revtothelimit - motorbike forum

Fog detectors which auto turn on and off your fog lights.

Self detonating device for any vehicle that is driven for more than a mile at 40 mph in either a 30mph or NSL zone.

Automatic tyre deflation valves for any car parked half on a pavement or straddling marked parking bay lines.

I've taken the bulb out of one of my front fog flights and I turn the other one on briefly when I'm steering in that direction; this gives the impression I have a newer / higher spec car than I really do.

I might tape a little coloured light under one of the wing mirrors for the same reason.

Ditchfinder wrote: Fri Apr 04, 2025 2:58 pm Self detonating device for any vehicle that is driven for more than a mile at 40 mph in either a 30mph or NSL zone.

That should reduce the numbers of the toxic elderly nicely. MSLP will be happy.

Not much factory fitted stuff.
I'm more of a 'Do the basics well' fan.
I don't even want posh stereos, just make it easy for the Halfords person to fit whatever is current.
I do like the idea of a heated windscreen though, at least when its knackered the normal heater works.

As far as I'm concerned the less electonics fitted the better, I want a roof with a wheel under each corner, I can't see cars as status symbols since Mercs were so easy to get credit for a few years ago. Every piss artist and his poodle had one.

Ditchfinder wrote: Fri Apr 04, 2025 2:58 pm Fog detectors which auto turn on and off your fog lights.

Self detonating device for any vehicle that is driven for more than a mile at 40 mph in either a 30mph or NSL zone.

Automatic tyre deflation valves for any car parked half on a pavement or straddling marked parking bay lines.

This may be quite specific to me but I'd like something that detects when a vehicle has been driven at 30mph all the way through a 40 or 50 zone (with the occasional random dab on the brakes ie if a vehicle is coming in the other direction or the road bends somewhere within vision).....then accelerates into the 30mph zone.

As the vehicle accelerates the vehicle sprays driver (and passengers, just to be sure as they may be driving by proxy) with a slow, painful, 100% lethal toxin.

However, if it comes to a vote I'm going with a real spare wheel. Not a pressed steel job, a proper spare wheel exactly like the other 4.

Scotsrich wrote: Fri Apr 04, 2025 9:31 am Bring back the spare wheel.

Probably the vast majority of drivers nowadays couldn’t change a wheel anymore but still good to have for us oldies.

Hmmm I dunno ...

Can get several wine bottles into the wheel well when packing for holidays etc. I do that more often than getting punctures

demographic wrote: Fri Apr 04, 2025 7:06 pm I do like the idea of a heated windscreen though, at least when its knackered the normal heater works.

One of the really really good things about my EV is the ability to start the cars climate control remotely or through a timer. Getting into a nice toasty defrosted car at 7.30am is brilliant.

Horse wrote: Fri Apr 04, 2025 11:06 pm

Scotsrich wrote: Fri Apr 04, 2025 9:31 am Bring back the spare wheel.

Probably the vast majority of drivers nowadays couldn’t change a wheel anymore but still good to have for us oldies.

Hmmm I dunno ...

Can get several wine bottles into the wheel well when packing for holidays etc. I do that more often than getting punctures

I've got about 3000 x 1230 load space (between the arches) in the back, I think I prefer having a spare wheel to being stuck by the M6 if I have a tyre go on me.

demographic wrote: Sat Apr 05, 2025 6:52 am

Horse wrote: Fri Apr 04, 2025 11:06 pm

Scotsrich wrote: Fri Apr 04, 2025 9:31 am Bring back the spare wheel.

Probably the vast majority of drivers nowadays couldn’t change a wheel anymore but still good to have for us oldies.

Hmmm I dunno ...

Can get several wine bottles into the wheel well when packing for holidays etc. I do that more often than getting punctures

I've got about 3000 x 1230 load space (between the arches) in the back, I think I prefer having a spare wheel to being stuck by the M6 if I have a tyre go on me.

If you're fully loaded, good luck on getting at the spare wheel if it's under the boot floor.

And putting my Captain Safety superhero cape on the side of the M6, or on any other Motorway hard shoulder, isn't a 'safe' place to be. Let alone trying to change an offside wheel with your back to a live lane.

wheelnut wrote: Fri Apr 04, 2025 11:14 pm

demographic wrote: Fri Apr 04, 2025 7:06 pm I do like the idea of a heated windscreen though, at least when its knackered the normal heater works.

One of the really really good things about my EV is the ability to start the cars climate control remotely or through a timer. Getting into a nice toasty defrosted car at 7.30am is brilliant.

The only person I know who has an EV refuses to use the heating in his car because it reduces the range

wheelnut wrote: Fri Apr 04, 2025 11:14 pm

demographic wrote: Fri Apr 04, 2025 7:06 pm I do like the idea of a heated windscreen though, at least when its knackered the normal heater works.

One of the really really good things about my EV is the ability to start the cars climate control remotely or through a timer. Getting into a nice toasty defrosted car at 7.30am is brilliant.

That appeals to me a lot but a while back I considered getting a block heater for my diesel which would give the same benefits, I decided I'd never bother plugging it in after each winter trip so gave up on the idea.

It's not an EV thing though, loads of cars can do it. I'm just too tight to pay the subscription to turn it on in mine

Druid wrote: Sat Apr 05, 2025 10:00 am

wheelnut wrote: Fri Apr 04, 2025 11:14 pm

demographic wrote: Fri Apr 04, 2025 7:06 pm I do like the idea of a heated windscreen though, at least when its knackered the normal heater works.

One of the really really good things about my EV is the ability to start the cars climate control remotely or through a timer. Getting into a nice toasty defrosted car at 7.30am is brilliant.

The only person I know who has an EV refuses to use the heating in his car because it reduces the range

That's premier class range anxiety.

Druid wrote: Sat Apr 05, 2025 10:00 am

The only person I know who has an EV refuses to use the heating in his car because it reduces the range

I would imagine it reduces the range (or increases fuel consumption) in an ICE vehicle as well. It’s said that aircon use can increase consumption by 10% - not sure how accurate that is though.

wheelnut wrote: Sat Apr 05, 2025 2:16 pm

Druid wrote: Sat Apr 05, 2025 10:00 am

The only person I know who has an EV refuses to use the heating in his car because it reduces the range

I would imagine it reduces the range (or increases fuel consumption) in an ICE vehicle as well. It’s said that aircon use can increase consumption by 10% - not sure how accurate that is though.

A mate didn't use his aircon for that very reason,then when he did need it the unit had seized from lack of use and the dealer reamed him for sorting it.

Heating basically has little impact on an ICE car cause you're using waste heat from the engine. It's just energy which otherwise would have gone into the coolant system. As has been said many times, an ICE is just a heater which makes a bit of motive power as a bi product

AC needs you to drive a pump, which can have a significant impact yes. Modern cars are less impacted because the pump is more efficient, but also because the system is much smarter and only uses the pump the bare minimum amount required.

My car for example has an electric AC pump, it's not attached to the engine. It still ultimately gets its power from the engine of course, but it can be turned on/off and fast/slow based on the AC need alone, not based on what the engine's doing. Also means the AC works when the engine is off, so it's not effected by start/stop etc.

Mr. Dazzle wrote: Sat Apr 05, 2025 2:44 pm Heating basically has little impact on an ICE car cause you're using waste heat from the engine. It's just energy which otherwise would have gone into the coolant system. As has been said many times, an ICE is just a heater which makes a bit of motive power as a bi product

That's basically what we did with early CHP units in places like swimming pools. Fiat engine running on natural gas churning out heat for the pool using the motive power to make electricity - almost as a welcome bi-product.

My first flat was like that, big diesel generators running on gas. Fed warm water into a separate incoming pipe for our heating and partially powered the whole development.

I don't mind a few gadgets on a bike, but my car can be out of the 1940s for all I care.

My car has very few gadgets-mirrors are manual, as are rear windows, rotary and not touchscreen controls, and no buttons on the steering wheel

I have recently fitted one of those €39 Android Auto head units, just so that I can have a decent size map to view when I need one.

I would like to see backlit handlebar switches on bikes being more widespread than they are now. It surely can't be hard to do?