Edward:
I am convinced that the future of transit is two wheels. I have been a bicycle rider and racer all my life so I know what the potential is.
Too much of our mindset is framed by what I call "carlove". The dominance of the car/truck road infrastructure dominates every decision and plan that people conceive and squashes real creativity and sensible economics. For instance, small motorcycles usually start at 250cc and almost all motorcycle riders describe this as woefully "underpowered". This is why so few motorcycle enthusiasts actually commute via their motorcycle. For them it is all about culture and being seen. Big cars, big motors, big noise- it's all a part of the American mythology.
Something bad happened to me yesterday: while on the motorbike on a highway with very light traffic, I was "coal rolled" by a gigantic diesel truck. That is to say this guy passed me (I was going 25-28 mph) and he edged over into my lane and let loose a huge cloud of black smoke that engulfed me. F*cking egregious! I am searching for this guy as we speak. I consider it assault. This kind of thing is all a part of the mindset.
Don't misread my posts about the motorbike! I am just giving honest reports about my learning experience hoping that it can be a help to others. Each car commute to work costs me roughly $5. On motorbike #1, I commuted 31 times;on motorbike #2 14 times. Counting all the other errands and trips near and far, this thing has already paid for itself! I have worked very hard and I continue to learn. I have threadlocker and JB Weld on hand at all times. I carry a small 10mm combination wrench in my rear back pocket.
I can weld - I used to get paid well to do it!- but I don't have a welder and I really can't afford one (or a Ducati Scrambler!). Man, I can think of ten ways to make something much better and much more reliable than the stock muffler. But it requires good welding. In the meantime, my $12 muffler fix has performed flawlessly. It's actually pretty quiet at cruise speed!
I am proud to say that my MotoBeast has jumped up to a very high level of reliability. It can be done.
I'd really like to build my own motorcycle in the Spring, but that requires a higher level of knowledge. I know very little about motorcycle frames or where to procure one. In my mind, I'd like to slap a ~200cc engine on there with a simple gearbox and electric system. Then I'd like to get it all titled and registered, insure it, yeah that is a great idea!
Thanks for the note and the empathy! If there is anything I can do to help, drop me a note.
=Timbone=