Cafe Bikes On TV

Cafe Racer Magazine is having a Premier Party for their new TV series on Discovery Channel.

The series looks great. The party should be fun. I'll probably end up watching it on the tube unless I can find some crazies who want to drive to the party.

Cafe Racer TV Series Starts Oct 13! Attention Cafe Racer Fans! Cafe Racer, the new series on Discovery's HD Theater channel debuts on Wednesday, October 13 at 9PM. After a successful pilot episode in December, Cafe Racer is back on television.  Don't miss the first two episodes, back-to-back, on October 13! To watch a preview of the new series, click here!     Don't have HDTV?  If you're within driving  (or flying or riding!) distance of Pittsburgh,watch with the crew from Cafe Racer Magazine at the CAFE RACER PREMIERE PARTY   Wednesday, October 13 from 8 - 10PM West Hills Honda 209 Moon Clinton Road Moon Township, PA   15108 Doors open at 8PM; the show starts at 9PM. Watch the first two episodes on the big screen with free popcorn and sodas.  Meet series creator, and editor/publisher of Cafe Racer Magazine, Mike Seate and get an up-close look at custom cafe racers from the series, like the Project Fighting CB750 below!  To reserve your seat at the premiere party, be sure to click here to RSVP by email. Don't miss CAFE RACER on HD Theater! Wednesday, October 13 at 9PM.  Bike builders, rockers, rides and events brought to you in high def every week. Check local HD TV listings for air times in your area. For a link to the series website, click here! Cafe Racer Magazine www.caferacermag.com

Want to fly to Vegas and try out the hot cars in the picture? All expenses paid?? Enter Eastwood's Vegas Dream Ride and you might be the lucky winner. If you win, you’re driving these super-cars approximately 5 hours on scenic open roads, not just around the parking lot.

Personally I would just take the Z06 out for a 5 hour spin across the desert and let them keep the rest. I think I could make it to Wendover and back in 5 hours !!

You're on your own with the Hot Babe in the picture.
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Think You're Having A Bad Day?

I got a call from my friend Ben last night. Here's his tale of woe:

For the last few weeks he's been having trouble with his Triumph Sprint ST, The battery wouldn't stay charged. He replaced the battery but the replacement proved to be defective so he got another one. No fun and no autumn riding.

Then the starter started making  noises. Off to the dealer to find that the starter mechanism was chewed up. Possibly from trying to start it with a low battery. No bike for a couple of weeks.

Since he had prepaid for a track day he borrowed a friend's track bike. And crashed it. Not good although the friend was unperturbed. "Just fix it and it's OK"

The dealer called and said the Triumph was ready so Ben went over to pick it up. $1150 later he was out the door with a new starter and starter drive. Fifteen minutes later he was on the side of the road with a dead bike.

The owner came out with a truck and took it back to the shop where they found that the regulator had failed. This might well have been the original source of all the problems. Of course, the part was not in stock. The dealer (Second Wind) was good enough to cross reference the part to a Speed Triple and take it off a brand new bike on the showroom floor.

Ben is back on the road and a happy camper. Now he can do another track day on his own bike. Life is good. Until he crashed again on the track yesterday. Cold tires in a tight corner. Lots of plastic bits on the track and a hole in his clutch cover.

JB Weld to fix the hole, a cardboard box to put the plastic into, and some duct tape for his leathers. A little sore but still vertical he now has to face the final black cloud. He has to ride the bike home 40 miles in the rain!

Ben's attitude in his own words, "I am really annoyed!"
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Happy Birthday To Me

Believe it or not, today is the 1st Anniversary of the MondayMotoMadness blog. It's been an interesting year. Bonneville, road trips, bikes that I bought and bikes that I sold.

341 days out of 365 days is not too bad. Obviously some have been better than others but I've tried to be interesting and informative. Analytics show that there are approximately 100 of you out there. Mostly from the US, Canada, India, Oz and UK but also Finland, Germany, and Spain.

So I'll take the rest of the day off to celebrate and see you tomorrow. Cheers!

California Voters

Today's Sacramento Bee  had an article "Boxer faces her toughest Senate race ever" Nobody would be happier than I would if she went down in flames. Barbara Boxer is one of the worst enemies of off road riding in the country. With her pals Dianne Fienstein and all the green meanies, she has forced the closure of many of the best riding areas not only in California but all over the US.

Check out this article from Off Road Park Info:

California Senator Barbara Boxer Goes After Several OHV Crown Jewel Areas

Senator Barbara Boxer of California has introduced bill S.493 The California Wild Heritage Act of 2007. This act proposes to create approximately 2 million acres of additional wilderness lands in California, which already has 14.3 million of wilderness designated lands. Areas included in this bill are several locations which are known as the "Crown Jewels" of California OHV areas. Once an area is designated as wilderness most uses are prohibited including but not limited to commercial activities, mechanized uses and roads. In other words, no more OHV opportunities. Studies have shown that less than 3% of people who visit and recreate on public lands ever visit a Wilderness area. California OHV enthusiasts, you'd better start contacting Senator Boxer to stop this bill. Senator Boxer's contact information and web page are at http://boxer.senate.gov/ . Let's rev it up to her folks and make sure she hears us!

She sees herself as Big Sister who is intent on saving us from ourselves. If you live in California please vote. Get all your friends to vote. Get them to get their friends to vote. Save California from Boxer!!
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From The Road

Hard to take pictures while I'm riding. I don't have a RAM mount on the RS. The day started off cool (49F) and cloudy but the spirits were bright and that was enough.

Lunch by the Farmington River in the Berkshires. The sun was finally out although it was still cool. Hard not to like a full fairing on a day like this. Fall colors have yet to peak. I guess we'll just have to do this again next week.

Time to head back to the hot chocolate.
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More Bonneville Pictures From The Past

From the archives of Life Magazine here are some pictures of Bonneville Speed Week in days gone by. Because the Southern California Timing Assn. makes such an effort to include vintage classes may of those same cars could be running today.

Here are some other pictures of cool guys on motorcycles. The Life picture galleries could consume an afternoon if one was to procrastinate.
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No Sacred Cows

Reminder: MMM Tiddler ride on 24 Oct

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 Here's the eBay ad for this Transalp sent to me by David M. I love the fact that the dad just turned the bike over to his kids and told them to have a ball. We need more people who worry more about having fun and less about shining chrome and making their custom bike look just like everyone elses!

Used Tools

Reminder: MMM Tiddler ride on 24 Oct

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Next time you change a tire or fix a flat there are two things you should do. Check that the rim is not bent and balance the wheel with the tire on it. Both of these are easily accomplished with the Harbor Freight Wheel Stand.

I'm usually not a fan of anything from HF that involves ball bearings. The cheap drill press that I bought is just that, cheap. However, this wheel stand has stood the test of time and the bearings are still functioning perfectly.

To balance the wheel you just mount it on the stand with the included adapter and let it spin until one side settles to the bottom. Add weights (5g or 2.5g) to the other side until it settles in random spots when you spin it. I was surprised at how out of balance a new tire is even when I matched the mark on the side with the tire stem. Balancing the tire was quick, painless, and had a noticeable effect.

The stand is great for more than just wheel balancing. Used with a dial guage and a magnetic base it is also perfect for truing spoke wheels or checking alloy wheels for trueness. The dial guage points out exactly which spokes need to be tightened or loosened.

The stand normally retails for $59.99 but as with everything from HF there are deals and sales if you watch the ads or get on their mailing list. Highly recommended.
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Christmas Already?

It's not even Halloween yet and already I got the first Christmas catalog in the mail today. It's really a bit much!

However, here is what is forecast to be the #1 RC action toy, the Air Hogs Moto Frenzy from Spin Master. Buy them now and resell them on eBay for twice the price in December.

I just have one question; if motorcycle toys are so popular why do we riders of the real thing have such a hard time getting an respect? I almost had the answer but some POS cruiser went by with pipes so loud they shattered my thoughts.

If you need other toy suggestions you can see the whole list of what will be hot here. Paper Jamz looks extremely cool.
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NY Times on Procrastination. This is Johnny Kelly's animated short on the evil that besets us all. Believe me, sitting down at the computer every morning is a challenge to get something done rather than just surf the time away.



AFTER you watch Johnny Kelly's video check out Ellen DeGeneres discussing procrastination in a much more amusing way than I ever could. Every sentence is one that I could say, "I can relate to that!"

Procrastinate for a couple of minutes and check them out. Maybe they will focus your day better and give you time to go out for a ride. Don't stop to make a cup of tea!
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Can't Save Them All

I tried to sell all these for a fair price, then a cheap price, then free to anyone who would come get them. In the end I got $66.40 from the scrap metal dealer.

Sic Transit Gloria Mundi

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RS125 Sets Land Speed Record

I can't take any credit for this article in Hell For Leather. I just wanted to pass on the story and images of a racer in the same class that we raced in that is only 25cc larger than the limit for our engine. Read the article about how they managed to squeeze 146.77mph out of an RS125 engine. The real trick is their aggressive application of streamlining. Using a center hub steering mechanism allowed them to get a height only a couple of inches greater than the wheel. It's certainly an inspiration for our attempt next year. I intend to borrow several of their concepts!

When you read the article check out the pictures in the strip at the bottom. When I first clicked on the strip it only showed a very small picture. Click on that to get full sized images. They will show how truly tiny this bike is.

Good Job and My Congratulations To Them.

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Easy Rider On Hulu

Dave sent me this link to watch Easy Rider on Hulu.

Check this link to watch the original movie trailer.

The two things people always remember: the first time they had sex, and the first time they saw Easy Rider. Both are timeless.
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Barbie

This is such a great spoof of all those comparisons / shoot-outs / best of the ... articles. As the owner of a 7D (which I absolutely love!) I was very amused. Try it out in HD if your computer can handle it.

Canon 7D vs. Barbie Video Girl from Brandon Bloch on Vimeo.

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How To Read NGK Spark Plug Numbers

It's really quite simple as you can see. Click on the image to get the full size chart, print it out, and pin it to your shop wall for future reference.

Got Norton?

Dave sent this link for an auction of British iron. Check out the slide show. If it weren't so far I'd go to bid on the lot of K-70's which is my all time favorite all-around tire.

How many of the bikes can you identify?
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Destination - New Hampshire

I call it the Giant Tuna. The USS Albacore is a former US Navy test submarine. It is on display in Portsmouth NH just off I-95 at exit 7 or off Rt 1 a few blocks from downtown. It is in dry dock which is interesting because they had to close the highway, dig a canal to the current location, and then float it in from the Piscataqua River.

The Albacore was never a fighting boat, it was used to test experimental designs for the new class of fast attack boats that would be nuclear powered. It has two diesel engines that I'm told were quite troublesome. 

I met Norm Bower while I was taking these pictures. He served aboard the Albacore for 21 years and ended up as Chief of Boat when it was retired. He told me about how the boat was refitted five times with different configurations for the sail and tail. Our modern fleet owes much to Norm and the rest of the crew. It was most interesting to talk to someone who actually had first hand knowledge. A virtuall tour and the whole history can be found at the Albacore web site.


While you're in the area, you should go across the river to Chauncey Creek for lobster. It's one of my favorites. Casual elegance with moderate prices. Many people even bring their own tablecloth, silverware, and bottles of wine to highlight the experience. Make sure you visit but hurry before they close for the winter.
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More From THe Berkshires

It's hard to ride and take pictures but here are a few from the weekend ride. Don, Russ, Ben and I had a great time!

Waking up to a beautiful day

View from lookout point

Always nice to have people like you

It says there's a trail around here someplace

Ben and Russ make it over the hill

Sunset as we eat dinner on the terrace

Balancing rock

I know we're here. But where is here?

Live From The Berkshires

Two days of dirt bike riding with friends is a great way to spend a weekend. The XR400 is running perfectly with new valves and piston. And I only fell twice!

Found On The Road

Rt 123 in Norton MA. Excellent hot dogs cooked just right. "Cash Only Please"!

Bear Hug?

This is just so manipulative that it's a slap in the face to everyone who has hasn't drank the green Kool-ade. And what is the bear going to do next? Kill everyone who bought a Nissan Armada and Titan? Those vehicles put the Chevy Suburban to shame and rival the Ford F-150.

Nissan wins the hypocrisy award of the year!
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The Isetta For 2025

This is a really interesting concept from Nissan for an urban vehicle. I'm thinking of a fleet of these for ZipCars. The robot is pretty cool and the rotating wheels are amazing. I'm disappointed that it didn't show the vehicle pivoting 360 degrees to turn a tight corner or park sideways. Maybe the robot will drive while the driver texts and talks on the cel phone. We'd all be safer for that!



This is another Nissan commercial that will assuradly never be shown in the US. We're still a nation of prudes and reactionaries.

Granite State Race Pictures

I finally got all the pictures from the USCRA Granite State Races at Loudon posted. All 1100 of them! They are here and here. I had to break them into two parts to get them all uploaded.

The first group are mostly in the pits and are the work of Jennifer Ditacchio of NYC fame and fortune. Check out her website for more of her work. The rest are point and shoot with a long lens and a fast motor drive. I didn't try to edit out any but the worst ones because I think there are many that are not great photos but which show lines, positions, and lean angles that may be of interest to riders who would like to analyze and improve their skills. There are several videos at the end of the second group.

As usual you are free to download any pictures that you want to pin up on your wall. The high resolution images are available for about the price of a shot of Irish whiskey.
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Vintage Honda Parts For Sale

Steve sent me this item about his new vintage parts web site. A quick look showed parts I haven't been able to find anywhere else. The prices seem reasonable, especially since he's willing to listen to offers. An interesting concept.

Don't forget to check out his Vintage Honda Restoration site also.

Introducing VJswap.com

Make Me an Offer I Can't Refuse I've had pictures taken of three hundred of my vintage Honda parts that were headed for Ebay, but I decided to give you a shot at them first. I was trying to figure out the best way to display the parts and wound up building a new website. VJswap.com Just like at a swap meet, the most important feature on VJswap.com is *"Make an Offer". *Click on a part. When the detail photos show up, click the "Make an offer on this item" link. You're not committed to anything until you send the money so make an offer and see how low I'll go. But items could easily be sold out from under you so don't dilly-dally. If the price is $500, that means I don't have a clue. Tell me what you think it's worth.

The Other Side Of Racing

Yesterday I talked about how racing that was up close and personal was the best thing you could do with your clothes on. There is also a dark side of racing. The video above shows what can happen when it gets too up close and personal. The camera was on my friend Rich's motorcycle as he center punched a rider who went down in front of him and then was catapulted high side.

The race was at Mosport Raceway in Ontario. Rich is well and was racing at Loudon last Monday. I'm not sure of the rider he hit but I don't remember it being serious. There is a reason for the leather suits with armor and the helmets. Racing is lots of fun but occasionally you get your ticket punched.

Racing For 7th Place

One of the greatest races of my life was at Shannonville Race Track. Another racer and I were fighting it out for 7th place. Back and forth, the effort was heroic. I was pressing it so hard through every turn that I was sure it would be my last. Two gladiators never fought so hard!

I think I pulled it out at the last moment but it was the close racing I remember, not who won or lost. When we were back in the pits the other racer rushed over and gave me a big bear hug. "That was the best racing of my life!", he exclaimed. I was in total agreement.

Racing is about a lot more than just winning. Nothing is more boring than being in first (or any) place by half a lap. Round and round you go, unchallenged and uninspired. That's just going fast. Racing is when it's up close and personal.

So it was with Beth and Jack in the last race yesterday. It was fast, it was close, and it was personal. Back and forth they battled, passing and repassing, pushing harder than they knew they could. In the end Beth prevailed but you wouldn't know it by the smiles on their faces as they pulled into the pits. They just sat on their bikes, reluctant to let the moment end, and savored the moment.

Racing just doesn't get any better than this.
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Racing At Loudon Today

The real thrill is seeing the original Honda CR110 and CR93 race bikes that George brought from his collection. I'd be jealous if George wasn't such a great Guy!

Beth is doing well today. I'm helping by adjusting the carbs on her competitor's bike.

1st Annual MondayMotoMadness Tiddler Tour

Correction: This has been moved to Sunday, 24 Oct. so it won't conflict with the Barber races.

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No poster yet but the date has been set for 24 Oct. The rules are Old and Small. It's up to you to determine how that applies to you. Think CB350 era and older, slower, and/or smaller from there.

However, nobody will be turned away. If you show up on a new CBR1000RR we'll just assume that your tiddler is in an indeterminate state and that you'll motor in the spirit of the ride.

Departure is at 9am from MMM HQ (150 Kinney Rd, Amston 06231) and will proceed about 60 miles through the countryside until lunch at Harry's in Colchester. Not a bad trick considering that it's only 7 miles from the house as the Super Hawk flies.

After lunch, another 60 mile ride to return to the homestead where a chicken BBQ will await. Amy has offered to bring materials for s'mores but holding hands and singing Kumbayah around the fire is optional.

This is a self-guided tour and route sheets will be provided. You must have a route sheet holder (or stupendous photographic memory)! Hopefully my choices will live up to the high standard set by Doug Roper in the spring. Lots of back country roads and no freeways.

Doug and Amy have graciously offered camping at their home for those who need it.

Prizes of Tom's Genuine CT Maple Syrup will be offered for:

• Most creative route sheet holder
• Oldest bike to complete both courses
• Smallest bike to complete both courses

(In case of a tie the contestants will play Stone Scissors Paper until a winner is determined)

BYOB, RSVP, YMMV

You ride tall when you ride small !!

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Finally, All The Bonneville Pictures

All my pictures (plus Joe Tordiff's) are here:
http://picasaweb.google.com/xl600v/BonnevilleSlideShow#

They were taken by a couple of different cameras so they are a little out of order in a couple of places but I think you'll like them.

Beth's pictures are here:
http://dreamqueen.com/10_Bonneville/index.htm

Enjoy while we count down to next year!
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