Is this our future?

http://www.edmunds.com/smart/fortwo/2008/index.html?mktcat=smart-fortwo-make-misspelling-proper&kw=smart+fortwo&mktid=ga38979186&gclid=CLuAp5mftJMCFQcmIgodMBYfBw

Saw my first live version today in St. Paul on Snelling Ave@Grand Ave. Very, very small, it seemed. And that's coming from a Scion xB driver.

I am waiting to see if the Chevy Volt technology works. Series Hybrid. If it does it could be a big step forward. Then I only have to wait until they hit the secondary market and/or build one in a configuration to my liking. Good luck there. I do most of my running around town (what I can) on my bicycle or my 50 MPG DRZ 250 (we are a four traffic light county and I am close to the center). Back-up from there is a Saturn Wagon that has an overall of 28 mpg +. Road trips first go to the BMW 850R and then the Saturn. Winters are a walking or a Saturn thing. Its pretty incredible what some people are doing on fill-ups with their Suburbans.

The larger challenge is to make automobiles worth keeping. Ours rust in place badly because of the materials they are made of and that the State of Michigan salts the crap out of the roads which has the residual effect of drawing the deer population to the road sides. There they become fairly unbothered by the traffic rushing by until the big WHAM. We have 60,000 deer like big WHAMs a year.

Wayne Koppa
Grayling, MI

There were two reviews of the Smart car in last weeks NYT and they just ripped it. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/11/automobiles/autosreviews/11-smart-fortwo-ny.html?scp=2&sq=Smart+car&st=nyt The biggest disapointment is the mpg of only 33. I sent an email out to the four TC TV stations saying hey do a story about motorcycles getting 50 mpg. See if anything shows up.

brian@mnSportTouring.com

Well 50 mpg is great, but once you account tires, gear, licensing of the rider and the bike, it's not saving a responsible person much. Sure it uses less gas, which to some is the fundamental ideal, but for most -- the motivation is money.

When new riders cut corners on the 'auxillary' expenses, it will hurt all of us. We've already seen how easy it is to weight statistics against riders.

More bikes. More accidents. More legislation. I tend not to publicize what I enjoy.


p.s. To their credit, a local news station did a report on the young and hot newscaster taking the Rider's Edge course to show the best way to go about getting into riding. I didn't catch the piece, unfortunately, as it was cast on a Friday evening. Who watches the 9:00 news on Friday? Seems to go on deaf ears.

I beg to differ on the more bikes, more accidents, more legislation. Check out the future http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qIFc6RmKUWU

I beg to differ on the more bikes, more accidents, more legislation. Check out the future http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qIFc6RmKUWU