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ScotDuke
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Posted: Tue Aug 12th, 2008 09:56 pm |
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piedevant wrote: zunspec wrote:
Here a take on the FF theme, and it's got Jeremy Clarkson in it just to add to the interest  .
http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=40096462
At £50 grand not something I'm likely to buy, but I wouldn't mind blagging a test ride
You obviously weren't paying attention when I mentioned that I was off to Czecho to ride Ecos and MonoTracers last month!
FWIW I was the first Brit to ride an Ecomobile, way back in 1988, and I did it for Top Gear when I presented the 9 minute FF feature which included the earlier segment about the whole history of FFs here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=foAgByo_txA&mode=related&search=
. That was long before Clarkson was a presenter. I was actually the 9th person in the world to get the Eco JAV 'driving licence' and I took part in the first Eco World Cup at Most in 1991. I actually provided a lot of the background information for that Clarkson programme, which must have been recorded in about 1992. Can't believe how boyish Clarkson looks!
I actually drove from those self-same streets in Winterthur shown in the clip to Brno in company with Herr and Frau Wagner last month. They are both now well into their 60s but Franziska is still amazingly quick in her Eco, which she uses every day. She lapped Brno in 2'56" in her Eco this year, which is very respectable indeed, as did another 60-something Swiss lady in her own Eco.
There are several turbo-charged Ecomobiles, including two single seaters which are both very quick. See here for a few pix of old Ecomobiles and the new MonoTracer, which I also drove again last month.
http://www.bikeweb.com/image/tid/13
If you'd like to know what a quick lap of Brno in an Eco feels like, check this out:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PYt_w8UKrH8
The pic below is me driving a 1988 Ecomobile at Brno in 2005.
I also drove it from Switzerland to Brno and back and on the German autobahn it easily clocked 137mph on my GPS. Not bad for a 17 year old Classic!
PNB
I actually, I actually, I actually, I, I, I, I...
Did you write your own scripts?
I expect Clarkson looked alike a new potato in 92. Now he looks like a wrinkly old Cyprus.
Last edited on Tue Aug 12th, 2008 10:18 pm by ScotDuke
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zunspec
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Posted: Tue Aug 12th, 2008 10:57 pm |
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piedevant wrote:
You obviously weren't paying attention when I mentioned that I was off to Czecho to ride Ecos and MonoTracers last month! ... Blah Blah etc.
You are absolutely correct piedevant, I wasn't paying attention. Hope you had a good time though.
Hmmm, I'm going off the FF concept. Too much missionary zeal involved, almost like DAS licenced middle aged Harley types  . I'm not knocking Harley Davidson M/Cs, fine machines if you are into that sort of thing.
Cheers Zunspec
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piedevant
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Posted: Wed Aug 13th, 2008 11:13 am |
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Velton wrote:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PYt_w8UKrH8
That will be the You- tube about the - allegedly - electric FF bike then?
/quote]
There's no 'allegedly' about it. It IS electric. And it was faster than all the non-turbocharged petrol-engined Ecos, despite doing more than half of this lap in the rain. I had two goes in the back of it and was extremely impressed. I've experienced the future and it's electric.
As for Hooli's comment about 'driving not riding'. All I'd say is 'Don't knock it till you've tried it'. What does it for me, whether ON or IN a motorcycle, is the leaning through corners, and nothing leans like an Eco!
Pic below shows the electric motor and 7 lithium batteries where the K1100 engine used to be!
PNBAttachment: ETracerbattsWeb_8119.jpg (Downloaded 58 times)
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Velton
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Posted: Wed Aug 13th, 2008 11:20 am |
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OK, I was just wary of the sort of nutters you often find commenting on YouTube.
So it's electric and completely covered in?
Sorry, piedevant, but it just gets further and further away from my idea of a bike and less and less attractive to me as a prospective ride.
If that's progress then I'll stay in my own little time warp, thanks.
Last edited on Wed Aug 13th, 2008 11:25 am by Velton
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Just being old doesn't make it a "Classic."
Aaaah.Nostalgia isn't what it used to be!
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piedevant
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Posted: Thu Aug 14th, 2008 11:24 am |
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Velton wrote:
So it's electric and completely covered in?
Correct!
Sorry, piedevant, but it just gets further and further away from my idea of a bike and less and less attractive to me as a prospective ride.
If that's progress then I'll stay in my own little time warp, thanks.
It's a different thing Velton. Being an FF fan doesn't stop me enjoying conventional bikes, especially trailbikes of all sizes, both on and off the road, as you can see from me the pic of me racing an HP2 1200 in the 2005 Hafren Rally. And when I first met Royce Creasey in 1983 he was still using his trusty Velocette as everyday transport! (Since 1988 he's been using an updated version of the FF Voyager first seen on that Top Gear prog.)
PNB
http://john.rushworth.com/pics/blez/namibia.htmAttachment: BlezwheellieLap1web.jpg (Downloaded 47 times)
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TheMightyGusset
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Posted: Thu Aug 14th, 2008 11:30 am |
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So, can we expect to see an electric FF bike competing here then ?
http://www.ttxgp.com/
A good showing around the TT course would shut a lot of the detractors up I reckon !
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Velton
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Posted: Thu Aug 14th, 2008 11:31 am |
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Piedevant wrote "It's a different thing Velton. "
Yep, certainly is, too different for me!
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Just being old doesn't make it a "Classic."
Aaaah.Nostalgia isn't what it used to be!
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ScotDuke
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Posted: Thu Aug 14th, 2008 10:01 pm |
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Velton wrote: Piedevant wrote "It's a different thing Velton. "
Yep, certainly is, too different for me!
Same with me and I'd rather have the BMW.
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piedevant
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Posted: Fri Aug 15th, 2008 01:18 am |
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TheMightyGusset wrote:
So, can we expect to see an electric FF bike competing here then ?
http://www.ttxgp.com/
A good showing around the TT course would shut a lot of the detractors up I reckon !
I agree and I certainly hope so. Funny you should mention the TTXGP. I was at the launch last week armed with photos of the all-electric Ecomobile. A lot depends on whether the regs insist on the 50 year old requirement to race without proper streamlining. We await them with bated breath.
PNBAttachment: RogerskimsgroundWeb_8673.jpg (Downloaded 38 times)
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Velton
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Posted: Fri Aug 15th, 2008 02:50 am |
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Can someone not build a FF that has (relatively) normal/ FIM-legal streamlining?
Obviously it would be difficult because of the unorthodox shape, but the concept presumably is not impossible to achieve?
Then we could all be impressed. 
I promise not to take the mick out of anything that can complete the TT course in this race - although I suspect I might have to comment that it is fugly!
But beauty really isn't the point of this proposed race, is it?
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Just being old doesn't make it a "Classic."
Aaaah.Nostalgia isn't what it used to be!
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TheMightyGusset
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Posted: Fri Aug 15th, 2008 09:33 am |
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piedevant wrote: Funny you should mention the TTXGP. I was at the launch last week armed with photos of the all-electric Ecomobile. A lot depends on whether the regs insist on the 50 year old requirement to race without proper streamlining.
PNB
I know of another Paul who was there - Electric Vehicle 'Guru' and big Morini fan.
I believe you may know the fellow.
I understand he's put himself down as a potential team entrant.
My understanding is that the main class is going to be 'Open' which implies that pretty much anything goes - there may even be c*rs entered !
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piedevant
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Posted: Fri Aug 15th, 2008 10:57 am |
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Velton wrote:
Can someone not build a FF that has (relatively) normal/ FIM-legal streamlining?
Probably. Something like the Alligator perhaps. However, the FIM regs require that 'the rider's back must be visible from the rear' which rather restricts the size of the seat back permitted!
Something like this in fact.....
http://www.bikeweb.com/node/203
PNB
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piedevant
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Posted: Fri Aug 15th, 2008 11:05 am |
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TheMightyGusset wrote:
[user=13451]
I know of another Paul who was there - Electric Vehicle 'Guru' and big Morini fan.
My understanding is that the main class is going to be 'Open' which implies that pretty much anything goes - there may even be c*rs entered !
Another major stumbling block is the rider licence requirement. Not many EV fans have National or International road race licences.
As for cars, my understanding is that they aren't going to allow anything with more than TWO wheels! Personally, I would like to see 3 wheelers allowed, if only to allow Tilting Three Wheelers like the Carver/Venture One.
Watch this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4iS07TLrzI
PNBAttachment: BlezinQuas@CarvstandWeb023.jpg (Downloaded 27 times)
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TheMightyGusset
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Posted: Fri Aug 15th, 2008 11:20 am |
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I actually passed a Carver One on the M1 a few weeks back !
It looked like a lot of fun.
Not as good at filtering as my old Guzzi though !
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Gus
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TheMightyGusset
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Posted: Fri Aug 15th, 2008 01:12 pm |
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I've now felt obliged to join the TTXGP forum in order to foist my opinions on the organisers !
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Gus
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Mrs ELK
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Posted: Sun Oct 5th, 2008 11:42 am |
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Got some photos from the Quasar Club meet at the Rye Classic Bikejumble last month, a sizeable proportion of the total in existence were there, plus some other odd tilting contraptions, including a carver which looked great fun!
http://s298.photobucket.com/albums/mm255/MrsELK/Rye%20Classic%20Bikejumble/Sunday7thSeptember2008/?action=view¤t=Quasar5.jpg
http://i298.photobucket.com/albums/mm255/MrsELK/Rye%20Classic%20Bikejumble/Sunday7thSeptember2008/Quasar2.jpg
Apologies if the photobucket links don't work, I'm fairly new to this.
http://www.elk-promotions.co.uk
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