Just
about once a day I surprise someone by saying that all new Vespas are
automatic. Twist and go, nothing to it, easiest thing in the world to
ride. Inevitably it’s followed by the question of, “how does that
work?” It’s really quite simple and ingenious; first let’s get an
understanding of some of the principles behind gearing.
Tech talk: How Vespa Automatic Transmissions Work
On January 27, 2012
Ethanol: the good, the bad and the mostly bad
On August 18, 2011
What is ethanol?
Ethanol, currently found in most fuel, is the same kind of alcohol in your pantry but distilled to the point where it is nearly pure. The United States ethanol industry is largely based on corn ground into “meal” and paired with enzymes to convert it’s starch to simple sugars. Yeast is added and the combination is distilled then dehydrated to produce a 200 proof alcohol (a small amount of gasoline is added to keep this undrinkable.) Ethanol is highly miscible meaning that it attracts water, and because of this is can not be transported in pipelines, rather it is added to gasoline filled tanker trucks before delivery to gas stations.
