The Kneeslider

Doers Builders and Positive People

Intelligent Energy exhibiting their ENV

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Intelligent Energy, makers of the ENV hydrogen fuel cell motorcycle that we've covered here before, will be on hand to exhibit their motorcycle at the Tokyo Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Expo coming up January 25th thru 27th. We haven't heard a lot from them since their big media splash last year, however, they are still out there doing R&D on new products, including a new fuel cell … [Read more...]

Micro sized internal combustion engine

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We keep hearing about how fuel cells can replace batteries, well how about replacing them with little engines? REALLY little, teeny, tiny little engines. Liquid hydrocarbon fuels are really energy dense which is why all of those batteries and fuel cells are having a hard time serving as substitutes since you need a lot more hydrogen or whatever else to make up for a small … [Read more...]

Motorcycle Air Pollution – part 3

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The study we mentioned twice before is now online. Reading through the findings confirms a few things, the study reflects the Swiss traffic fleet and the vehicles in use there. It includes two stroke motorcycles or scooters in the mix which we do not have in the U.S. and the motorcycles, as outlined previously, were not new, in fact some were a decade old. Other than … [Read more...]

GPS Navigation Systems – brain still required

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GPS navigation has become one of the hottest accessories for every kind of motor vehicle. Need to find your destination in unfamiliar territory? No problem, just ask your GPS to point the way. Somewhere along the line, though, you do need to use your head. If the GPS says go straight when the road becomes a rock and crater strewn obstacle course, you might ask for an alternate … [Read more...]

Motorcycle Air Pollution – part 2

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Jennifer, one of our readers, was kind enough to link to a chart (reproduced below) of the motorcycles used in the motorcycle air pollution study comparing motorcycles to cars. What jumps out immediately is the year and mileage of the sample vehicles. Of the eight bikes in the test, the newest is a 1999 BMW with 31,474 kilometers. There are 2 1998 models, 1 each 97, 96 and 95 … [Read more...]

Motorcycle air pollution

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A group over in Switzerland has just concluded a study and they're pointing their finger at motorcycles as being nasty little air polluters. The study by the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Testing and Research says motorcycles emit "16 times more hydrocarbons, three times more carbon monoxide and a 'disproportionately high' amount of other air pollutants compared to a … [Read more...]