View Single Post
  #4 (permalink)  
Old 02-29-2008, 11:32 PM
seattle smitty seattle smitty is offline
Tire Changer
 
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 176
Got a big bike with homemade carrier racks for local light parts-chasing. Got a little diesel car ('85 Camry TD). Gonna replace the Z-22 gas engine in my old Datsun pickup with an SD-22 diesel. Got a pair of closed-chamber 429 heads for when I rebuild the 460 in my Ford service truck (if I can ever wear it out). Building a high-compression Ford 300-six to replace the 351W smogger in my old Econoline, and have an iron-case RUG overdrive 4-speed to replace the C-6. I even walk!! I'm trying to do my part, Dusty.

A pal of mine, Jim Gallant, is an expert bicyclist and bicycle mechanic. His hobby over the last few years has been building "power assist" bicycles that have tiny Honda 4-stroke engines to speed commuting in hilly areas like Seattle. They get phenomenal gas mileage under power, yet are still light enough to be easily pedaled, unlike the old mo-peds of years gone by. Take a look at his powered and non-powered bikes at Jim Gallant's Homebuilt HPV Stuff

We could even talk about econo-bikes without pedals, i.e. small displacement motorcycles. Last week a young guy was showing me his 2004 Ninja 250, a cool little bike that will beat most production cars in the quarter, and will get 55 to near-70mpg (I think he said) on daily commutes in good weather.
Reply With Quote