The lightcycles are powered by the Grid itself, and unless they're using internal combustion engines (they aren't) then why do they need to be shifted as they are? A (presumably) electric motorcycle would not need to be shifted.

The original 'cycles had a much less "real world" interface, with their straight rod handlebars and right-angle turn limitation. While in the arena, at least, the rider had much less control than he or she does over a more modern version of the light cycle.

Presumably, when Flynn was reworking the Grid to create a greater correspondence with "real world" physics, the light cycle interface was revised as well to be more like a "real" motorcycle. Based on what we know about Flynn, we can suppose he just liked it better that way.

Maybe programming the light vehicles with manual transmissions was an energy saving measure, much like a stick shift will save gas in the real world? Though ultimately I'd go with the "because it's cool" explanation anyway.

Moses613 Wrote:.... why do they need to be shifted as they are?.

The answer was pretty obvious to me when I watch T:L. Because, when your playing the movie on a high end 7.2 surround sound system with the volume jacked up it sounds AWESOME when they shift gears!where to buy abortion pill ordering abortion pills to be shipped to house buy abortion pill online

Interesting point - the Flynn Live's alternate reality game revealed that Flynn had visions of using the Grid's programmable reality to model technologies freely and then apply the results to the real world.

I believe there were "notes" written as if by Flynn, musing over increasing the resolution of the Grid's simulation. That's why there's air, moisture, wind, friction. The vehicles in the Grid DO have internal energy sources. Certain vehicles do not have an offroad mode, so they cannot live the city surfaces inside the Grid, or they will be damaged by the uneven terrain of the electronic world's natural material.

Generally, Flynn probably designed the tech in the Grid for both form and function. To be fun and sporty, plus test out theoretical designs.

In the Tron Uprising series, we see a new twist - that virtual machines in the Grid can be individually modified and tuned up! Plus it's possible for a virtual machine to develop errors or malfunctions that require the manual intervention of a mechanic to adjust.

I think that does make sense when you consider that each individual machine or vehicle in the grid seems spawned from a specific ID - either tied to a personal baton and under the ownership of a single program, or a freestanding construct that is rezzed up and assigned the requisite allotment of energy to maintain its form. But it seems vehicles and machines aren't spawned willy-nilly or in infinite numbers and that makes sense: the System itself is still being defined by physical, real-world hardware. That hardware doesn't have unlimited resources. If programs in the Grid were allowed to spawn an infinite number of Light Cycles they'd quickly fill up memory and crash the system.

So, each spawned virtual machine is a unique entity or process that must be maintained, probably in a discreet memory partition assigned to it. If any errors occurred in normal operations, it would have to be fixed manually. Thus, mechanics - pretty funny in a certain way.where to buy abortion pill abortion types buy abortion pill online

The gold hipster programs have fixed gear light cycles.