Exactly. This isn’t “Uber is blocking transgender drivers from working”, but “Uber is keeping riders safe by screening out people whose identity can’t be verified”

Is the aux tank removable? So you could choose when you want more fuel vs. when you want hard luggage? 5.5 gallons for the main tank seems like a good amount already (same as my ‘09 Multistrada).

The DesertX looks awesome. Nice to finally see Ducati make a bike with some reasonable suspension travel. Forgetting even off-road, real-world, third-world US roads need 8" or so suspension travel. I’d love to put a set of 17" wheels on this thing and set it up for urban/commuting riding.

The push for electrifying transportation will be a massive environmental disaster, and ultimately a dead end. We need to stop pushing EVs and start devoting more resources to developing synthetic fuels that are carbon-neutral and can directly replace gasoline (either bio fuels, or synthesized from carbon capture…

Eh. People keep driving older cars because new cars suck. I really don’t see myself ever getting anything newer than my ‘09 M3 because I don’t want my car to be connected to the internet, I don’t want to be charged a monthly fee for heated seats, I don’t want a weedy little engine with a turbo grafted on, and I don’t…

Americans are rightly suspicious of EVs because EVs take too long to recharge, are heavy and boring to drive, and on top of that do piss-all to help with climate change and production of their batteries cause major environmental damage.

I’m not a fan of 3-wheelers (motorcycles are better), but this thing sounds fun. And it’s a good (if sad) reminder how amazing modern cars could be if they weren’t all crippled with various safety regulations. Safety regulations certainly have their place, but it would be awesome if we could make the (appropriately inf…

That’s exactly right. 4 wheels would mean a bunch of regulations that would at least double the weight, remove at least half the fun, and triple the cost. The Slingshot (and other 3-wheelers like it) are a good, though sad, illustration how awesome cars could be if we didn’t emphasize passive safety over everything…

This isn’t about just generators though, that’s where you are lost. It’s about all small gas engines like those for leaf blowers, mowers, and generators. It’s also about specific generators. It’s not boneheaded because you don’t understand.

I’t snot surprising that California wants to do this, but it’s not surprising because California frequently pushes boneheaded regulations that sound good, spend other people’s money, and don’t deliver. Not because it makes actual sense all things considered.

And then your shitty e46 got swept away in a flood, because melting the planet has consequences.

Regarding hills - I would recommend starting to learn with the car pointed downhill. That’s a very easy way to learn with much less stress - see my other comment.

I taught my wife (then girlfriend) how to drive stick in an afternoon. This was in a hilly area, and I started her on a somewhat steep downhill section (of an empty street), and then progressed to less steep hills, and then eventually flat, and then slightly uphill. Doing it this way allowed her to get comfortable…

I think what makes cars ugly is when various design elements are “arbitrary”, with no particular reason for why they are there, or why they have the shape they do. Attractive cars tend to be cohesive and follow some sort of flow. Design elements take into account the overall shape of the car - they are holistic, not…

Not my story, but something that happened to a friend - he took a girl on a date in an older car that for some reason occasionally smelled bad. Specifically, it would occasionally smell of farts. They were driving, the car started smelling bad and he didn’t want her to think that he farted, so he made some joke to…

That’s exactly right. It’s the unfortunate consequence of the current trend to get attention at any cost. Click-baity headlines, exaggerated news, fake celebrity feuds, etc., translated into the automotive realm.

E90 M3 is THE correct answer here

In-car payments seem like an insane idea. What is the anticipated use case? In what circumstances would someone need to or even want to make a payment inside a car? Like a McD drive-thru or something - which people who drive this car would never go to? Looks like wishful thinking from money-hungry companies, with a…

That, and the whole idea of having a car that connects to the internet is freakin’ insane to me. I’d never ever buy a car that has a data connection, and if I had to, I’d find a way to remove or block the antenna.

Yeah, this seems meh at best, and a ruined bike at worst. Totally form over function, especially with the hardtail thing. Cruisers are crappy to begin with, and all the modifications just make it so much worse. Why not just get an FTR if he wanted an Indian? Much more functional, and much better looking than this. Or…