Innovation

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Count Steer
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Innovation

Post by Count Steer »

Looking at various threads of old bikes and the regular rebuild/redesign/café racer things got me thinking. (That dull grinding noise and occasional clunk you can hear...s'me).
Bikes haven't changed much have they? All the bits have got better but they're still 2 wheels connected to something that makes the wheels go round, with a seat on top. Some things have been added (for better or worse - ABS, more electronics etc) but not much really. Even that $190k thing was 'retro' rather than 'tomorrow, today'.

What have I missed? What great innovations do you think have been introduced? What would you like to see?
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Re: Innovation

Post by chutzpah »

Arguably cars have followed a similar track since they standardised the pedal and gear stick layout?

And bicycles once the safety bicycle was released.
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Re: Innovation

Post by Taipan »

:thumbup: I love ABS as I'm crap at braking and had a front wheel tuck once.

:thumbdown: Fuel injection is a PITA at slow speeds/part throttle openings.
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Re: Innovation

Post by Count Steer »

chutzpah wrote: Fri Sep 10, 2021 4:10 pm Arguably cars have followed a similar track since they standardised the pedal and gear stick layout?

And bicycles once the safety bicycle was released.
I suppose you could say that doing away with a pedal (and, effectively, a gear stick) with the auto box was an innovation. Rotary engines were an attempt to get away from up/down/up/down -suck/squeeze/bang/blow but never really caught on.

Re Taipan and ABS. How about something that eliminates high-sides? That'd be clever!
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Re: Innovation

Post by KungFooBob »

Since when?

Cos possibly the greatest innovation was the wheel.
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Re: Innovation

Post by chutzpah »

Count Steer wrote: Fri Sep 10, 2021 4:23 pm I suppose you could say that doing away with a pedal (and, effectively, a gear stick) with the auto box was an innovation.
In that case, DCT?
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Re: Innovation

Post by Mr. Dazzle »

KungFooBob wrote: Fri Sep 10, 2021 4:25 pm Since when?

Cos possibly the greatest innovation was the wheel.
Aye motorcycles were rubbish before wheels.

Image
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Re: Innovation

Post by Le_Fromage_Grande »

Wasn't nearly everything on a modern bike, apart from the electronics, tried by the Second World War?
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Re: Innovation

Post by Mr. Dazzle »

Pretty much. Even fuel injection is pre war tech, although not computer controlled of course.

Oh and carbon fibre, but even that is 60s tech.
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Re: Innovation

Post by KungFooBob »

Not on the bike (cos I've never had one new enough to have it), but today I'm in the wife's little Aygo, it's got auto lights and wipers and radar braking and lane departure, etc... but it hasn't got Cruise Control, I use it every journey in the Merc, even if it's just for keeping at the speed limit in 30's.

I miss it more than any other toy when I don't have it.
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Re: Innovation

Post by Le_Fromage_Grande »

Mr. Dazzle wrote: Fri Sep 10, 2021 4:43 pm Pretty much. Even fuel injection is pre war tech, although not computer controlled of course.

Oh and carbon fibre, but even that is 60s tech.
ME109s were fuel injected, they're pre war.
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Re: Innovation

Post by KungFooBob »

Le_Fromage_Grande wrote: Fri Sep 10, 2021 4:49 pm ME109s
No such thing.

BF109 innit. Common mistake tho' so I'll let you off.
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Re: Innovation

Post by Le_Fromage_Grande »

KungFooBob wrote: Fri Sep 10, 2021 4:51 pm
Le_Fromage_Grande wrote: Fri Sep 10, 2021 4:49 pm ME109s
No such thing.

BF109 innit. Common mistake tho' so I'll let you off.
Incorrect, early 109s are BFs, late ones made in a different factory are MEs, but all the pre war ones would have been BFs, and yes, I'm kicking myself for that middle aged error (I was going to say school boy error, but when I was a school boy I was aeroplane mad and would never have made that mistake)

Edit: Bollocks, wrong again, they are all BFs
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Re: Innovation

Post by chutzpah »

Mr. Dazzle wrote: Fri Sep 10, 2021 4:40 pm
KungFooBob wrote: Fri Sep 10, 2021 4:25 pm Since when?

Cos possibly the greatest innovation was the wheel.
Aye motorcycles were rubbish before wheels.

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You can't get a knee down on those though, you slip off. I've tried a few times when at the playpark with the kids and bored.
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Re: Innovation

Post by Yorick »

Taipan wrote: Fri Sep 10, 2021 4:15 pm :thumbup: I love ABS as I'm crap at braking and had a front wheel tuck once.

:thumbdown: Fuel injection is a PITA at slow speeds/part throttle openings.
Always works great on sports bikes. It's the budget bikes where it fails.
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Re: Innovation

Post by Count Steer »

KungFooBob wrote: Fri Sep 10, 2021 4:25 pm Since when?

Cos possibly the greatest innovation was the wheel.
Whenever you like! I just got to thinking that, here we are, rapidly approaching the end of the hydrocarbon age and we're riding around on things that are the same in many ways as soon after it started.

Lots of things have improved, engine technology, tyre technology, suspension, once added, has come on a bit etc. But we're not riding Akira-mobiles or hover-bikes or Transformers or even FJRs beloved feet-forwards.
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Re: Innovation

Post by Horse »

Le_Fromage_Grande wrote: Fri Sep 10, 2021 4:54 pm
KungFooBob wrote: Fri Sep 10, 2021 4:51 pm
Le_Fromage_Grande wrote: Fri Sep 10, 2021 4:49 pm ME109s
No such thing.

BF109 innit.
Incorrect, early 109s are BFs, late ones made in a different factory are MEs,

Edit: Bollocks, wrong again, they are all BFs
Both wrong.

Enny fule kno that they were all fokkers.

And saying so will get you banned from tv.
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Re: Innovation

Post by Horse »

KungFooBob wrote: Fri Sep 10, 2021 4:25 pm Since when?

Cos possibly the greatest innovation was the wheel.
20210910_171802.jpg
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Re: Innovation

Post by Count Steer »

KungFooBob wrote: Fri Sep 10, 2021 4:48 pm Not on the bike (cos I've never had one new enough to have it), but today I'm in the wife's little Aygo, it's got auto lights and wipers and radar braking and lane departure, etc... but it hasn't got Cruise Control, I use it every journey in the Merc, even if it's just for keeping at the speed limit in 30's.

I miss it more than any other toy when I don't have it.
Had a couple of bikes with cruise control and assumed I'd never use it but it's great when you need to scratch your bum (if you're right handed). I was also impressed that at 70 it was more fuel efficient than me holding the bike at 70. Dunno why, but it was by a significant amount.
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Re: Innovation

Post by Yorick »

Count Steer wrote: Fri Sep 10, 2021 5:38 pm
KungFooBob wrote: Fri Sep 10, 2021 4:48 pm Not on the bike (cos I've never had one new enough to have it), but today I'm in the wife's little Aygo, it's got auto lights and wipers and radar braking and lane departure, etc... but it hasn't got Cruise Control, I use it every journey in the Merc, even if it's just for keeping at the speed limit in 30's.

I miss it more than any other toy when I don't have it.
Had a couple of bikes with cruise control and assumed I'd never use it but it's great when you need to scratch your bum (if you're right handed). I was also impressed that at 70 it was more fuel efficient than me holding the bike at 70. Dunno why, but it was by a significant amount.
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