"Mark & Steven Bornfeld" wrote in message
...
Jim Wilkins wrote:
On Apr 7, 10:22 pm, Gerald Miller wrote:
...
Which was it, Honda or Toyota came up with a more elaborate version of
this that was shown on TV a few months back. IIRC it had three wheels
and only carried one person. Looked somewhat like Granny's rocking
chair!
Gerry :-)}

Like these?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isetta

The Germans switched to larger cars as soon as they could afford them.
When I was there in the early 1970's the various tiny cars were
already curiosities and museum pieces.

Personally I need a vehicle that will carry wheelchairs, 10' pipe,
lumber, corrugated roofing, machinery, etc. Even if it were free an
extra tiny vehicle that doesn't carry cargo would cost me more in
insurance than it would save in gas, the CRV does all of the above, in
any weather, and gets over 25 MPG. I've tried using a motorcycle with
saddlebags for everything, including long camping trips.

The real irony is that emissions and safety regulations eliminated
vehicles such as the 1978 Accord I had, which would also hold 10' pipe
internally and delivered 36 - 38 MPG in normal driving and well over
40 on a trip. I still have a 1980 one in round tuit status, the
mandated changes dropped its mileage to barely 30. It was roomy and
comfortable enough to hold my parents and me on a long trip around
eastern Canada

Jim Wilkins


I remember those old Hondas--when they first started importing them in
the '70s I think they claimed 50 mpg on the highway.
Ironically, I've noticed that Honda recently came out with a car called
a "Fit" which looks a bit like the Honda Civic of old. I'm sure it
doesn't get nearly the same mileage though. For that matter, the
"Smart" car doesn't get the mileage it should IMO to justify the tiny
size.
I'm just annoyed at Segway making another claim that they are going to
change life as we know it on planet earth.

Steve

--
Mark & Steven Bornfeld DDS
http://www.dentaltwins.com
Brooklyn, NY
718-258-5001

But they did. It wasn't a big change but it was a change. We went from
being a world where no one used a Segway to being a world where some people
do use Segways.

"Mark & Steven Bornfeld" wrote in message
...
Jim Wilkins wrote:
On Apr 7, 10:22 pm, Gerald Miller wrote:
...
Which was it, Honda or Toyota came up with a more elaborate version of
this that was shown on TV a few months back. IIRC it had three wheels
and only carried one person. Looked somewhat like Granny's rocking
chair!
Gerry :-)}

Like these?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isetta

The Germans switched to larger cars as soon as they could afford them.
When I was there in the early 1970's the various tiny cars were
already curiosities and museum pieces.

Personally I need a vehicle that will carry wheelchairs, 10' pipe,
lumber, corrugated roofing, machinery, etc. Even if it were free an
extra tiny vehicle that doesn't carry cargo would cost me more in
insurance than it would save in gas, the CRV does all of the above, in
any weather, and gets over 25 MPG. I've tried using a motorcycle with
saddlebags for everything, including long camping trips.

The real irony is that emissions and safety regulations eliminated
vehicles such as the 1978 Accord I had, which would also hold 10' pipe
internally and delivered 36 - 38 MPG in normal driving and well over
40 on a trip. I still have a 1980 one in round tuit status, the
mandated changes dropped its mileage to barely 30. It was roomy and
comfortable enough to hold my parents and me on a long trip around
eastern Canada

Jim Wilkins


I remember those old Hondas--when they first started importing them in the
'70s I think they claimed 50 mpg on the highway.
Ironically, I've noticed that Honda recently came out with a car called a
"Fit" which looks a bit like the Honda Civic of old. I'm sure it doesn't
get nearly the same mileage though. For that matter, the "Smart" car
doesn't get the mileage it should IMO to justify the tiny size.
I'm just annoyed at Segway making another claim that they are going to
change life as we know it on planet earth.

Steve

--
Mark & Steven Bornfeld DDS
http://www.dentaltwins.com
Brooklyn, NY
718-258-5001

The first Honda car imports were real POS vehicles. Banned from the road in
Calif. They were 500cc motorcyle engine with chain drive cars.

On Wed, 8 Apr 2009 04:38:02 -0700 (PDT), Jim Wilkins
wrote:

On Apr 7, 10:22*pm, Gerald Miller wrote:
...
Which was it, Honda or Toyota came up with a more elaborate version of
this that was shown on TV a few months back. IIRC it had three wheels
and only carried one person. Looked somewhat like Granny's rocking
chair!
Gerry :-)}

Like these?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isetta

The Germans switched to larger cars as soon as they could afford them.
When I was there in the early 1970's the various tiny cars were
already curiosities and museum pieces.
No, this was a new design, basically a chair on three wheels that
reclined further back at higher speeds.
Gerry :-)}
London, Canada

On Wed, 08 Apr 2009 20:15:02 -0400, Gerald Miller
wrote:

On Wed, 8 Apr 2009 04:38:02 -0700 (PDT), Jim Wilkins
wrote:

On Apr 7, 10:22*pm, Gerald Miller wrote:
...
Which was it, Honda or Toyota came up with a more elaborate version of
this that was shown on TV a few months back. IIRC it had three wheels
and only carried one person. Looked somewhat like Granny's rocking
chair!
Gerry :-)}

Like these?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isetta

The Germans switched to larger cars as soon as they could afford them.
When I was there in the early 1970's the various tiny cars were
already curiosities and museum pieces.
No, this was a new design, basically a chair on three wheels that
reclined further back at higher speeds.
Gerry :-)}
London, Canada
See: http://www.toyota.co.jp/en/tech/p_mo...eal/index.html
Gerry :-)}
London, Canada

Cliff wrote:
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-f...,2638670.story
[
GM, Segway think 2 wheels
The companies plan to develop a two-wheeled, two-seat electric vehicle as a
clean, safe and inexpensive alternative to traditional cars.
Associated Press
April 7, 2009

New York -- A solution to the world's urban transportation problems could lie in
two wheels, not four, according to executives of General Motors Corp. and Segway
Inc.

The companies plan to announce today that they are developing a two-wheeled,
two-seat electric vehicle designed to be a safe, inexpensive and clean
alternative to traditional cars for cities across the world.

The companies said their project, dubbed PUMA, for Personal Urban Mobility and
Accessibility, would include a communications network allowing vehicles to
interact with one another to regulate traffic flow and prevent crashes.

The 300-pound prototype runs on a lithium-ion battery and dual electric motors
and .....
]

So all that tax money is going to Dean Kaman and his wacky ideas?

Oh goody.

If the US wants inexpensive urban transportation, all it needs to do is
ease up on the safety requirements for cars that make them heavy and
expensive, while at the same time changing out the brains of all those
folks buying Ford Leviathans.

--

Tim Wescott
Wescott Design Services
http://www.wescottdesign.com

Do you need to implement control loops in software?
"Applied Control Theory for Embedded Systems" was written for you.
See details at http://www.wescottdesign.com/actfes/actfes.html

On Apr 7, 7:01*pm, Tim Wescott wrote:

If the US wants inexpensive urban transportation, all it needs to do is
ease up on the safety requirements for cars that make them heavy and
expensive, while at the same time changing out the brains of all those
folks buying Ford Leviathans.

Tim Wescott
Wescott Design Serviceshttp://www.wescottdesign.com

And also crack down harder on the reckless and antisocial behavior
that triggered those requirements.

This reminds me of Smokey Stover's Foomobile except it has a top.

http://tinyurl.com/cnks7f



On Apr 7, 3:32*am, Cliff wrote:
*http://www.latimes.com/business/la-f...pr07,0,2638670.....
[
GM, Segway think 2 wheels
The companies plan to develop a two-wheeled, two-seat electric vehicle as a
clean, safe and inexpensive alternative to traditional cars.
Associated Press
April 7, 2009

New York -- A solution to the world's urban transportation problems could lie in
two wheels, not four, according to executives of General Motors Corp. and Segway
Inc.

The companies plan to announce today that they are developing a two-wheeled,
two-seat electric vehicle designed to be a safe, inexpensive and clean
alternative to traditional cars for cities across the world.

The companies said their project, dubbed PUMA, for Personal Urban Mobility and
Accessibility, would include a communications network allowing vehicles to
interact with one another to regulate traffic flow and prevent crashes.

The 300-pound prototype runs on a lithium-ion battery and dual electric motors
and .....
]

On Apr 7, 9:05*pm, Charles Lessig wrote:
This reminds me of Smokey Stover's Foomobile except it has a top.

http://tinyurl.com/cnks7f

On Apr 7, 3:32*am, Cliff wrote:

*http://www.latimes.com/business/la-f...pr07,0,2638670.....
[
GM, Segway think 2 wheels
The companies plan to develop a two-wheeled, two-seat electric vehicle as a
clean, safe and inexpensive alternative to traditional cars.
Associated Press
April 7, 2009

New York -- A solution to the world's urban transportation problems could lie in
two wheels, not four, according to executives of General Motors Corp. and Segway
Inc.

The companies plan to announce today that they are developing a two-wheeled,
two-seat electric vehicle designed to be a safe, inexpensive and clean
alternative to traditional cars for cities across the world.

The companies said their project, dubbed PUMA, for Personal Urban Mobility and
Accessibility, would include a communications network allowing vehicles to
interact with one another to regulate traffic flow and prevent crashes.

The 300-pound prototype runs on a lithium-ion battery and dual electric motors
and .....
]

I remember a popsci article where a fella built one of those, two
wheels only, small gas engine, no electronic stability control, had a
photo of someone on the hood trying to get it to tip, and could not
tip it.

Builder used a cool trick...


Dave

On Tue, 07 Apr 2009 03:32:49 -0400, Cliff wrote:

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-f...,2638670.story
[
GM, Segway think 2 wheels
The companies plan to develop a two-wheeled, two-seat electric vehicle as a
clean, safe and inexpensive alternative to traditional cars.
Associated Press
April 7, 2009

New York -- A solution to the world's urban transportation problems could lie in
two wheels, not four, according to executives of General Motors Corp. and Segway
Inc.

The companies plan to announce today that they are developing a two-wheeled,
two-seat electric vehicle designed to be a safe, inexpensive and clean
alternative to traditional cars for cities across the world.

The companies said their project, dubbed PUMA, for Personal Urban Mobility and
Accessibility, would include a communications network allowing vehicles to
interact with one another to regulate traffic flow and prevent crashes.

The 300-pound prototype runs on a lithium-ion battery and dual electric motors
and .....
]

More (with more detail):
http://www.technewsworld.com/story/G...r-2-66751.html
--
Cliff

On Tue, 07 Apr 2009 03:32:49 -0400, Cliff wrote:

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-gm-
segway7-2009apr07,0,2638670.story
[
GM, Segway think 2 wheels
The companies plan to develop a two-wheeled, two-seat electric vehicle
as a clean, safe and inexpensive alternative to traditional cars.

Allright, so GM's idea for the comeback is to put a chair on a Segway.
They truly deserve what's coming to them.



--
Przemek Klosowski, Ph.D. przemek.klosowski at gmail