Quote:
Originally Posted by low&slow
Alan Smith rode his Ninja 250 from Castro Valley CA to Oklahoma to Virginia and then on to Ohio. Most of the other competitors trailered their bikes to the competition which is understandable if you considered other people traveling with them and multiple bike teams. Some such as Craig were limited by tire size/wear issues: he would have had to change tires several times on the way to Ohio and back to CA. Still it doesn't dminish what they accomplished in Ohio Vetter Challenge.
all the best, L&S
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True, it doesn't diminish what they are accomplishing and learning, but the practical aspects of the machines matter greatly to me, and I think it should matter more if Craig's goal is to wean us off foreign oil. If he needs three sets of tires to travel ~5000 miles then that needs to be calculated in the final cost. How many of us would live with a commuter vehicle that needs tires every other month?
Let's look at the winner. How many of us can "ride a pork chop past a wolf" and are willing to ride in a crouch? Same with the Hayes streamliner - my body doesn't bend like that for long. Want to strap your lunch box on your back and ride like that for 30 minutes on your way to work at 6 am? I don't, and don't suppose many others would as well.
Now consider at the car – one set of tires will likely last 50,000 miles. You can pack enough stuff in the second seat to last a couple of weeks. You can also double the mileage easily by car pooling. I commute to work with one coworker. If I ride the bike that option is out. If I drive a car then I only have to pay every other day. All the bikes eliminate this option.
Anyway, I'm not trying to be critical, but it just seems to me that some vehicles are turning away from the original concept of “practical, first vehicle in the garage to be chosen,” and towards winning first and foremost.
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