Here's the promised demonstration video now that everything's working properly on my Screaming Banshee Horn setup:
Toshi's thread
- Thread starter Toshi
- Start date
Anyone with electrical experience: Can you identify the wires in my photos, and tell me how much I should ask for them on Craigslist?
Two boxes of this. They're not full (so not the 600 ft as on the label) but I'd say a few hundred feet are still in each by their weight.
This looks to my uneducated eye as the most valuable of the wiring. I don't know exactly how much of it there is but I'd guess well over 100 feet. There are two bags filled with it, one continuous coil in each (see first photo).
Two thin insulated wires on this spool.
This spool is labeled thermostat wire. That it was made by a US company shows that this wiring is ancient, I'm guessing.
All the wires depicted above were among the other random crap left by the slob-like previous owner in the attic, around which I was crawling this past week and today to put in insulation:
8 rolls of R30 15" x 25' insulation can fit at once in a Prius, for the record.
(It took 19 such rolls to do the attic, of which half basically was uninsulated and the other half was shoddily insulated--no wonder my heating bills sucked these past two winters!)
Two boxes of this. They're not full (so not the 600 ft as on the label) but I'd say a few hundred feet are still in each by their weight.
This looks to my uneducated eye as the most valuable of the wiring. I don't know exactly how much of it there is but I'd guess well over 100 feet. There are two bags filled with it, one continuous coil in each (see first photo).
Two thin insulated wires on this spool.
This spool is labeled thermostat wire. That it was made by a US company shows that this wiring is ancient, I'm guessing.
All the wires depicted above were among the other random crap left by the slob-like previous owner in the attic, around which I was crawling this past week and today to put in insulation:
8 rolls of R30 15" x 25' insulation can fit at once in a Prius, for the record.
(It took 19 such rolls to do the attic, of which half basically was uninsulated and the other half was shoddily insulated--no wonder my heating bills sucked these past two winters!)
Hey doc, I know you said that horn is not a Stebel. I'll be very curious about a long term report from you about that. I installed a Stebel on the beemer along with my flood lights right after I bought it. I mounted the horn in a very similar fashion, unfortunately it did not last long. I think I got maybe a month out of the horn before I started blowing the inline fuse. Something inside the horn took a dump and I was unable to resurrect it. IIRC the Stebel instructions said it had to be mounted vertically, my install was slightly off of vertical so I'm not sure if I killed it or what did it. I notice yours is more off kilter than mine was. If it lasts you more than a month I might have to invest in one of those horns. I loved mine when it worked, and it was amusing to say the least to use it on people at work in the parking lot. Stock BMW horn = teh suck.
Related per my scoot:
http://f650.com/forum/showthread.php?25345-Horn-Mod-BansheeHorn-quot-Warning-System-quot
My interest grows.
http://f650.com/forum/showthread.php?25345-Horn-Mod-BansheeHorn-quot-Warning-System-quot
My interest grows.
Pulled the trigger and ordered one yet? Or are you waiting to see if/when my Wolo-copy dies?
(So far it's still kicking'. I had a few chances to use it today, and since I didn't get run over it must be working, a la Homer Simpson's Bear Patrol.)I already bugged you about it on Google+ by tagging you, but I'll cross-post my missive here, too:
>>>>>
I think I'm going to get stupid with my windshield, again.
In the photos below one can see that I had an absolutely ginormous windshield on my old ride, a Piaggio MP3.
That screen was incredible in that the air behind it was very nearly still and silent. I could open my full-face helmet's face shield all the way on the freeway without getting any wind blast. On the other hand, said windshield provided a perfect example in point of why you don't see motorcyclists riding around with such huge pieces of plexiglass every day: It really needed a windshield wiper. Lacking that, it was extremely inconvenient, nigh dangerous on misty days.
Fast forward a few years and the MP3--stolen in 2009--has been replaced by my current ride, a Kawasaki Versys. Stock windshield height is 11". I bought the bike with a 15.5" aftermarket Givi windshield already mounted. The problem is that I still get a lot of noise, turbulence, and wind blast with said 15.5" Givi windshield in the top of the three possible mounting positions. (Just as with the car headroom issue that precludes me from ever getting, say, an Acura NSX, the culprit is my long torso and giant head, blowing about in the breeze, both literally and figuratively.)
CalSci, which from all outward appearances is a company run by a solitary guy with whom I'd get along fabulously, offers taller, unfashionable, old-man-friendly windshields: Sounds perfect for me, right? (The guy behind CalSci, a research physicist, also has an informative page on motorcycle oil filters that led me to pick PureONE filters for my bike, for the record.)
What's this post about, besides me rambling as usual? Well, they have too many options. Givi, my current brand, offers no options: the one size they sell is the one size you'll get. CalSci, on the other hand, offers 4 height options for my bike! To a personality like mine, too much choice is a horrible thing indeed.
Per their sizing table I should pick a medium based on my height and leg length, which would be only 4.5" taller than my current Givi. Based on how visually low the top of my Givi is while riding along I think this is far too low. Given my druthers, I'd go with the extra large, a whopping 12.5" taller than stock (or 8" taller than my Givi). I figure that with the low mounting option I could reduce that down to 6" taller than the Givi, and having the option to go higher is something my quietness-craving self thinks is mighty fine.
Any fellow riders care to chime in?
Cliffs Notes: I want a bigger windshield, with my 4.5" taller-than-stock Givi not nearly tall enough. I'm tempted to go with an XL CalSci, possibly stupid-large, but not nearly as large as my old Piaggio "thumbnail."
The wires proved to be worth $39 to the metal scrapyard. Booyah.Anyone with electrical experience: Can you identify the wires in my photos, and tell me how much I should ask for them on Craigslist?
I like games. My wife's Prius makes pinning the MPG meter like a game. Therefore, win.
This screenshot is clearly not based off of a full tank, but isn't a "cheater trip" either in that the counter was last reset when filling up the car yesterday, and the errands today started and ended at the same point (so I didn't, say, start at 5000 ft above sea level and end at the beach).
End-of-same-tank validation:
This screenshot is clearly not based off of a full tank, but isn't a "cheater trip" either in that the counter was last reset when filling up the car yesterday, and the errands today started and ended at the same point (so I didn't, say, start at 5000 ft above sea level and end at the beach).
End-of-same-tank validation:
Last edited:
Email to my mother in law, with whom Jessica and I will be living during my 2013-2014 fellowship at UW. Links added for readers' benefit here/not in the original plaintext email, of course.
>>>>>
Hi [mother-in-law]-
Thanks for the shirt. Jessica may end up wearing it as a night shirt
more than me, as I'm awfully attached to my HRO hoodie and Ben & Jerry's
tie dye t-shirt
The other day, while contemplating our own rental house's ridiculous
heating oil bill, I had a thought regarding your house, which I recall
Jessica mentioning is similarly heated with oil. What if Jessica and I,
as part of our rent-like obligations, paid to have your house converted
to natural gas heat? Since you already have a gas line to the house for
your range and stove it shouldn't be exorbitant, and you'll benefit from
cheaper bills going forward. (An additional nationalist/ethical benefit
is that natural gas is largely domestically- or at least North
American-sourced.)
Another thing we'd like to inflict upon your poor house is to install
EVSE, aka electric vehicle service equipment, or an "EV charger" in
other words. (Why the weird naming convention? It's not really a
charger, per se, because the chargers live within electric cars
themselves, but merely is a very fancy cable with some logic and a wifi
chip.) We'd pay for this, too, of course--actually it'd probably be free
thanks to the largesse of the Department of Energy and The EV
Project--and it'd stay with the house when we moved away for use with
future visiting or resident EVs in your driveway.
This, in turn, means that we're planning to get an electric vehicle for
ourselves, to up our smugness quotient from already-high Prius-driving
levels. The way we envision it is that the (weather-proof, quite small,
not especially ugly) charger could be mounted on the outside of the
garage, and then our future Nissan Leaf or whatever could get its
nightly dose of electrons while parked normally in the back alley driveway.
Ok, I think this is reaching epic rambling-length proportions now so
I'll stop. (Now you see what Jessica has to deal with every night when I
brain dump on her!) Thanks again for the shirt in any case
-t
<<<<<
>>>>>
Hi [mother-in-law]-
Thanks for the shirt. Jessica may end up wearing it as a night shirt
more than me, as I'm awfully attached to my HRO hoodie and Ben & Jerry's
tie dye t-shirt
The other day, while contemplating our own rental house's ridiculous
heating oil bill, I had a thought regarding your house, which I recall
Jessica mentioning is similarly heated with oil. What if Jessica and I,
as part of our rent-like obligations, paid to have your house converted
to natural gas heat? Since you already have a gas line to the house for
your range and stove it shouldn't be exorbitant, and you'll benefit from
cheaper bills going forward. (An additional nationalist/ethical benefit
is that natural gas is largely domestically- or at least North
American-sourced.)
Another thing we'd like to inflict upon your poor house is to install
EVSE, aka electric vehicle service equipment, or an "EV charger" in
other words. (Why the weird naming convention? It's not really a
charger, per se, because the chargers live within electric cars
themselves, but merely is a very fancy cable with some logic and a wifi
chip.) We'd pay for this, too, of course--actually it'd probably be free
thanks to the largesse of the Department of Energy and The EV
Project--and it'd stay with the house when we moved away for use with
future visiting or resident EVs in your driveway.
This, in turn, means that we're planning to get an electric vehicle for
ourselves, to up our smugness quotient from already-high Prius-driving
levels. The way we envision it is that the (weather-proof, quite small,
not especially ugly) charger could be mounted on the outside of the
garage, and then our future Nissan Leaf or whatever could get its
nightly dose of electrons while parked normally in the back alley driveway.
Ok, I think this is reaching epic rambling-length proportions now so
I'll stop. (Now you see what Jessica has to deal with every night when I
brain dump on her!) Thanks again for the shirt in any case
-t
<<<<<
I get along fine with my mother in law, actually, and Jessica will love cooking with her, playing with the cats (one Jessica's from before our move, one her mom's), etc. The maternal grandparents are living in the (big) house as of now, too! We'll be a veritable nuclear family.
Anyway, the NG conversion bit is moot and we're in the clear for EV plans:
MIL via email said:
Mechanical porn. 2nd gen and 3rd gen Prius Power Split Devices:
Leaf manufacturing process. The motor winding robot is awesome!
SuMos in slo-mo:
301 Moved Permanently
Final Long Island automotive amusement spotted this past week at the LIJ children's hospital (ie, snooty place): Lexus LX 570 with a FUV bumper sticker. I chuckled when I thought through it.
Leaf manufacturing process. The motor winding robot is awesome!
SuMos in slo-mo:
301 Moved Permanently
Final Long Island automotive amusement spotted this past week at the LIJ children's hospital (ie, snooty place): Lexus LX 570 with a FUV bumper sticker. I chuckled when I thought through it.
As promised I have come up with a new idea since it's almost a full month since the above musings. I wouldn't call it entirely different, though:Plan of the moment: Nissan Leaf for the wife immediately upon our (triumphant?) return to Seattle in July 2013.
Of course, with how fickle I am I'll probably come up with an entirely different idea next month.
2012-2013, finishing up residency here in NY: Status quo since we're functionally poor and certainly can't afford another car payment this year. Jessica in her Prius, me on the Versys, +/- bicycle commuting as my hours lessen significantly from January-on.
2013-2014, fellowship in Seattle at UW: Prius and Versys parked and likely little used. I'll commute on the electric bike or via two buses. Instead of leasing a Leaf, as above, I envision us financing the below, with an eye to hanging on it for the long term (remember my line about an EV and an array of solar panels in the conclusion to my "futility of the Prius" post?):
2013 Toyota RAV4 EV
2014-onward, life as an attending: Pay off the Prius and the RAV4 EV. Start to pay off our student loans. Rent a house for a year or two and then buy or quite possibly build one. When those plans are under way or completed, buy me a car and a toy (and as many weeks worth of SUV rentals in Moab as I should desire if I continue to want to play redneck).
Possible options for my "car" spot in my future garage, with fine tuning as each concept proves to be vaporware or not, modulo the undetermined length and nature of my future commute:
BMW Megacity/i3
Infiniti LE
Common themes to the two above: a little "oontz" and a lot of electrons.
If we end up in a Zipcar-packed city when all is said and done then maybe we'd sell the Prius and rely on Zipcars for long trips. If we end up a bit out in the boonies we'd probably just hang onto it. Ultimately the job market alone will dictate this, for better or worse.
I did mention a toy above, too. I think a dual sport would be quite fun, again dependent on where we live:
KTM 500 EXC if I'm feeling tall and fast
Yamaha TW200 if I'm feeling short-legged, slow, and more realistic
Finally, I still have a huge soft spot for 993s for some reason, even though I didn't like that 996 I rented at all, have little desire to be a late-model Porsche owner, and have disabused myself of other, similar dreams (BRZ due to headroom, Evo due to seat bolstering, feeling of being a cheap GT-R substitute, and general similarity to my old WRX):
Last edited:
The intersection of motorcycling and pink duct tape usage is not the empty set. Here's photographic proof:
This is my half-assed effort to cover up a upshifting-caused hole in my 4 year, 16,000 mile-old riding boots.
This is my windshield-sizing stick. Verdict: 8" taller than my current setup, as evidenced in the photo, is too tall even for my outsized torso and head.
This is my half-assed effort to cover up a upshifting-caused hole in my 4 year, 16,000 mile-old riding boots.
This is my windshield-sizing stick. Verdict: 8" taller than my current setup, as evidenced in the photo, is too tall even for my outsized torso and head.
The Givi windshield (as in the one with the measuring stick above) is now sold, paid for, packed, and shipped. My CalSci ginormous replacement should be in the mail.
Upon doing some more sleuthing on teh intertubes I found that the Givi was 7" taller than the stock screen (which was puny indeed, I guess!). Given that I felt about 4" higher than the Givi was ideal, and said Givi was in the highest of three mounting positions that span a range of about 2", I thought it safe to go with the 11"-taller-than-stock XL CalSci screen.
I shall report back on how it works out, of course, but until the new windshield arrives I'll be living the naked bike life.
Upon doing some more sleuthing on teh intertubes I found that the Givi was 7" taller than the stock screen (which was puny indeed, I guess!). Given that I felt about 4" higher than the Givi was ideal, and said Givi was in the highest of three mounting positions that span a range of about 2", I thought it safe to go with the 11"-taller-than-stock XL CalSci screen.
I shall report back on how it works out, of course, but until the new windshield arrives I'll be living the naked bike life.
I rode in naked today.
Well, I was naked in the sense of having no windshield, at least. Thoughts on the experience:
- MUCH colder, but nothing for which turning the heated gear up a bit couldn't compensate
- manageable wind pressure on chest and arms noticeable from 25 mph on up, increasing steadily with speed
- subjectively less wind noise thanks to cleaner air with no buffeting, but certainly not silent
- much more of a sense of flying, oddly enough, with nothing in front to block my view and that varying-acutely-with-speed wind pressure sensation akin to skydiving
This was all at ~50 mph or less on local streets big and small. (It even included a school zone, since I live across the street from an elementary. :lol: ) I'll take the parkway back home just to see how the pressure and noise plays out at 65 or 70.
Well, I was naked in the sense of having no windshield, at least. Thoughts on the experience:
- MUCH colder, but nothing for which turning the heated gear up a bit couldn't compensate
- manageable wind pressure on chest and arms noticeable from 25 mph on up, increasing steadily with speed
- subjectively less wind noise thanks to cleaner air with no buffeting, but certainly not silent
- much more of a sense of flying, oddly enough, with nothing in front to block my view and that varying-acutely-with-speed wind pressure sensation akin to skydiving
This was all at ~50 mph or less on local streets big and small. (It even included a school zone, since I live across the street from an elementary. :lol: ) I'll take the parkway back home just to see how the pressure and noise plays out at 65 or 70.
XL CalSci mounted, in the middle position (of 3 possible).
Seems good height-wise so far, as I'm looking comfortably over it as shown in the photo. Not as whisper-quiet as I would have hoped, albeit still quieter than the Givi and naked setups. Wind blast on head and upper torso is significantly reduced. I still get some wind pressure on the abdomen, probably because the Versys only has the mini fairing.
Seems good height-wise so far, as I'm looking comfortably over it as shown in the photo. Not as whisper-quiet as I would have hoped, albeit still quieter than the Givi and naked setups. Wind blast on head and upper torso is significantly reduced. I still get some wind pressure on the abdomen, probably because the Versys only has the mini fairing.
An alternative to this line of thought, for rustling my off-road jimmies assuming I end up in the Pac NW permanently (I know I'm misusing the memeI think a dual sport would be quite fun, again dependent on where we live:
Yamaha TW200 if I'm feeling short-legged, slow, and more realistic
):
which would be carted to riding areas in the bed of something on the lines of:
Why an ATV, and a Grizzly in particular? Well, I could let my inner redneck loose, and that'd be fun.
Second, I and my father had a good time riding cheap examples of the same in Mexico a few years back. Third, they seem like the cheapest and smallest way to get 4WD, locking diffs (at least on that Grizzly), and a winch in a package that is designed to get muddy. Hell, they're even street legal in UT, MT, ID, and WY, as I found out last night.Why a pickup? See the below map of legal OHV riding areas, and note that they're all pretty far from civilization, so to speak. I'm not so sure that I'd want to ride a TW200 (or a higher strung true dual-sport) a quarter of the way across Washington State to get to a riding area. Hell, I'm not sure if I want to ride my half-faired stupid-large-windshield-ed street bike that far. I'd rather be sitting down with a roof over my head, and that implies either SUV + trailer or a pickup. For something that'd fit within a pickup's bed--more on that below--then it seems that a pickup would be preferable to an SUV and probably cheaper. (Our daily drivers may well be either pedal- or electric-powered and therefore would be of absolutely no use here.)
Anyway, the map, from the WOHVA folks:
The last question to be answered would be "Why a Toyota T100, of all things (un)holy?" The domestics are just too common and uncouth
, plus I have a soft spot for the T100, unloved by the market as it was. For moving <700 lbs of ATV around one would just need a large enough bed. Power would really be irrelevant and this would be a low-mileage vehicle, so scratch ideas of V8s and diesels: even the 2.7L I-4 would do, and either of the optional small Toyota V6s would be icing on the cake (3.0 or 3.4L). About the bed: the regular cab T100 derives its ungainly looks from its small cab + long bed. How long? Try 99.25 x 67", which should handily fit the 81.3 x 46.5" Grizzly footprint with the tailgate up, possibly even between the wheelwells outright. It also came in a 1-ton variant--probably a unicorn--with a 2480 lb payload, even though the standard payload would be more than sufficient.
So there you have it: in case I decide to go full redneck I have an all-Japanese way to do it all planned out.
I want to see the BMW i3 up close, and maybe test drive (or at least test-sit in) it. It looks like I'll get my chance:
Note the New York in November 2012 caption. Unfortunately, November 2012 is the most specific information that's out there at this point. :BMWfacepalm:
Note the New York in November 2012 caption. Unfortunately, November 2012 is the most specific information that's out there at this point. :BMWfacepalm:
So there you have it: in case I decide to go full redneck I have an all-Japanese way to do it all planned out.
I've mentally de-rednecked myself, for the record. (Also, for the record, I'm up at this hour since I'm in house on call until 8 AM.) After watching a bunch of ATV videos on youtube I've decided that I'm not enough of a redneck to pull that lifestyle off, either in reality or at heart. I also lack a sufficient quantity of redneck friends, apparently: all of the videos seem well stocked with country accents gathered around mud bogs and the like.
I should probably stick to mountain biking and cars--things my Seattle buddies are into. ATV riding looks a bit unwieldy compared to dirt biking, anyway, and even that looks like it'd be a commitment that'd crowd out other things I should be doing or would like to do. My uncle got the bug big time last year, and now is tooling around Moab and Canyonlands with his wife, 2 up on a R 1200 GS Adventure, but I'm not feeling it...
Here's a goofy vehicle that has slightly more than a snowball's chance in hell of being useful to me:
Polaris EV LSV
Stats are over in the alt personal trans thread.
The gist of it it's street legal most anywhere as a 25 mph-max NEV, in WA/OR/MT could be legally uncorked if possible to a 35 mph top speed, is targeted primarily at the military so isn't vaporware, is neither cheap nor exorbitant (even after a 10% tax credit for which Polaris may have not filed the appropriate paperwork), and crucially lacks these things called "doors," let alone any sort of car-level safety equipment or amenities. At least a windshield wiper, roof, and rear cabin wall/window are optional heh.
Maybe the best scenario in which something like this would fit in my life would be if we end up with some acres of land in the non-urban Pac NW wilds. I could putter about in this, chainsawing brush a la GWB (with an electric chainsaw?
), and then wheel it to the corner store to pick up some orange juice and eggs. Even as weird as I tend to be, it'd probably be a less than ideal vehicle to use for commuting to work.
Polaris EV LSV
Stats are over in the alt personal trans thread.
The gist of it it's street legal most anywhere as a 25 mph-max NEV, in WA/OR/MT could be legally uncorked if possible to a 35 mph top speed, is targeted primarily at the military so isn't vaporware, is neither cheap nor exorbitant (even after a 10% tax credit for which Polaris may have not filed the appropriate paperwork), and crucially lacks these things called "doors," let alone any sort of car-level safety equipment or amenities. At least a windshield wiper, roof, and rear cabin wall/window are optional heh.
Maybe the best scenario in which something like this would fit in my life would be if we end up with some acres of land in the non-urban Pac NW wilds. I could putter about in this, chainsawing brush a la GWB (with an electric chainsaw?
), and then wheel it to the corner store to pick up some orange juice and eggs. Even as weird as I tend to be, it'd probably be a less than ideal vehicle to use for commuting to work.
In other non-redneck news +/- electricity, I think I might try to learn how to windsurf in the upcoming (last) year out here on Long Island. Apparently it's not such a bad place to be for said activity. Since I can swim well and already know how to sail small boats it couldn't be that bad… or could it?
I did some digging and am pleased with what I discovered:Polaris EV LSV
1) The motor controller is a Sevcon Gen4 650A 48V unit: http://www.evalbum.com/3259
2) Sevcon touts the availability of Windows software (and a less capable handheld unit) to configure controller operation parameters: http://www.sevcon.com/media/2104/gen4_flyer_web.pdf
3) Said Sevcon configuration software is available for sale. Not cheap at $850, as it's aimed at OEMs developing their setup, no doubt, but available for sale nonetheless: http://www.thunderstruck-ev.com/sevcon-gen4-pc-based-programming-kit.html
4) Programming the Sevcon would be non-trivial, but at least it's documented. Section 6-17 of the manual covers speed control modes, implying that one could change those parameters! It's possible tht Polaris has locked down their configuration, but buying a fresh Sevcon Gen4 controller would take care of that in the worst case. The manual: http://www.thunderstruck-ev.com/Manuals/Gen4_Product_Manual_V3.0.pdf
5) A company called Flux Power sells lithium (presumably LiFePO4) upgrade kits for the Ranger EV, which would therefore slot right into the EV LSV! Max offered capacity is 19.2 kWh, which would be a huge step up from the 11.7 kWh of lead-acid (of which maybe 8 kWh would be useful). Hell, 19.2 kWh is in Mitsubishi iMiEV territory and within spitting distance of the Leaf! There are also smaller packs available. Any way one cuts it they'd be better, if not cheaper, and it'd be a relief knowing that it's not a lead-acid dead end. http://ev.sae.org/article/9540 is the press release and here is a dealer: http://dukesgaragellc.com/ev-parts-service/ev-parts-kits/
The only question is whether it'd be encroaching on Leaf price range after all these upgrades to bring it to 35 mph lithium spec. Recall that LSVs are only eligible for a 10% purchase price tax credit as opposed to the $7500 for the Leaf and its ilk. I wouldnt tackle any off road trails in a Leaf, on the other hand...
Math time:
$12k MSRP
- 10% Federal LSV EV tax credit
+ $850 for the controller software
+ est. $10k (!) for a 9.6 kWh lithium upgrade (based off of reported $7k prices for the 8 kWh pack)
= $23.5k, with the net result being a street legal 35 mph, 30 mile realistic range EV, albeit one with 10" of ground clearance 8"/9" of suspension travel, and 4WD with lockable diffs. That's a pricey toy, and frankly a crappy commuter given the speed, limitation to 35 mph roads, lack of doors (although a roof and rear cabin panel are available), and associated lack of interior climate control.
The closest equivalent would be the base Mitsubishi iMiEV, which isn't an impressive car, per se, but at least has A/C, heat, and the ability to go on the freeway if needed. It runs just under $30k, so would actually be cheaper post tax credit.
Whoa. Gyroscopically stabilized giant motorcycle, a "gyrocar." I had no idea such things existed, let alone in the pre-WWI (!) era...
http://www.aqpl43.dsl.pipex.com/MUSEUM/TRANSPORT/gyrocars/schilovs.htm
The same inventor was pushing for gyroscopically stabilized monorails, too:
http://www.aqpl43.dsl.pipex.com/MUSEUM/TRANSPORT/gyrocars/schilovs.htm
The same inventor was pushing for gyroscopically stabilized monorails, too:
I think I finally understand why middle-aged white guys love their muscle cars so much, as I, too, would like to revisit the old automotive flame of my adolescence.
Having graduated from high school in 1999, I'm much too young to have salivated over the pre-OPEC crisis American iron that some favor, but instead I was won over by the Z32 Nissan 300ZX. I was lucky enough to drive one throughout my last two years in high school, a black over charcoal leather 1990 NA model, to be specific.
I don't think I've loved any of my subsequent cars nearly as much as I did my Z. This isn't to say that the subsequent cars weren't objectively better, as that's definitely not the case: my Pathfinder more in line with my outdoorsy lifestyle, my modified WRX tremendously quicker, my RX-8 better handling and lighter on its feet, my wife's Prius much more efficient and quiet, and all of them much easier to drive in reverse. (That steeply raked rear glass on the Z32 was nearly impossible to see out of, especially when tinted. At night. On an unlit driveway. I would know.)
Similarly, there are a dozen modern sports/sporty cars on the market today that would objectively whip a Z32 this way and that, including but by no means limited to the BRZ/FR-S, Elise/Exige, Cayman/Boxster, Mustang GT +/- Boss 302, GT-R aka "Godzilla" but I don't want any of them. I'd suspect that my testosterone has declined secondary to my many (3, heh) years of marriage except that the Z32 still does quicken my pulse a bit.
Once I'm settled down post-fellowship, when my wife has her electric car in which to zip around town and when I have something suitable for my future commute (bicycle, bus pass, train ticket, or EV of my own--BMW i3 or Infiniti LE?), then I'd like to relive my high school glory days a bit, as it were, and find myself a nice Z32.
A 1990 or no-optional-airbag 1991 model with the 5 speed and charcoal leather inside would do just fine
Such classic lines. I think the Z32 looked better to start and has most certainly aged far better than the Supra and 3000GT. The FD doesn't even register on my radar, as I never saw them around in the first place and certainly don't see too many these days.
So much right and wrong in this photo, which, like the last, is from the Nissan Press Room archives.
Right:
- clean 3 spoke non-airbag steering wheel
- no stalks off the steering column save for the turn signals! Everything else was on those two flanking pods, a brilliant, unconventional design
- charcoal interior color
Wrong:
- said charcoal interior isn't the charcoal leather but rather sweatshirt-looking fabric
- slushbox
- right hand drive
The 370Z looks overwrought, overweight, and inelegant compared to the 300ZX. Sometimes time does not improve a design.
All that brand identity wrapped up in those taillights, brand identity that was promptly thrown away when the 350Z and then 370Z came out. :facepalm:
Having graduated from high school in 1999, I'm much too young to have salivated over the pre-OPEC crisis American iron that some favor, but instead I was won over by the Z32 Nissan 300ZX. I was lucky enough to drive one throughout my last two years in high school, a black over charcoal leather 1990 NA model, to be specific.
I don't think I've loved any of my subsequent cars nearly as much as I did my Z. This isn't to say that the subsequent cars weren't objectively better, as that's definitely not the case: my Pathfinder more in line with my outdoorsy lifestyle, my modified WRX tremendously quicker, my RX-8 better handling and lighter on its feet, my wife's Prius much more efficient and quiet, and all of them much easier to drive in reverse. (That steeply raked rear glass on the Z32 was nearly impossible to see out of, especially when tinted. At night. On an unlit driveway. I would know.)
Similarly, there are a dozen modern sports/sporty cars on the market today that would objectively whip a Z32 this way and that, including but by no means limited to the BRZ/FR-S, Elise/Exige, Cayman/Boxster, Mustang GT +/- Boss 302, GT-R aka "Godzilla" but I don't want any of them. I'd suspect that my testosterone has declined secondary to my many (3, heh) years of marriage except that the Z32 still does quicken my pulse a bit.
Once I'm settled down post-fellowship, when my wife has her electric car in which to zip around town and when I have something suitable for my future commute (bicycle, bus pass, train ticket, or EV of my own--BMW i3 or Infiniti LE?), then I'd like to relive my high school glory days a bit, as it were, and find myself a nice Z32.
A 1990 or no-optional-airbag 1991 model with the 5 speed and charcoal leather inside would do just fine
Such classic lines. I think the Z32 looked better to start and has most certainly aged far better than the Supra and 3000GT. The FD doesn't even register on my radar, as I never saw them around in the first place and certainly don't see too many these days.
So much right and wrong in this photo, which, like the last, is from the Nissan Press Room archives.
Right:
- clean 3 spoke non-airbag steering wheel
- no stalks off the steering column save for the turn signals! Everything else was on those two flanking pods, a brilliant, unconventional design
- charcoal interior color
Wrong:
- said charcoal interior isn't the charcoal leather but rather sweatshirt-looking fabric
- slushbox
- right hand drive
The 370Z looks overwrought, overweight, and inelegant compared to the 300ZX. Sometimes time does not improve a design.
All that brand identity wrapped up in those taillights, brand identity that was promptly thrown away when the 350Z and then 370Z came out. :facepalm:
Friend of mine up here has an old 300z. Claims to have over 450hp, he built it up as a track car when he lived in New Mexico. He now admits it is about the most worthless car to own while in Seattle.
Yeah, not too practical, especially for anything sports related. I got my mountain bike in the back of my old Z once, but was paranoid of hard bits on it scratching the tint on the back glass... Since they've depreciated so much I think I could justify a useless nod to the past.
Last edited:
Things that stand between me and the end of radiology residency
-Fifteen Fourteen more overnight shifts in the hospital of any flavor, of which ten are lightweight 9 PM to 8 AM walks in the park and the others, today/tonight included, more taxing 16-24 hour slogs
- Seven more months on clinical service rotations before a lovely six month period dedicated both to studying for the orals, as below, as well as cranking out 240 mammography dictations to satisfy MQSA/ACR requirements
- Five concerts with our band, the Northwinds Symphonic Band, including one in which I'll be a "virtuoso soloist" up in front of the group, for what that's worth
- Four weeks of vacation, two of which will likely be taken at the very end of the academic year, dedicated to getting us and our junk the hell out of New York and back to Seattle
- Two board exams, one of which is of the computer-based multiple-choice written variety and the other of which is an oral examination held by tradition in a hotel near the Louisville, KY airport
- One week each of the "hard" rotations: body CT, interventional radiology, and GI/GU fluoroscopic procedures
- One more conference week, presenting and taking in the Chicago sights at the 2012 RSNA conference on the hospital's dime, assuming my final project gets accepted
Not bad at all overall, I must say, at least if I don't snap and do something rash from the incessant complaints that I must field by virtue of being the chief...
-
- Seven more months on clinical service rotations before a lovely six month period dedicated both to studying for the orals, as below, as well as cranking out 240 mammography dictations to satisfy MQSA/ACR requirements
- Five concerts with our band, the Northwinds Symphonic Band, including one in which I'll be a "virtuoso soloist" up in front of the group, for what that's worth
- Four weeks of vacation, two of which will likely be taken at the very end of the academic year, dedicated to getting us and our junk the hell out of New York and back to Seattle
- Two board exams, one of which is of the computer-based multiple-choice written variety and the other of which is an oral examination held by tradition in a hotel near the Louisville, KY airport
- One week each of the "hard" rotations: body CT, interventional radiology, and GI/GU fluoroscopic procedures
- One more conference week, presenting and taking in the Chicago sights at the 2012 RSNA conference on the hospital's dime, assuming my final project gets accepted
Not bad at all overall, I must say, at least if I don't snap and do something rash from the incessant complaints that I must field by virtue of being the chief...
Last edited:
I've tried and failed to test drive the Nissan Leaf twice over the past year. Perhaps the third time will be the charm
Attempt one, on July 8, 2011, was foiled by a torrential downpour and my motorcycle's stator subsequently or coincidentally deciding to fail not 5 miles from the test driving venue. Attempt two, but a few days later on July 17, 2011, was foiled by horrific traffic crossing lower Manhattan on the way to the Holland Tunnel entrance that prevented us from getting there before closing time, as it were.
(In the meantime, on April 15 of this year, I, my wife, and some friends of ours did get to test ride in a Leaf down in the basement of the Javits Center during the NYIAS. While cool, and enough to influence my thought processes, that wasn't quite the same experience as the full-blown meal-deal of driving oneself.)
Attempt three will be made in just shy of three weeks, on June 23 when the Nissan NEXT Innovation Center shows its face at the NJ Fair. In addition to getting to drive the damn thing at long last, I also hope to test drve some other Nissan cars, as at least a popular-consumption subset of their full lineup should be there. They're pimping their new Altima and back-to-unibody-egg-shaped Pathfinder pretty hard, in particular.
So what should I drive, besides the default option of the Leaf? I was thinking a Quest, to truly indulge my old-man tendencies. Maybe a 370Z would be fun to take for a spin if that's an option? A Juke SL with the torque-vectoring AWD? I strongly doubt that GT-R seat time will be available
Attempt one, on July 8, 2011, was foiled by a torrential downpour and my motorcycle's stator subsequently or coincidentally deciding to fail not 5 miles from the test driving venue. Attempt two, but a few days later on July 17, 2011, was foiled by horrific traffic crossing lower Manhattan on the way to the Holland Tunnel entrance that prevented us from getting there before closing time, as it were.
(In the meantime, on April 15 of this year, I, my wife, and some friends of ours did get to test ride in a Leaf down in the basement of the Javits Center during the NYIAS. While cool, and enough to influence my thought processes, that wasn't quite the same experience as the full-blown meal-deal of driving oneself.)
Attempt three will be made in just shy of three weeks, on June 23 when the Nissan NEXT Innovation Center shows its face at the NJ Fair. In addition to getting to drive the damn thing at long last, I also hope to test drve some other Nissan cars, as at least a popular-consumption subset of their full lineup should be there. They're pimping their new Altima and back-to-unibody-egg-shaped Pathfinder pretty hard, in particular.
So what should I drive, besides the default option of the Leaf? I was thinking a Quest, to truly indulge my old-man tendencies. Maybe a 370Z would be fun to take for a spin if that's an option? A Juke SL with the torque-vectoring AWD? I strongly doubt that GT-R seat time will be available
I sent an email to Toyota USA's corporate office a few days ago regarding Seattle sales and service availability--the last being of the utmost importance--for the RAV4 EV. Toyota's response from today, emphasis mine:2013-2014, fellowship in Seattle at UW: Prius and Versys parked and likely little used. I'll commute on the electric bike or via two buses. Instead of leasing a Leaf, as above, I envision us financing the below, with an eye to hanging on it for the long term (remember my line about an EV and an array of solar panels in the conclusion to my "futility of the Prius" post?):
2013 Toyota RAV4 EV
The hedging about wider availability is understandable, as they haven't announced what they haven't announced. The line about nationwide Toyota dealerships' forthcoming ability to service the RAV4 EV is exactly what I wanted to hear, though!
Awesome.
Warning: Bicycle-related content ahead! (just for you, dump )
I rode my bicycle into work today, for the first time in perhaps a year.
(The drivers here on Long Island truly scare me such that I rarely ride my bike on the streets, as opposed to in Seattle where I was on the bike probably 95% of the time.)
The commute is a hair under 7 miles each way per Google Maps, and I spun there at a sedate 10.5 mph average pace. I blame stoplights, occasional forays from the road onto bumpy sidewalks, and general lack of fitness for that.
On my bike itself note the insanely unfashionable reflectors (handlebars, wheels, seatpost), the seizure-inducing seatpost flasher, and the goofy 29er-for-a-short-dude proportions.
Also of note is the giant Kryptonite New York Chain, which I had thought to be lost or stolen. It was still attached to the rusty bike rack from my last commute in, half-buried under random detritus and flimflam.
)I rode my bicycle into work today, for the first time in perhaps a year.
(The drivers here on Long Island truly scare me such that I rarely ride my bike on the streets, as opposed to in Seattle where I was on the bike probably 95% of the time.)
The commute is a hair under 7 miles each way per Google Maps, and I spun there at a sedate 10.5 mph average pace. I blame stoplights, occasional forays from the road onto bumpy sidewalks, and general lack of fitness for that.
On my bike itself note the insanely unfashionable reflectors (handlebars, wheels, seatpost), the seizure-inducing seatpost flasher, and the goofy 29er-for-a-short-dude proportions.
Also of note is the giant Kryptonite New York Chain, which I had thought to be lost or stolen. It was still attached to the rusty bike rack from my last commute in, half-buried under random detritus and flimflam.
Bike commuting-related purchase of the day:
Delta Cycles, maker of the Air Zound, claim 115 dB. I hope they're not exaggerating too much.
I'm going to start riding with my headlight on epileptogenic flasher mode during all daytime hours, and will travel on the side of prevailing traffic instead of against it. Although I like going against it so as to be able to see gaps in traffic and pull out around parked cars more confidently, there have been way too many instances this week of drivers waiting to turn right onto the main road upon which I'm traveling who neglect to look to their right (ie, at me) before stepping on the go pedal.
Being in the right, in the sense of having legally having the right of way, is of no use to me if I'm flattened like a pancake after some work van driver or soccer mom pulls out into my path...
Delta Cycles, maker of the Air Zound, claim 115 dB. I hope they're not exaggerating too much.
I'm going to start riding with my headlight on epileptogenic flasher mode during all daytime hours, and will travel on the side of prevailing traffic instead of against it. Although I like going against it so as to be able to see gaps in traffic and pull out around parked cars more confidently, there have been way too many instances this week of drivers waiting to turn right onto the main road upon which I'm traveling who neglect to look to their right (ie, at me) before stepping on the go pedal.
Being in the right, in the sense of having legally having the right of way, is of no use to me if I'm flattened like a pancake after some work van driver or soccer mom pulls out into my path...
Bravo! Pretty nice commuter you have there! Now, let's keep this party going!Warning: Bicycle-related content ahead! (just for you, dump
I rode my bicycle into work today, for the first time in perhaps a year.
The party is ongoing.
The weather is getting nicer (with the exception of Tuesday afternoon and all of yesterday, ugh), and I'm working out the bugs/stretching out the legs/figuring out a less frightening route.The electric bike I'd built up in Seattle was/is a much nicer commuter overall than my 29er, I must say. I miss full fenders when it's wet out, a sturdy rack + panniers for carrying my gear to work vs. my current back-sweat-inducing Camelbak pack, and, of course, the electric thrust.
It'd probably be safer for me to whizz along at 23 mph or whatever on the electric bike, unabashedly occupying a portion of a lane, rather than do as I'm currently doing, which is to spin along (slowly) at 12 or 13 mph on the shoulder, ducking into traffic around parked cars intermittently. (Safer yet would be traveling with traffic on the motorcycle or in the car, of course, but my cholesterol isn't going to come down on its own...)
Perhaps I'll retrieve the e-bike from my parents when I visit them over Thanksgiving. I'm not even sure if my father has ridden it at all since I sold it to him...
