Amy & Doug's Tiddler Tour

A Tiddler Tour, for those who may not know, is a rally for old, small bikes. The usual specifications are <= 350cc and <= 1972. However, unless it's the MotoGiro (305cc & 1968), any bike that fits into the spirit of the ride is generally welcomed. This is the case with Amy and Doug which allowed our friends to join in with a pair of NX250's. Right size but only 21 years old. The curious thing is that after coming once or twice the odd rider gets the bug and shows up on a proper vintage bike which means one more bike is saved and ridden.

The weather could not have been more perfect, sunny and warm. The back roads Doug had mapped out were a perfect blend of languid rural roads to troll along mixed with twisty bits to keep it interesting. There were about two dozen riders that broke into smaller groups to ride together. Route sheets were accurate and nobody got lost to my knowledge. A long or a short route for the morning and another 50-miler for the afternoon.

After the ride Amy was the Hostess with the Mostest. Chicken, shrimp, hot dogs, and hamburgers were all on the menu plus salad, chips, cookies, eclairs, and pie. Can you say "Stuffed to the MAX"? 

As it was the 4th of July a variety of very nice, semi-professional fireworks was lit off for all to enjoy. The names of the parties involved will be withheld to protect the guilty. 

If you weren't there you missed a great time. However, there is still hope. The Ropers are planning on making it an annual affair. And the nameless party has promised even more and better fireworks next time!

Cosmic Weirdness (or a theory of how to find Atlantis)

I'll write up the ride report of Amy's Tiddler Ride tomorrow.

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In the mean time check this out. Ignite is a series of everyday people making 5 minute presentations on anything they want to. If you're not familiar with the format, an Ignite talk is 5 minutes long with 20 slides that advance automatically every 15 seconds. No notes. No podium. Just a big stage, a big screen and a mike. Think PowerPoint without the snooze!

Check these two out.

Cosmic Weirdness (or a theory of how to find Atlantis)

Matt Harding will keep you fascinated with his breakneck presentation.

What the @!#%$! Do Those Motorcycle Hand Signals Mean?

Good explanation of hand signals we use when riding.
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Tron Lightcycle For Sale

David sent the link to the eBay auction for these. Five limited edition custom built bikes, one in each neon color, are for sale at US$35,000 each. The pictures show a prototype with wide car tires that would be impossible to turn but I'll assume that round profile tires will be coming on the final motorcycle.

I don't have the cash but I'd seriously consider it if I did. First, I was a big fan of the movie and, second, it's a lot more appealing than most of the chopper/bobber/same-old crap I've seen for the same or more money. Put the VFR1200 engine in it and it would sing to me.

Gizmodo has a good article about the bike here. It also has links to trailers and videos from the original movie.  You had to be a true geek to really appreciate the first Tron. All the references to the computer parts and procedures were a big part of its charm. Looking back at it now it's interesting to see how the world has changed. My Droid has a million times more power and capability than my first computer.

The new Tron movie is scheduled to be released in December. I'll be there. However, I doubt that it will be on a Lightcycle.
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Contest and Sale

Mansoor is having a sale at Roadgear. Use code 'JULY4' to get 15% off everything. Offer ends on 5 July.

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Kymco and Karen Stoffer NHRA Top Fuel Motorcycle Race Team are running a contest. These contests are usually not high in participation numbers. The other contest for the Indy Car Race is not deep in numbers either. You can see that one as you go to Kymco USA website as a popup.

http://kymcousa.com/NHRA/
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TransAlp Rally Report

The picture says it all: John is alive and well! However, he does not recommend the helicopter service as the best way to exit the Pine Barrens.

Saturday was very hot (96F) and muggy and there were endless tree falls across the trails from the tornado the previous week. The going was slow in the soft sand and then John decided to see if he could climb a tree with his Yamaha. The bike's bite was worse than the tree's bark and John was down for the count with a severed vein in his calf. The trails were so bad that the EMTs with a 4x4 and chain saws couldn't make it in. They called the Coast Guard who flew in and hovered while a basket was dropped. Then away to Atlantic City for stitches and a checkup.

Ed and Julie put out a fabulous spread Saturday night but the atmosphere was subdued while we all worried about John. Tracy called with good news that he was stable and in good spirits. That perked us up.

Sunday morning some of the guys went back into the Barrens to retrieve John's bike while the rest of us had a leisurely breakfast and decided to pack up for the trip home. The general concensus was that a fall ride would be a good idea. 

Not our best rally but it could have been a lot worse. Thanks to Milt for organizing it. I'll post details on the fall ride.

Newtonian Physics

Motorcycling is one of the greatest applications of Classical, or Newtonian, Physics. Yet if you asked the average rider about it I venture to say that a blank stare would be the most common reply. Too bad, because knowing the basics of how your bike interacts with the world around it would definitely make you a better rider.

When I was at UConn I took the Advanced Math course which was 4 semesters with the same group of students who went from basic calculus to complex theories in more than 3 dimensions. On day, at the beginning of class, another student were trying to decide why and how a motorcycle was able to turn. The teacher picked up the discussion and we spent the next 3 days modeling the ability of a motorcycle to turn mathematically. I'm not saying that every time I lean my bike over I calculate E-mc² but I think that knowing how it works makes me more aware of what's going on where the rubber meets the road. A simple force/vector diagram will explain why applying power helps a bike in a corner.

I think most people avoid physics because they assume that it involves a lot of math. American schools are dismal at teaching math and science. They are more interested in assuring Bobby and Suzy that they feel good about themselves and "fit in" than actually challenging them with material that would help them succeed in life (and thus feel good about themselves). 

Greg London has written an excellent article on Classical Physics. It's very readable and easy to understand. He doesn't talk down to you but instead explains the subject with relevant examples from the real world. If you have ever shoot a game of pool or played air hockey you can understand the subject matter. It's only 54 pages long and I split it up over a few days while drinking my morning coffee. Small bites make it a fun subject.

When you squeeze the front brake lever a lot of things start to happen all at once. After reading Greg's article you'll know a lot more about them and be a better rider for it. And you'll be able to impress the members of the opposite sex at the next party.

Ducati Test Rides Coming Up

	The Ducati Revs New Jersey Event (August 16-17) at the beautiful New Jersey Motorsports park is the opportunity of the summer for track riders in the Northeastern USA.  This event is for riders on all brands of motorcycle and is loaded with extra features and bonuses that make it different from any track experience you have had before.  Space is limited, so check out the features below and be sure to sign up early at www.penguinracing.com or your local participating Ducati dealer (list of dealers to follow shortly). Special Features * AMA Superbike star Larry Pegram on hand with his full AMA tractor trailer * Interviews and Q/A with world reknowned tuner Eraldo Ferracci * Appearances by former World Superbike Champion Doug Polen * Ducati Experience Semi truck available for test rides* Free prizes and giveaways each day, with a participant bike show on Monday * Free lunch each day with the opportunity to converse with our celebrity attendees * Top motorcycle vendors displaying the latest parts and accessories for sale * World class photographer John Owens on hand with special photo package deals * Optional video analysis with a take home DVD of your NJMP experience so you can share it with those at home One Day Sign Up Available - Bonuses for two day participants! Riders may sign up for either Monday or Tuesday if your schedule does not allow for attending on both days.  A bonus for all riders attending both days is that they will be entered in a special drawing for valuable prizes like autographed Ducati apparel and a free set of Dunlop tires! Instruction with Champions! Leading the classroom and track instruction will be a quartet of the top riders in the Northeast.  Penguin instruction features current NHMS lap record holder and AMA race winner Eric Wood, 15-time ASRA/CCS national champion Jeff Wood, multi-time CCS Champions and AMA Superbike riders Scott Greenwood and Mike Himmlesbach, plus nearly two dozen other top expert instructors.  Add in appearances from world caliber talent like Pegram, Polen and Feracci .... and you have an opportunity truly like no other.  You will both have a great time and come away a better rider. To register visit HERE or visit your participating New England or Mid Atlantic Ducati dealer. We hope to see you there! Penguin Racing School, Inc. www.penguinracing.com Phone 978-297-1800

A Team Effort

 Went to see the new A-Team movie last night. I have to admit, it was everything I was hoping for. Rotten Tomatoes had this to say, "Consensus: For better and for worse, Joe Carnahan's big-screen version of The A-Team captures the superficial, noisy spirit of the TV series." Couldn't have said it any better myself.

I'm a movie guy, not a film guy. I go to theaters that sell Milk Duds and JuJuBe's, I run screaming if they are selling French pastilles in a metal tin. I'm not looking for a lot of depth, I'm looking for action, I'm looking for adventure, I'm looking for lots of fast cars and faster women!

The new A-Team movie has it all. Sure, there are a lot of incongruities and weird jumps in the story but who cares? Just about the time you're thinking of the absurdity of a tank flying through the air another zinger comes straight at you and gets your mind racing in high gear again. And, come on, Jessica Biel is not to hard to look at. But the main thing is that the A-Team is good, solid summer entertainment. Screw Avatar and all the phony message films that pander to political correctness (and expediency). I just want to have fun, and A-Team was the most fun at a movie I've had this year! Best of all, the ending is a setup for a sequel!

Since I've been trying to give equal time to women lately, let me tell you about a great girl caper movie I just saw via Netflix. St Trinian's is a movie about a girl's school about to go bankrupt. The girls turn to crime to save their school in a madcap series of misadventures that steals from so many other movies that you have to see it twice to get all the references. Crazy, laugh-a-minute with a plot that has so many zigs and zags that I doubt that the director ever really figured it out. Gemma Arterton who plays the princess in Prince of Persia is the "Head Girl". Non stop fun, absolutely no intellectual depth, enjoy the Milk Duds.

Used Tools

We all need tools and we also need to save money. Not every tool needs to be a Snap-On or Motion Pro tool. MikesXS has a very large selection of tools for Yamaha XS and for motorcycles in general. I've bought several of them and have always been pleased. My experience is that they are the same as Motion Pro without the MP label and at half the price. Please don't get me wrong, MP has a lot of great stuff, it's just that MikesXS often has exactly the same thing for a lot less money.

This right angle snap-ring tool is perfect for working on brake master cylinders and other hard to reach places. I've had mine for a few years and it's still going strong.

This fork oil level tool is exactly the same as the Motion Pro tool I bought for twice Mike's price.

Same for this clutch tool. If you don't have one of these you will wish you did one day. Very costly when you use the wrong tool for what this does. Ask me how I know.

This is the one I'm ordering today. I won't use it often but it will be the difference between an easy job and a lot of bad words and possible bent rod.

MikesXS Tools and Parts also has a lot of general purpose parts like the pinch rings around the fuel lines and proper electrical connectors. It's worth a few minutes to search around the site to find the odd part that you need.

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Women on the loose

OK, women can race against men, and win. I can deal with that. Now the manly art of dual-sport adventure riding is being invaded.

First, there was Melissa and The Perfect Vehicle. Admittedly a great read and a wonderful introduction to motorcycles for anyone that was interested in starting with bikes.

Then there was Lois and her trip from Alaska to South America. More guts than most men and certainly a lot better looking than most. I loved her way of dealing with the women and the "damaged" rear view mirror.

Now this just in from NYC. Emma goes wild!? Check out the blog of her trip.

From: emma fry <fry.emma@gmail.com>
Date: Sat, Jun 19, 2010 at 4:02 PM
Subject: Random bike stuff/sales
To: bikes@worksengineering.com


Hi,

I recently came across somebody whilst doing the touristy thing in
Manhattan that told me about the workshop and bar matchless so here I
am!! To make a really long story shorter, I am from the U.K and have
just come to the end of a long bike trip, I rode my motorbike from
Guatemala to New York, wicked trip but I'll be returning to Europe
soon. I am now looking to sell my bike and any serious offer would be
considered, the bike is a Honda 200cc CTX Bushlander, 2006, just under
10,000miles on the clock, good condition, its a duel purpose machine,
will take you around the city or up the side of a mountain and no, you
won't have seen them in the U.S, I don't think they ever got up here,
the nearest bike I would compare this to would be the Kawasaki KLR
250cc, very similar. I'm looking to be pointed in the right direction
on bike sales. I love the racing bike pictures on the website, I have
already forwarded the site to my friends back in the U.K!!

If you do have any information, it would be gratefully received and
pictures of the bike can be found on my blog
http://www.mytripjournal.com/motoita, there are loads of photos should
anybody be interested!!

Cheers

Emma

I think I need to re-read my copy of Jupiter's Travels and Mondo Enduro to re-assure myself that guys can still keep up with the women. What next? Will I have to start washing my sox when I camp out for the night instead of just riding through a river to get cleaned up?

 

Father's Day

Today is Father's Day. My dad has a perfectly restored, museum quality Indian stored away in some garage. He never rides it, or even goes to look at it. He is content to know that it's there. Seems a shame to me.

He tells me that he used to ride around with me sitting on the tank of the bobber he used to have. I don't remember it, too young at the time. When I wanted to get my first motorcycle he fought me all the way. The little Honda C110 that I finally got took me far and wide. I once rode it from San Francisco to Los Angeles and then up to Yosemite. About 800 miles in a week. My dad told me I was crazy. I wasn't crazy, just young.

He was a product of the Depression. He tried to teach me fear, fear of everything. Luckily it didn't work too well. I think the best thing a father could give his children is confidence in themselves. If you have that everything else is possible. Without it you are doomed to a life of shadows.

I'll call my dad today and wish him well. We are far from best friends but after all these years we've learned to co-exist. When I visited last month I looked at the C110 that is now my brother's and smiled. I had no urge to go back but it all had to start somewhere.
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160 - The Conclusion

Like Pogo, we can all be our own worst enemy. Thinking too much, or too little, can lead us astray.

Here's the picture from my second post on this problem. All the clues to the problem are right there for all to see. Although it's hard to see the primary breather tube (the stock one from the head), it and our new wowie-zowie breather both terminate into the spiffy spun aluminum catch can. What could be better?

Maybe a breather hole for the catch can to release the pressure?!?! In our efforts to make sure that no oil escaped we had sealed the hoses to the catch can. This created a sealed plenum that resulted in LESS (as in ZERO) breather capacity rather than more! 

The answer came to me when I woke in the middle of the night with one of those Ah-Ha moments. Even the best rings and valve guides allow a slight bit of pressure to pass. This is normally vented by the breather hose with little notice. But racers have much greater needs since they stress their mighty machines to much higher levels on the track. Don't they?

Maybe, maybe not. Certainly not so much in the Formula 160 class where everything must remain stock. In the case of our engine we had over-engineered a small problem into a large disaster, and thus became our own worst enemy. Had we stuck with the original cheesy water bottle that we were using we would have had no problem but since we had a race bike we went all out to make it the best it could possibly be. As usual, good intentions lead to horrible results.

The remedy was simple. A third hole to allow the pressure to escape. 30 seconds of drilling and it was all fixed. We took the bike out for 10 miles of high speed running and not a drop (or cop) was to be seen. Problem solved!

Thanks to everyone who helped with this. Several suggestions gave us insights into the bike and others gave us valuable links that I was unaware of. Now that it's over I can look back and think, "That was fun!"

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Ride To Work Day Next Monday

I took a day off from the 160 to clear my head and work on the Transalp in preparation for the TA Rally on the 25th. I'll be back to it later today in all it's aggrevating glory. In fact, I think I may have the answer, it came to me in a vision as I slept last night. However, I'll wait until I try it out before telling you what it is. Can you guess? If you study the pictures from the last few days it's in plain sight.

In the meantime don't forget that next Monday is Ride To Work Day. Show everyone that we're out there!

Here's the best Motorcycle Awareness video ever made!

@#$% 160 - Part 3

Another day of frustration. You can see the gap between the wiring plug and and the case here. It's supposed to be a press fit that closes the holes for the wires when the cover is screwed down. Age and heat cycles have caused it to shrink and leave a gap.

Sealed with HondaBond 4 and two layers of Rescue Tape have filled the gap and sealed any path for oil to escape. If you don't know about Rescue Tape, read up on it here. It's the best friend a rider ever had on the road!

You can see the talcum powder liberally applied to trace out any leaks. A tiny bit is seeping at the bottom of the sprocket seal but not enough to cause alarm. Certainly not our problem.

We felt confident enough to take a test ride as the engine performed well on the work bench. After a mile down the road we did a reality check and everything looked good. We were all smiles. Then at about 2 miles the engine started to smoke prolifically. Following in the pickup I wondered if the wiring was on fire or a piston had holed. No words (at least no "good" words) could express my frustration as I rolled it up into the back of the truck for the trip home.

A stream of oil was dripping down the head and onto the exhaust pipes. What now!?!? Calm down, take a deep breath, look at the problem dispassionately. Tracing the oil flow back to the source led to the points cover. From there it was a short trip to the left cam seal under the advancer. By sealing the alternator cover I had forced the pressure to find another exit. This time by blowing out the cam seal. 

How much pressure is there and how big a breather does it need? This engine has new pistons and rings and should be very tight. The head has been completely reworked so I expect nothing past the valve guides to cause this. Something is wrong and I have yet to figure it out. More tomorrow after I look into it some more.

Again, thanks to everyone who has added comments to help solve this problem. They have been very helpful and much appreciated! Keep them coming.

Disappointing CB160 - Part 2

We cleaned up the engine parts and let them sit overnight to dry off. Today it goes back together for testing. We will run it on the bench without a sprocket so we can see where any leaks appear. The suggestion for the talcum powder is a good one for this kind of testing.

I solved the problem of  weird oil burping and oil level. I found that the 160 engine has TWO drain plugs and that I had undone only the rear one when we returned from the track. The burping was the air from the breather backing into the rear chamber through the oil in the main area.  I guess I was more tired after the ride home than I thought.

This is the secondary breather and catch can. After running it at the track there was zero oil in the catch can.

The shift shaft seal is going to be replaced because it was suspect but all the others looked dry. I don't think this is the cause of all the oil that was leaked but there is no reason to take any chances.

The rubber block that passes the alternator wires is also suspect. It will get a coat of HondaBond 4 before going back together including the holes where the wires pass through it.

Thanks for all the suggestions. All the help is appreciated. Check back tomorrow and I hope to have an answer.

A Disappointing Day At The Track

Went to Loundon yesterday for the USCRA races. We had a Formula 160 bike (#305) that we were sure was ready to go. There had been a few problems with the bike but we were sure that we had eliminated each one.

Unfortunately this wasn't the case. There had been a persistent oil leak into the area of the front sprocket. We had first suspected a leaky oil seal and replaced them all. However that didn't solve the problem. We then suspected a pumping problem that was causing pressure in the crankcase to push oil out. The Honda 160 engine has a 360° crankshaft where the pistons rise and fall at the same time. This causes a high pressure when they descend and a low pressure when they rise. At sustained race speeds this can cause problems. To counter this we put in a second, larger breather that vented directly into the crankcase.

This seemed to work in our limited testing and we left for the track. The first practice laps revealed that the problem was not fixed. Oil covered the left rear of the bike, most dangerously, the left side of the rear tire. All the work and money for race entry seemed wasted. 

One of the other racers told us that it was common for the rubber seal that passed the alternator wires through the left cover to harden and shrink. This could allow the oil to pass through. While not a problem when riding on the street, sustained red line running down the front straight would push the oil past in large quantities. So off to Concord (the nearest town of size) in search of an auto parts store. $50 later I was armed with red and blue RTV, extra oil, and everything else I could think of needing.

Back at the track I tore off the left cover, wrapped the seal with rubber tape and then coated everything with Hi-Temp RTV. Hurrying, I got it all back together in time for the first call for our first race. We felt confident and the bike got a good start off the line. However, it was last around on the first lap and came into the pits on the third lap. The rear tire was again coated in oil. We were devastated! There was nothing to do except load it on the trailer and head home. It was a long, quiet trip.

At home it was very strange. I pulled the drain plug to let the oil drain overnight so I could look at the engine today. By now I'm wondering if the case is cracked or has a porous section. When the drain plug was removed instead of a rush of oil I only got a small, slow stream. Then there was a burp and some more oil came out. Sort of like when you hold a bottle of oil upside down and oil drains until it needs air, then it burps, and then more oil comes out. This was really strange! I blew into the breather tube and there was free space through the tube and out the drain hole. No reason for the air burping.

Now for strange part #2. Only about half a cup of oil came out. Could that much oil have been lost in 3 laps? The normal capacity is 1 liter and I had checked it just before the last race. Now I checked it again and it showed FULL with bright clean oil!!! With the drain plug out and the oil drained. And, yes, I wiped the dip stick before I inserted it to check. In fact, I checked it twice to make sure.

I am totally baffled! My plan is to pull the right (clutch) cover first to see what clues may be there. Then I'll pull the left (alternator cover) to look for the leak. If you have any suggestions, please leave them in the comments section. I need all the help I can get on this one. I'll follow up with pictures and reports of progress in the next few days.

How to be a n00b!

The video says it all!

Of course, the cop, being a genius, immediately jumps out with gun drawn on a rider who is obviously in major hurt mode. But do I feel sorry for the rider? Not A Bit!

Post 200!

I'm still here and, from the reports Google sends me, there are now more than just a few of you out there. The factories aren't beating down my door to offer test rides or freebies but the fact that you send me notes with ideas and encouragement is enough to keep me going. Tell a friend about this blog if you think it's worthwhile.

I won't try to give away anything like I did for my 100th post. Instead I'll post Jackie Chan's top 10 favorite stunts and then head off to Rhinebeck for the AMCA meet.

Quite a few of you have offered suggestions on topics to post. Believe me, they are really appreciated. I mark them down on my white board for future research. If they haven't shown up here yet it isn't because I'm ignoring them. When it comes to topics to write about: Sometimes it's like a desert, sometimes it's like trying to take a sip from a fire hose. Thanks!

Girls - are they ruining racing?

In case you haven't heard, Elena Myers became the first woman to win an AMA Supersport class race.

She won AMA Supersport Race 1 at Infineon Raceway on her Suzuki GSX-R600. You can read her account of it all on p68 of the July issue of Roadracing World. Read an on-line biography here.

So my question is, Where can a guy go to be a Manly Man if a 16 year old girl can throw a whoop-ass beating on him at the track? Is nothing sacred?

Actually, this should come as no surprise. Women have been racing all along, and not in the Powder Puff races of days of old. One-on-one, Mano-a-Womano! In the USCRA woman are racing and winning at every race meet.

Want a woman that is really tough? How about Ashley Fiolek who is racing Moto-X with the boys on the Honda National MX Team!?

While all those so-called feminists are whining about equality and calling their lawyers at every imagined snub there are real women out showing the men the way around the track with no excuses and no apologies. I, for one, wouldn't trade them for all the skinny, pneumatic umbrella girls in the world!

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