I think that I am supposed to be dead right now, but my brother says I was wrong and misunderstood the NeuroWhatever's point! Aaaaannnnwaaaaays: Yjr VW-Ecross is such a pile of sheet that even the hire car people don't want it back as they never come to pick it up. Maybe Monday will galvanise them into action! But, the auto-gearbox IS miles better than the Ford's one. When you are going down a hill, with no throttle, the Ford stays in the highest gear possible and so you get no engine braking, leading to worn out brake discs every year. The VW auto gearbox does go down through the gears leading to some engine braking. I'm guessing that VW has worked out how to manufacture brake discs that don't wear out as fast as the pads, so maybe the VW would do better at MoT time! And that got me thinking: a motorbike with a auto-gearbox as good as th VW one would be OK. Didn't Honda try out auto gearboxes on bike years ago? If they did. I don't remember it being a success
Honda has their dual clutch solution which can switch between auto & manual. Presently fitted to their 1100 & 750 twin variants. And possibly the Gold wing. https://global.honda/en/tech/Dual_Clutch_Transmission_DCT/
a lot of auto box's are just manual box's with a standard clutch using servos to operate the clutch and selecting the gears in the usual way. personally speaking i would rather change the brakes slightly more often than renewing a clutch more often.
Everything seems super-big and heavy, or scrooter-ish. Neither of which I want. For bikes, I will just stick with normal. I guess that electric-shit is automatic, but that stuff is not better than nothing. I sent back the DVLA questionnaire and so will probably be banned in a few months, anyway. There's no way I am buying a car or a bike in the next few months. Even if they tell me to do the driving assessment again, then I'll tell them to get lost. It is not a fair assessment, like a driving test, because they will deliberately try to trick you - like going through a "No Entry" sign, or breaking the speed limit. I got through it once, but that shit is not needed in my life. You can never be 100% confident that you will pick up all of their tricks. They practice them every day and so will have it down to a fine art! If, by the end of August, I still have a driving license, and have access to my compensation money, them I will be a happy puppy! I rate the odds at around 8-1
Fair enough, but I have never worn out a clutch - ever. And that is pertinent because if I ever do buy another car, I am thinking of ditching the automatic-only option, as there is so much more choice if you include manuals, as well as auto. But as I said above, I'll leave it all for a few months, in order to see what to DVLA do. And from my previous interactions with them, they do bear grudges - BIG TIME!
I just have to accept that I am out of step with the world. A mate has a BMW (sub-500cc,NO! it is this one! ) with a rubber toothed belt. It never needs adjusting and he stretches the BMW-advised replacement mileage to nearly double and then buys an aftermarket belt (that is really the same belt, but everyone has to deny it. It was so good that BMW dropped it! I would of got one myself, but BMW don't sell them anymore, as BMW considered them too crap! And it is quite heavy. Too heavy compared to my KTM Duke 390. And I don't even fit the KTM mould, having a poxy 3990, as I am meant to want the 1390. GO BIG AND HEAVY!
Yeah, I found this when looking for a car for me mother. Because she hasn't a clue about changing gear etc she needed a fully automatic, press & go jobbie i.e. using one of those gearboxes with fluid & galleries & stuff that I've never managed to understand how they actually work. Pretty much all the (smaller) cars were fitted with 'automatic manuals' and from what I gathered they required a slightly different way to drive them to ensure smoothness. You sortov had to know when it was going to change gear and control the accelerator accordingly. I just knew the old girl wouldn't have had a clue and it'd end in disaster.
They came bright and early to take back the VW. Glad to see the back of it. My Ford has entered the world of "can't get the parts. mate!" so my solution is to feck off to Plymouth!
Doesn't matter as I am in the hotel coffee bar. Not the great views of the restaurant but only a pip from my room, with no stairs or lifts to negotiate. My physcoanalyst has set up a Zoom or Teams meeting next week. I hope to learn where my money is, and if I am allowed some money to spend. Next year should be Spain and the Orkneys but I will need some funds for my gallivanting!
