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How I drove to work today.
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vwwestyman
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PostPosted: Wed Jun 15, 2016 7:35 am    Post subject: How I drove to work today. Reply with quote

Once a week, I drive to a satellite office about an hour away. I like to drive the Thing, but with the poor aerodynamics of the top/doors off, it struggles to go over 55-60 MPH.

I remembered thinking last summer how it might go better if the windshield were down, and considered wearing my motorcycle helmet for wind/rock/bug protection.

Well today, partway through my drive to the office, I decided to give it a try!

I'm not exaggerating when I say that I was able to go 65-70 with same pedal input. So I legitimately gained approximately 10 MPH like this!


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Dave Cook

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Hobug Premium Member
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PostPosted: Wed Jun 15, 2016 7:50 am    Post subject: Re: How I drove to work today. Reply with quote

vwwestyman wrote:



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The Stig, drives a Thing!!!
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vwwestyman
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PostPosted: Wed Jun 15, 2016 8:03 am    Post subject: Re: How I drove to work today. Reply with quote

The Stig's German Cousin?

Smile

I did tell one of my Top Gear-watching friends that I felt like The Stig!

I actually passed a truck on the highway like this (perhaps for the first time ever) and thought, "He must be wondering what on earth just passed him!"
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Dave Cook

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Captain Spalding
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PostPosted: Wed Jun 15, 2016 10:13 am    Post subject: Re: How I drove to work today. Reply with quote

I love it. If you plan to make a habit of it, the motorcycle helmet might be a little pretentious - indicating a capability of speed where none exists. Maybe an alternate choice of headgear?

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vwwestyman
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PostPosted: Wed Jun 15, 2016 11:16 am    Post subject: Re: How I drove to work today. Reply with quote

Captain Spalding wrote:
I love it. If you plan to make a habit of it, the motorcycle helmet might be a little pretentious - indicating a capability of speed where none exists. Maybe an alternate choice of headgear?

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I dunno... 70 seems pretty fast with the windshield down and doors off!

I do have some goggles in the Thing I've worn when driving around town with the windshield down, but the helmet offers protection from bugs and rocks hitting my face in general.

I can tell from experience when I still had the motorcycle, that bugs hurt at 70 MPH!
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Dave Cook

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GI Joe
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PostPosted: Wed Jun 15, 2016 12:06 pm    Post subject: Re: How I drove to work today. Reply with quote

You may want to check your local driving laws... It is usually illegal to drive a car on the roadway with a helmet on...(re: visibility issues)...

I totally agree with you on its usefulness and the comfort of not having a junebug or rock smack your face, but sure hate to see you have to answer to a local, friendly LEO... Embarassed

I may be totally wrong, but my memory does retain "some" info..... Wink

I have goggles for when I go windscreen down!
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vwwestyman
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PostPosted: Wed Jun 15, 2016 1:00 pm    Post subject: Re: How I drove to work today. Reply with quote

Interesting point about being legal. It is something I've wondered about in the past, mostly just out of curiosity.

I had a hard time finding much more than speculation in a little bit of google searching. Especially when I tried to find anything specific to Kansas.

The main reasons given for a helmet maybe being illegal would be concerns about potential restriction of vision, but that would be in a car where the helmet might interfere with headrests, pillars, etc and where those things already restrict ability to see.

That would certainly not be a concern in my Thing! Though I might have to argue if pulled over.

Maybe I should just go buy another motorcycle for my trips to Marysville. Smile
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GI Joe
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PostPosted: Wed Jun 15, 2016 1:54 pm    Post subject: Re: How I drove to work today. Reply with quote

Agreed on a nekkid Thing not being restrictive of vision!

vwwestyman wrote:
Interesting point about being legal. It is something I've wondered about in the past, mostly just out of curiosity.

I had a hard time finding much more than speculation in a little bit of google searching. Especially when I tried to find anything specific to Kansas.

The main reasons given for a helmet maybe being illegal would be concerns about potential restriction of vision, but that would be in a car where the helmet might interfere with headrests, pillars, etc and where those things already restrict ability to see.

That would certainly not be a concern in my Thing! Though I might have to argue if pulled over.

Maybe I should just go buy another motorcycle for my trips to Marysville. Smile

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Solomon Grundy
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PostPosted: Wed Jun 15, 2016 7:17 pm    Post subject: Re: How I drove to work today. Reply with quote

A little pretentious...? We use these in the Silicon Valley all the time. Wink
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Fun 181
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PostPosted: Wed Jun 15, 2016 7:40 pm    Post subject: Re: How I drove to work today. Reply with quote

Two small metal pins held in place by cheap, plastic retainers. That's all that holds the windshield down. So, that helmet will probably come in handy when the windshield flips up while driving 70mph. All it will take would be a little bump in the road, or if the air catches it just right, and you'll have a face full of safety glass. If that happens (and you live) the force of the windshield flying back will also crease/buckle the sheet metal under the windshield, which will be quite the challenge to repair.

Hey, I like driving with the windshield down as much as the next guy, but if I'm gonna be going over 40mph, then the windshield comes up. Just not worth it otherwise.
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BlissBignall
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PostPosted: Mon Jun 20, 2016 7:17 am    Post subject: Re: How I drove to work today. Reply with quote

Dangerous was my first thought too. I think I'd rather keep the windshield up than have it in my lap. I have to admit that a flying hat and goggles would be neat though!
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vwwestyman
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PostPosted: Mon Jun 20, 2016 9:19 pm    Post subject: Re: How I drove to work today. Reply with quote

Hadn't thought about the windshield flying up! Shocked

Maybe I should use a bungee cord to hold it down. Ha ha.

In googling about whether the helmet was legal, I read comments about whiplash and the hans device. That kind of freaked me out.

On the return trip, I struggled with vapor lock (it was real hot out), so to keep things simple, I drove with the windshield up and went slower.
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Dave Cook

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ALANSD
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PostPosted: Tue Jun 21, 2016 12:16 pm    Post subject: Re: How I drove to work today. Reply with quote

I drove without doors and with the hood down, got a few miles from home at 45 miles an hour and had to stop to raise it. The wind on that day at 45-50 degrees was too much!

Fun for a minute only. Embarassed
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strelnik
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PostPosted: Tue Jun 21, 2016 4:33 pm    Post subject: Re: How I drove to work today. Reply with quote

Solomon Grundy wrote:
A little pretentious...? We use these in the Silicon Valley all the time. Wink
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I am surprised no one said anything about yopur Totenkopf collar tabs
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