Hey

[Lorena_Palin]

so, hi all.

I currently do not own a car, but love screwing around with my very, very crappy moped that I am in the process of building (One of those Happy Time kits) and am going to college this fall and plan to study transportation design, and am a big fan of regular gasoline engines (not big on hybrids), so I figured this forum would interest me.

[bobc455]

Welcome aboard. It sounds like you'll be a great fit for this forum- not so much with the moped, but I think we all have opinions about traffic flow... (I know I do!)

What is your current understanding of the subject of transportation design? Rotaries vs. stop signs? Traffic lights vs. yield signs? Queueing theory? More? Less?

-Bob Cunningham

[Lorena_Palin]

Transportation design is basically car/motorcycle design.

Though living, and driving, in boston, where driving is basically a mosh pit with cars, my knowledge and opinions of such things is decent, as I have examples of terrible roadway design on a regular basis (Waverly square- stop light for pedestrian crosswalk 100ft from a fairly well trafficked side street that has to make do with a stop sign...you think they could move the light and crosswal 100 ft over and give it a double funtion. Or Rt. 2, basically is a 4 ln highway for a short section into Boston, then narrows to 2 lanes and has stoplights and intersections galor for about 10 miles- if some of these were removed it would be an excellent alternative to the mass pike [I-90] for going west. or 128 a road consisting of a section of 93 south, that actually goes north, 95, and the actual rt 128, where in good road conditions the 55mph speed limit is insanely low, meaning just ignore it, in worse conditions, like heavy traffic, it's gridlocked, and the 55 limit dosn't help)

But yeah, my actual goal is to make motorcycles and cars with wood frames/bodys, based on the fact that wood looks good sculpturally, and the fact that it (in the form of a wood laminate, like a strip built kayak or a composite bow) has a better strength to weight ratio than steel.

[GasSavers_maximilian]

What sort of transmission setup has your moped conversion got?

[bobc455]

Interesting. I would almost consider that to be more of a "vehicle design", a specialty of mechanical engineering. I would think that "transportation design" would be a completely different topic like where to locate an airport (and how to access it), intermodal transportation terminals, and all that kind of stuff.

Anyhow, there's plenty of good folks on here to talk about vehicle design as well. But personally, I'm opposed to wood as a structural component and also for body panels. There are a few places where I like wood, especially for decorative pieces, but not structurally. Just personal preference I guess.

Having said that, my father has a 1954 MG which has a wood floor, and I believe also a wood frame. But there was a bit of a different design philosophy back then, which was that since all engines leaked oil anyhow, the wood would be protected by the oil. Nowadays, that same assumption doesn't (shouldn't) apply.

Please let us all know about the ideas you have and the projects you are pondering or undertaking. Even if they are not practical, there is a LOT of creative thought on this board (one of the reasons I enjoy it the most) and a lot of open minds. Even if your idea doesn't work out in one area, some creative thinking can create a new application for that idea.

Enjoy!

-Bob C.

[Lorena_Palin]

Transmission on moped- a dry clutch for stopping and starting, a chain, and a 44 tooth rear sprocket...so in short...no real transmission. Basically when you only have 2-3hp loosing a bunch of it in a cvt is not a good thing, and bicycle derailleurs would break quickly, unless I did a simple 2-speed and shifted sparingly (44 tooth for max speed/economy in suburbia where there are nice country roads that I can do 40-45 on and no need to get ahead of the pack, 3-something tooth sprocket for the city where the car's won't even be getting faster than 30-35 and acceleration is more important)

I also consider it vehicle design, though colleges these days want to call it transportation design. To make matters worse, there is also industrial design, which sometimes crosses over into vehicles, and my school has had some sculpture majors who have built bikes in the past. But basically it's an art/design school where you learn to use full wood and metal shops (even has a rotational aluminum forge...big enough for a small engine block), do CAD design and such, and then at no extra charge take classes at two nearby engineering schools to learn the things that art teachers aren't so good at (like math). I'm very happy about it.

As for the wood thing- It's a therory. My plan is to, when/after I take my joinery class, which is tought by an industrial design guy who hates computer models and blue foam and specializes in wooden furniture, to make a simple box-like body for an electric "scooter" and go from there. An electric motor means less vibration, a completely closed off frame will be sturdier, and the lack of a gas engine means I will have less temptation to strip in down to look leaner and meaner (I love the way engines look...which is good, but when you want to just build something small to prove to people you aren't crazy you just want to get everything right)

[GasSavers_maximilian]

I asked about the transmission because my old moped with but a single ratio was simply awful, whereas my newer one with a CVT could handle hills decently. Of course you still have the option of pedaling, whereas the pedals on my old moped were merely for starting so the gearing was totally worthless for locomotion.

[Lorena_Palin]

Yeah- I mean pedaling is nice, but I'll have to see how well it handles hills.

[FrugalFloyd]

I wish I had the skill and knowledge to build a car body of wood, like a cedar strip canoe on wheels .

[shatto]

Miss Lorena,

Ponder, if you will, that today's automotive designers seem to be in the same rut as archetects, they build the same thing as everybody else, so no matter where you go, everything looks the same.

You have a 'platform' and have to build a body on it.....but within the confines of an imaginary box, so it can only be 'so' high, 'so' wide, 'so' long.....you get the idea. Yawn.


Why not hang out with cartoonists, artists, graphic designers and video game designers and see about translating some of their radical and exciting ideas into reality.

I, for one, am damn tired of having to look at a name badge to tell one car from another.