It's Valentine's Day!

Have you hugged your motorcycle today? 

Car Show

As I like all things mobile I thought I'd share this collection of photos of old cars. There's a surprise that I won't spoil but I think you will find it very interesting to spend a few minutes looking at all of them.

I let an El Camino just like this one slip through my grasp a few years ago. What was I thinking? I've been kicking myself ever since!

There was a quieter, simpler time when a day at the lake was all people wanted or needed. Maybe it was because investment bankers and hedge funds hadn't been invented yet.

Everyone who knows me knows my fondness for Buick station wagons.
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Worst motorcycle movie?

Thanks to Netflix I just watched Girl on a Motorcycle. This is supposed to be a cult classic but I'm not sure why. The movie is just plain bad. Marianne Faithfull could take acting lessons from a bucket balanced on a broom handle. Her main talent seems to be staring at the camera with a stupid grin on her face while sitting on a motorcycle in front of a movie screen with the countryside moving by. I can only hope that she was stoned out of her mind as there is no other excuse I can think of. As a peek into the past it might have a certain interest for the archeologically minded but of cinematic values it is completely devoid.

Even Plan 9 from Outer Space is more interesting. No motorcycles but at least you know you're going in for the campy laughs and goofy fun. Buick hubcaps for flying saucers!?

Honda Reference Materials

David sent this link to Spooky Tom's web site.

Here we see an image of a 12 cylinder '79 Honda CBX that he has posted. Not something you see every day!

The site also has wiring diagrams and brochures of Hondas from the past. Also, lots of pictures of bikes for reference to the paint schemes.

The problem is that it is all very confusing in it's layout and intention. Some of the pages are downloadable, some are not. It says that the image scans are poor to discourage people from stealing them but is unclear on how to get good ones. And it asks for contributions of good scans to expand the collection but, again, it's unclear how to go about it and why you should do it.

This is another example of where the internet is at its best and at its worst. Tom has obviously spent a good amount of time putting this info together and sharing it. For that he deserves credit. On the other hand this is not 1998. The site needs to be tweeked to provide better organization and a clear purpose. High marks for effort, mediorcre marks for execution.

One big criticism. Tom states,

I HAVE FOUND THE BAR STYLE TORQUE WRENCH TO BE MORE THAN ADEQUATE WHEN TIGHTENING THE FASTENERS AND IT COST A LOT LESS THAN THE ADJUSTABLE STYLE WRENCH.

I have to disagree with this. A bar type torque wrench is about as truthful as a 5 year old trying to explain cookie breath before dinner. A click style torque wrench is pretty cheap when you watch for a sale and is dead on for getting head, case, and transmission bolts exactly even.

The Green Taliban

In case you missed Audi's Super Bowl ads here are some links.





Think this is funny? I don't. Green is the new Mean. The Taliban's message is "Agree with us and our sacred ways or we'll kill you!". The Greenie's god is the "environment" and their message is the same. The same myopia, the same distortion of facts. and the same fanaticism.

America has always been a country of inclusion but that seems to be all in the past. Americans have protected minority rights but now you have to be a minority in favor to be afforded any protection. Ride a trail bike and you are branded an eco-criminal. Try to share public land and you are blocked by legions of lawyers.

Chairman Mao had a vision of the perfect society. So did Adolph. Think the Monkey Wrench Gang is any different from the Gang of Four? Don't fool yourself and don't think it can't happen here. It has already begun.

A fanatic is one who won't change their mind and won't change the subject.
- Winston Churchill

Your trash, my treasures

My friends Rich and Flo used to own an antiques store in Mystic, CT. It was always great fun to drop by and play with all the things they had there. They were always finding new troves in attics and basements but I don't think they were too good at the commercial side since they really hated to part with any of the treasures once they had liberated them.

Sunday I went to NJ to do just such a liberation. I took the biggest trailer that U-Haul makes and it wasn't enough. There were bikes and parts galore. It took a great deal of concentration to keep loading and not pause to "remember when".

Inside that trailer is a DT250, CL175, CB175, SL350, and a rolling frame to be identified later. Engines include CB175(2 1/2), CB350(3), CB450(1 1/2), and CB750(5). Plus exhaust pipes, gas tanks, and side panels galore.  Some are treasures, a lot are trash, but all of it is fun. And next week I get to go back and get the rest of it!

In case you are wondering what Rich and Flo are up to check out their web site here. They are making very nice music as TagYerIt. Subway surfing is my favorite!

Honda Sportster is almost here!

As if Harley didn't have enough troubles Honda is releasing the new Shadow RS 750 next month. This is a direct challenge to the Sportster. However, the differences are pronounced and pointed at the heart of H-D's failures. The RS has a more upright seating with the foot pegs under the rider instead of out front in the La-Z-Boy recliner fashion. The RS has the power and handling to have fun on the roads. And, of course, the RS has Honda reliability.

The power and handling bit is not a small item. Polaris and its Victory line of motorcycles has come out of nowhere to capture a significant market share by emphasizing power and handling while maintaining the classic look. Same for Yamaha / Star motorcycles. A lot of riders are bored with the "look" and want to ride in comfort, and have fun doing it.

Have all the Boomer want-ta-bes run for cover now that their voodoo economics have collapsed? Will motorcycles return from vehicles for ego trips to something you take a trip on? Will the RS kill the Sportster? Will Willie-G ever come out and publically say that noise is bad for us all?

I'm certainly not betting on that last on!
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LSR News

It's official! I am now a member and entitled to enter in any BNI sponsored event. Bonneville Speed Week is of course the main event for me. Nothing can stop us now!

The world's worst disco/motorcycle video.

Correction: The seminar with Carl McAllister at MotoConsult in Willimantic CT is NEXT Saturday (13 Feb). Sorry, and all that.

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It's hard to say which is worse; the lyrics, the dance steps, or the simplistic movie shots. At least they are not cruisers! This is why the '60's should be left in the '60's!

So you want to be a (better) racer?

MotoConsult is holding a free seminar on cornering and body positioning next Saturday (13 Feb) at 1pm at the shop in Willimantic CT. Noted road racer, Carl McAllister, will be discussing the fine points of body English on a motorcycle. If you think it's just a matter of sticking your butt over the side you've got it all wrong!

Be There, or Be Slow!

BTW, Carl gives private and private group lessons at Loudon for very reasonable prices!

Harley will now pay you to buy one of their bikes

Is it just me or is this putting lipstick on a pig (or a Hog if you will). Remember when H-D dealers were charging big bucks over list and making you wait 6 months for a bike. Now they're begging you to come in and will pay you to give up your Suzuki or Honda.


Remember when your buddies who bought Harleys were telling you what a good "investment" they were? Take a look at craigslist for the same bikes at giveaway prices. I'll bet they were also buying McMansions because real-estate could only go up!


From a press release issued by Harley-Davidson:

Harley-Davidson Competitive Bike Exchange Extended To Feb. 28, 2010


$500 Over Trade-In Value Offer Valid at all Participating H-D Dealers


Milwaukee (February 1, 2010) –Harley-Davidson has extended its Competitive Bike Exchange trade-in program launched last December through February 28, 2010. The incentive program offers customers who trade-in an eligible non-Harley-Davidson brand motorcycle a credit of $500 above the dealer-negotiated trade-in value towards the purchase price of a new untitled Harley-Davidson motorcycle.


“If the bike in your garage is not the bike in your head, this offer makes it a little easier to purchase the bike of your dreams,” said Dino Bernacchi, Harley-Davidson Advertising and Promotions Director. “It’s just one more way Harley-Davidson and its dealers strive to welcome new riders into the Harley-Davidson family.”


For more details about the competitive trade-in promotion, visit your local Harley-Davidson dealer or log onto h-d.com/trade-in.

 Maybe their new business plan is selling t-shirts and decals. A friend once observed that if everyone who had a Harley t-shirt or sticker actually owned a Harley there would not be any steel left on the planet.
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100 days (and counting)

Unbelievably, this is my 100^th post to this blog. I started it as an extension of the old Boston Monday Moto Madness email list. I thought that it would be a place for posting notices of things to come and reports of places I'd been.

It's been a lot of fun and occasionally a source of panic. Because there is now a regular (and growing) list of readers that find information and amusement here I feel compelled to come up with a new post every day. Some mornings I sit down and draw a complete blank! Suggestions and tips are most welcome and I always try to acknowledge the source.

To celebrate this anniversary I've decided to hold a fun giveaway. I will dig into my collection of vintage motorcycle t-shirts and give some away to the people who leave a comment below. How many will depend on how many comments I get. I'll pick names at random and match them to a t-shirt.

A suggestion on how to make this better would be nice but just your name and size will do. The shirts are mostly medium and large but there is probably a small and XL in there too. Vintage grease stains are included at no extra charge!

 

2-Wheeled MotorBubble

From Dave and the BBC:

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This is much like the 'Gator that Dan Gurney invented some time ago although with a weatherproof bubble.

Which is not at all like the Honda DN-01

The "joke" amongst Honda dealers is that DN-01 stands for Do Not Order One!
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World's Fastest Honda

You're one with your Honda, you feel like you're flying, it's going like a jet. 
OMG, It Is A Jet!

Faster than the lies you tell when you stay out too late. Higher than the high school kid down the street. Mightier than than the you-know-what after that burrito dinner! There really is a Honda Jet.

The official site is here. Yes, the engines are above the wings. What does Boeing know about how to build an airplane? They're so old school.

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Gretjen Does Cuba

You might remember that I featured Gretjen's photos of Burning Man last October. The girl just won't sit still!

She is just back from a trip to Cuba and has posted some mighty fine pictures she took on her trip. I can only say WOW! The photos are on display at the Joan Weill Adirondack Library in Paul Smith's College, Paul Smiths, NY (up near Lake Placid) from Feb. 3 to May 5

A couple of years ago she rode a Honda CB550 from Boston to Anchorage to San Francisco. The bike was a year older than she was! I'll have to get her to dig out those pictures for me to post. Check out her web  site for more pictures.

Riding Posture

From Kevin and oliepeil.nl:

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U kunt vanaf nu ook thuis de verschillende soorten motoren uitproberen qua zithouding. Dit is vanaf nu mogelijk door onderstaand standjespatroon. En Mike wat hebben we nog meer...

(You can now also home to try out different types of engines in terms of seating. It is now possible rebuke by the following pattern. And Mike what we have more ... )

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Maxi Snow Blower

My buddy Steven sent me this. Good stuff as the snow falls outside my window and I consider the puny 9hp snow blower in my basement.

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Just in case you’re having any trouble removing snow from your driveway this baby will blow snow back to where it came from!

454 cubic inch big block Chevrolet V8 produces 412 horsepower

If you're tired of anemic, one-lung snowblowers with their slipping drive belts, you might consider Kai Grundt's V8 snow blower which raises the bar on the traditional snow blower in every respect. With electric start, electric block heater, antifreeze heater and eight cylinders, it has no drive belts to freeze up and you'll never get bored with the job as the 454 cubic inch big block Chevrolet V8 produces 412 horsepower, 430 foot pounds of torque and can throw snow 50 feet at just 3500 rpm.

Nor will you get cold as the machine has been ingeniously designed to route the engine coolant through the handle bars, with the rear mounted, enclosed radiator keeping the operator nice and cozy.

Maneuvering the massive beast (it has a total wet weight of 912 lbs) is a breeze thanks to the hydraulic-drive 4WD skid steer on independent walking beams which offers a zero turning radius. It's also as fast as you like, with an infinitely adjustable speed range on the drive wheels via dash mounted flow control. At the opposite end of the scale, it has more than enough torque to pull your car out of the ditch before the hydraulic motors stall!

Adding to the well-balanced feel of the unit, just 15 pounds of down force on the handlebars will lift the auger blade off the ground in order to climb stairs/walkways for ease of snow removal. Safety has and continues to be paramount with spring return to centre "fail safe" type directional controls with emergency stop and tether cords.

Safety is one of the key theme, with a flashing blue light (as required by law in many areas) being the least of the safety features. No one will fail to hear you with those twin throaty exhausts, which come standard with 92 decibels at the controls, though if the rumble of a V8 exhaust is music to your ears, you can obviously go much louder. Even at the standard baffling, hearing protection is strongly suggested.

The powerful yard machine lights and a dashboard with backlit gauges complete the package to ease the burden of this normally reviled task. The custom 42 inch, two stage auger has a Chevrolet 10 bolt truck differential with spool and a centrifugal auger clutch with shear pin protection, further adding to the image of this "automotive theme blower."  As each unit is custom-built, optional extras for the snow blower are both diverse and outrageous as the base unit - there is unlimited auger choices from single to multi stage designs and various motor combinations to suit the religious preferences of the customer (Chevy, Dodge Hemi, Ford) and such exotica as a V-10 or a diesel engine or remote starting can be accommodated. And if, after a while, you feel you've outgrown the 400 horses, this particular engine is well catered for in the performance modification area, with Lunati camshaft, Milodon Gear drive, Holley and Edelbrock components to name a few, and there's always the fuel injection option too, if you feel you need to throw the snow out of the county or ensure your seat in the "neighborhood blower blingster hall of fame."

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York Report

I had to skip the NYC motorcycle show at the last moment. NYCVinMoto had a great booth that had a lot of visitors and generated over 200 new subscribers to the email list. Good Job!

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I did make it to the York Swap Meet held by the Potomac Vintage Riders. What a great event! This is going on my Must Attend list from now on. It was about 40% vintage, 40% dirt bike, and the rest miscellaneous bikes and parts.

 I saw a beautiful TZ250, an unrestored flathead Harley that had gathered quite a crowd, and uncountable Bultacos, Maicos, and DT-era Yamahas, There was a vendor who had nothing but Ossa NOS parts and reproductions. Another one specialized in NOS Penton parts. Lots of British bikes to drool over. And on, and on ...

It was like a mini-VMD! Just like VMD some of the best action (and deals) were in the parking lot. In spite of the bone chilling rain it was worth the walk to see bevel-drive Ducati twins going for very reasonable money. I bought lots of parts but next year I'll have to bring more money.
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Goodbye to a good friend

Keeping to my New Year's Resolution I sold my '65 BMW /2. I first bought it in Calif and rode it up the coast before shipping it back to New England. Then I rode it quite a bit before switching to other bikes, most usually my Transalp.
This bike was a mongrel. It had an R50 frame, an R60 bottom end, and an R69S top end and carbs. It had quite a few special parts like a deep oil pan and factory tachometer. There have been many friends on modern sport bikes who were surprised that they couldn't lose me on this bike. On the straights they could pull away but in the curves I would reel them in and paste myself on their rear view mirrors. It was all a matter of knowing what the bike was capable of and planning ahead.
The odd thing about this bike is that I have never owned another bike that was nearly as good as a chick magnet. Something about the classic looks and stately manner seemed to appeal to women of all types. They would just come over and start talking to me. I know it was the bike and not me!
I always meant to do a full restoration on it but I never got around to it. When my friend Guzzi Doug saw a picture of it he said, "I've got to have that bike!" Last Sunday we made the transfer. It will soon be on it's way around the world on yet another one of Doug's adventures. He has already made two circa-terra trips; one on a '42 Indian and another on a '48 Harley. The bike is going to where it belongs.

Water Drop Bounce

In case you missed me, I've been away to the York PA motorcycle swap meet. More on that tomorrow.



This is an amazing video of a water drop bouncing on the surface of still water. Best of all, a really smart guy explains how it works.