The Kneeslider

Doers Builders and Positive People

GM’s Bob Lutz is really a biker!

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Bob Lutz, General Motors Vice Chairman, gave a talk about the future of the automobile to the American Chamber of Commerce in Germany while attending the Frankfurt Auto Show. He went to great lengths to explain how a multitude of high tech electronics would be added to cars in the future, controlling much of what the cars do, slowing the car down when it senses other cars … [Read more...]

High performance alternative engines

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There are a growing number of workshop projects dedicated to increasing the performance of alternative engines popping up all over. Some things, like the huge increase in diesel performance mods, biodiesel dragsters, diesel motorcycles and the like, are continuations of work that has been around for years but now we're seeing hybrid cars and electric cars and motorcycles going … [Read more...]

Turbo out, Nano in

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You know how everything for a very long time has been turbo this or turbo that, (remember the "turbo" button on early computers?) which meant nothing, great for marketing, though. Well, metacool notes the new word ripped from its meaning moorings is "nano." Everything is nano sized. Of course it is. Watch for it soon on a product near you. via Virginia Postrel … [Read more...]

Secret Moto Guzzi

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With all of the spy photographers hovering around the factories these days it's almost impossible to test new engine configurations without letting the cat out of the bag. The engineers at Moto Guzzi have come up with this ingenious test mule and no one ever notices. They're still working on high speed test facilities and a suspension unit but this will do in a pinch. … [Read more...]

Revopower Wheel

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This is how the early motorcycle companies started out. We've all seen those clunky clamp on engines designed to convert your bicycle into a highly efficient mode of transportation, the only problem is, after all of the clamping and assembly is done, it still looks like a clunky clamped on engine. Well, sometimes old ideas are the best, they just need elegant execution. This is … [Read more...]

Air Powered Car

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As I was foraging for new engine news I came across this the other day and marked it for another look. Now that I've looked, I still have no idea how exactly this air car works. There is compressed air involved driving pistons, I think, and lots of talk on the site about energy recovery and whether the engines are adiabatic or isothermic, loads of jargon and slow loading graphs … [Read more...]