Full steam ahead!

[The Pastor]

just get a push bike you wimps

[Wired1]

Nah, I want to go faster, quieter and cheaper. And why do they call them push bikes? I've pushed my motorbike further than my mounitain bike.

[Ixion]

How about using a gasifier, so you can run a car or truck on wood, leaves, whatever. The gas generator unit is a couple of cubic meters big though, it will fill a whole car boot, or be a box on the back of a truck. But it's possible to compress the gas for a motorbike, and fill a bottle from your home gasifier unit. Gasifiers aren't used much in the first world (since ww2), but in the developing world they're quite widespread, especially for making cooking gas out of farm waste.

Or we can distill ethanol out of straw, etc, and run on Ethanol. Some engines can take up to 50% ethanol, or so I read.

Well, a steam engine can run on 100% ethanol! . Or coal, or logs, or kerosine, or anything burnable. But of course some fuels (especially cheap ones) don't burn cleanly and thus the emissions issue. You could certainly run a steam engine on CNG or LPG though. Or home heating oil.

[Wired1]

I have seen a picture of one bike with a big LPG cylinder on the front but the external combustion thing wouldn't be very popular at the gas station I'm betting.

[kensuem]

for information on electric bikes,trywww.electric-bikes.com
Range appears to be the problem,but would be OK for going to work.
I have tried emailing Briggs and Stratton for info on the Etek motor,but they dont even bother to answer.

[Wired1]

Cost is another big factor, I got a price this week from Germany for a PMG132 motor which is the same size as the etek but 40% higher constant torque, came in at $950 US plus freight. Need to find an alternative motor from something easily available and cheap like a golf buggy or similar.

[thehollowmen]

I've wondered this... and discussed with a workmate...

Spent fuel rods create a lot of heat in a cooling pond. Could we use those to boil water and fire a bike?

We actually sketched up some plans, and thought we could do it inside (!!!) a harley engine.

And by spent fuel rods, I'm talking a fission powered motorcycle.

[Wired1]

Now you're onto it, pity the greenies don't like nuclear power, it is afterall cleaner and greener than all fossil fules but then "the greenest ride of all is the one you never take"! Aver followed a green party member in a house bus?

[9cents]

um that's how nuclear power works. creating steam to power turbines.