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2012 Harleys to be Water Cooled

Discussion in 'Motorcycle Tech Talk' started by cardboard, Apr 2, 2011.

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  1. alex the dog

    alex the dog Active Member

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    I have a buddy I ride with every week that just turned 85 years old. I want to be just like him when I grow up.

    I had the same thought about storing gasoline in my old 1,000 gal. propane tank. I wish I had it filled a year and a half ago when gas was down to $1.10/gal. and it was REAL gas. My hindsight is exceptional. This new E-10 probably wouldn't survive being stored that long anyway.
    alex the dog, Apr 10, 2011
    #61
  3. Daxx169

    Daxx169 New Member

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    look on the bright side, by the time you're 90 they'll have finally gotten battery power to a decent level. will be interesting to see what happens when more bikes convert to electricity. If you look online there are already a few on the market, unfortunately with extremely short battery-distance ratio's. but the power output of the straight shot engines is insane. once they actually figure out how to pack more power into them, quite a few people are in for a wild ride. the torque specs on the electrics off the start are enough to make an astronauts head snap back. ill have to find an article i was reading a little while ago about that.

    I'll miss the gasoline engines though.
    Daxx169, Apr 11, 2011
    #62
  4. alex the dog

    alex the dog Active Member

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    Right you are brother! An electric car (even if it only runs for 50 miles on a charge) will be my next purchase. I will still keep my Jeep Grand Cherokee with the Hemi engine for further trips though.

    My dream car is still a '67 Corvette convertible with a 427 / 4 speed. Deep blue with grey leather would be nice too.
    alex the dog, Apr 11, 2011
    #63
  5. JohnnyBiker

    JohnnyBiker Well-Known Member

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    nice
    JohnnyBiker, Apr 11, 2011
    #64
  6. hotroadking

    hotroadking Super Moderator Staff Member

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    yep problem is the economics don't work out.

    At leesburg bike fest they had a Volt on display, basically a
    large Prius shaped car, however big differences in mechanics.

    The Prius is a hybrid drive, it runs on gas or electric.

    The Volt runs only on electric as far as drive goes.
    You charge it for 4 hrs on 220 or 8 hrs on 110 and
    you can drive 40 miles, give or take a few miles.

    However it also has a small gas generator engine
    who's sole job is to kick in when battery gets low and
    run the electric drive engine. So it really never pulls
    the load of the vehicle like a Hybrid.

    IF you drive 40 or less miles a day
    and/or have a charging station at work
    which many are starting to put in, then
    you would never have a need to buy any gas again, ever

    However JMO you'd really have to buy some gas
    because that stuff is going to go bad in the tank.

    Now the kicker

    $45,000 entrance fee for a big prius
    they (GM) are taking advantage of $7500 rebate
    but that makes it a $37,500 car plus TTT.

    Now at $4 a gallon a $45,000 car
    using a tank a week in a similar size
    car priced at $20K that gets 40 MPG or 1 gallon a day
    20 gallon tank, $80 a month

    $25,000/$80 = 281.25 months or 23.44 years to recover the cost difference

    That is taking the base price of the gas car out as
    you need to spend $20K either way.

    So you've dropped $45K,
    (no tax rebate is 1 to 1 on the dollar and if you don't have $8K
    in taxes to offset, well it doesn't work well)

    It's why the electrics will never work
    no infrastructure
    too expensive to recover costs in a reasonable time.

    We all know vehicles are a zero sum game
    ie a commodity, however I basically zero'd out
    50% of the Volt and 100% of the used cars value
    in that comparison..

    If the volt is still worth 50% in 24 years

    Put it on Barrett Jackson...

    IN fact it would be cheaper to drive a small Block 67 to work on nice days
    getting 10 MPG and keep it original, because you would drop $70K
    on the car, drive it, and in 10 years sell it for $100k...

    There, tell your wife you are investing in transportation and
    her retirement...

    Go get the Vette!
    hotroadking, Apr 11, 2011
    #65
  7. alex the dog

    alex the dog Active Member

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    I like your math Hotroadking! I don't really need much incentive to buy a '67 Vette, except they are selling for over $100 grand today. So that puts me back in the market for something that I can actually afford, and it will never be a Prius or ANY Toyota.

    GM, Ford, or Chrysler will have something (practical) electric on the horizon before long. Besides, I would love to see what the oil companies do when that trend spreads. Hey, I can only hope.
    alex the dog, Apr 11, 2011
    #66
  8. alex the dog

    alex the dog Active Member

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    I have an idea to put a 120R H-D motor in a compact enclosed 3-wheel car that seats 2-3 people. Motor would be in the rear, with 2 wheels up front like the Can Am. Anyone interested?
    alex the dog, Apr 11, 2011
    #67
  9. chucktx

    chucktx Moderator Staff Member

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    hmmmmmmmm.......

    Attached Files:

    chucktx, Apr 11, 2011
    #68
  10. alex the dog

    alex the dog Active Member

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    Good one Chuck. I see you've been thinking about this also. I know it's not a new idea, but properly executed, this would make a pretty decent vehicle.

    Totally enclosed for year-round use with a comfortable interior, light weight (less than 1,000 lbs) from the use of fibreglass composites, storage trunk for practicallity, and a simple, reliable motor with ample torque and fuel economy. It would have to look very sporty for anyone to give it a second look. I can actually envision it in my mind as I worked out the details in my dream.

    I've got to go take a nap so I can finish the prototype.
    alex the dog, Apr 12, 2011
    #69
  11. Daxx169

    Daxx169 New Member

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    Uh, Alex, I think you just described a Corvette....except the weight thing lol
    Daxx169, Apr 12, 2011
    #70
  12. chucktx

    chucktx Moderator Staff Member

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    :D:D yup!!
    chucktx, Apr 12, 2011
    #71
  13. alex the dog

    alex the dog Active Member

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    alex the dog, Apr 13, 2011
    #72
  14. FLHTbiker

    FLHTbiker Moderator Staff Member

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    Watch the video, yuk, belongs on a race track
    FLHTbiker, Apr 13, 2011
    #73
  15. chucktx

    chucktx Moderator Staff Member

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    not impressed with the overall appearance......
    chucktx, Apr 13, 2011
    #74
  16. alex the dog

    alex the dog Active Member

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    Me either. It looks like a Formula 1 car designed for the racetrack. But if it were wider for 2 people and had more subtle styling (kinda like a small Toyota MR-2 at 1/2 the price), now we're talking.
    alex the dog, Apr 14, 2011
    #75
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