Dear James:
Since I am tied to the outer edge of a major metro area for business and family reasons I have been wrestling with an alternative to a car or truck as a bug out vehicle (BOV [1]).I am very worried about an EMP [2] strike sooner or later – it just makes too much sense from an enemy’s point of view, so EMP-proofing is critical in my book. By the way, the Lights Out online novel about an EMP strike is a very good read, and it gets you thinking of many factors that are not obvious at first glance. After thinking it through, motorcycles look to be the best “Get Out of Dodge” vehicle if the roads are all clogged with debris, crowds or stationery vehicles, etc., etc., as you can weave around obstacles, and go off-road if need be. You give up the carrying capacity and protection of a few thousand pounds of steel, but you get more mobility, the ability to squeeze through tight spots, and to go off-road on trails, sidewalks, utility rights of way, etc., etc.So I was looking for a motorcycle, specifically a diesel, because of the reduced fire hazard from diesel versus gas, so you can store it more safely (especially important when carrying fuel cans). And, if memory serves, diesel stores significantly longer to boot. The ideal situation: you fuel your EMP-proof diesel truck, and your motorcycle BOV out of the same fuel canister (and keep your bike BOV in the back of the truck, or on a trailer.) Once upon a time, there was a fair selection of diesel bikes, see:
http://journeytoforever.org/biodiesel_bikes.html [3] Now you have the new military diesel motorbike:
http://www.dieselmotorcycles.com/newsletter/newsletter_nov_05.htm [4]
but $19,000 :-O for one of 200 “collector bikes” made this year seems a little steep for a motorbike – diesel mil-spec or not.The only well-supported DIESEL bike I have found is a newer entry into the off-road bike market called the Ecorider (The Hippo model.)
http://www.ecorider.us/ [5] Advantages: DIESEL, very robust, very reliable, quiet, light at 330 lbs., can tow 500+ lbs. (comes with tow bar), idiot-proof to ride (no shifting other than reverse, very low and High, all done when you are stationary) and the diesel engine gets 120 mpg!!! Made in Scotland, of all places, with high quality, mostly European parts. German Hatz engine which, I’m told is well supported in the US. http://www.hatzusa.com/home.php [6] Disadvantages: Only goes 32 mph (maybe 35+ pushing it), but you probably don’t want to be speeding your way into TSHTF [7] trouble anyway. Proceeding extremely cautiously is the best way, as is so well illustrated in the “road trip” in Patriots [8]. Does have some EMP-vulnerable electronics in the Glow Plug controller. But, worst case, if these are fried and no battery, I’m told that some vigorous pull-starting should heat things up enough for a cold-weather start (electric AND pull start standard). Any engineers with expert opinion on this? There is also a fuel line solenoid, but this can be manually bypassed as well. Does not have power to BOTH wheels like the gas-powered Rokon (http://www.rokon.com [6]), but unlike the Rokon, has no critical electronics in a gas engine ignition, and looks to be a higher quality design (and the Ecorider is $1,000 less expensive)
Just in case I sound like a salesman for Ecorider – I’m not! Just looking forward to adding one to my preparations. I’ll keep you posted on my experience riding and trailer hauling capabilities. Regards, OSOM – “Out of Sight, Out of Mind”