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Wednesday, May 22nd, 2013

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Idea: Increase Your Safety With These Vololights Motorcycle Plates - Nifty!

Posted 02:00:00 PM
Filed under  Ideas Safety
Author: Mike Werner | Location: 
Normandy, France
click to see where USA is on the map
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You'd have thought that almost anything that can increase our safety on a motorcycle has already been invented, but you'd be wrong. Two bright motorcycle riders in the USA have come up with a great safety product that will not cost you a fortune, nor hours spent installing it.

Currently a Kickstarter project looking for funding (help them out by donating a few bucks), Vololights Open Vololights link in a new window is a smartly designed product that can, and probably will, save you from being rear-ended. It has always been one of my fears when riding my motorcycle; when you decelerate your bike by just letting go of the throttle, or by downshifting, your motorcycle slows down faster than a car would, but with no warning to car drivers.

If the car driver is not paying attention, like most of them don't, your sudden deceleration will catch them by surprise, and boooom, before you know it at the very least they'll kiss your rear end. It might sound dirty to you, but it's super dangerous. Many motorcycles have found themselves in the ditch,or worse, because the car behind them didn't see them decelerating.

VoloLights

The Vololights is a license plate that replaces your current one. It is attached to your bike's 12V power and no further electrical or mechanical intervention is required. The reason? Because the Vololights has an onboard accelerometer (in fact,it has three of them), which when it finds that your are decelerating, will flash the brake lights twice every second. But when you hit the brakes, the lights will flash 5 times per second.

In other words, the Vololights will tell a car driver behind you that your motorcycle is slowing down, even when you are not braking. It's the motorcycle that does the work, not you, a first in motorcycle history. The intensity of the brake lights flashing will tell the drivers behind you who strongly you are stopping.

VoloLights

The installation is simple; replace your old license plate with the Vololights, use the supplied magnet to calibrate the accelerometer (done only once), and you are in business.

Currently they have only one license plate on the drawing board that will fit regulations in 47 out of the 50 states in the USA. For international usage, you'll need to check if the dimensions will fit your bike and your country's regulations, or wait until they start making international ones. If motorcycle manufacturers were to use their brains, they would see the writing on the wall and contact the two guys.

Here's the video introducing the project:



Click here to access the Vololights Kickstarter page Open Kickstarter link in a new window (pledge some money)
Click here to access the Vololights website Open Vololights link in a new window.
Click here to access the Vololights Facebook page Open Facebook link in a new window.

(Thanks Jesse Szynal for the tip)






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France: Electric And Hybrid Vehicles Gather Public Support

Posted 08:00:00 AM
Filed under  Ecology Electrical France Statistics
Author: Mike Werner | Location: 
Normandy, France
click to see where France is on the map
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Statistics icon
After a recent study of the French market in 2012, the survey shows that the French as a nation support in rather large numbers the use of electric or hybrid cars and motorcycles.

A survey conducted of some 2,000 people shows that 38% of them would purchase a hybrid vehicle if they had the financial means to do so. That's 15% up over the previous year. 18% of the surveyed said they'd like to purchase an electrical vehicles, up over 2011 when that figure was only 8%.

Diesel mania has dropped significantly over 2011, going from 45% to 20% (thanks to reports that diesel is very dangerous for our health), while normal gas guzzling vehicles went from 15% to 9%.

The study was for "purchase intent", not actual purchase, since diesel remains the number one choice for cars (70% of all new vehicles).

But the numbers are encouraging. More and more people will want to buy hybrid or electrical motorcycles (and cars), it's just become a price issue, which over time will hopefully change.

Via: AVEM




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Tuesday, May 21st, 2013

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India: PSA - Keep Your Thoughts On The Road - Also For Motorcycles

Posted 06:00:00 PM
Filed under  Ads Safety
Author: Mike Werner | Location: 
Normandy, France
click to see where India is on the map
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Hmmm.. interesting. Here's a public service announcement coming from India, trying to keep riders and drivers focused on the road. They've got several ads, cars and motorcycle, and in the nicely-done graphics, they show what the driver is thinking.

"Obviously" the motorcycle rider is thinking about his Girlfriend, while the car drivers are thinking about the Boss and the Husband.....

It's true, that especially when riding a motorcycle, better keep 100% of your focus on the road and not let you mind wander off.

The two other ads are:

- Boss Open Boss link in a new window
- Husband Open Husband link in a new window

Click for bigger version of India Keep Thoughts On Road
Open image in a new window


Via: Ads of the World




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Returning To My Office. Computer Not Used For A While. It Shows!

Posted 02:00:00 PM
Filed under  Funny Entertainment Personal
Author: Mike Werner | Location: 
Normandy, France
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I know what I'll be seeing when I get back to my little office..... with my computers not used for days, and no one to look after them.

Keyboard Weed







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On My Way Back. Guess Where I’ve Been?

Posted 08:00:00 AM
Filed under  Funny Entertainment Personal
Author: Mike Werner | Location: 
Travelling
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I'm hopefully heading back to home (Normandy, France). Want to guess where I have been?

KTM Netherlands

Maybe the photo will give you a hint......

... in fact, I was at a surprise birthday party for a fellow motorcycle journalist in The Netherlands.






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Monday, May 20th, 2013

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If The Red Baron Would Have A Motorcycle, This Would Be It

Posted 06:00:00 PM
Filed under  Special-Bikes Video Feeds
Author: Mike Werner | Location: 
Travelling
click to see where Germany is on the map
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If ever the famous and notorious Red Baron Open Red Baron link in a new window would have had a motorcycle, this one would have been it. It's a custom made chopper, using a real aircraft engine, in this case a Radial Aircraft EngineRadial Aircraft Engine.

Red Baron Motorcycle

You should have a look at the video below, and TURN UP THE VOLUME. This is one engine you'll want to hear purr away. Amazing. I'd say the motorcycle has an enormous torque, but also that it's very heavy. The little propeller is just a gag.

The video is part of an article from the German motorcycle magazine Motorrad Open Motorrad link in a new window, and the builder and chopper are in Germany (the chopper's name is Red Baron). But even if they talk a bit in German, and some of the text is in German, it doesn't remove any of the fun. Have a look.



Of course it's the not first time a radial aircraft engine was used on a motorcycle, quite a lot of them have been made in the past (including one driven by Jay Leno). Click here to have a look at many other radial engine motorcycles Open Bored-Night link in a new window.






Technorati :


France: Self Teaching Site On The Dangers Of Motorcycle Riding

Posted 02:00:00 PM
Filed under  France Safety
Author: Mike Werner | Location: 
Travelling
click to see where France is on the map
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Here's an interesting site developed by the Prevention Routiere et Assureurs Prevention, an organization for the prevention of accidents funded by insurance companies. The site, called MotoPrev Open MotoPrev link in a new window (as in Motorcycle Prevention) is like a video game without the controls. It shows you how and when motorcycle accidents happen. It allows you to identify areas where you may be in danger.

MotoPrev

There are 7 main areas, and each area loads a video (using high quality animated graphics) which you can view from either the motorcycle's point of view, satellite/above/God view or the car's view. There's at the end also an explanation, but it's in French (as is the whole site).

Motorcycle View:

Click for bigger version of MotoPrev
Open image in a new window

Above/God View:

Click for bigger version of MotoPrev
Open image in a new window

Car View:

Click for bigger version of MotoPrev
Open image in a new window

Even if you don't read French, it's still interesting to see.

The 7 main areas are:
  1. The Stop
  2. Loss of Control
  3. Overtaking
  4. Lane Change
  5. Upcoming Car
  6. Sudden Braking
  7. Pedestrians

Each scenario has a different motorcycle. The graphics are nicely done, the motorcycle's point of view is like if you're actually riding a motorcycle. As explanations go, it's a great way of showing (new) riders what to watch out for.

Click here to see the MotoPrev site Open Assureurs-Prevention link in a new window.






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