Incredible Transformer Motorcycle

Paul Niedermeyer
by Paul Niedermeyer

Umm, what’s that strange looking motorcycle up ahead?

A transformer obviously. And what does it transform into?

A tow bike!

Although these seem to be most common in China, the Retriever is built by a Swedish company, aptly called “Coming Through“. The benefits in clearing a stalled car in jammed traffic are obvious. But somehow, I doubt we’ll be seeing them in the highly tow-averse US.

(hat tip to Ray Charlton)

Paul Niedermeyer
Paul Niedermeyer

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  • Bimmer Bimmer on Mar 17, 2010

    Paul, did you mean a tow bike, not a tow truck?

  • ZoomZoom ZoomZoom on Mar 18, 2010

    Just the other day I saw four insane towing getups. 1. Super Duty was towing a horse trailer. One, maybe two horses in it. He (the driver, not the horse) was driving in the left lane at > 70 MPH, tailgating all the way. 2. Tow truck hauling a bus. In the left-center lane, going over 65 MPH. 3. Tow truck hitching up a bus. At least he was on the right shoulder. 4. The worst: Tractor tow truck hauling a GARBAGE TRUCK at around 70 MPH. Front of garbage truck was swaying up and down, making the back of the tractor truck fall and rise in opposition. Which of course made the FRONT WHEELS of the tractor hauler nearly rise off the freeway pavement! "Holy Crap," I said to myself as I employed the use of some INTENDED accelleration with my right foot. I still think that a full 5-15% of drivers should be prevented from driving. At all costs!

  • MaintenanceCosts Nobody here seems to acknowledge that there are multiple use cases for cars.Some people spend all their time driving all over the country and need every mile and minute of time savings. ICE cars are better for them right now.Some people only drive locally and fly when they travel. For them, there's probably a range number that works, and they don't really need more. For the uses for which we use our EV, that would be around 150 miles. The other thing about a low range requirement is it can make 120V charging viable. If you don't drive more than an average of about 40 miles/day, you can probably get enough electrons through a wall outlet. We spent over two years charging our Bolt only through 120V, while our house was getting rebuilt, and never had an issue.Those are extremes. There are all sorts of use cases in between, which probably represent the majority of drivers. For some users, what's needed is more range. But I think for most users, what's needed is better charging. Retrofit apartment garages like Tim's with 240V outlets at every spot. Install more L3 chargers in supermarket parking lots and alongside gas stations. Make chargers that work like Tesla Superchargers as ubiquitous as gas stations, and EV charging will not be an issue for most users.
  • MaintenanceCosts I don't have an opinion on whether any one plant unionizing is the right answer, but the employees sure need to have the right to organize. Unions or the credible threat of unionization are the only thing, history has proven, that can keep employers honest. Without it, we've seen over and over, the employers have complete power over the workers and feel free to exploit the workers however they see fit. (And don't tell me "oh, the workers can just leave" - in an oligopolistic industry, working conditions quickly converge, and there's not another employer right around the corner.)
  • Kjhkjlhkjhkljh kljhjkhjklhkjh [h3]Wake me up when it is a 1989 635Csi with a M88/3[/h3]
  • BrandX "I can charge using the 240V outlets, sure, but it’s slow."No it's not. That's what all home chargers use - 240V.
  • Jalop1991 does the odometer represent itself in an analog fashion? Will the numbers roll slowly and stop wherever, or do they just blink to the next number like any old boring modern car?
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