Nate and Dave This one is for the both of you!

Classic Goldwings

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I’ve seen that before - saw it in Japan. Was cool as hell to see what and how they’ve adapted a Goldwing to do towing!


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Studies for Feasible? Nah... basic physics....

"It's a simple question of weight ratios! A five ounce bird could not carry a 1 pound coconut."

Back when I was young, my Dad showed me a picture of Charles Atlas pulling a railcar...
https://www.charlesatlas.com/atlas_strength.html
Yeah... 78 tons, 110ft long, outside the Sunnyside, Long Island rail shop. 30 years later, I was teaching airbrake classes, pushing the 84-ton Kawasaki-made Long Island Railroad M4 split-level railcars in and out of the same shop, and the Richmond Hill, Oyster Bay, and Montauk service tracks. Truth is, when the tracks are straight, and flat, and the wheels are round, my 15-year-old daughter can push them with ease. Something about them being on wheels, and having incredibly low rolling resistance... it's only a matter of applying force, while WAITING.

Now consider this: Let's say that's a 1800cc Wing... a 1.8 liter flat six, and I won't bother looking up the power output, but I have absolutely no doubt that it's capable of stirring up at least HALF what that VW's engine (probably about a 2.0, right) can develop.
The VW probably weighs 2100lbs, and the Wing weighs a smidgen under half that?

I weigh 210lbs, and on a bicycle dyno, I can develop about 1/3hp of continuous power for over 6 hours, can break 1hp for several seconds... but I can develop over 250ft-lbs of torque at 85rpm... if 'ya think about it, that's a staggering amount of torque, for such low horsepower...
But on a flat surface, with round tires, I'm absolutely positively certain I can put my hands on that car and PUSH it... as long as the brakes are released, and get it moving along at a good clip... because I've done it. I've pushed my '53 Studebaker 1.5t truck on my gravel driveway by hand. I'm ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN that the Goldwing could do it.
I'd probably feel better if it had a substantially heavier rear driveline, and lower ring/pinion ratio, and double-darkside to do that.

I think about the only thing I'd be concerned about, is brakes, and I'm pretty certain that in that folding tow-dolly, there's some electrically-actuated brakes, just to keep the inertia of a one-ton trailed load from coming up to visit the bike when slowing down.

I don't think it'd be all that useful here in Iowa, though... when WE have pile-ups, accidents, and stalls, there's rarely anything left that'd roll... :smilie_happy: ... But it's absolutely great for what they're dealing with there.

Now, that second guy's accent was THICK... I think mebbie Welsh?... Any'a you guys understand him? :headscratch:

But really, this IS a cool system, and from what the video shows, it's clever, and well-done... er... Dooone!
 
Not gonna lie Dave - your technical explanations absolutely are as awesome as it gets!


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I want a Shrubbery!!!

But really, my favorite line of the whole thing:

"Are you suggesting sir, that coconuts are migratory?"
 
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