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Gear featured post, a Gear Media favorite.
Slate Auto's Electric Pickup: A Bold Design That Highlights Battle Scars
I just read about this company called Slate that’s making small, no-frills pickups you can get for cheap. Actually, the idea is kind of interesting. The Slate Truck is an electric vehicle that costs under $20,000 (after federal incentives) and is supposed to go into production next year. It only seats two, but it has a bed big enough to hold a sheet of plywood. It gets about 150 miles on a charge, only comes in gray, and the only way to listen to music while driving is if you bring your phone and a Bluetooth speaker. It’s basically the bare minimum of what a modern car can be—and yet, it’s taken three years of development to get here.
By Pinesthi Mukti Rizky Wibowo9 months ago in Wheel
Were older cars really more reliable than new cars?
That's a question that comes up a lot, especially because so many people say it—but honestly, it's just an illusion. Modern vehicles don’t need maintenance as often as classic ones. It's just that classic cars are easier to tinker with because they were designed that way.
By Pinesthi Mukti Rizky Wibowo9 months ago in Wheel
Why Starting on a Smaller Motorcycle is Best for New Riders
Actually, this is another really common question for beginner riders. Sometimes we wonder if motorcycle licenses should be divided into different tiers based on engine size. As far as I know, in a lot of countries, beginner licenses are limited to 125cc bikes, and you move up based on your skills. The better you get, the higher the level you can ride.
By Pinesthi Mukti Rizky Wibowo9 months ago in Wheel
Can Harley-Davidson electrify Millennials?
Actually, this is a classic question — at least for me. Sometimes I wonder why Harley-Davidson never seems to take the obvious steps, like making motorcycles that people actually want. On one hand, I get it — they don’t want to lose their core market, and they’re pretty fierce about protecting it. Basically, you have to understand what Harley riders are like: a lot of them reject modernity and have pushed back hard whenever Harley tried to change things. And Harley has lost those fights before. They can’t really do much because those are their customers — the people they have to listen to.
By Pinesthi Mukti Rizky Wibowo9 months ago in Wheel
The Frustration of Speed Limits on Highways: Does it Make Sense?
Not everyone can drive fast, especially on toll roads. Speed limits are there to keep everyone safe. The main issue is that many people think driving fast is easy. Okay, in some ways it is, but not everyone has quick reflexes. If an accident happens, it can set off a chain reaction, and that’s dangerous.
By Pinesthi Mukti Rizky Wibowo10 months ago in Wheel
The Rise of Ineos: Is Ineos Capitalizing on Land Rover’s Pickup Absence?
This is actually an interesting topic. You see, JLR (Jaguar Land Rover) stopped production of the Land Rover Defender a while ago for some reason. There was another company trying to make a new Defender, though. Why? Well, the owner of that company really liked the Defender and was upset when it was discontinued, so he decided to make a new version. That's how the Grenadier came to be.
By Pinesthi Mukti Rizky Wibowo10 months ago in Wheel
Formula 1 Car Speed & Horsepower: How Fast Can These Beasts Really Go?
F1 cars race on over 20 different tracks worldwide, each with unique characteristics. This makes it tricky to pinpoint a single top speed. Some tracks have long straights where cars can really open up, while others have tighter corners and lower speed limits. Plus, teams constantly adjust the car’s setup—suspension, aerodynamics, and engine settings—to suit each track. So, while an F1 car can theoretically reach very high speeds, the actual top speed achieved varies greatly depending on the circuit.
By Pinesthi Mukti Rizky Wibowo10 months ago in Wheel
The Tesla Paradox: Why People Pay More for Less (Compared to Chinese EVs)
I sat in a Model 3 a few years ago during an exhibition. The salesperson said that I could try it, but I was not interested in EVs, especially Tesla; my focus was only on the car.
By Pinesthi Mukti Rizky Wibowo10 months ago in Wheel
The Demise of Manual Transmissions: Why Fewer Cars Have Stick Shifts
As far as I know, automatic transmission was the most expensive option you could add a few decades ago. From some old car brochures I read, at least automatic transmission added about 20–30% to the price of the car. Let’s say you bought a sedan for $5,000 in the 1960s. An automatic transmission costs more than $200. That was quite an expensive option, and not everyone liked it.
By Pinesthi Mukti Rizky Wibowo10 months ago in Wheel
