Originally Posted By: MrHorspwer
I suggest everybody interested in such a topic pick up Max Brooks' "The Zombie Survival Guide: Complete Protection from the Living Dead".
http://www.amazon.com/The-Zombie-Surviva...3732&sr=8-1
This is the definitive survival guide for the zombie apocalypse.
Brooks make a compelling case that the off-road motorcycle (dirt bike) is the ideal mode of transportation after the apocalypse.
It's light weight and manueverability make it easier to evade the undead and also make other situations one may encounter when traveling, such as clogged roads or damaged infrastructure, much more easily passable.
Also, it does very well on fuel. A ~2.5 gallon tank may not get you as far as a 35 gallon tank in a Suburban, but you can siphon and fill those 2.5 gallons much more quickly on the road, allowing you to keep moving and be less exposed while stationary. 2.5 gallons is also a much easier quantity to barter for if you come across other survivors and need fuel.
Personally, I'd loot my local Honda shop and ride off on a CRF 230F. Not a powerful bike, but it is a dead simple single cylinder machine that will likely run forever and ever with minimal upkeep.
Of course, a bike means I'm traveling alone, which is probably why I'm still alive and you're not. That's another topic though.
The CRF230 would serve well for scavenging runs if you have a fortified redoubt. You can't carry enough to do much long term. I raced a similar machine. It is as reliable as a rock and sips gas compared to a CR250 or even a CR125. But it has disadvantages:
It's noisy. Most of the zombie stories indicate that they are drawn to sound.
Don't know how well CDI will hold up against EMP
You are exposed.
If you crash, you are zombie food.
And there's the whole gas problem if you are not stockpiled and stabilized.
With an electric assist bicycle you solve the noise and gas problem. With a couple of solar panels to recharge and improved battery packs you could extend the speed and range of a cheap electric bike.
You are going to be slower. No problem against the dead but in Max Brooks' Threat Pyramid, zombies are pretty far down on the list. The living are faster and often armed. They might catch you. They will catch you with a gasoline powered vehicle. That's why I like homebuilt
You built it yourself, you know how to fix it when it breaks. You are not restricted to "prudent or safe" speeds.
Plus, if you are going to try to catch me on a singletrack hard pack in the woods in a K2500 4X4, you're going to hit a tree and I will circle back and raid your truck if you forgot
Zombieland's seatbelt rule.
EMP is still a problem. The lead acid batteries will be fine. The motor will likely survive too. It's the controller that's the problem. Similar problem with the solar charging panels. The panels themselves could possibly survive. My converters and charger would get wiped out.
Does an old microwave oven serve as a de-facto Farraday cage?
I'll have to store some two way radios and a solar panel in one. Spare controller. Shortwave radio....