden several of these and they are pure sex on rubber for mnountain bikers. That being said maintenance!!  Edit: fail type
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Apr 10, 2009 22:17
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Ponies ate my Bagel posted:While I know this is bicycles and bicycles and motorcycles are two different beasts this has been done very well by this company. That looks pretty awesome. Does anyone still have the link kicking around to the guys who made a super small enduro type bike by hand as part of a university senior project? That was fantastic.
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Apr 10, 2009 22:24
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My local bike shop sells those. I got a chance to do some downhill on their biggest meanest model. I blew 2 seals out on the drat thing and the rep had a poo poo fit was a great time.
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Apr 10, 2009 22:43
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Well, I finally discovered one reason why my bike was running poorly last season - the PO had hooked up the tank vent lines to the carb vents rather than leaving them free to hang. Of course, my first attempt at rectifying the situation was a failure, mostly because I didn't realize that the carbs HAD vents, so I assumed these were vacuum ports that had to be plugged. Needless to say, the bike wouldn't stay running.... Now that I've corrected my stupidity, I'm happy to say my bike is running better than it ever has before.
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Apr 11, 2009 00:09
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Linedance posted:What sort of benefits and changes can you expect from that sort of upgrade? Is it a matter of adjustability, or a better ride? Will the bike sit differently? I might pass this info to my buddy, I remember him talking about suspension upgrades for his Bandit a while ago (though I know in advance that his answer will be "too bad I'm broke!") Adjustability and better ride, mainly. The Bandit is basically the inline-4 version of the SV. Being that, it got cheapo suspension just like the SV. The stock bandit shock is only adjustable for preload. The Busa is adjustable for preload, compression and rebound. A Bandit will sit about an inch higher with a Hayabusa shock in it. Some guys do lowering links to bring it back down to stock. If your buddy has $15 then he's not too poor for this upgrade, thats what I got my busa shock for off ebay. Which is also why I'm not heartbroken that it didnt work out.
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Apr 11, 2009 16:23
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 Click here for the full 1024x768 image. Looks like we're finally getting another small bike in the US. CBR125  http://www.motorcycle-usa.com/353/2019/Motorcycle-Article/2010-KYMCO-Quannon-150-First-Look.aspx EDIT: If those shifty scooter riders are to be trusted Kymco is a halfway decent brand. blugu64 fucked around with this message at 03:46 on Apr 13, 2009 |
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Apr 13, 2009 03:43
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That looks like a 'reasonable, hand drawn facsimile' of a CB125. The quoted weight of 300lbs seems really heavy for a 150cc single, although looking at the specs for the Honda, it supposedly has a dry weight of 280, and it never felt anywhere near that. I was kind of hoping that the other Japanese manufacturers would follow Kawi's lead, but it doesn't look to be the case, at least not yet.
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Apr 13, 2009 05:26
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A relative encountered this in Chicago the other day and sent it to me. What we have here is a guy with no gear - including helmet and gloves - riding a sport bike on a 43 degree day. To make things better, he's stopped at a light with the kickstand down and a rear tire so bald the metal core is showing through the rubber. I am told his next move was to make a left turn from the middle lane, across the path of that Accord, and go into a wheelie. 
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Apr 13, 2009 05:45
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Illinois has no helmet laws? I thought Florida was the bastion of all those broken headed people that seem to enjoy riding around without any kind of protection at all. Edit: There's just too many goddamn  things in that picture. Why the gently caress would you ever, in a million years, put your kickstand down at a set of lights? How does one continue to ride around on a tyre worn through to the cords and not notice? What kind of retarded do you have to be to pull a wheelie, in traffic, with no helmet on?  It also looks like he might be texting. 
Simkin fucked around with this message at 05:51 on Apr 13, 2009 |
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Apr 13, 2009 05:48
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Who waited all week to watch a shoddy, lovely, commercial filled broadcast of motogp with crappy announcers and random techno music thrown in on speed channel only to have the premier race delayed till tomorrow? THIS GUY
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Apr 13, 2009 06:33
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Spiffness posted:Who waited all week to watch a shoddy, lovely, commercial filled broadcast of motogp with crappy announcers and random techno music thrown in on speed channel only to have the premier race delayed till tomorrow? THIS GUY Rain in the desert, who'd have thought. And what moron decided a night race would be a good idea if there was no contingency for rain other than "lol guys plz cancel all your flights and stay for tomorrow we'll try again"?
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Apr 13, 2009 07:09
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Simkin posted:Edit: There's just too many goddamn He must be a Highlander. No one else would be that reckless. Any other explanation makes my brain hurt.
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Apr 13, 2009 07:11
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Spiffness posted:Who waited all week to watch a shoddy, lovely, commercial filled broadcast of motogp with crappy announcers and random techno music thrown in on speed channel only to have the premier race delayed till tomorrow? THIS GUY You expected Speed to provide any halfway decent motorsport coverage? Well, I mean, for anything other than Nascar? 
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Apr 13, 2009 08:04
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It's not that I don't expect it to be total poo poo, its just that I have no other options for live coverage 
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Apr 13, 2009 08:15
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Simkin posted:It also looks like he might be texting. I hadn't even noticed the texting. Wow. That would explain the lack of gloves.
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Apr 13, 2009 08:26
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OrangeFurious posted:A relative encountered this in Chicago the other day and sent it to me. While any one of those things would normally upset me, the combination just makes me want to salute him as he goes by. Shine on you crazy, crazy, diamond.
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Apr 13, 2009 08:30
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One does have to wonder how a person gets to that point in their riding career, with nobody telling them that they're dumber than a sackful of hammers, or having them write themselves and their bike into something large and unmoving. But hey, at least he has proper lane position. 
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Apr 13, 2009 09:17
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Simkin posted:One does have to wonder how a person gets to that point in their riding career, with nobody telling them that they're dumber than a sackful of hammers, or having them write themselves and their bike into something large and unmoving. "career" might be stretching it a bit. Summer job, at best.
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Apr 13, 2009 10:27
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Simkin posted:Illinois has no helmet laws? I thought Florida was the bastion of all those broken headed people that seem to enjoy riding around without any kind of protection at all. Ohio doesn't have require a helmet either. And Michigan is this close.
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Apr 13, 2009 14:00
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Simkin posted:One does have to wonder how a person gets to that point in their riding career, with nobody telling them that they're dumber than a sackful of hammers, or having them write themselves and their bike into something large and unmoving. These same people cruise up and down the beach on a literbike, wearing chromed WWI german helmets made of plastic while shifting with flipflops. Sometimes they stop by the carnival to beat up people and puff up in front of girls. If you've ever tried to approach such a group of insular morons to talk them into any semblance of sense, you're a braver man than I. They tend to respond to the unfamiliar with violence and further ignorance, since it's all they really know. It'll take a shocking thing to make one of these people think, and unfortunately, that shock will likely come in the form of one of their friends being torn apart in a crash.
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Apr 13, 2009 16:36
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God-damned Pilates posted:If you've ever tried to approach such a group of insular morons to talk them into any semblance of sense, you're a braver man than I. They tend to respond to the unfamiliar with violence and further ignorance, since it's all they really know. It'll take a shocking thing to make one of these people think, and unfortunately, that shock will likely come in the form of one of their friends being torn apart in a crash. They also don't wave back when you ride past 
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Apr 13, 2009 16:39
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Bob Morales posted:Ohio doesn't have require a helmet either. And Michigan is this close. Indiana doesn't have a helmet law either. I was surprised the other day to see a guy ride by on a cruiser with a full-face helmet. Just about everybody I see is wearing nothing but sunglasses.
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Apr 13, 2009 16:53
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waptang posted:Indiana doesn't have a helmet law either. I was surprised the other day to see a guy ride by on a cruiser with a full-face helmet. Just about everybody I see is wearing nothing but sunglasses. As I recall Wisconsin and Arizona are also sans chapeau.
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Apr 13, 2009 17:21
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OrangeFurious posted:That's the intersection of Algonquin and golf road, in arlington heights. http://www.google.com/search?client...G=Google+Search I used to work near there..
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Apr 13, 2009 17:29
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waptang posted:Indiana doesn't have a helmet law either. I was surprised the other day to see a guy ride by on a cruiser with a full-face helmet. Just about everybody I see is wearing nothing but sunglasses. I'm that guy. Love my FF.
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Apr 13, 2009 18:17
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With all the bugs that splatter themselves all over my visor, it's a mystery to me that anyone would even want to ride without a full face helmet.
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Apr 13, 2009 22:14
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Simkin posted:Why the gently caress would you ever, in a million years, put your kickstand down at a set of lights? I put my kickstand down while waiting for lights pretty often during my commute. Its nice to be able to relax at some of the 4 minute long lights I hit on San Jose, and I'm already surrounded by traffic so I'm not too worried about getting hit.
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Apr 13, 2009 22:34
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It's building up to be a nice weekend. Have purchased tire changing and balancing tools, new chain and sprocket, petcock rebuild kit, brake pads front and back, still waiting for the mailman to bring me fork protectors and the tires. Also ordered some small stuff like Visorvision anti fog agent, new RAM mount (lost the old one...it will probably show up just as I get the new) and ADV stickers for my summer touring. Going to turn the old rear sprocket and chain into mad bling necklace, front sprocket might be a ring.
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Apr 13, 2009 22:47
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Uthor posted:I'm that guy. Love my FF. I just bought my first half-helmet today. Now I just need to find some cool sunglasses.... I don't mind wearing a FF right now, it's still < 50 degrees most of the time. It's not bad in town, but once you get into the country and start doing 60+ mph....brrr
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Apr 13, 2009 22:55
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pr0zac posted:I put my kickstand down while waiting for lights pretty often during my commute. Its nice to be able to relax at some of the 4 minute long lights I hit on San Jose, and I'm already surrounded by traffic so I'm not too worried about getting hit. It just seems like such a bad habit to get into, especially if you're inattentive -well, unless you disable the kickstand killswitch. 
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Apr 14, 2009 00:20
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Nerobro posted:That's the intersection of Algonquin and golf road, in arlington heights. http://www.google.com/search?client...G=Google+Search Pappadeauxs is delicious.
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Apr 14, 2009 00:34
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So whose fault is it if you hit someone while lane splitting? Last Friday I was on the 5 going through LA during rush hour. Traffic was moving at about 15mph, I was going 45 or so. I was following some dude through traffic when someone who must have been pissed at being stuck tried to squeeze me in after the guy in front passed. I whacked the poo poo out of his mirror, got a bit of a wobble but was fine. Anyway, I just kept going and later noticed that I have more scratches than I used to and a good bit of his white paint on my mirror. Should there be stopping in such situations? For insurance? To punch him in the face for trying to squish me?
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Apr 15, 2009 02:52
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Bugdrvr posted:So whose fault is it if you hit someone while lane splitting? Depends. In this case, you would probably be found at fault, as 45mph is way too loving fast to be lane splitting through 15mph traffic. Also, it's on the splitter to make sure that there is enough space, if you hit a car while splitting, you pretty much will be found at fault. With that said, most of the time no one stops, and it's just a hit and run. Kinda impossible to follow up on and most people can't tell one bike from another, much less catch a plate as you go by. I've found that when people squeeze, it's usually because they're not paying attention. If they wanted to hit you, you wouldn't be posting.
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Apr 15, 2009 03:05
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pr0zac posted:I put my kickstand down while waiting for lights pretty often during my commute. Its nice to be able to relax at some of the 4 minute long lights I hit on San Jose, and I'm already surrounded by traffic so I'm not too worried about getting hit. I can understand putting it in neutral, hell I'll do it myself if there's a blocker behind or there's no traffic, but the kickstand down?? Is it really so hard to balance the bike?
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Apr 15, 2009 03:25
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