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World’s Simplest Starter Tech

By General Posts

New! NASH “PUSH” Button Starter Plunger Assembly

By Bandit with photos by Wrench

Okay, so here’s the confession. When I build bobbers or choppers, I try to keep everything simple and super reliable. For instance, electric start circuits, which involve starter relays, buttons, handlebar switches, you name it. Maybe Billy from Spyke came up with this system that eliminates almost everything.

They are the shit for reliable, no mess starting every time. There’s but one issue with these puppies, position. They are usually located on the front of the starter solenoid under the oil tank, which can be an issue for stock bikes.

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Energy Clarity: Our need for cheap, plentiful, reliable energy

By General Posts

By Alex Epstein From Center for Industrial Progress

When making energy choices, there are three major criteria that need to be considered:

1. Is it cheap? Simply put, if you can’t afford energy, then you don’t have energy.

2. Is it plentiful? If energy is scarce, then many people will have little to no energy.

3. Is it reliable? If energy is unreliable, then you won’t have it when you need it.

In other words, energy is only valuable to the extent that it is cheap, plentiful, and reliable.
And to make it that way, we have to discover cheap, plentiful, reliable processes for generating energy.

Energy is a process

Energy is a process. Whether it’s coal, oil, gas, solar, wind, we describe them as materials, but they’re really processes. The materials are just one part of the process, but the whole process can include things like mining, refining, manufacturing, transportation, operation, maintenance, and disposal.

And then you have to look at how the whole process adds up. When we see something in the marketplace being cheaper or more expensive that reflects the whole process.

The general reason why certain forms of energy are not adopted is because the process to produce them is too expensive or it’s not reliable.

Let’s look at some examples of this.

Jimmy Fallon’s irrefutable case against “renewables”

For this first example, I’m going to let comedian Jimmy Fallon do the talking.

“New Scientist Magazine reported on Wednesday that in the future, cars can be powered by hazelnuts. That’s encouraging considering an eight ounce jar of hazelnuts costs about nine dollars. Yeah, I got an idea for a car that runs on bald eagle heads and Faberge eggs.”

So you may be thinking, “Isn’t hazelnut energy renewable? Doesn’t it come from the sun? Isn’t the sun free and forever? What’s going on here?” It’s all about the process.

While we don’t have to pay the sun, we do have to pay for the land, the labor, and many other inputs necessary to make hazelnut energy. And with hazelnuts, the process to produce them is very costly. The same turns out to be true for many alternatives.

Congress extends deadline for highway funding – 3rd time in 13 months

By General Posts

October 28th, 2021

Same Old Story…

For the 3rd time in 13 months, Congress will extend the deadline to reauthorize highway funding programs.

The original deadline of September 30, 2020 was extended for a full year last fall. Last month, Congress kicked the can down the road, giving itself a 1-month extension that expires on October 31st. Facing yet another self-imposed deadline, Thursday night, Congress gave itself ANOTHER extension, this time running through December 3rd, 2021. President Biden now must sign the bill before the first of November to avoid a lapse in funding.

Over 3,700 employees in the Federal Highway Administration and Federal Transit Administration would be furloughed without these stop gap funding extensions. Passage of a long-term infrastructure and highway bill remains blocked because of an inter-party fight between progressive and moderate Democrats on a host of issues.

The Motorcycle Riders Foundation (MRF) believes long term and stable funding for our nation’s transportation and infrastructure programs should not be continually deferred. The MRF remains committed to seeking long term solutions that advance the priorities of the nearly 10 million bikers in this country.

About Motorcycle Riders Foundation
The Motorcycle Riders Foundation (MRF) provides leadership at the federal level for states’ motorcyclists’ rights organizations as well as motorcycle clubs and individual riders.

Visit MRF Website at: https://mrf.org/join/

Blind Spot Warnings Display On Motorcycles

By General Posts

from https://www.malaymail.com

How blind spot warnings could be displayed directly in motorcycle mirrors.

Motorcycle manufacturers are exploring ways of alerting riders to the risk of collision with vehicles in their blind spot.

TOKYO, Sept 30 — Yamaha has filed a new project with the Japanese Patent Office for a system that alerts motorcycle or scooter riders when a vehicle is in their blind spot. This solution takes the form of LED strips placed directly behind the mirrors that face the rider. This solution could prove an effective means of alerting riders to this type of danger.

Most motorcycle manufacturers are actively working on blind spot warning systems. Yamaha recently filed a patent revealing a new technology that displays specific icons directly on the bike’s mirrors.

The idea is to be able to alert riders to dangers quickly and effectively. To do this, the Japanese manufacturer relies on displaying warnings on the bike’s mirrors in case of danger. The solution takes the form of a small screen placed behind each of the mirrors in the bike’s two rearview mirrors, capable of displaying a warning icon in the event of a collision risk, i.e., a vehicle in a blind spot. Note that the system could also display the warning on just one mirror, depending on the side where the danger is located.

In addition to the presence of a vehicle in their blind spot, this device could also warn riders of a risk of collision with another vehicle, when they’re breaking the speed limit or when they receive an incoming phone call. It could theoretically be fitted to a motorcycle as well as a scooter. Still, it remains to be seen whether this solution will eventually see the light of day.

Currently, the most advanced solution in this field is undoubtedly Bosch’s Blind Spot Detection (BSD), which is used in many motorcycle models, including BMW, Ducati or KTM bikes. In the event of a risk of impact with a vehicle coming from the rear, the system emits a sound or displays a visual alert on the screen.

Of course, the easiest & safest way to avoid this type of accident is to turn your head before pulling out or changing lanes, to make sure that there are no vehicles in your blind spot.

Traveling but can’t bring your motorcycle? Here are a few solutions

By General Posts

from https://www.traveldailynews.com

One of the primary reasons why people travel is to get away from their day-to-day hard-knock lives and relax on an island away from all the noise. Although leaving the noisy city to a remote location brings a high level of calmness and serenity, many people still like to be very active while on vacation. One major group of people in this category are bikers.

Whether they are in Cancun or Fiji Islands, bikers love to have their motorcycles with them and don’t like to go too long without riding. If you are in this category of vacationers, then not being able to travel with your motorcycle must be such a bummer. The good news is that there are many solutions that bikers can try to ensure they can ride when they travel. Ranging from shipping your motorcycle to your location to renting a different motorcycle, these tips will surely help you do what you love, even in a different location. So, here are a few solutions that will keep you active when you cannot take your motorcycle along on trips.

1. Renting a motorcycle
Renting service has been the most thought-after solution when going on traveling. Since you can’t travel with your motorcycle in tow, being able to rent it at your destination should be the next solution in mind. You might be worried about whether or not you will find a motorcycle rental service in your destination country, especially if you are going to a remote island. You should note that some brands allow tourists to rent a motorcycle from any part of the globe, and they can see the available countries in this URL or BRANDED website. This way, you can be sure a motorcycle will be waiting for you when you arrive. Also, ensure you have an idea of the type of motorcycle the rental company provides if it is durable for your activities.

When renting, try to check the details like the insurance, breakdown maintenance, and other required services covering the motorcycle. Most significantly, insurance is a focal point in renting a motorcycle. Due to unexpected events that can occur anytime with the bike, try and know the insurance policy. For instance, you rent a motorcycle for your trip, you got robbed, and it was taken away from you. With a good insurance policy, there will be some coverage for such an event.

Lastly, safety is always the primary concern for anyone when using a motorcycle. So it is always essential for you to make inquiries about the safety and maintenance carried out on the motorcycles. If it is from a trusted maintenance company that keeps to high standards, then feel less disturbed about your safety. It is vital to know how long such a motorcycle has been in function. Also, if possible, get to keep a snapshot of the bike before using it as a means of evidence in case any matter arises.

2. Purchase and sell
This type of solution is often hardly considered because of the cost and loss experienced when selling the motorcycle. In a situation where you will stay for a long time while on your trip, considering this solution will be a brilliant idea. However, if you can afford it, it will be the best for you. For instance, you can either purchase a new motorcycle that might be less expensive or a used one placed for sale. After traveling has lapsed, you can decide to sell it off and make back some of your money spent on getting the motorcycle. The recorded loss might be a little different between the purchasing price and the selling price.

3. Get the necessary document
Every intending destination you want to go to might request some document before anything can be used on their road or cross its border. First of all, making inquiries about a particular place you want to travel so can save you some expenses for your motorcycle. Second, if you are going to a place where documentation will be required for a motorcycle, try and ensure you get those necessary documents available. Some of these documents can be a valid passport, travel document, international driving permit, and visa.

For instance, you are traveling to a country where an international driving permit is required before taking a motorcycle into such country. Upon presenting the required document, you will be allowed to bring in and use your bike in that country without been stopped. After you are over with the duration of your stay, you can take your motorcycle along with you.

4. Ship your motorcycle
You can also consider shipping it when you cannot bring your motorcycle while traveling to the exact destination, either through local services or international services. It may seem to be quite expensive and takes a lot of work to process, but the safe delivery of your motorcycle is highly guaranteed. To avoid delaying your bike at the checkpoint, you must ensure all paperwork, physical and online registration is complete.

Lastly, due to the increasing shipping services globally, it is highly advisable to use a well-known company with good significant reviews in delivering goods and cargos to that specific destination. You can do your research about brands that suit you well.

With these few tips, you can easily travel to any location and not worry about not having your motorcycle. You can still do what you love in a new and exciting location!

This startup can convert any fuel-powered scooter to an electric scooter

By General Posts

As the automobile sector in the country prepares to embrace electric mobility with open arms, there are significant challenges to overcome. Meladath Auto Components offers a middle ground service of converting your regular automobile to a hybrid electric one.

The recent air pollution crisis in the capital city caused an inevitable hullabaloo in the region leading to the announcement of a public health emergency by the government.

The clamour to tackle air pollution in India and across the world largely center around getting more electric vehicles on our roads and limit the use of vehicles powered by internal combustion.

However, a rapid transition to electric vehicles in a country of 1.3 billion people is not a feasible option. The move is likely to cause a huge dent in the automotive industry and will leave massive amounts of vehicle waste.

Seeking an easier solution to accelerate adoption of electric vehicles with comparatively lower consequences, Rakesh Meladath Karunakaran along with his wife Winnie Gangadharan formed Meladath Auto Components in 2016, which can convert your regular petrol scooter into an electric hybrid scooter.

The two-in-one scooter

We are in an era where most mobility solutions are driven by fossil fuel, be it petrol or diesel. With the world looking at alternative fuels, electric vehicles are often considered the panacea.

“The problem is not in adapting the electric mobility solution. The issue would be what to do with the existing mobility solutions running on fossil fuels on the roads today,” Karunakaran told ET.

The 39-year-old former Mahindra and Mahindra employee believes that migrating to e-mobility solutions will lead to the challenge of vehicle waste management.

Despite a slowdown, according to a report by the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), the first nine months of FY 2019 showed a 5% growth year-on-year among premium scooter sales at 49,80,326 units.

“Promoting EV sales with subsidies will also add to the other problem like increasing vehicle density on road without removing the existing vehicles. This will put tremendous pressure on the limited infrastructure and existing problem of traffic congestion,” he explained.

Bengaluru-based Meladath’s e-kit is a retrofittable conversion kit for petrol scooters. The kit, once fitted in a petrol scooter, turns the vehicle into an electric hybrid scooter. As the name says ‘hybrid’, the scooter can be driven in both- electric and petrol mode selectively.

Karunakaran explained that in electric mode, after one charge, the scooter can be driven upto 40 kms after which the rider can switch to the petrol mode.

Further, the kit can be adapted to a scooter without any modifications and is a job of a maximum 30 minutes. It is also reversible, which means the electric hybrid scooter can go back to being a petrol-only scooter without any welding or cutting or fabrication job.

“This feature will kill the range anxiety of the present buyers with unlimited range at disposal and no lead time to recharge the battery to continue commuting,” he said.

The kit is universal and can be suited for most scooters with 10-inch and 12-inch steel wheel. It includes a removable lithium battery which can be charged with domestic power socket or regular power plugs, therefore, preventing the need of a charging station or a charging port near vehicle parking.

According to the entrepreneur, the idea will have a significant impact towards a healthier environment. The idea has the potential to help achieve 15% reduction in Greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions, which will further enable the target achievement of Indian Government by 2020.

Untapped potential

While the product is yet to be commercialized, the firm has registered their brand as ‘Ezee Hybrid’ and received over 30 dealership interest across PAN India, Karunakaran said.

Talking about entering international seas, he said, “We have the potential to deploy our Innovation in 11 countries of Southeast Asia like Brunei, Burma (Myanmar), Cambodia, Timor-Leste, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam where the petrol scooters are widely used and most scooters are similar to the scooters available in Indian market.”

Dimitrov Krishnan, Vice President, India Business at VOLVO Construction Equipment India has been a mentor to Meladath since its early stages. “Karunakaran’s idea on electro mobility for the common man with the conversion kit for petrol scooters is an industry moving one and needs to be supported by all in the transportation ecosystem. The team deserves a good reward from the market for their innovation and I am sure it is just a matter of time when that happens,” Krishnan told ET.

Bootstrapped through personal savings and family money, Meladath received its first set of funds from ELEVATE 100, Karnataka government’s flagship initiative for startup development in the state, in May 2017. Among its mentors also include M Lakshminarayan, Chairman of the board, WABCO and Veerendra BK, MD, Lamda components.

Adding another feather in its hat, the firm was recently listed in one of the 15 winners of the Social Alpha Energy Challenge 2.0 by Tata Trusts.

Karunkaran said that the firm is now looking to deploy a pure electric scooter, which will be a Made in India product, as it is being built with ingenious power-train components such as Brushless DC (BLDC) electric motor, BLDC Motor controller, lithium battery pack, lithium battery charger and throttle.

“We are also working with the technology of charging the battery while the scooter is driven on petrol without hampering much on the petrol efficiency,” he added.