Air Car

How about a cute little car that runs all day on a tank of compressed air? The Indian automobile company Tata plans to make these in America. The tank can be filled by plugging it in while parked, or by an on-board compressor while running. That compressor will run on anything from vegetable oil to gasoline. Range is 60 miles without the using the compressor, or 800 miles while using a tank of fuel. It is suppossedly capable of highway speeds.

The 3-wheel configuration wiil probably classify it as a motorcycle or scooter. The cabin makes it more all-weather friendly than a bike, but it doesn't seem like it has the crash protection of a car. Oh well, you have to give up something. Read a longer article here.

Robotic Legs From Honda

Alright, these are cool. But is this why Honda is not releasing any new scooters this year?

Fall Scenery

After riding the motorcycle to work exclusively for a month, this week I was able to return to the scooter. The contrast was a reminder about what is fun about scooters. With the automatic transmission, there is less to occupy your mind and you can be more aware of your surroundings. You can forget about shifting gears, the tachometer, and the sound of the engine and just take in the scenery.

Friday was another one of those days for which I carry a camera. Take a look at these photos.

A New Start

Factory recalls, mechanic mistakes, presidential elections... the last month has been crazy. Thank goodness that's over. Or is it?

Last night I took the motorcycle in for regularly scheduled service, actually a glorified oil change, and my sister was supposed to pick me up. But when she got there, her car was heavily leaking coolant. So we had to call for a tow, and now she has my car. I'm down to the last vehicle in the garage. The scooter saves the day.

And here's an endorsement for AAA Plus RV membership: if you need a tow, the Plus is worth it. I have the Plus RV because it covers motorcycles and scooters. My sister just has the regular membership, and it was going to cost extra for every mile over the first five. Once the tow truck arrived, we asked if me, as the passenger, having a Plus membership changed anything. Boy, did it. From that point on, nothing was too much trouble. Want the car towed to a garage near your house? No problem. Want dropped off somewhere along the way? Sure. "I'm on a Plus membership now. I don't mind.", said the driver. This kind off thing is like insurance. You hope you never use it, and you resent paying it when you don't. But if you need it, you won't regret having the best.

I know I've been a bad blogger. But I'm riding the scooter to work today for the first time in over a month. Perhaps it will rekindle my enthusiasm.