the most powerful and fastest production motorcycle in world.
The 178 bhp Kawasaki ZX12 has had the most horsepower of any production motorcycle, though it has played second fiddle to the 175 bhp Suzuki GSX1300 Hayabusa (named after the Japanese Peregrine falcon, one of the few animals on the planet which can travel at 186 mph which it does during a dive) because the Hayabusa has a higher top speed due to Suzuki’s aerodynamics. The Hayabusa’s top speed as measured by the Guiness Book of Records is 197 mph. But Kawasaki has announced the ZX14 (1400cc) with slipperier wind tunnel designed aerodynamics and the most horsepower and highest top speed of any production motorcycle ever.
Vitals:
configuration: 1352cc fuel-injected inline-four
horsepower: 200bhp
top speed: 200+ mph
Resources:
2010 vitals
2009 vitals
pnw riders
above: arrival at alice springs. recharging after arrival at Alice Springs (we came in with more than 120 km’s of range left, which made the recharge a quick one).
above: hackett and prelgauskas are driving hackett’s red 2008 roadster as part of the 10th annual global green challenge, one of the most high-profile rallies worldwide for production, prototype and experimental cars. Hackett is providing updates in real time on his blog.
The pair drove from alice springs, in the australian northern territory, to the finish marker at a point 183 km north of coober pedy, in south australia.
above: motor sport manager from the south australian motor sport board, jeffmattner,
applies a seal to the Roadster’s “fuel tank”.
above: simon hackett, as he sets off to break the world distance record for a production electric vehicle
above: simon and emilis making history with 313 (501 KM) miles on single charge
above: internode’s favorite road marker on the entire stuart highway
Producer: tesla motors
source: treehugger
Do you feel bit dorky sporting a bicycle helmet?
I do: an aesthetically dis-pleasing, strictly utilitarian experience. Helmets seemed made to be ripped off as soon as possible.
That was before I purchased my new “Nutcase”. A Portland, Oregon company comes up with stylish helmet alternatives to go with your other cool gear. Gigantic daisies super-imposed on black and white stripes gives my helmet a sturdy but slightly whimsical attitude.
Producer: nutcase helmets
Scientists at MIT are testing a new power generation, storage and propulsion system known as the GreenWheel that will turn any pedal bicycle into an electric hog.
The GreenWheel is a self-contained electric wheel that can turn any pedal-powered bike into
a fully-electric bicycle!
From the outside, the GreenWheel has the radius of a small dinner plate and is about 2 inches thick. Inside the aluminum frame sits the three major GreenWheel components: an electric generator, batteries and an electric motor.
For now, installing GreenWheel on your own does require a moderate level of technical knowledge or a trip to a bike shop. The GreenWheel can be installed on any bike frame or wheel size, but the original spokes have to be replaced with shorter spokes.
Developed by Ryan Chin and Michael Chia-Lian Lin as part of MIT’s Smart Cities programs. The objective is to create a working prototype that can be installed and retroffited to any bike. The team is also thinking for the long term – they estimate that the batteries for the GreenWheel will last around 40,000 miles, or about 8 years worth of travelling.
mit smart cities
This is a robot. A metro transport for two passengers with ordinary hand-held baggage or one with luggage.
The taxi is composed of two main parts – an undercarriage and a cabin. The car is driven by two electric motors which are integrated into the rear wheels. There’s optical sensors around all the undercarriage to get maximum view for driving, navigation and control. While the concept looks futuristic, industrial designer Kubik Petr believes it’s going to happen sooner than we think with the modern technology at hand.
Designer: Kubik Petr
via ecofriend