Having logged over 100,000 miles in the saddle of various motorcycles, I can tell you that if I had one way in which to travel that this would be it. Those that don’t ride will never understand the feeling of freedom, exhilaration and pure connection to the road that riding offers. The fact is that most people are afraid of motorcycles. They hear of horrid accidents and think that most riders have a death wish, when in fact it’s totally the opposite. Ever hear the phrase, “Live to Ride, Ride to Live”… well, it’s 100% true. Motorcycles make you feel alive. They bring to light every sense in your body and offer an almost out of body experience when your cruising down the road on that perfect sunny day. Sure there’s an element of danger in riding, but hell, that’s part of the fun. If you’ve never ridden a motorcycle then please do yourself a favor and try it just once. If you don’t like it, then fine, however don’t simply dismiss it because of what others say as you’ll be missing out on one of the greatest experiences of a life time.

Can someone please tell me when good old fashion exercise got replaced by electricity and pedal powered mopeds? It seems like people, especially intercity hipsters, simply love to feel as though they’re doing something that saves the planet. They’ll go out and purchase electric cars and hybrids, join environmentalist groups and buy things like the mini-electric scooter you see here. Called the Voltitude, this Swiss-designed mini-ped concept will apparently get your lazy ass from point A to point B at the blazing speed of 15 mph. It’s got a pedal-assisted range of 12-25 miles, weighs in at over 50 lbs., and will fold up into something that’s still too big and heavy to hide away neatly. You can call me a skeptic and hater or whatever, but at the end of the day I find contraptions like this to be utterly useless and a complete waste of money. The Voltitude is scheduled for release at the end of 2011 and is sure to come with a price that will probably be too high and sold to people that love to wear knit caps in the summertime.

Here’s an idea though… how about all you people that are interested in this just do the right thing and purchase a real life bicycle. They’ve been around for years now, have a tried and true design and last time I checked, came with unlimited mileage capabilities.

Source: Gizmag.com

Let’s say you had a death wish, but wanted to tie your demise to your beloved Segway Human Transporter. You could ride one off a cliff at your country estate, but that’s already been done. Besides, you want to go out in a blaze of glory, and you just can’t do that on a stock Segway. What if you built a hot rod Segway, complete with wheel technology straight out of the 1700s? That should get the job done.

Sadly, I have no idea who this mad genius is. Rather than follow common practice and bolting bicycle wheels on his Segway, this madman apparently built his own wheels from raw steel. The tires were an afterthought, and appear to be closed cell pipe insulation duct-taped to his handbuilt wheels. I’ll bet that gives a smooth, balanced ride and all the traction you could want.

A stock Segway is good for 12.5 miles per hour, which is plenty fast enough to break your neck if something goes wrong. The medieval-wheeled Segway in this video is said to be good for roughly double a stock Segway’s speed, or some 25 miles per hour. On a Segway with wheels built by a blacksmith and tires cobbled together from the Home Depot plumbing aisle, that would be utterly terrifying. Vaya con Dios, you crazy bastard.

A Segway X2, similar to the one Jimi Heselden was riding

Jimi Heselden, the British multi-millionaire owner of Segway, was killed in a freak accident on Sunday when the all-terrain Segway he was riding went off a cliff and into a river. Heselden was riding the Segway to inspect his country estate, when he lost control and fell into the River Wharfe. Authorities don’t yet know if the accident was due to a machine malfunction or operator error, but Heselden’s death isn’t considered suspicious.

Segway scooters come in a range of choices, and can be equipped for anything from urban commuting to backcountry exploring. The scooters are road legal in 30 U.S. states, but are approved for use on private property only in the UK. Campaigns to approve Segways for use on UK cycle paths have been unsuccessful;despite the scooter’s limited appeal in the UK, Heselden saw enough potential to buy the company last December.

Heselden, a former miner, made his fortune in defense by inventing a portable “blast wall” to protect front line troops. The product replaces sandbags and offers better protection coupled with easier deployment. Heselden, who was known for his philanthropy, also led his company in designing the “R-House”, a temporary shelter for disaster victims that can accommodate up to eight adults.

Source: Daily Mail

Racing blinged out quads? Um, no.

My earlier post about the Red Bull F1 car on the beach got me thinking about racing series that I’d like to see. Some won’t happen, since no one in their right mind would sign up to drive (or ride ) in them, but others are a distinct possibility. As with any other sport, all it takes is sponsorship dollars, two or more racers and enough spectator interest to give the fledgling series a green light.

Now that both IRL and NASCAR have evolved into spec series with little difference between the cars or teams, I say let’s add some excitement back into racing. Let’s create a few new series that fans will actually want to watch, instead of ones that are just driven by corporate advertising budgets. Here are my top five suggestions for new racing series, but I’d love to hear you own ideas.

Stock Car Racing

Richard Petty's '69 Ford Torino stocker. Let's get back to racing STOCK cars.

Like the name implies, let’s go back to the days of racing stock cars on ovals and road courses. Here are the rules: you can buy any make or model of sedan from a local dealership, gut the interior, weld in a cage, add a 30 gallon fuel cell, change to spec tires and go racing. Engine mods would be limited to intake, headers and exhaust, and no suspension mods would be allowed.

I’m afraid that this series would prove to be a big disappointment, as no one would tune in to watch Ford Taurus and Chevy Malibu stock cars get lapped repeatedly by Dodge Chargers. I also lack confidence that modern cars would survive 600 miles of fender banging, threshold braking, wheel-to-wheel racing. Still, I’d pay money to watch this.

Fatboy Supercross

Take this bike, add knobbies, race Supercross. Who's in?

Let’s face it, the best selling heavyweight bikes in America are Harley-Davidsons, and they’re about the only bikes you see on the road in Florida. Why not start a racing series that combines two of America’s motorcycle passions: Harleys and Supercross?

You’d want to standardize the bike, otherwise the teams that opted for the XR1200s would be winning every race. Instead, let’s run Supercross with Harley-Davidson Softail Fat Boy motorcycles, 725 pounds of dirt-shredding American iron. In the interest of safety, a spec series knobby would be created for the front and rear, and riders could change the front fork springs, fork oil and rear shock. Chrome, of course, would not be regulated, and open pipes would be allowed.

You won’t see big air from these bikes, but the charge for the first corner would be epic. I wouldn’t bank on bikes lasting more than a few laps, so races would definitely have to be shortened. I’m sure that Harley-Davidson would quickly get behind this series, as it would not only generate bike and spare part business, but it would seriously ramp up their t-shirt and bandana sales.

Beach Racing League

Like this, but on sand. With rain tires.

The Indy Racing League is dormant from October until March, and driver’s would welcome a chance to stay fresh in their cars. America has thousands of miles of beaches, most of which are abandoned after Labor Day weekend. See where I’m going with this? Sure, I’m ripping off Red Bull, but racing open wheel cars on sand looks like a lot of fun. I say throw in a mix of ovals and road courses and run the cars as they race in the IRL. Track durability would probably be a concern, so we’d need to go with fewer laps and longer tracks, but that just makes for more viewing and sponsorship options. Aside from nesting sea birds, turtles, retirees and beach bums, who wouldn’t embrace this revolutionary new motor sport?

The Segway Roadrace Challenge

Segway Solo? No thanks, let's trade paint instead.

Let’s face it: Segway personal transporters never took off the way inventor Dean Kamen imagined. Why not revitalize the Segway with a spec racing series? Teams would be encouraged to “tune” their Segways with hotter motors and larger battery packs, and safety gear would be limited to motorcycle roadracing leathers and a full face helmet. Almost anyone could afford the price of admission, and here’s where having smart and nerdy friends could pay big dividends. There’s got to be dozens of Segways sitting idle, just waiting for the chance to turn a wheel in anger. You could even feature the x2 Segway in a WRC style event with a mix of on and off road stages – the possibilities are endless.

I’d be the first to admit that a spec series with a 12.5 mile per hour top speed would be a tough sell. That’s why modifications to the motor, controller and battery packs would be unlimited. Imagine a couple of Segways dicing it out, while trading paint in a corner at fifty miles per hour – that’s where it gets interesting.

The Hovercraft Grand Prix

Now THAT'S what I'm talking about.

Anyone with an old motor, some fan blades, nylon skirting and spare time can build a hovercraft in their back yard, making this the ideal series for the gear head on a budget. Races could be held anywhere, since hovercraft fly (in theory, at least) over land or water. Sure, the homebuilt ones aren’t very maneuverable, but that just adds to the challenge of being a hovercraft pilot. Since this is the closest thing we have to flying cars, I think it’s important to show support for this series. Unless, of course, you want to be stuck driving on roads forever.

In case you happen to be a fan of the capital city of the Old Dominion, we’re throwing this one out to the blogosphere. STIR (the Sustainable Transportation Initiative of Richmond) is seeking to make Richmond, VA one of the 10 cities selected for an EV pilot program. Both Ford and GM want to test their EV concepts in 10 metropolitan areas, and so STIR is conducting an online poll that functions as a petition, which will be used to get local and statewide interest in attracting the project to Richmond. Click through for info about how to support STIR’s bid.

Ford/Segway Puma, one of the vehicles in the pilot program.

By way of explanation, we don’t have any particular relationship with either STIR or Richmond (or the EV program, for that matter), so if you feel like your city should get the nod rather than those Blue Ridge Mountain-loving mid-Atlantic folks, then feel free to organize a group and we’ll promote it here too. If you’re not too picky, and want to help support some green initiatives in the South, then go to STIR’s website, look in the lower right corner for the “Insta Survey” button, and click away.

[Thanks to Dan for the tip!]

If you fancy a lift, bring coal and lithium-ion batteries!

You’ve seen steampunk laptops, steampunk guitars, steampunk iPods, pretty much everything under the sun. But how many steampunk vehicles have you seen outside of Howl’s Moving Castle? Slap on your goggles, work up a head of steam, and take a gander at these 10 steampunk vehicles, ranging from modestly altered to completely bespoke.

1. Tom Sepe’s Whirlygig Emoto

Boiler is aft of the seat.

First up is Tom Sepe’s “Whirligig Emoto.” Crafted out of ’67 Tote-Gote scooter and packing a 15kW electric motor, a steam generator, and an unknown quantity of brass applique, this two-wheeler fits the bill for anyone looking to recreate an Akira-style biker gang with steampunk bikes.

No caption could possibly describe what's going on here.

This one gets our Anachronistic Seal of Approval for being electric, producing superfluous steam, and sliding around in the video below in true steampunk-hoon style. And for more on the build, see Mr. Sepe’s website.

[Source: TomSepe.com, Steampunkworkshop]

2. Chicara Nagata’s Motorcycles

No boiler but we approve nonetheless.

Our own Vito dug this amazing find up not too long ago, and we simply couldn’t leave them out. While many in the steampunk world like making things on their own, Mr. Chicara takes the craftsperson angle to a whole ‘nother level. The “1939″ Chicara above, for example, uses an authentic ’39 Harley-Davidson U-motor, along with other period parts, combined in a unique and beautiful way.

The 1966 moped. Hipsters, start saving up.

Of course, the price reflects that – each of Chicara’s unique creations sells for a cool million USD. Still, if you have that kind of dough to throw around, we’re sure you could work with the artist to produce a steam-powered model out of oak.

[Images: Chicara Art]

3. Leyat Helica

It sure LOOKS steampunk!

Steampunk objects are usually a fusion of something modern, and something old. The Helica is just plain old – it was steampunk before you even needed to mix-n-match temporal categories. Both technologically advanced and also strangely carriage-looking, the Helica seems to have sprung from an alternate reality where having a whirling propeller motivate your vehicle seemed like a good idea.

Almost looks like it could float, too.

That being said, you have to give Msr. Marcel Leyat some credit despite his bad timing. Had he lived long enough to see Burning Man, he might have sold these as desert runabouts to the sunburned masses.

[Source: roadabletimes]

4. Il Tempo Gigante

This is a full-size replica of Il Tempo Gigante, the star of the completely nonsensical film Flåklypa Grand Prix. It was built to promote the movie, which apparently became the most successful Norwegian film of all time (in Norway), playing in theaters for 28 years. Not exactly an Oscar contender. Il Tempo Gigante (The Big Time?) was an enormous brass car with two engines of appropriately indeterminate make. At nearly 22 feet long and covered with all sorts of piping and nonfunctional flair, this would be welcomed to any steampunk art show or peyote-eating session in the world.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, no useful details about the real life vehicle exist. Perhaps that’s for the best, as the creators of this insane but decidedly steampunk-esque vehicle were likely eating some psychotropic herring at the time.

[Source: Some crazy Norwegians.]

5. Legway: The Steampunk Segway

The future of personal transportation from yesterday!

This made its way around the Internet a while back but it’s worth including on our list today because, well, it never fails to make us laugh. Both brilliant and almost completely impractical, it also oozes with steampunk style. Just look at the thing! Impossible to turn, slower and more difficult than walking, and though it’s very existence a biting piece of social commentary. Good work sir, good work.

Instant steampunk cred.

Plus, as its creator says, it’s actually “green” – no pollutants for all you eco-conscious steampunkers out there. Unless you count the inevitable blood on the pavement as a pollutant. Check out the video below as its creator miraculously doesn’t fall flat on his face immediately.

[Source: Indestructibles and Buildlog]

6. The Neverwas Haul

Holy pith helmets, Batman!

Completely insane. It’s a Victorian house on wheels. Clearly the product of altered mind states, or simply lots of wood and Red Bull, this creation of The Berkeley Academy of Unnatural Sciences could only have been created for one purpose: to be the best Burning Man vehicle of all time. Fair to say, it’s succeeded.

Words cannot describe the insanity.

No word on how many rooms there are, what they contain, or how on earth the entire thing holds itself together, but we’re guessing magic is involved. Steam-based magic. Power (or should we say lack thereof) is provided by an anemic 10 HP 1 cylinder diesel motor, but the Neverwas Haul has been spotted being, ahem, hauled by vintage steam-driven tractors.

Plus you can rent it for weddings or haunted houses! How cool is that? Just bring goggles and a sense of whimsy!

[Source: Flickr, Neverwas Times]

7. Neverwas Haul’s Steam Runabout

It slices, it dices, it steams your hotdogs!

As sweet as the Neverwas Haul is, their runabout is just as cool. Born in ’06, this little beast runs on propane firing a Lamont-type boiler to produce steam at about 100PSI. We assume the steam whistle is so that pedestrians using their wooden iPhones or wrought-iron Blackberries don’t get crushed under those unforgiving carriage wheels. No word on top speed, and the tricycle undercarriage likely produces pretty poor skidpad numbers, but it’s a cruiser, not a driver. See it in action at the video below:

Plus, it’ll make you a mean hotdog! Note that the preferred nomenclature here is “Steam Bohemian,” not steampunk. Treat them nice and they may make you one.

Neverwas Steam Cooked Hot Dogs from Scott Beale on Vimeo.

[Source: Youtube via Laughing Squid]

8. The Brass Lion

Need to bike in a charity event but have a bad back and need a steampunk aesthetic? We might have the bike for you! It has everything a discerning anachronistic biker would need in a recumbent cycle – elk-hide wrapped controls, working kerosene coach lamps, and a trunk (an actual trunk) for your long-distance jaunts.

The coachlamps are ignited! Ready for the foggy London night.

Steuben’s Wheelmen (Eric and Alan) are the creators of this awesome beast, and it gets points for looking very cool but also maintaining a high degree of functionality. Maybe sweet trikes like this will replace those asinine fixie-style machines so popular these days.

[Source: Steampunkworkshop]

9. The Hubbard Steamcycle

Built as a one-off from a ’56 Maico and converted to steam power (yes, steam power) by one Bud Hubbard of Connecticut in the early 70s, this is almost ur-steampunk in both construction and cool factor. The best part is, despite the late build date, Mr. Hubbard was using plans dating back from 1918!!!

All the mechanicals were hand-made by Bud himself, and he thankfully used a lot of brass rather than a less showy metal. It makes about 6 HP, runs at nearly 700 PSI of superheated steam, and is able to run for around 2 hours with the condenser installed.

[Source: CAMA]

10. Jake von Slatt’s Victorian Bus

The bus' Grande Salon.

Mr. von Slatt is one resourceful dude. After scrounging up this ’89 Thomas Saf-t-Liner retired school bus for around $2000, he gutted it and turned it into a Victorian-themed motorhome. It gets the steampunk nod for several reasons: first, it’s a Victorian RV! Secondly, Mr. von Slatt’s website led me to a lot of these finds, so credit where credit’s due.

Woodwork and ironplating to come?

Certainly his ride might have the most wrought-iron-clad-cojones here, with a 10.4 liter CAT diesel making around 400 ft-lbs of torque. While it won’t win any drag races, when the boiler goes out or your dirigible needs a tow, this bus might be the one to call.

He got nearly everything inside from the dump.

[Source: Steampunkworkshop]

We hope you’ve enjoyed this mad exploration of the fanciful vehicles of the steampunk genere. Subscribe to RideLust for quicker access to all our amazing content.

The 2008 Saturn Flextreme may still be a concept, but it is another example that General Motors is serious about putting advanced, fuel-efficient hybrids on American roads in the not too distant future.  They had better be.  The long-term financial health of GM is staked in the success of cars like the Flextreme and Volt.  The “Not so distant future” is the standard answer out of Detroit regarding timelines for production of electric vehicles.  So when will the Saturn Flextreme be made? 2010.  Isn’t it great that the “not so distant future” is becoming the present?

Flextreme Concept

The Flextreme is the automotive sequel to the Chevy Volt, and a reskinned GM-owned Opel with Saturn badging. Aside from the badge changes,what’s important about this Saturn is the progress that it demonstrates. The ecologically minded plug-in Saturn features pure electric propulsion. One motor drives both front wheels.  The on-board three-cylinder 1.3-liter turbo-diesel is only used to charge the car’s lithium-ion battery pack. The batteries may also be charged by a standard household current in about three hours. Running on just electricity, the Flextreme is capable of driving up to 34 miles before the diesel engine starts up to charge up the batteries. This range, GM claims, will enable many drivers to own the vehicle for months or years without ever traveling far enough to require the Flextreme’s diesel engine to run during their normal commute, providing completely emissions-free operation.  Driving range after leaving the house with a fully charged battery pack and a full tank of ultra-low-sulfur diesel is estimated to be 444 miles.  Super low aerodynamics play a huge role in achieving greater driving range on electric-only power. According to GM, aerodynamics ar even more important than weight, so the Flextreme is stylistically designed to improve its aerodynamic drag.

Flextreme: Nice Blind spot!

Saturn continues to share design elements from Opel and will continue to do so with the replacement models of the Vectra and Aura. The base of the hood is pushed way forward, conventional stick-out rear-view mirrors are replaced by flush-mounted rear-view cameras, there are no exposed door handles, and the trailing edge of the roof remains high. Each of these design elements help smooth the flow of air over the car, making it easier for the electric motor to do its job.  While the wheels look to have conventional spokes, the wheel face doesn’t create energy-robbing turbulence, another mpg-increasing touch.  The design of the Flextreme also features “FlexDoors” and “FlexLoad” systems. The FlexDoors utilize conventionally opening front doors with reverse opening rears.

Flextreme: with FlexLoad system

The FlexLoad system is more unusual, and consists of an electrically powered load floor that literally hands you your stowed luggage. In keeping with the electrically-powered theme of this concept, the Flextreme carries twin Segway scooters in its cargo compartment. 

I’m skeptical about how many  of these various concept elements will make it into a production vehicle, but at least you will have the opportunity to drive an electric car before you know it.

The Wall Street Journal is reporting that sales of Segways have gone through the roof as many people turn to alternative, more cost effective means of transportation.

The Segway is a perfect solution for those who travel less than 10 miles to and from work. It gets about 25 miles per charge and hits about 13 miles per hour. Once at work, you can plugin for free fuel (why not have your employer pay for your fuel after all!)

Once dismissed as a fad, the Segway, along with other electric scooters, are gaining in popularity among city dwellers as an effective way to commute when the weather permits.