Where in Canada can I buy a 28 inch motorcycle rim?

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Ian

I need a rim only and can have it shipped or I can buy it in Toronto (where I live)
nope, i mean 28 inch. I have an electric road bike and want to upgrade the wheel strength.
Cool, didnt know I was asking for something that rediculous lol. guess ill have to go with a really strong bike rim.

Answer
Motorcycle rim or bicycle rim? you noted electric road bike and the ones I've seen locally are large bicycles. As a bicycle rim- the 28 inch is available for 2.25/2.50 wide tires and a Raleigh(?) rim width shows as use able for a 3 inch commercial tire. Trek has a 28 inch on the 'large' adult cruiser cycles and three wheelers. check Raleigh dealer for that size 'postal/police' rim meant for the hard users, commercial rough road users. 36 spokes needed about 10 gauge? 40 spokes?
Huffy has 'large' rim 28 inch also with 40 spokes. Motorcycle rims with 28 inch -- now your talking pre WW2 antiques like Excelsiors and early Indians.

my son wants to build his own little motorized 49cc bike is this legal to drive on public streets?

Colton

he is 11 and we live in coquitlam B.C. Canada is there a good website to look this up if tryed the police web page but it didnt make sence

Answer
That is cool! Good for him. Gas or electric?
I have built a few with lawn mower engines and Mongoose kick scooters. They are a blast.


I do not know about Canada, but in California any motorized scooter (has to have a scooter kick plate....place to stand up) that does not exceed 15mph may be ridden in the bike lane without a license.

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Should I Buy A Electric Pit Bike Or Standard Kick Start Only Pit Bike?

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A54D

I want to buy one of the following pit bikes as I am on a low budget and just want a pit bike for fun this summer, I like the electric start pit bike as it has a battery and I can add extras like lights and indicators to it, but it's engine looks like dirt and I don't know how it will perform, but the standard one looks like a better engine and it performs well as I had the same one a few years ago. NO STUPID ANSWERS

Standard pit bike: 
http://www.mypurerush.com/pit-bikes-1/akuma-assassin-pit-bikes/125cc-pit-bikes/2011-akuma-assassin-mk3-125cc-white-pit-bike.html

Electric start pit bikes: 
http://www.4u-all.co.uk/off-road-bikes-html/off-road-bikes-yellow

http://www.amazon.co.uk/125cc-Pro-Dirt-Bike-Scrambler/dp/B004QBLVI4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1336414443&sr=8-1

Date Asked: 07/05/2012
I am buying a gas one, I mean electric start

Answer
Gas and it is not July yet

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Should I Buy A Electric Pit Bike Or Standard Kick Start Only Pit Bike?

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A54D

I want to buy one of the following pit bikes as I am on a low budget and just want a pit bike for fun this summer, I like the electric start pit bike as it has a battery and I can add extras like lights and indicators to it, but it's engine looks like dirt and I don't know how it will perform, but the standard one looks like a better engine and it performs well as I had the same one a few years ago. NO STUPID ANSWERS

Standard pit bike: 
http://www.mypurerush.com/pit-bikes-1/akuma-assassin-pit-bikes/125cc-pit-bikes/2011-akuma-assassin-mk3-125cc-white-pit-bike.html

Electric start pit bikes: 
http://www.4u-all.co.uk/off-road-bikes-html/off-road-bikes-yellow

http://www.amazon.co.uk/125cc-Pro-Dirt-Bike-Scrambler/dp/B004QBLVI4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1336414443&sr=8-1

Date Asked: 07/05/2012
I am buying a gas one, I mean electric start

Answer
Gas and it is not July yet

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What form of transport is cheapest and efficient?

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Anna

Hi!

Wondering if anyone has any ideas. I have M.E pretty bad and need some form of personal transport as i can't walk very far anymore.

I don't have enough money to learn to drive/insure a car so have been considering either a scooter or an electric bike....or any other form of transport you can come up with!!

My budget is up to £700, and I only need to make fairly short journeys, say up to 10 miles :)

Ideas really welcome! Thanks!

Agent Ginger

Answer
Not sure how bad you have M.E. but what about a electric push bike will keep you fit and if you get tiered switch too electric and go with the flow! On another note visit Forever Freedom products on the web there is a Aloe drink which could help your M.E. I know it has with others.

What motorbike is better the razor dirt bike mx 350 or the razor pockot rocket?

likestoget

I know that the pocket rocket is an older model but it goes faster, charging takes less time and you get an extra five minutes out of it. The other bike though is newer more expensive and more popular is there something about it that is better which should I get?

Answer
Please dont buy ANY brand of " pit bike " or electric bike.

Save your money and buy something like a Honda CR80.

Like all pit bikes / electric, they are cheap and nasty and built very poorly just like all that other Pacific rim stuff.

A bike like a CR80 will last for ever, cheap parts, great machine to learn the basic mechanic skills, and are a great stater bike to learn how to ride on.

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Why do people suggest new bikers start with a bike with lower engine displacement?

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Dd

*Before anyone makes any assumptions, I am not looking to explain why I want a more powerful bike as my first. I haven't even taken a class yet; I've just been doing some reading to educate myself on the proper way to get into biking. I am not really considering any kind of bike until I take a class and see if I even enjoy riding, but I am leaning towards a small, light, low powered used bike to practice on first.

Virtually everything I have read has said first time bikers should stick to small, light bikes with lower cc. I've heard from a few people it depends on the person but the vast majority of the literature I've got my hands on has said its an accident waiting to happen because the bike is too "powerful" but they never elaborate on what they mean by "powerful". I understand that smaller and lighter bikes handle more easily in terms of making turns, but what exactly do they mean by "power"? Is it speed? Acceleration? Both?

I have gathered that bigger bikes tend to accelerate faster, and the logic is that if a beginner is on one of these more powerful bikes and accidentally accelerates too quickly, they could panic and lose control. Whereas if they were on a bike that accelerates slower, they would be able to recover more easily. Is that the concern, or am I misunderstanding something?

Other people who say it depends on the rider seem to believe that so long as the rider isn't trying to intentionally race or show off on the road they will be fine with a more powerful bike. Am I correctly understanding their argument?

Thanks for any clarification. One thing that stinks about books is you can't ask a question if the author isn't clear enough in their explanation.
@Candid That's exactly what I do not understand. What exactly do you mean by "limit"? I understand how physically larger and physically heavier bikes are harder to turn, so that makes sense. But can you explain why engine displacement matters? Hope that makes more sense, thanks

Answer
All the above good answers have there points. but I would like to add:

A larger displacement bike presents more opportunities for disaster. These potential disasters are overcome by acquired recovery skills. Either I've become more skilled or more mellowed out with age but; in my past I didn't come back from a ride on a 1,000cc sport bike without a recovery . (Now I can't recall a recent recovery.)

When I take the wife's 250 Ninja out to fill up the tank, charge battery, transit, etc. I in my memory have never had the power to break traction forcing my recovery skills into use. (that may just be fair weather or chance?) Years ago I gained recovery skills on a even smaller dirt bike but it required a wet surface.

Now I have experienced rides that I really don't care to repeat; being caught in the rain up in mountains and having to choose between going as fast as I can vs. deteriorating sunlight, being caught in snow and recovering, add loose debris on surfaces catching me by surprise and slipping and recovering. Throttle control and instinctive reactions must be correct! A larger bike has a wide window of error that isn't even present in a smaller displacement motorbike.

So what choice are you going to have for your introduction to a sport bike? A large displacement bike that will require finely honed skills to prevent or to recover from any slight speed or throttle error? Or will you choose to learn on a milder bike that will but rarely does present these issues that require fast correct responses to prevent a complete disaster?

I don't care how careful, cautious, mature,or responsible you are or call yourself you will place yourself in these situations that will require recovery skills. Wouldn't you prefer to experience them on the outside of the riding envelope instead of at every corner you enter too fast , apply too much throttle too early,or unseen surface debris on a turn with excessive throttle and need recovery skills to prevent a disaster?

Can I replace my bikelight dynamo with a battery?

Ricardo

I only want to change the power source, not the setup! I don't want to buy those clip-on bike lights. I like the old style look of my bike and want to keep it that way! Any ideas?

Answer
I put together a rechargeable set-up 15 years ago, before good clip-ons became available. The lamp was 6V, so I got a hobby store to put together some 6V battery packs (like the ones used to power remote control cars). I used the same connection clips as are used in the toy cars - from memory these gave one or two problems but were very easy to fix. I'd still be using it if my headlight hadn't developed a mystery blackout problem that was most easily solved by replacing it with a clip-on system. If you're anywhere near Melbourne, Australia and want my batteries and charger (and/or a Union headlight with a mystery blackout problem), drop me a line.

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2010 Honda Insight VS 2010 Toyota Prius?

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AmmyBABY

I am 17 and as an early graduation present, my parents have agreed to buy me a car. (I attend high school and college at the same time, because of this program I'm in, so please, no one give me mouth about getting a brand new car!)

After I'm done with my community college/high school here, I should receive an AA degree and transfer to a 4-year university. This means I will be away from home and will be driving back and forth a lot, which is one of the reasons why I chose these two hybrid cars.

Both cars look promising, but I'm not sure which one would be best suited for myself. I originally wanted a Prius, but after hearing about the recalls and problems a lot of people have, I've been having second thoughts. Things like the brake messing up and problems with the gear shift changing on its own. Plus, a bare-boned Prius comes to about the same price as a fully-loaded Honda Insight.
I checked for problems with the 2010 Insight, but haven't found many common that should raise any concerns. The Insight is a little bit more compact than the Prius, and I heard was much slower. (but speed isn't too important to me anyway.)
Both cars seem to have it's perks and downfalls, but I really cannot decide between them. Which car do you think is a better buy?
I want a car that is fuel-efficient, keeps me safe, and is easy to maneuver. Out of the two, which is better for those needs?

Please no bad mouthing and rude answers. Thank you!

Answer
The only braking problems that Prius ever had were:

A. If you put in additional floor mats on top of the originals it could get stuck in the accelerator pedal. Even that isn't a big problem because the Prius (unlike non-hybrid Toyotas) has brake override which stops the acceleration when you firmly press on the brakes.

B. Brake feel. Because hybrids use a combination of regenerative, friction braking, and traction control, it's possible in certain conditions to feel the transition and to have to adjust your foot pressure on the brakes. Some people complain about this in the same way that people complained about power brakes when they first came out (a number of cars were returned then too but the media and lawyers weren't as rabid as they are today so there wasn't the big deal there is now).

The braking problems, other than the floor mats (and cars have been getting floor mats stuck in the pedals ever since there have been floor mats) and pedal feel are:

1. Misidentification with Toyota's non-hybrid cars. (Many people think that the CHP officer and his family were in a Prius, but they were in a non-hybrid, stupidly overpowered, rental Lexus that may have had mechanical problems before they rented it)

2. Hoaxes (some people with financial problems have claimed problems to get out of paying).

3. Driver error (stepping on the accelerator when they thought they were stepping on the brake).

The Prius has four braking systems:

1. Regenerative.

2. Friction.

3. Engine.

4. Parking.

There is also brake-assist which determines if you are in an emergency stop and supplies extra power to the brakes (a kind of panic mode). You have to really try hard to not be able to stop a Prius.

I don't know where you got the gear shift changing on it's own from. This can't happen because the Prius never changes gears. Heck, it never even goes out of gear. The drive train in the Prius is composed of a simple planetary gear system similar to a differential. Reverse is electric.

A technical look at the "problems" is here: http://www.techno-fandom.org/~hobbit/cars/storm.html

Note that the Insight is in it's first year of sale so the problems that it might have aren't known. The older Insight was a totally different car. The Prius was on sale in North America from 2000 to 2010 before any "problems" occurred. Interestingly the "problems" happened during the year the government took over a car company.

- I want a car that is fuel-efficient, keeps me safe, and is easy to maneuver. Out of the two, which is better for those needs?

IMHO, it's the Prius.

1. It's more fuel efficient than the Honda.

2. It has advanced safety features such as brake-override, brake-assist, vehicle stability control (vehicle stability control is a system that keeps you from doing doughnuts in slippery conditions if you are going anything like a reasonable speed for the conditiions). Optionally there is radar pre-collision, radar cruise control, and even self-parking.

3. It's a mid-sized car. There is room for four full-sized adults or you can put a bicycle or two in the back without taking their rear wheels off.

4. It scores four or five star in every crash test category.

5. Toyota has replaced many of the mechanical components with more reliable electronics. For instance there is no alternator, no starter motor, no clutch or fluid coupling (a fluid coupling is the automatic transmission equivalent of a clutch), and the automatic transmission with its hundreds of parts has been replaced with a simple planetary gear system similar to a differential.

6. It has a very high owner satisfaction rating.

I have two, a 2001 and a 2004. They have been trouble free (the media hype notwithstanding) and among the best cars I've ever had. It would be really hard for me or my wife to go back to old fashioned cars. The 2004 has 108,000 miles and a lifetime average of 56 mpg according to the logbook that I keep. By year the average mpg for the six complete years has been: 50.8, 52.6, 56.3, 57.3, 59.9, 61.4.

UPDATE:

FWIW, I pay about $420 for 6 months for two Prius through Progressive. It's hard to get cheaper than that for any car. I'm sure there's some insurance companies that charge more.

Florida living expenses for 2010?

Certified

I need an online calculator that would estimate the living expenses in Florida for next year. I'll be 18 and moving out of my parents house and I'm wondering what I'll be spending my money on. I'll be riding a bicycle to avoid paying car insurance and avoid waiting and paying for the bus. What are some things I'd need to buy? Sources?
How do I estimate my electric and water bill?
Is there a telephone company that would allow me to pay per inute instead of a set month bill? I don't use the phone a lot so I'd rather get charged by the minute to have a lower bill.

Answer
It depends on where you live in FL, if you rent a room or an apartment and how big it is. Me and some friends split a 3 bedroom during college, and during the summer our electric bill would easily be over $300 (remember also, "summer" is literally 6 months long). Cable was about $150.

And really, riding a bike in the summer isn't really always a viable option, if the oppressive heat doesn't get to you the random and completely unpredictable rain storms will. And their public transportation sucks (at least every place I've been).

No,phone companies charge by the month, if you want to pay by the minute then get a prepaid cell.

Seriously, though, I HATE FL with a passion and would never recommend anyone to move there, I'm much happier being home in So Cal.

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Any ideas on making it to swim practice?

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Calcium-po

Hello! Ok, so I have swim practice 30 min after school gets out at a location that is 5 miles away. It is a 15 min car ride at least. The problem is that I have no way to get to practice on one of the two days. I have a ride for the second day, but when that ride doesn't go to practice, I can't go. I was wondering if anyone had any ideas on how I could get to practice? I live in a town with no busses and no subways and I dominos very few people on the team. I thought I had time to get to know people before asking for a ride, but I don't. Please, any suggestions would be great! I don't know what to do!

Answer
Don't just get a bike, get an electric bike.you can ride it to practice while avoiding traffic and still have enough energy too practice.there are a lot of cheap ebike conversion kits on ebay.the china ones are cheap ads work great.

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I'am looking for a mini pocket bike preferably electric can anyone help?

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Blake M

I'am 13 and want a mini electric bike or quiet gas bike that fits me (not really mini) and that goes at least like 18 preferabily 20 mph (would be great if faster). I was looking at the X-treme XP-700 but all the reviews say it is cheap and made poorly and it is kind of small. Please help by proving me wrong or finding a good one !!! If someone finds a good one I will give them best answer

Answer
Do 13 year olds get lost easily in the mall?

What kind of 250 dirt bike should i get?

j c

I have decided to get a 250 dirt bike next after having my xr 80 for 8 years. i will use it for mainly trail riding and racing the guys around town. what brand should i get, i have no clue what one is the best and what is the worse

Answer
There are a variety of good options for you. I would recommend a 4-stroke for trail riding for the wide powerband, the low end torque allows them to just keep on chugging. Though there are some perfectly capable 2-strokes out there for trails.
For trail riding, I would recommend against a moto-x or "racing" style bike. The gears are too close and the lowest ones are often too high for real technical trail stuff.
Some of the ones I am familiar with (through ownership) are the
WR-250 and the XR-250.
I moved up to the XR-250 from an XR-200 and it is a WORLD of difference. It surprised me greatly, so make sure you start carefully moving up from an 80. The engine is vastly superior, and it can do 3rd gear wheelies without popping the clutch :P. It's among the best off road machines I've ever ridden, the powerband is perfect. It also has disk brakes on both tires (unlike the 200), which you definitely want.

The racing derived bikes, like the WR (based off the YZ), is basically a racing bike with different gearing and a few trail oriented changes. Usually they keep the same high-output high-compression racing motors, which can be finicky. Some of them even recommend a rebuild after every racing season (or more frequent!), though trail riding doesn't put as much strain on it. The XR has an air cooled engine, which I've noticed can get VERY HOT in the summer when your not able to move very fast for a while. The racing derived bikes tend to be liquid cooled, but are a tad more high-strung. I've had issues with both bikes with hot starting, especially after being dropped (the XR not as bad, but sometimes it can be stubborn). If you get a bike that uses a decompress to help start (WR does, XR has one but doesn't need it), it helps if you can get one with an auto-decompress exhaust cam (greatly eases starting), or electric start (though I personally won't ride a bike that ONLY has an electric start). The WR I believe has come with a decompress standard for quite some time now (and I think electric start now too), but I had to retrofit my older model with the cam. 2-strokes do tend to start easier, I will concede that to them ;).

Things you want in a trail bike:
tons of low-end torque
disc brakes, front and back
lower, wide ratio, trail gearing
comfortable (enough) seat
probably more I'm forgetting...

almost all bike manufacturer's make a good trail bike around that displacement class. Hit up the bike forums and reviews and see what people have to say about the bikes your looking at.

best of luck on your decision and have a blast!

edit: forgot to mention, if you like the Honda CRF250, check out the CRF250X model, it is the Honda equivalent to the WR, with the different gearing, etc. from the full out racing bike.

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what is the difference between motocross and off road bikes?

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Red Rat sn

When I go to websites to look up dirt bikes it always has motocross bikes and off road bikes in different categories what is the difference between them?

Answer
A world of Difference: Racing/Trails
>motocross bikes are designed for speed, so have solid power,suspension,and have no extras that would incorporate weight.
>trail bikes or "enduros" are built for tackling technical trails and have a smoother ride. They are heavier than motocross bikes carying electric starters,headlites,and kickstands.
>both bikes may have the same displacement and look the same but are completely different................the trail bike on the track is a heavy watered down version of the motocross................and vise versa..........the motocross on technical trail is choked back to the point of stalling, and lacks some helpful equipment.
>I wouldnt take a trail bike to the track but i have ridden motocross bikes on technical trails, it is a challenge

Why is Japan considered more technologically advanced than the rest of the world?

SHRIek

I was just wondering, also if Japan is more technologically advanced in what ways and what does it have that the rest of the world doesn't have. Also if you can please leave names of some of their advanced products.

Answer
It may be because Japan lost on WW2 completely.
after Japan lost at 1945, in Japan land, destroyed places only were remained.
houses destroyed, trees burned, many citizen lost their life.
They listened to Japanese empelor's (天ç) surrendor declaration on radio at 1945 with crying.

They decided that absolutely was revived Japan.
such power will make Japan big evolution for 60's-70's.

Japanese character may be key,too.
Our Japanese have the character that cope with things by cooperation with other people, rather than indivisualism on other countries.

as you know, Japan have became a top country on cars, electricity like TV, PC, audio, cassete deck
, laser disc, VHS radio and so on.
on making such items, character of name of cooperation with the company mates was very important. and appearance of special person like Matsushita Kounosuke on Matsushita Denki company was key.

their advanced products
well.

at first,
Car. small size but high performance system with low oil will be point.
famous company is Toyota, Honda, Suzuki, Subaru and so on.

Sony. top company on audio, Tv and so on.
especially potable audio as Walkman.
80's Walkman portable cassette system got big popularity for youngs. now the tendency is following to mp3 player systems.

Nintendow, Sony is famous on TV game.
Nintendow was just a Japanese card(è±æ­) game company at first. by80's Family Computer hit, it got to be big company.
especially Japanese RPG is top level over the world.
Enix company on Dragon Quest(Dragon Warrior) series, Square company on Final Fatasy series is famous.

Seiko is famous and top watch company.
Orympic is used as formal time watch with Omega, Rolex, Tag Hoyer and so on.
Citizen is famous, too.

Yamaha is famous on musical instrument.
the genre is very broad, piano , electric guitar, acoustic guitar, accourdion, trumpet, violin, fruit, and so on.
this company is famous on bike, too.
on Chopin piano competition, top level contest ,
I hear that about 30% piano players selected Yamaha concert grand piano system. rate over Stanway systems

Fujitsuu, NEC, Sony is famous on PC.

Maxell, Axia, TDK is famous on dvd, cd disks.
once their companies was top on cassette.

Film cameras, video cameras is famous.
there are Pentax, Konika,Canon, Minolta as famous company.

Contact lens or glasses lens will be high spec.
famous company on the genre will be Canon, Seed, Hoya.



it will be famous high speed train like Shinkansen.
high speed trains over the world will be used train technology of France TGV or Japanese Shinkansen.

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How come when i hook up this 12volt 50 watt halogen bulb it doesnt light up?

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Sdfaad

So I wanted to make a bike light so i bought a halogen bulb the rquires 12v 50 watt power. I put some batteries in series to make 12volts but when i connect the bulb it does nothing. why doesnt it do anything>? I even stepped up the volts to 18 with two 9 volt batteries but still nothing. Any ideas?

Answer
50 watts is a lot of power for most batteries. It is likely that your batteries have too much internal resistance and cannot deliver the amount of current required.

To determine this, connect a voltmeter across the light when you connect it the batteries. You will probably see that the voltage drops to much less than 12 volts.

What is the most powerful bike light i can buy?

tom90051gu

i'm looking to get some proper big lights for my mountain bike (a felt q620). As i'll be going off road a lot i need some lights that will illuminate quite a distance so i put it to you, what is the most powerful bike light i can buy? some links would be greatly appreciated and money isn't an issue (unless its like £2million each :P)

Answer
Definitely spend the money on an H.I.D. or one of the super bright new generation LED systems. Don't waste money on a halogen light unless you'll be riding at slower speeds on relatively smooth trails that you know well. Halogen just isn't bright enough for fast riding on trails....you'll out-pace the beam and although it makes for a more exciting ride you can really pay the price in blood that way. :o) Even the dual-light 32w-ish halogen systems aren't bright enough for fast riding in my experience.

When shopping, pay attention to lumens output....that's the best way to compare lights. They're all screwy with their marketing because they know people will want to have the brightest light, so there are all kinds of brightness descriptions out there. And watch for the Best "in its class" claims, too. As said above, run time might really matter to you also....you always need to have a secondary backup light with you just in case (even a flashlight will do) but try to pick a light that will last long enough for your rides and keep in mind that batteries will run for shorter periods as they age or when it's really cold outside. If you plan on doing any 24hr races then you'll want a fast charger, too (and possibly an extra battery for an outrageous price).

I have a Light N Motion HID that is fantastic.....I normally ride with it on my helmet. If you plan on doing any jumps or have really rough trails, you'll probably want to use a bright light on your helmet and some other light on your handlebars so that you won't be landing in complete darkness if you take to the air. Otherwise one light is usually enough. For years I used a Niterider 15w halogen and enjoyed it on the road bike, occasionally on the trail....but it was tricky to make fast turns in the trees and tended to wash out the terrain textures in the red dirt we have around here. The HID is way better so long as you don't blind the raccoons or your riding buddies.

I really like Light N Motion much better than Niterider, but in the last couple years Niterider has finally improved their lights and addressed problems. They're both good companies but my money is with the first one. I hear great things about Dianotte, too, but nobody around here has one that I've seen and I have zero experience with them.

Plan on spending $300 and up. Nashbar, Pricepoint, and Jenson often have some super closeout deals on HID lights from Niterider and Light N Motion. I got mine from Nashbar for about $220 with a sale price and a discount coupon...sweet deal.

EDIT: If you really want a SUPER powerful light....a local guy rigged up his bike with two R/C airplane landing lights and a *heavy* 6v gel battery. Crap, that setup was brighter than highbeams on most cars! A bit overkill, though. lol

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Looking for a forum dealing with home built electric motors?

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Octal040

Does anyone know of an active place to discuss and learn more about electric motor design? Specificaly, pancake or hub motors commonly used on electric bikes and newer hybrid cars.

Answer
Start by googling Beakman motors

What is the deal on electric bikes?

David L

What is the deal on the bikes with an electric motor?

Can they be set up with some basket(s) so you can go to the grocery store?

What is the cost on these? Do I need a special license for these in California?

How far can these go on a single charge? How long do they take to charge up? Do you use just a regular outlet?

I work at home so I need something ONLY for doing basic errands around my neighborhood.

What are some other options? (Other than a car.)

Answer
This is probably more than you're looking for, but you might check it out:

http://www.vectrix.com/

There's a lot of information here as well:

http://www.electric-bikes.com/

If you're going to be carrying a lot of stuff, it might be better to get a "neighborhood electric vehicle":

http://www.nevportal.com/

Hope this helps!

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how do i get electric bike to spin the chain?

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csmuch41

i wanted to make an electric bike but i dont know how to make the chain spin... how does it work?

does electricity and battery make it spin or what how does this all work?

Answer
You are right. An electric motor and battery are what is needed.

But most electric motors are either direct drive in the rear hub OR there is a roller that drives the front wheel directly. With your level of expertise I'd recommend getting a kit. Australia do some good ones.

How do you stop a dog barking all the time?

camcorderk

Hi,

My dog won't stop barking at cars, bikes..everything really. It's becoming a bit of a nuisance for us and our neighbours.

Can anyone recommend a good dog training manual, guide or offer some suggestions themselves.

Someone recommended this dog training course by Daniel Stevens;
http://www.trade-secrets.org/stopdogbarking.html

Has anyone used it and is it any good? I'm always a bit skeptical of all those great testimonials...even with the pictures.

Cheers.

Answer
It sounds as if your dog is bored.

The citronella anti bark collars work for a short while until the dog figures out that when he barks he just moves his head away from the spray. As far as I know the electric shock ones are banned here in Australia.

Before you hand out all that precious money on training go to your local pet store and find him/her some toys to play with. There is something called a Kong where you put food inside of this toy and it takes them hours to get what's inside out.

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What Are Good Things To Cook in a Camping Stove?

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iClimb_199

I am going camping/rock climbing this weekend and I have a Jetboil Flash stove, I would like to know some good meals that you guys cook while camping. And some things that are not really expensive or things that I will have to carry a lot to make.
Thank you guys so much!

Answer
Anything you can cook at home you can cook in the wilds. Bread, cakes, stews, soups, Indian, Chinese, French, anything ...even casseroles....yup, casseroles in an oven.
The oven is a biscuit tin. Nice over a slow burning heap of cinders but a camping stove will do it. Bit pricey on fuel though.
You can bake potatoes round a heap of cinders too wrapped in foil. And meat and fish. Does great for that. Or dig a pit for them and build the fire over it.
Cover the foil-wrapped goodies with an inch or two of earth first to get an even heat.
Pit oven. Good for rabbits, pheasant, partridge, briskets.
You can serve a three course meal on silver trays if you take some silver trays.
Extreme silver service gourmet dining anyone? We've done the ironing.
On bikes.. http://www.oneinchpunch.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2007/08/extreme-ironing-05.jpg . ..
From a rope..http://hovanitz.com/images_scc/2003ExtremeIroning.jpg . . . . .

Gourmet meals are easy outdoors.
Camp near a trout stream so you can cool the wine in it. Nice for catching dinner too....coming up.
And you can cook three lots at once if you take a couple of disposable barbeques.
They pack inside the biscuit tin and you don't have to barbeque things on them.
Boil stuff, use a frying pan, or your biscuit tin oven.
Bake bread or a cake in it, roast beef, lamb, fish, rice pudding, soufles (stand it the other way up for that...soufles rise). Fresh apple pie or banana loaf.
Use half what's provided to burn if you want. Empty half of it out and use it later.
Bacon and French omelettes for breakfast with camp bread, and a sweet and sour fish for lunch freshly cooked. Put the roast in the oven so it's cooking while you get up the White Lady or Jacob's Ladder.

Very good for camping is a wok...do a stir fry or steam fish or vegetables in it on a trivet. Fierce heat from a camp stove is better for stir fries than an electric cooker at home...get the heat up the side. Get the wok hot all over, not just the base. Tumble stuff around and everywhere it touches the wok cooks it. Light airy fried rice...not stodgy stuff cooked on the wok base instead of flying all over a very hot wok.
And done in half the time.
At home I use a big petrol stove outside for stir fries....proper stuff then. The electric stove is rubbish for it.
Done in seconds..extreme wok from an expert... hot
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x75ei4_cuisine-au-wok-au-thai-village-a-au_travel . . . . .
See how quick this egg browns...30 seconds.
Hot wok...light and fluffy then like a French Omelette.
Plenty of space to work in and the shape helps too.
http://www.istockphoto.com/file_closeup/food-and-drink/7249188-frying-an-egg-in-a-wok.php?id=7249188 . . . .
It's just the same on the top of Ben Macdui cooked on a camp stove turned up to full power...no difference.

Heather baked trout is very nice if you're near a trout stream in the mountains.
Run your fingers along the heather stems to clean the leaves off. Just the tops but you soon get a tray full.
Lay the trout over the bed of freshly picked heather tops on a tray and seal it with foil so you don't lose any juices. They keep the heather soft then.
When cooked remove the trout and keep them warm in the oven while you prepare the sauce.
Add the water from the veg and thicken the juices and softly roasted heather tops the quick way with cornflour or properly as a roux sauce....butter and flour required for that but worth the trouble.
Do the same for loin chops or a small shoulder of lamb or a brisket but large briskets are best done overnight in the pit oven. Whisky (no e) in the heather works wonders.
Just take a few herbs and spices in small pots for the exotic things and for flavouring soups and casseroles.
Done it for years on mountains, in deserts and rain forest.
And on boats.
Catch it cook it and eat it. All in twenty minutes. Fresh fish that.
Example....on the rocks
http://uk.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20100403032754AAjs5GL . . . . .

One you might not want to know...Rainforest special breakfast.
You've seen moths round a light bulb. You just need a hotter one.
Put a tarpaulin on the ground when darkness comes.
Light a paraffin pressure lamp and hang it centrally over the tarpaulin.
Go to sleep.
In the morning get the hot oil going.

Fold the tarpaulin so it's got a central channel and pour all the fallen insects that got burnt round the lamp into a wide woven bamboo pan...all 2lbs of them.
4lbs if the night guard remembered to pump the lamp up half way through the night.
That's a bucketful.

Pick through it to get bits of muck and leaves out.
Oil is smoking hot now so pour all the lovely clean insects into it.
Deep fry for one minute or until crisp.
Scoop out, drain, and allow to cool.
While cooling prepare the milk from dry powder.
Distribute the crispy fried insects amongst the breakfast bowls
Pour on milk and add sugar.
Enjoy your delicious bowl of Camp Cornflakes a la Malayasia

Feeling well? O good.
Luncheon in three hours...Snake Cutlets poached in Jungle Juice....hic

How to get a trout without a fishing rod or a net...tickle it.
(Don't get caught doing it)
Lay on the bank and when you see a trout close to the bank where they lay resting and enjoying the scenery and all dozy and dreaming of the big tasty flies coming around when the sun goes down, gently put your hand in the water and under the trout....
...softly softly catchee trouteee
Softly stroke it's belly....hardly touching it....ickle trouty goes all Hmmmm that's nice....ahhh....gone all sleepy...ahh hmmmm..Ssshhhh....you're not there...ssshhh.
Trouty sleepy den? go sleepies....ahhhh
Gotcha!....cruel it is. Not as bad as some animals are....they play all sorts of tricks in nature...some plants do worse than that.
Big rivers you can be less stealthy sometimes...easy on this one....trout's away with the fairies, zonked...but he put it back in the water...public film. Trout tickling isn't legal.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tszDNiPqm5c . . . .
Or you could live on sandwiches and baked beans..but what a bore...
Bon Appetit

What Is The Best Item You Ever Found At A Thrift Store Or Yard Sale?

elvisgurly

What is the best item you ever found at a thrift store or yard sale?

Do you think thrift stores charge reasonable prices or charge way too much?

Answer
My wife found one of those kid's electric cars for $5...and the guy threw in a toddler bike with training wheels for 50 cents.


But the killer of all garage sale items was the lady trucker who bought what she thought was just some old painting of flowers...turned out to be an $18M Van Gogh. Lucky lady!!!

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What form of transport is cheapest and efficient?

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Anna

Hi!

Wondering if anyone has any ideas. I have M.E pretty bad and need some form of personal transport as i can't walk very far anymore.

I don't have enough money to learn to drive/insure a car so have been considering either a scooter or an electric bike....or any other form of transport you can come up with!!

My budget is up to £700, and I only need to make fairly short journeys, say up to 10 miles :)

Ideas really welcome! Thanks!

Agent Ginger

Answer
Not sure how bad you have M.E. but what about a electric push bike will keep you fit and if you get tiered switch too electric and go with the flow! On another note visit Forever Freedom products on the web there is a Aloe drink which could help your M.E. I know it has with others.

Which type of Exercise Bike is the best?

Jim

I definitely prefer an upright bike over a recumbent one, simply because the latter is for lazy snobs. I've seen bikes with electronic controls and bikes with mechanical ones, and I wonder what type of features the electronic ones have? Which ones are more lasting and feel smoother?

Answer
electronic ones are a more high tech than manual ones of course.
the electronic ones, can set different resistance for you, and it has different types of workout plans digitally installed in its programs. It also tells your heart rate, distance, and speed.

Manual ones though, will hold up better over time, since they don't use all these fancy gadgets. Just pedal and go, and thats all about it.

I recommend getting an electric one if you can, but if you are on a budget, a manual one will do fine also.

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What is the best way to purchase a moped / electric scooter?

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StraightBa

I have decided to buy a moped (or electric scooter) to use casually around my neighborhood (not for extremely long hauls).

Since I don't know much about mopeds, the only place I went to was vespa.com. Most of their options are extremely expensive. I'm looking to spend no more than $1,000.

I'm looking for recommendations about obtaining one. Are their other good companies besides vespa? Are their moped/dealer shops that I could visit locally to actually see the different options.

Should I go and test drive one, like I do with cars? Or is this something I should simply buy online (and go that route).

Any other things I should be looking for?

Answer
Mopeds have pedals, scooters have floorboards.
Vespas are scooters, expensive scooters. You can get around just as well on other brands like Kymco, Genuine, Piaggio, Yamaha, Sym, and Honda but you aren't going to get any of those new for $1000.
You might be able to get a Chinese scooter new for that but even that is doubtful since scooter prices have gone up quite a bit. Also from what I hear many of shops are out of scooters these days so you might want to call around to see who has what.
I read a good review on a Velocity electric scooter but I don't know the cost.
As far as mopeds you might call some bicycle stores and see if they carry electric bikes. I have never seen one in a scooter or motorcycle dealer.
You might be able to find something used on Craigslist.
Other things....
Check into what your local laws are for licensing. In CA we have to have a M2 license even for mopeds. Some states don't require anything for up to 50cc scooters.
Figure out how fast you will need to go before you buy something. Don't get a scooter that top ends at 30 when you have to get on roads where traffic goes 45.
If you want to get more info on drop ship (online) scooters check out the scootdawg forum. A lot of the people there own Chinese scooters and might be able to point you towards better brands and dealers.

How can I live a more environmentally conscious life?

Q. I am learning more about global warming and the impact a family of four has on this earth versus 250 people in an undeveloped nation. Things like this really make me want to get more involved and lessen my footprint on the earth, but how? Where do I start? I want to vote for the right laws to help this but I don't understand them all. I can't afford an electric car or to start using a solar panel for energy, so how can I help?

Answer
The four corner stones of the current environmental movement are Reduce, Recycle, Re-use, and Re-purpose with a theme of Sustainability. The good news is that most of us have plenty of eco-friendly opportunities available to us with equally commiserate financial rewards. In some cases, it does take an investment of time or money before the savings can be realised.

I often suggest that people start scouring the "frugal living" sites and boards for as whole host of money saving ideas. Money is but one resource we use. What we spend our money on involves a whole host of additional resources. Saving resources is what the Reduce, Re-use, and Re-purposing cornerstones are all about. For a personal inventory of opportunity, start by peering into your garbage, recycle, and waste cans and bins. Do you see paper napkins, paper towels, disposable wipes, or individual serving containers in your waste stream? What types of chemical based items do you see in terms of cleaning, garden, and other non-food items? Start with those things that are easy to remedy even if they are a small, over all portion of your waste stream.

Another area to take a personal inventory from is your budgeting system, check book, credit card receipts, cash receipts, bills, etc... These also tell you what you spend your money on, buy, and consume. You may want to address utility bills and/or the resources used that generate those bills. This could be things like using less electricity or water, using less vehicle fuel through combined trips, and so on. Or you could discover that maybe off-road racing could be replaced by pedle bike racing for both an economic and an environmental savings. Some people take up visiting their local library more often for both an economic and environmental savings.

Reviewing one's spending habits also brings up the idea of doing more active purchasing decision making which can also reduce certain types of consumption and hence resource use. Doing things like taking an closet inventory before hitting the mall can help one realise that what they really need is a coordinating piece to something they already own versus a whole new outfit. Developing honest needs criteria and purchasing decisions on tools, equipment, and supplies for either the home or garage; you can add additional environmentally conscious criteria such as durability as you choose too.

For many, minimalist living is not particularly functional for most of us trying to also be environmentally conscious. You may see the need for better window treatments, different landscaping, or some just plain caulk even if you are "only a renter". Cloth linens like napkins, towels, and scrub rags may be an investment opportunity for both financial and enviornmental returns. Individual glass serving containers, a stainless water bottle, and so on may work for you. To be able to honestly Re-use and Re-purpose, most of us need some tools of the trade, to learn some skills, and be able to think outside of the box within the Do-It-Yourself (DYI) frame of mind too.

Start small and with the easy stuff; what may be easy for you is not necessarily going to be easy for me. It's a whole life style change with a number of economic and health benefits that simply happen in the process. And, the opportunities simply keep on coming in easier and easier modes as the rest of the community comes on board.

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What year, make and model motorcycle is this?

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Phill

Idk if one even exists like this but I'm looking for a street bike that has no computer of any kind and minimal electronic parts. I want one with a distributor instead of coils and a kick start instead of electric. How old a bike and what kind would I need to get to have that?

Answer
The Enfield would be good, an Indian bike of good reputation. The Russian Bike called the Ural has a good reputation too. They both originally were designed for the military; designed to be fixed in the field with minimal tools.

The problem with them in the USA, is finding a dealer. Neither have a strong dealer network here.

What can we do about rising gas prices? Is there a way to protest?

Mariposa

I can ride a bike and walk but there are some places you just can't walk to. What do you do? What can we do?

Answer
despite what people think, USA has cheep gas compared to the world... even tho its outrageous (expected to hit 7 USD's this summer). If you live in town and do not have kids, consider buying an electric assisted bike. ( http://www.thegostore.com/cosoxbelmo.html ) there; cheep to buy, street legal, can be driven on the side walk, do not require a license, and you don't have to pay any taxes on them.
if you have a family and kids and live in the city. consider buying a electric converted Geo metro.( http://e-volks.com/index.html ) They cost as much as the average used car. They cost less to operate ( less then .06 USD a mile) and are perfect for in city driving

if you travel more then 70 miles a day.....
you should buy a fuel efficient car.. like a Honda that gets 70 mpg

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What is the best electric bicycle out there?

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Tim

Looking for an electric bicycle for commuting...range isn't too crucial as long as it's greater than 10 miles. Affordability is important.

Answer
There are now many electric assist bicycles out there. Some come complete and some kits you adapt to your own bicycle. A great place to start might be here: http://www.electricbikesreviews.com/

There are two general types of electric assist bicycles. They are hub motors and friction motors. For either one the motor and batteries will add weight to the bicycle.

Features you will want to look for should include:

Light with a good power to weight ratio.
The added weight of the batteries should be well placed for the design of the bike and not simply put anywhere.
Ability to remove the battery for charging inside the home.

Regenerative braking captures inertial energy and tries to convert that back into electricity to charge the battery. Bicycles are much lighter than a car and so have less inertial energy to capture. Batteries can't accept a massive influx of energy at once. As a result batteries are not so good to capture inertial energy. The good news is that while this may not be an extremely useful feature it virtually comes free with an electric motor

A fairing of some sort will extend range probably more than regenerative braking. Because of its lower wind resistance an electric recumbant makes some sense: http://www.recumbents.com/wisil/e-bent/default.htm

how much does it cost to maintain a motorized bicycle?

emp_symph0

i'm trying to buy the cheapest commute transportation possible to maintain for a year. i have about 2000 dollars to buy with. speed isn't a big factor (15 to 40 mph is fine) so i'm considering buying a bicycle and putting a motor on it (either gas or electric). i figured something small would be cheaper to buy/ maintain/repair but i dont know. if you have advice that doesn't directly answer my question- that would still be welcome.
thankyou.

Answer
It depends on your state. MOST states allow a bicyce to have an ELECTRIC motor with a maximum power of 750watts, if the motor stops propelling the bike at 20mph, above that then its legs or gravity. This is a federal law called HR 727 and was passed Nov 2002. States can opt out, but most don't. This is not for gas powered bikes, just electric!

The "Ebike" must have pedals that work and can have 2 or 3 wheels and weigh less than 100 lbs. Then they (legal low powered electric assist bicycles) are allowed most places bicyles are legal and illegal where they are not allowed.

There are age, helmet and other limitations, so check with your state. However, you do not need insurance or state vehicle registration- you are a bicycle.

All that being said, a recumbent bicycle with electric assist and a fairing will really be comfy, really be fast, and will cost about $2k including a nice electric assist with a range of about 30 miles. for about $1k you can do ok but the comort, speed and range will be greatly decreased.

If you need speeds above 25mph and more than a 35 mile range, consider a gas based bike. Most ebike dealers offer phone support (thats me for one) most gas dealers want you to bring the motor to a dealer.

You will need to maintian it like a regular bike, and have to swap batteries about every three years, depending on use.

We build, ship, sell and advise folks like you every day, and hope we can be of help.

Good brands of Ebike Kits- Cylone -usa,.
www.cyclone-usa.com
Bionx;
www.birdrv.com/electricbike.php
Crystalyte:
www.poweridestore.com/

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Whats the best way to get an electric motorized adult bicycle cheap?

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srcme2001

Electric motorized bicycles are great but not the price...........help!

Answer
You can get a decent shop quality for the price of a cheap electric bike that wont last long.

Attaching an electrical motor to a fixed axle?

Ironic

I am connecting a 400 watt electric motor to my bike, along with a inverter since the motor runs of ac power. I am trying to find someway of adding a new and separate gear onto my bike without damaging the bike, or welding anything, and making the device possibly removable. I am hoping to run a chain from the motor to the gear I added on.

Answer
Find a DC permanent magnet motor. You can run such a motor directly off batteries without need for the added weight of an inverter.

Good quality DC motors are actually less bulky and produce more torque than the common type of AC induction motors used for appliances

Gearing it properly would be tricky. You'd probably need to remove the pedals completely and install a larger set of rear drive sprockets. You'd also need to get a small sprocket to mount on your motor shaft.

You can buy those at websites that sell go-kart parts.
http://gokartsusa.com/Sprocket-Gokart-Small-Engine-Minibike.aspx

Note that most electric motors can't be run at low speeds for long periods, or they'll overheat and wear out!

Therefore the rated operating speed of your motor needs to equal the average rotation speed of your wheels at cruising speed, multiplied by the gear ratio.

You will need to do some calculations. Your cruising speed should be around 15-20 miles per hour.

That's around 20-30 feet per second. That's 240-360 inches per second.

If you have 26 inch wheels the circumference is 84.1 inches. At a cruising speed of 360 in/sec the wheel rotation speed will then be:

360 / 81.6 = 2.8 revolutions per second, or
2.8 /sec * 60 / 1 min =

171 rev. per min. (rpm)

Write that down. 171 rpm.

So if your motor had a rated speed of 3000 rpm, you need a gear ratio of

3000 rpm / 171 rpm = about 17.5 to 1

if your motor was rated 5000 rpm, for example you'd need
5000 / 171 =
gear ratio of about 29 to 1

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Welding is really the best way to mount your motor. A lot of bike shops or car shops could do it for you for about 20$ You'd need to sand or grind off the paint in the weld areas first.

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