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Old 06-29-2014, 06:53 AM   #8 (permalink)
gregsfc
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Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: Cookeville,TN,USA
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Grant-53 View Post
There is a method to the grocery rule. Part of it is to make motorcycles more useful to more people. The practical reasons being cited for not owning a motorcycle include no cargo capacity, no weather protection, and no rider safety. Streamlined bodies can address these problems and retain the essential riding experience. The goal is to challenge cars and buses in passenger-miles per gallon of fuel. The target is 500+ passenger-miles per gallon. Motorcycles are slowly catching up. The question we are looking at now is whether a larger engine run at low rpm is more efficient than a small engine running at higher rpm to get the same power and mass rate of flow.
Thanks for the comments. This gives me some things to contemplate. Obviously, you've got experience with the rides and appreciate you giving me some insights into the ride. I'm not an experienced group rider. I'm a daily commuter. I've ridden in a couple of charity rides, which were very slow. On the last one, I went out front with the sport bikes once, and stayed in tight with my partner who was on a Hybusa, but we weren't going all that fast. I didn't realize it was like how you've stated. That Craig tries to pass like it's a race or something. I guess this is real-world riding for some riders, but not normally the way I commute, but I can deal with that. If I can't keep up, or if I think it is unrealistically fast compared to real-world commuter rides, I'll just let him pass; and hopefully, the way you've described it, I can still have my numbers posted in the results. I don't ever do any kind of hyper mileing stuff around home. I just ride at speed limit and ride steady, don't rev up or idle unnecessarily. I don't normally ride at 10 mph over the speed limit, but I don't normally go under either, but I do understand that most auto drivers do average 10 over, so I've got no problem with that kind of ride.

I'll just run regular E10, because that's what it seems like everyone so far wants me to do, and it will be much easier logistically, since I'm not trailering my bike up there. If I were to run ethanol free, I'd have to ride up to Ashland after a seven-eight hour ride (because that's the closest place with e-free gas); buy a small gas tank; fill both my bike and the gas tank up, so that I can start out full with the rest of the group; check in at Motel 6 in Mansfield (the only room I could find around); then ride down to the Bellville Comfort Inn by 6:30; then ride back up to Mansfield; then ride back down by 8 the next morning; and then ride one-hundred and forty something miles. Then rest, and then do the long ride back on Saturday.

Running E10 will not be skewed with regards to the rest of the group, but it will be skewed for me, because I never run with it, and when I do, I'm not happy with the mpg number that I record. I'd would much rather compare my results in the event with my records back home to see how I'm really doing with respect to mpg in a controlled test; and I'm not so concerned how I do versus everyone else. But I regress. I do understand why some may not like just one gas rider running w/o ethanol. I guess I can just multiply my results in the event by 1.03 to get a good indication of how I would have done running my preferred fuel, but that may not be the actual difference that would have occurred.

I've read all the stuff about the reasoning for the grocery bag test on Craig's website, and was just shaking my head in confusion at Craig's rationale; the airplane analogy and all; it just doesn't seem like it's got any relevance to an MC event that is supposed to encourage usable and fuel efficient motorcycles, and just don't believe that the average American is going to suddenly decide to ride on powered two wheels no matter how much stuff it holds. I don't think that's what keeps non riders from becoming riders, and the current, average rider wouldn't even think of riding that low and being that covered up. I think the reason most folks don't ride powered two wheelers is mostly because we've become an overly-cautious and pampered society, and it's the fact that it's on two wheels, and that people would actually have to do something extra besides sit down and push a button or turn a key in order to transport his or herself to another location. I'm not stating that I personally disagree with the concept of streamlining motorcycles; I do agree with streamlining if that's your thing, but the idea that everyone who rides is going to be riding one of those, "this is how it should be done" machines is no more likely than everyone will start driving 2,000 lb roadster with low-drag cars, because they are more efficient than pickup trucks and minivans.

The way things are today in the real world without manufactured streamlined bikes, if one wants to ride a steamlined bike, he or she has to have alot of money to do it or alot of mechanical skills, and time, or a combination of all three. I have none of those, but I do have an MC that I ride in all seasons to work, that I can use for just about everything when I'm solo, except if I need to carry something very long, or if there is icy roads. I appreciate good mpg with highway capability and am excited to finally go somewhere and meet other people who think the same way. With all that I've got going with my ride, I feel like it is within the spirit of the Vetter rules, without having to carry four tall bags of groceries in an upright position, so I've decided not to make the changes that would let me pass; only to make the changes I need to make this long trip, which is adding a thin, tall bag to my current box.

Anyway, enough with my useless philosophy. I can't wait to get up there; check out all the rides and riders, and do as well as I can with ethanol fuel.
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