STREET LEGAL BUMPER CARS

From the Gretjen file of People-With-Too-Much-Time-On-Their-Hands:

It's easy for a gear-head to be discouraged about the state of the world, especially in times of Carpocalypse and Cash for Clunkers. But occasionally, a bright light of awesome renews the spirit. Road-legal bumper cars do just that.

Yes, you read that right; these little beasties are street legal. Either Kawasaki or Honda motorcycle engines for power, and retired vintage bumper car bodies - transformed into the most awesome form of mini-car we've ever seen.

 There's seven of these little monsters floating around California, and they're all the creation of one man, Tom Wright, a Gyro Gearloose  builder on the outskirts of San Diego who figured the leftovers of the Long Beach Pike amusement park needed a more dignified end than the trash heap. 

They were originally powered by Harley engines but rattled like heck and Tom replaced them with Honda or Kawasaki 750's... and a couple have been 'measured' [not run at] theoretically as capable of 160 MPH which is terrifyingly fast in machines with such a short wheelbase.  Doesn't mean we would totally rock one should the opportunity present itself.  In fact, we now have only one burning desire, to see these things running a go kart track with a clown in the drivers seat.

Your other two wheels

Google Maps has just added a new feature that is really exciting. You could previously get directions for driving, walking, or public transportation. Now it will also provide a bicycle friendly map to your destination. When I first heard about this a couple of weeks ago I have to admit that I yawned. "Another feature for urban elitists", I thought. Supposedly it mapped out a route that avoided busy streets in favor of a cycle friendly path. I don't know if it goes over hills or around them.

However, I was not giving Google enough credit (a subtle way of admitting that I was wrong). I was looking for the directions to a local state park and on a whim clicked the bicycle option. Wow. It took me down the hill but then jogged me over to the Rails-To-Trails path and even knew about the new extension that was recently opened. From there it was back to public roads but smaller less traveled ones that would have fewer cars. On the map above you can see where it parallels Rt 85 but is actually 1/2 mile away wandering through the woods.

The total distance was not too far off the distance for a car. Getting away from the public roads is certainly nice. The big bonus is that I have another way to get out of the cage and onto two wheels. And the view from the rear will certainly improve with some pedaling on my part! Just because it doesn't have a motor doesn't mean it's not fun.
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First Ride - the good and the very, very bad

A great day for a ride in rural CT. Warm weather and a chance to see how the CB650 runs on the roads after the recent problems. I'm happy to report that except for a bit of seepage under the head gasket, common for a bike of this age, the 650 ran beautifully. It's a sit back and enjoy the scenery kind of bike which is very different from my other bikes. Eye opening and enjoyable.

One of my favorite destinations is Zip's Dining Car in Dayville, CT. This is a diner in the most original sense of the word. It makes no attempts to be retro or trendy. It's simply about the food and the service. The food is blue collar fare with no pretensions. If you're looking for artisan, organic, or au courant go elsewhere. And yet, all the food is hand made a plate at a time. The food is from local farmers whenever possible and is fresh from the fields. The mashed potatoes have lumps and the whipped cream on the strawberry shortcake is made in the milk shake mixer just for your order. Rt 12 & Rt 101 just off I-395 exit 93 east. Look for the sign that says "EAT"

The ride back was leisurely, a straight shot down Rt 44 to Rt 32. Or so I thought. Just past UConn 4 Corners traffic was suddenly diverted onto a side road. At first it was a comedy of errors as traffic played follow the leader into the grounds of the old Mansfield Training School. This is a 100 acre campus with ~30 buildings. Cars were going up one road and down another to either meet up again going the other way or end up at a dead end. Since I knew a bit about the lay of the land I decided to head cross country to get out of the silliness. Then I saw this:

It became instantly clear why the road was closed, two bikers down. Word from one of the employees was that they were both dead but at that point one was actually still alive. Some 74 year old geezer in a Volvo had crossed the center line and hit the bikers head on. The Hartford Courant story is here.

It certainly put the rest of the ride in a dark mood. When I got home I sat down and wrote a message to my state legislators asking when they were going to make testing for drivers over 65 mandatory. I'm at that age and I'm willing to take the time to get some of the aging incompetents off the road. It's only going to get worse now that the Boomers are arriving at this point. They will fight it all the way but it has to be done. NPR once did a series on aging drivers. I remember one saying, "I always drive very slow so that I don't hit things very hard." 

Take a moment and write a message to your representatives now. Riding is dangerous. Reality is out there waiting to bite. As it is written, "Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour ... "

Ride Safe.

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Motorcycle Trick

Motorcycle commercials are just plain better than all the rest. Check out this one.

How did Stevie do that?

If you saw yesterday's post you saw Stevie Wonder play Punch Dub (aka Slug Bug). Probably you thought it was just an advertising gimmick. Here is the real story from Stevie himself. Pretty cool!

VW ad

I don't remember this ad campaign but the "punch line" is incredible!

The tale of the cat

No post yesterday because there was no electricity at the house. The storm knocked out the power so I went to NJ to see a man about a Buick.

I live in the country surrounded by corn fields, dairy farms, and forests. This is generally pleasant but a recurring irritation for a motorcyclist such as myself is the existence of mice. Mice are proliffic. Their one purpose in life is to make sure other life forms are well fed. To keep up the supply they breed at a rate that makes rabbits envious.

So every fall I not only have to drain the gas from carburetors and lube the chains for the long winter's nap, I have to remove the gas tanks and seats. Also the air cleaners and anything else the little critters can use for nesting. The gas tanks have to come off because the area between the tank and frame backbone seems to be prime mouse real estate. And while they're there what way to while away the winter hours than chew on the wiring harness!? I dismantle, bag, seal, and store all the parts and hope for the best. Moth balls are distributed liberally in the hope that they will gas out the pests.

It was with great delight that I found that a gray cat had taken up residence in the garage and there was nary a sign of mouse habitation anywhere. Could life get any better? However, I made a fatal mistake. I gave the cat some milk. And some cat food. On the front porch. What was I thinking? If I was thinking at all!

The cat, who was happily providing a needed service as an independent contractor, now became a dependent of the state. Instead of sitting in the garden patiently waiting for a root eating mole to stick it's head above ground thereby providing lunch, it now sits on the front porch, staring in the window, waiting for free food to fall out of the sky. Worse, it continually expresses its opinion about its entitlement by loudly yowling every time I walk by.

The mice are throwing a party and are taking up a collection to buy more cat food. I'm back where I started except that now I have a useless cat that hates me for not feeding it. It must be a liberal Democrat!

Born to be Mild - The Saga Continues

I took the left exhaust off and found - nothing! I even started the engine with open exhaust ports and more - nothing! Except a lot of noise of course. I pressure washed the inside of the pipes to see what there was to see coming out of the back. But again - nothing! Weirder and weirder. When I put it all back together it ran fine and spit out - nothing! So I guess the problem is solved even though I'm not sure why.

One clue might be that the emissions storage tank was full of a watery oily mixture. While I had the exhaust off I drained the system and got ~250cc of liquid (about a coffee mug full). Could this have been the source of the oil shooting out of the back of the exhaust? But, if so, why only on the left side?

Feeling confident that the problem was behind me I moved on to change the oil while the engine was hot. Good idea but bad for me. I lost my balance and leaned against the exhaust pipes.

Score: nylon jacket:0 - exhaust pipes:1

Now I get to scrape the jacket material off the pipes.

One of the first things they did at Honda School was have us tighten a bunch of bolts and then use a torque wrench to see how close we were to factory specs. By varying degrees we were all over-tightening the bolts. So it was no surprise that the oil drain plug was so tight that the aluminum washer was mashed into a mushroom shape. Where do these people come from? Why are they allowed to own wrenches?

The oil filter housing was worse. The bolt head on the end of the filter bolt was rounded off and it was so tight that even a large pair of Vice Grip pliers couldn't loosen it. Now Honda has to assume part of the blame here. Putting a 12mm bolt head on the filter bolt was definitely one of their worst ideas. It's too small for the application and too easy to round off. A shade tree mechanic with an open end wrench is a recipe for disaster. There were several after market bolts that used either a 14mm or 17mm bolt head to remedy the problem.

However, the previous owner took to the problem to new heights (lows?) by not stopping when things were going bad. The picture above shows what I had to do to get it apart. Ugly to say the least! Nothing like a 32oz hammer and a 3/4" cold chisel to have your way. Payback for my jacket! Luckily I had a used filter housing and bolt in the odd parts box to replace these with.

It should all be wrapped up today. It's going to be raining all weekend so no road test until Monday or Tuesday. More news then, Something new tomorrow.

Born to be Mild - The Mystery Continues

Herein I continue the adventure with the oil pumping CB650 from yesterday's post. Fearing the worst, I pulled the plugs on the CB650. I was imagining a blown or leaking head gasket that was passing enginee oil into the exhaust system. Although the engine ran fine when I put it away you never know about these things. To my surprise they all looked fine. If anything they looked a little lean to me. Certainly not wet and oil fouled as I would have guessed from the oil that was blowing out of the muffler.
To complete the inspection I took a compression reading with the results that follow:

CB650 Compression

#1	#2	#3	#4
160	135	125	140

As you can see nothing particularly weird there. The #1 cylinder is a little high which might be a clue that oil is getting to the rings and sealing better. So, today I'll pull the pipes and see what I can find.

Another thought I have is that this bike has a lot of emissions plumbing. Did I connect the wrong hose together that is pushing oil to places it shouldn't go? Tune in tomorrow folks for the further adventures of a baffled mechanic.

In the meantime if you have any thoughts or suggestions please leave them in the comments section.

Born to be Mild - Driving me Wild!

This is my CB650. It is a motorcycle that will take you cross-town or cross-country. Not a canyon carver, traffic light drag racer, or moto blitzkrieg. It was meant for solid and dependable transportation and is the darling of commuters and messengers who value comfort, dependability, and a light clutch over high strung Ricky Racer power and styling. It has the added advantage of being about as Plain Jane as a motorcycle can get. Even the most whacked out crackhead in SoHo is going to pass on stealing this one.

I was using it to get to work and local riding when I had an apartment in the Boston area. It was always ready to go and never required anything other than an oil and filter change at regular intervals. It has sat for the last 18 months and I decided to get it out to ride while I worked on the LSR bike. I could ride my R100RS on long trips but the CB650 would be the perfect local runabout.

 

Or so I thought! The first step was to remove the bank of carburetors and clean them. Three cheers for Gumout Carb + Choke Cleaner spray. I'm sure that there is nothing friendly in the stuff but it sure cleans out old gum and crap from jets and float bowls! Caution: Don't get it into your eyes - It burns like hell! Squirting it into a blind hole sends a stream right back into your face. However, it does work like magic and I recommend it with the caveat that some sort of glasses be worn when you use it.

Next step, patch a broken wire on the coil. @#$%*&* mice! Living in the country has its benefits. Gnawing rodents is not one of them. While I was doing all this I had refilled the battery with distilled water and put it on the charger. Amazingly it came back to life and seems hold a charge. Some time spent with the polish cloth and it was looking good to go.

A pull on the choke knob and a push on the starter button rewarded me with a very pleasant song. There is nothing like the  sound of Honda's SOHC-4 engines. It just seems to say, "Let's go for a ride and have some fun."

And then I walked around the back and noticed that the left (1-2) pipe was shooting out something dark. I was thinking it was soot from sitting so long but when I put my hand behind the muffle it came back dripping with oil! And I don't mean a fine mist. This thing was pumping out a spray that was oiling the garage floor for 8 feet!

I immediately shut it down and checked the oil level again. It was showing on the dipstick so I hadn't blown anything up. Yet. Since it was otherwise sounding good I decided to run it down the street in the ever vain hope that it was just something that was out of whack and needed to jiggle back in place. No such luck.

Today I'll pull the plugs and see what they have to tell me. I'll take a compression test to see if a blown head gasket or broken ring is indicated. With so much anti-emission plumbing on the engine I'm wondering if I plugged in a hose wrong when I got the carbs back together and it's sucking oil through that. The bike used to run well before I put it away so I'm hoping it's nothing catastrophic.

As they say, News and Views at 11.

Craigslist search engines

Opps - I thought I'd have Part II of the Adventure Travel story today but what Dan sent me was not more pictures of the India trip to Ladakh but the same pictures twice. So I am somewhat unprepared with content this morning. However, something interesting always seems to pop up.

Craigslist is always a great source of bikes, parts, and other stuff like tools and pickup trucks. However, searching each and every craigslist is tedious if not a complete drag.

Searchtempest is a much better way to do this. Enter a ZIP code and a radius and it will search every craigslist in the area. It also has a better search engine that utilizes wild cards.

Allofcraigs takes a simpler approach. Enter a query term and it seems to search every category in every craigslist in the world. This can be good if you're searching for something obscure but is a bit like trying to take a sip from a fire hose if you search for "Honda". Luckily there is an Advanced Search filter to help narrow the results.

Try them out and let me know what you think. Got any others to recommend?
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Ladakh Biking Expedition - Part I

Everyone knows that I love adventure riding. My friend Dan sent me this and I'm passing it along in total so that you don't miss any of it. Part 2 tomorrow.

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Ladakh Biking Expedition - A Journey to Top of the World

(June 2009)

                          Heaven!!  Any one seen heaven when you are all alive? Majestic mountain ramparts crowned by snowcapped peaks, crumpling alpine slopes draining into wild mountain streams of foaming cascades of immaculate water, deep river valleys with yawning canyons & powerful rivers, blue lakes with the reflection of tranquil mountains, awesome huge glaciers and piled moraine, oasis of green fields swathe by cream-colored desert mountains that all beyond the imagination of human mind and the charm bestowed on this land by the god. That all I am speaking about heaven on earth i.e. Ladakh, my heaven’s bike ride. But wait for one minute, entry to this heaven is not easy, you have to pass through embarrassing conditions...Just imagine when you travel hundreds of miles in barren & no man’s land, devastated & suddenly disappeared roads, swept bridges, steel rods coming out of road, 2 feet deep snow-melts water & mud ponds, harsh and unforgiving conditions. After crossing such an abyss you can see this heaven.

                 One of the toughest terrains to ride in the world- Ladakh is every biker’s dream. I’m not an exception. I am passionate trekker around Western Ghat. Long awaited dream of Ladakh came true by great planning and guidance of my genius friends Sameer Phansalkar & Hrishikesh Tambe with support of other 4 team members.

                  We started our biking from Jammu & then to Paradise on Earth i.e. Srinagar & "Golden meadow"  Sonamarg, crossing perilous Zozi la Pass, saluting tiger hill at Kargil , then Suru Valley of immense beauty, reaching most isolated area of alpine lakes amidst snow peaks of ‘Zanskar Valley’, reaching forbidden city  Leh, visiting mysterious monastery in Ladakh, conquered the world at Khardungla (18,380 ft the world's highest motorable road), then splendid vistas of  scintillating ‘Pangong Lake’ lake, visiting to Lake of God ‘Tso Moriri’, meeting gigantic needles on the way at Pang & Sarchu, traversing through world’s  worst & mighty Baralacha La & Rohtang pass, then ‘land of god’ Himachal via Manali,  Chandigadh & finally completed at capital of  India, Delhi.

                 During this expedition on my bike, Bajaj Caliber (111cc) which already crossed 1,00000 Kms in December 2008 gave me best company without any single compliant though it was harsh conditions or low standard petrol.  Finally there is entry to heaven only for selected persons & I am one of them. So friends take seats & get ready for story of my 21 Days & 3,000Kms of Men, Machines, Mountains & Heaven.

Regards,

Shrikant

Pune, India.

www.shrikantescapades.com

                              Road to Ladakh
                             was.....

                            a peaceful adventure,
                            an old new venture,

                            a dream with eyes open,
                            a scream with lips sealed,

                            something out of the world,
                            a story never heard never told,

                             i am back to my town
                             leaving something of my own

                             my mind, my heart is there,
                             High Road of Ladakh is where
                            _________________                                                                      - Nitin Sharma

Please Check out full detail blog of our Ladakh Biking Expedition By Shridhar Purandare

Leh Ladakh biking expedition -- Challange that one can enjoy

http://shridharattrekking.blogspot.com/2009/06/leh-ladakh-biking-expedition-challange.html

Map By: www.bcmtouring.com

Route Map

Our Route Shown in Red Color

Jammu - Patnitop - Srinagar - Sonamarg - Zozi la Pass - Drass - Kargil - Suru Valley - Rangdum (Zanskar valley) - Kargil - Mulbek - Namika La - Lamayuru - Leh - Khardung La - Hemis - Thiksey - Leh - Chang La Pass - Pangong Lake - Leh - Kiari - Chumathang - Tso Kar - Tso Moriri - Tanglang La - Pang - Sarchu - Baralacha La - Zing Zing Bar - Keylong - Tandi - Rohtang Pass - Manali - Chandigarh – Delhi

First meet our team

Anand Lohokare (Bajaj Pulsar 180cc), Nikhil Upadhye (Bajaj Pulsar 150cc), Ashutosh Khandkar, Sameer Phansalkar (Bajaj Pulsar 150cc),Shrikant Shimpi (Bajaj Caliber 111cc), Shridhar Purandare (Yamaha Gladiator 125cc), Hrishikesh Tambe (Bajaj Pulsar 180cc)

Dal lake, Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir

Visual spectacle that unfolds before u will put anything that you have ever seen in life, well just scenery.

We started our Biking Expedition from Jammu after Halt at Patnitop we reached at Sringar

Dal lake, Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir

Beauty as we feel it is something indescribable; what it is or what it means can never be said.

In Srinagar our stay was at House boat at Dal Lake

Dal lake, Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir

We need to find God, and he cannot be found in noise and restlessness. God is the friend of silence. We need silence to be able to touch souls

Next Day Morning stupendous view of Dal Lake from our House boat

This is indeed a heaven on earth

Dal lake famous for encircling mountains, blossoming gardens and orchards, Shikaras and Houseboats

Floating markets, Dal Lake

Next day morning visit to floating markets

Salesmen paddle from boat to boat, selling everything you could want such as fruit, nuts, fresh flowers, woolen shawls, silk carpets, leather goods.

Journey from Srinagar to Sonamarg takes you through splendid vistas for which Kashmir is renowned

Narrow trails weaving through misty snow-clad peaks, cool mountain air lashing against your face, and charming hill folk greeting you on the way

'Meadow of Gold’ Sonamarg, Jammu & Kashmir

“The greatest treasures are those visible to the eye but found by the heart.”

Sonamarg surrounded by dense forests, full of sycamore and alpine flowers, silver birch, fir and pine, the meadow presents a fascinating sight. It further enhanced with the snow capped mountains

Sonamarg, Jammu & Kashmir (6,561 ft)

This is like a fantasy picture, the clouds, the mountains, the river... all in perfect harmony

Sonamarg, Jammu & Kashmir

Beauty of this place is beyond the imagination of human mind and the charm bestowed on this land by the gods.

Sonamarg, Jammu & Kashmir

Encircled by snow-covered mountains, Sonamarg is a place of enchanting beauty

Zozi la Pass (11,500 ft) Himalayan Gateway to Ladakh

Located at an intimidating 11,500 ft & 100 km from Srinagar on Srinagar-Ladakh highway. Normally inaccessible except the short summer months because they remain ice clogged. Indian Army & BRO (Border Road Organization) toiling hard everyday to maintain the roads as best as they can under the harsh conditions.

Zozi la Pass (11,500 ft)

Riding through steep valleys and deep narrow canyon under over-hangs in the mountainsides, through snow-melts waters and frozen ice-breaks, over narrow & water swept bridges and even across the abyss, this intended only for audacious bikers.

Zozi la Pass (11,500 ft)

Khalid (Ashutosh) crossing nallah. Roads are in bad condition with lots of gravel, during rain the gravel turns to slush

Tiger hill, Drass, Kargil (16,800 ft)

Being so close to the might of Tiger Hill, was an overwhelming experience.

Standing tall and dominating the famous Tiger Hill on the Line of Control (LoC) is a grim reminder of the Kargil war 1999.The highest peak in the region which has a clear view of the National Highway 1 D, occupied by Pakistan

Drass Second coldest inhabited place in the world, 10600 ft. Temp. (-60°C) on 09 June 95

Normally Drass experiences recurring snowfalls during winters lower the temperature to as low as minus 40 degrees

“When you go home, tell them of us & say for your tomorrow we gave our today”

Kargil war memorial, Drass, Kargil

Panoramic view Suru Valley, (9,850ft)

40 km south of Kargil

Panoramic view of Suru Valley, Royal mountain ramparts crowned by snowcapped peaks, crumpling alpine slopes draining into wild mountain streams of foaming cascades of immaculate water, awesome glaciers descending along the Himalayan slopes to the river  bed in riverine formation, maze of mud-mud brick villages surrounded by lush irrigated farmland.

Unique Design farms at Suru Valley

Charming Girls at Suru Valley, Dist. Kargil

“Children are the hands by which we take hold of heaven.”

“A smile happens in a flash, but its memory can last a lifetime.”

Time - 6pm, Temperature 3 °c, Height -11,500 ft, Spot - No man’s land surrounded with snow-clad peaks, Where - on way towards Zanskar valley, 104 km from Kargil, Nearest village - Rangdum with very rare population (22 km from this spot), Road condition – crushed, What happen - Sameer's bike's rear tyre punched 2nd time, Worst thing - For half an hour, one by one we tried to pump air but it was all in vain. Finally we decided to left Sameer's bike here & move towards Rangdum with punched tire.

Rangdum, Zanskar valley (11,500 ft)

130 km south- east of Kargil

As we moved further the road got worse and beauty got outmaneuver.

Entire View becomes entities to another world, another universe…… Surely the Gods live here.

Rangdum, Zanskar valley (11,500 ft)

The farthest and the most isolated part of Rangdum surrounded by colorful hills on one side & glacier encrusted rocky mountains on other.

Panoramic view of ‘Zanskar Valley’ (11,500 ft).

The picturesque tableland adorned with small alpine lakes and surrounded by snow covered peaks.

Marmots

Ubiquitous on mountain slopes all over Ladakh

Check Out Full Photos Album @ Picasa

http://picasaweb.google.co.in/lh/sredir?uname=shrikant10000&target=ALBUM&id=5434436974274172753&authkey=Gv1sRgCNWWxr--9syVaw&feat=email