[ExI] Peak Oil -- Amory Lovins

[spike]

>... On Behalf Of BillK
Subject: Re: [ExI] Peak Oil -- Amory Lovins

On Thu, May 31, 2012 at 5:06 PM, spike wrote:
>> We can do transportation for a quarter of the current fuel use, at about
three quarters of the current speed.

>...You mean a bit like this---------

<http://www.wired.com/autopia/2012/05/lit-motors-c1/>

>...Exclusive: This Is the Gyro-Stabilized, Two-Wheeled Future of
Transportation
    By Damon Lavrinc    May 29, 2012 |   BillK

_______________________________________________

Thanks BillK.  I can tell it was a bunch of controls engineers that did
this.  We like to work on complicated problems that allow us to pull out
everything in our bag of mathematical tricks.  So we end up with stuff like
this, wonderfully complicated and cool, so our colleagues are impressed.  We
have fun too.  {8-]

Something like this might work, but it is probably overkill, and I have a
hard time believing they can spin them out for $24k a copy.  I would believe
$30k.  I hope they succeed of course.  Alameda, ja, I heard some local lads
were working on this, but hadn't seen it. A guy who used to work in my
office was going to join that company.

Alternately, you would start with a production motorcycle like this one:

http://www.google.com/search?q=suzuki+burgman&hl=en&prmd=imvns&tbm=isch&tbo=
u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=jqjHT-OaD-rs0gHE1_DZDw&sqi=2&ved=0CKMBELAE&biw=1095&bi
h=857

then build on a transparent polycarbonate shell, with pneumatic-actuated aft
mounted side wheels that drop to hold you upright when you get less than
walking speed, then raise themselves when you take off.  I met the guy who
invented that system, and it works.  That would add about $2k to the system
and about 60 pounds.  The shell would add about another $2k and I would
estimate about 60 pounds, and another $3k and 20 pounds of airbags, so the
whole thing could still be in the 600-ish pound range (around 300kg for
those who use a sensible unit system) and still come in at under $15k if we
didn't get too carried away with it.

The pneumatic training wheels could probably be reduced in cost once they
were put into production, perhaps eventually getting down to under $1k.
Same with the plastic shell. 

The shell eliminates the legally mandated helmet and keeps you dry, even if
not warm.  I estimate it would get about twice the mileage as a Prius, if
you started with the 400cc version, once you modified the gearing for the
lower coefficient of drag.

With that notion, you wouldn't even need to give up speed; that rig would go
as fast as a Prius.

spike