Cars

The mighty Buick Roadmaster wagon is quickly disintegrating and I needed to replace it. But what to buy? Most of the cars on the road today are too dull to even contemplate. The choices seem to be SUVs, bigger or smaller, Mommie vans, jelly bean imports, and those cutesy cube boxes on wheels that you have to be 20-something to own. Dull, dull, soul killingly dull.

With the 200 mile commute to and from NJ I wanted something that would be comfortable on the road. And I wanted some room to pack my dirty laundry and some other stuff as I went back and forth. The Miata is a great car but I want to keep it for all the fun times, not just the drone back and forth each week.

I looked at several '97 Thunderbirds as a good road car with some style and flair but every one I looked at had a rust problem. One I found near Atlanta had ultra low mileage and (presumably) no rust but it was a bit more than my budget allows at the moment. Did I mention that I require a car that I can pay cash for?

Yesterday I opened CraigsList for another tour of rust and destruction. Whoa, right at the top of the list was a '95 Lexus SC300 coupe! The asking price was a stretch but it's a car that I've always thought was one of the prettiest cars ever built. Very understated.

I has a straight 6 cylinder engine with an automatic transmission. It's roomy for 1 or 2 with a back seat for groceries or amputees. Best of all the owner and I were able to come to a price that we could both live with. In my best juevenile delinquent manner I drove it home with plates from another car. I'll get it registered next week.

It won't be able to tow or carry dirt bikes but it will be a delight to drive. It's basically a Toyota Supra in a Lexus body. I can't wait to try out the heated seats on the next freezing morning!
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Continuing to settle in

Life in a new place is always exciting. Especially when your toes are getting wet because the plumbing just sprang a leak. I was able to fix it so I could finish brushing my teeth and get to work. Mechanical skills can be so handy whether it's vintage motorcycles or household fixtures.

Herman sent this link. Reminds me of my trip around the White Rim Trail except that I made it all the way around safely.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RLuuWhK559A&feature=player_embedded

Schuberth Helmets On Sale

This is from the Transalp list where Claudio is an active member.

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Hi guys,

Just letting all you guys in the USA know that we just signed up with Schuberth GmbH Helmets from Germany and we're doing a dealer buy in. Those interested in aquiring a new C3 Modular (only one available for now) please give us a call or email me for more information. We are offering them at a great discounted price and free shipping until the 10th of April. You guys already know how much they cost retail.

Here's more info:

http://www.schuberth.com/us/products/motorcycle/c3.html

Most sizes and colors in stock.

Call Adventure Moto @ 561-242-5158 if interested.

Ask for me.

Thanks,

Claudio

Retail thoughts

I finally found an apartment so that I don't have to live out of a duffel bag anymore. I don't know what the deal is with real estate agents and apartment managers. You would think that calling you back was a favor they bestowed only on a few special people. I can't count the number of messages I left with no response.

When I did find a place, which I would charitably describe as funky I made the mistake of telling the landlord that I was on contract to hire and that there was the faint possibility of being terminated at the end of 6 months. He called back the following day to tell me that he had changed his mind and couldn't take the risk.

He did me a favor as the next day I made contact with an owner/landlord that had a nicer apartment for the same money and was genuinely happy to have me as a tenant. It's in an older neighborhood that's a block from the water. Boats tied to the docks and little shops and restaurants are nearby. Best of all I'm only 3 miles from my office so it will be perfect for the CT90. One more chore checked off as I exit the chaos and return to a sense of normalcy.

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Here's an article I ran into at the Louis Boston site. I used to shop there when I was single and more style conscious. Like Brooks Brothers you pay more but you get so much more. I like clothes that will wear well and stand the test of time; button down shirts, blue blazers, khaki pants, penny loafers, and such. Call me Preppie but that's what I like and I always feel at ease no matter what the crowd or occasion.

The Big Box-ification of American Retail

A certain giant retailer (that I’ll call “W”) really understood the frugal nature of the American people. Many assume the company got traction in the midwest, because their values at first seem so midwestern, but frugality is a nationwide characteristic in America and it runs deep in rich and poor alike. “W” understood the psychology behind the thrill people get from saving money. They understood how to make the value of shopping in their stores about saving money and nothing more. That singular message “lowest price” was all they needed to convince all kinds of shoppers that their own worlds would be richer if they spent less.

But the catch was that the consumer had to eliminate any convenience they were used to experiencing in a traditional store. In fact, W counted on the fact that the customer thought they were the most frugal only if they suffered through the process of shopping. Think about the 4 A.M. “After Thanksgiving Sale” they instituted. Customers trampled and killed a security guard in one of their stores just to save money on a CD player – of which they already had twenty. The need for the consumer to suffer to feel like they are saving money is “key” to the perceived value.

But there was more to W’s strategy. They gave “BRANDING” a power that was once the sole purview of luxury designers. The marketers at W knew that if the consumer already recognized the product by its BRAND, the only thing the store needed to provide was the lowest price. Well it didn’t take long for other retailers to adopt this strategy. From W to luxury department stores, retailers are relying on the power of the BRAND to sell itself while the retailer only has to house and offer the product at the best possible price in order to succeed.

The biggest complaint consumers have today is “the sameness” they find at stores…all stores. The source of “the sameness” is that the same BRANDS are carried in all stores at every price level. When stores rely on BRANDS to create their identity, they give up any chance of actually having their own identity. Most BRANDS supply the stores with their own merchandise selections or merchandise that is in their BRAND advertising, on-line web sites or fashion shows. After a while the only chance for these stores to get ahead is to win with the lowest price. First we had “friends and family”, then “special discount nights and weekends” – and now the consumers have been taught to wait for the BRANDS to go on sale (i.e. W).

What this means is that consumers are self-servicing themselves out of choice, out of surprise, a chance to look distinctive and to benefit from the assistance of a consultant, to buy only what national brands decide will sell to the greatest number of people in their geography and demography. And on top of everything else, shopping just isn’t fun anymore. So what’s the real price of that?

When Men Were Men

Racing has been a part of the history of everything that moves. Safety has not. There was a time when they raced convertibles in NASCAR.


Killed Myself When I Was Young from The Jalopy Journal on Vimeo.

Transalp Article

From Rider magazine (and Dave and Jay). Click the image to see it full size.

I Got A Job!

When it rains it pours! I had just got a job offer at a company I really wanted to work for when an old client called and said they needed help with the program I wrote for them last year. The system crashed and wiped out everything.

So I start with the new company on the 7th and work in Boston 12 hours a day until then. It's nice to be wanted (and paid).

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Life lessons
From: Tony Foale

In 1923, Who Was:

1. President of the largest steel company?
2. President of the largest gas company?
3. President of the New York stock Exchange?
4. Greatest wheat speculator?
5. President of the Bank of International Settlement?
6. The Great Bear of Wall Street?

In their day, these men were considered some of the worlds most successful.

Now, 88 years later, we ask what ultimately became of them.


The Answers:

1. The president of the largest steel company,
Charles Schwab, died a pauper.

2. The president of the largest gas company,
Edward Hopson, went insane.

3. The president of the NYSE,
Richard Whitney, was released from prison to die at home.

4. The greatest wheat speculator,
Arthur Cooger, died abroad, penniless.

5. The president of
the Bank of International Settlement, shot himself.

6 The Great Bear of Wall Street,
Cosabee Livermore, also committed suicide


However,
In that same year, 1923, the winner of the worlds most important road race, the Isle of Man T.T., was

Stanley Woods.

What became of him?

He won 10 T.T. races between 1923 and 1939,
He lived on the Isle of Man and rode motorcycles all his life.
He lapped the island circuit at 82 mph in 1957 (The Golden Jubilee) aged 54
He was a wealthy man when he died aged 90.

The Moral:

F*** work.
Ride motorcycles.

Dream!

This is the best video on YouTube!

Life's short. Let's get it over with!

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A Harley I Could Love

The job search continues. Yesterday was a 6 ½ hour tag team interview. I was exhausted by the time I walked out but I think I'm going to make it to round 2.

Here's a video of a Harley I could love. I really like it that the owner has decided not to "restore" it. The fact that he actually rides it is another bonus.



Two phone interviews today. Stand back, my brain might explode!

Racer Video

Dual Sport Quiz

Please answer all questions honestly and keep a list so you can figure out your score at the end.

1) What is an MT21 ?

A) Tire
B) Missile
C) A mountain.

2) When using a roll chart, on which side of the handle bars is it best mounted ?

A) In the middle
B) Right hand side
C) Left hand side

3) When riding off road on gravel with fully inflated tires, is it best to ?

A) Lower air pressure
B) Add a little more air
C) Find an alternative route

4) When riding along a very narrow trail with a drop off to one side, is it best to ?

A) Send your riding buddy along the trail first to see how he does.
B) Slightly lean your bike away from the drop off side, while counter balancing your bike with your body weight.
C) Place the bike in neutral, and try to walk it out.

5) While riding in an event you notice a rider with a flat tire, do you ?

A) Stop to help them
B) Close your eyes and hope they go away
C) Mark their position on your roll chart so you can advise someone at the next check point

6) You're pulling the best wheelie of your life in front of a large crowd, when you notice that you're running out of road. Do you ?

A) Push the cut off switch on your bike
B) Pull in the front brake and push down on the bars
C) Roll off the throttle and apply a little rear brake


7) You're riding along some twisty country lanes, when you come to a Harley rider broken down. Do you ?

A) Stop to help them
B) Ride on by while laughing loud enough for them to hear you.
C) Stop and grab your cell phone to call your buddies up, so they can all come over and have a look

8) You've just fallen off your bike and it's leaking gas on to some dried out grass. Do you ?

A) Pour some water on to the leaked gas to help break it down
B) Set fire to it, and wait for it to fully burn off
C) Dig up some dirt and cover the grass over

9) You come to a road sign which reads. "Not recommended for motor vehicles, enter at your own risk" Do you ?

A) Turn around and find an alternative route
B) Knock the sign down, and wait for some unsuspecting motor home driver to come along.
C) Give your riding buddy the thumbs up and go for it.

10) You're riding along a forest service road when all of a sudden a cat sized rodent jumps out in front of you directly in your line of path. Do you ?

A) Swerve in to the direction the animal came from
B) Open the throttle and try to ride over the rodent
C) Slam on both brakes and hope for the best

11) You're all alone and 29 miles from your camp site in the middle of a forest when you get a rear flat tire. You don't have a spare tube or any way of fixing the flat, but you do have some duct-tape. Do you ?

A) Wrap the tape around the tire and wheel and ride back to camp at a slow pace.
B) Remove the rear tire and wrap the tape around the wheel rims, and ride back to camp at a slow pace
C) Throw the duct-tape at that Harley rider that just blew by you, you remember the one you didn't help from question 7.

12) Is it easier to ride a bike with a ?

A) Front flat tire
B) Rear flat tire
C) Remove the air from the non flat tire so both are flat and level

13) You've just rode 200 miles through a desert and our air filter is as clogged as a Dutch mans feet. You have done a quick filter clean with some gas from your gas tank, but need to oil it. Do you ?

A) Use some baby oil from your bag of toiletries
B) Use any remaining oil off of your chain drive
C) Use some oil from your engine

14) You're just about to ride a stream crossing. The stream isn't too deep but the bed is cover in rocks. Do you ?

A) Take your boots off and walk your bike across
B) Lean as far forward on the bike as you can to help keep the front down and ride across slowly
C) Keep your weight to the rear of the bike and ride across slowly

15) Which of these three items would you find more useful on an adventure ride ?

A) Cell phone
B) GPS
C) Hydration system

16) Is "neutral" classed as a gear ?

A) No
B) Yes
C) A little green light comes on my instrument cluster

17) A trail is totally water logged, the mud is 2 inches deep along the entire length of the trail. Which brake has the most stopping power ?

A) Front brake
B) I'd use the gears to slow down
C) Rear brake

18) You've just hit reserve and know you have enough gas for 18 more miles. You have just traveled 18 miles from your truck to get to the point you are right now all down hill. But you know there is a gas station 19 miles further down the moutain. Which direction do you go ?

A) Go off exploring
B) Back to the truck
C) To the gas station

19) Which of these items would you find most useful in the desert ?

A) Empty water bottle
B) Book of matches
C) Lantern

20) You're riding along and have a sharp pain in your chest. Do you ?

A) Pull over and take an aspirin
B) Start coughing
C) Ride to a phone booth.

21) When riding up a steep rocky hill which of these three choices do you use the least

A) Brakes
B) 2nd gear
C) Horn

22) You're 45 miles from home, one of these three items is just about to fail on your bike. Which one would you prefer to break ?

A) Sub-frame
B) Clutch cable
C) Head gasket

............................

Instructions
Receive 5 points for every "A" answer.
Take away 5 points for every "B" answer
Receive 2 points for every "C" answer.

Scores
0 to 10 ... You don't own a bike do you ?
10 to 20 ... How long you owned your Harley ?
20 to 25 ... Not bad, let's ride sometime
26 to 34 ... Way to go !!!! you know your stuff.
35 to 45 ... Not bad, not bad.
46 to 55 ... At least it's only time you wasted
55 to 110 ... Keep taking the meds please

If you score was 30 points .... EXCELLENT !!!!!!
Top Rating.

This quiz is just for fun.

Lucas Electrics

Here is some vital info for Brit bike fans. Stolen shamelessly as I try to prepare for a phone interview.

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TECHNICAL EXTRA
ELECTRICAL THEORY BY JOSEPH LUCAS

Positive ground depends upon proper circuit functioning, which is the
transmission of negative ions by retention of the visible spectral
manifestation known as "smoke". Smoke is the thing that makes
electrical circuits work; we know this to be true because every time
one lets the smoke out of the electrical system, it stops working.
This can be verified repeatedly through empirical testing.
When, for example, the smoke escapes from an electrical component
(like, say, a Lucas voltage regulator), it will be observed that the
component stops working. The function of the wire harness is to carry
the smoke from one device to another; when the wire harness "springs a
leak," and lets all the smoke out of the system, nothing works
afterwards. Starter motors were frowned upon in British motorcycles for
some time, largely because they consume large quantities of smoke,
requiring very large wires.
It has been noted that Lucas components are possibly more prone to
electrical leakage than Bosch or generic Japanese electrics. Experts
point out that this is because Lucas is British and all things British
leak. British engines leak oil, shock absorbers and hydraulic forks and
disk brakes leak fluid, British tyres leak air, and the British defense
establishment leaks secrets ... so, naturally, British electrics leak smoke.
>From the basic concept of electrical transmission of energy in the form
of smoke, a better understanding of the mysteries of electrical
components - - especially those of Lucas manufacture - - is gained by
the casual user.

Popsdageezer in CT

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Rosko comments:

reminds me of the NOS "Lucas smoke replacement kit" that went on ebay a few years back:

http://www3.telus.net/bc_triumph_registry/smoke.htm

Modern 2-Stroke

My head is going to explode from all the recruiter emails and phone calls. It seems the job market is hot, especially if you want to work in Cincinnati or Wisconsin. However, several realistic jobs appear on the horizon so I am hopeful.

While I'm working on the next medicine ball animation check out this article Herman sent to me. Two cylinders, four pistons, and SIX connecting rods! What is very cool is that a four cylinder engine can completely decouple two of the cylinders for zero loss when operating in economy mode. Check out the article here.

Opposed Piston Opposed Cylinder Engine

Posted to Engineering TV by Curtis Ellzey on July 01, 2008

Click to Play | View Details

Medicine Balls - Exercise #3

 Most of my exercise yesterday was up on the roof again moving 2 feet of snow to the ground below. I credit a lot of the pain I don't have to these exercises. Your mileage may vary.

Today is another simple warm-up. I hold the ball at chest level then raise it above my head. From there I lower it to shoulder level behind my head. This loosens my shoulder and neck muscles and gets rid of the tension I get from holding the throttle when riding and from typing on a keyboard all day. Easy, and effective.

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Medicine Balls - Exercise #2

Yesterday was spent exercising on my roof. In case you're not following the weather in New England we are experiencing unusually low temps and high snowfall. I had to shovel off the roof to make sure that it didn't cave in. If somebody mentions Global Warming to me I'm going to hit them with my snow shovel!

Today is another simple warm up exercise. I hold the ball above my head and then drop down while swinging the ball in an arc until it is between my ankles. Then I reverse and swing it back over my head. It's important to keep your back straight and not lean over any more than you have to. Simple and easy, it does the job without making you pass out.

Until next time, I'll be out shoveling some more.

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Medicine Balls - Exercise #1

It's been a while since I've posted. Let me tell you that looking for a job is tougher than having a job. Still looking but I have high hopes.

In the mean time I've spared no expense to get back into the swing of things with the medicine ball. Above you will see my hi-def, wide screen rendering of exercise #1. I actually tried setting up a video camera to take pictures of myself doing these exercises but the only result was a blue ribbon from World's Funniest Home Videos. And a lot of nasty comments from my friends.

This is a very simple stretching exercise. I start with the ball at my chest and then lower my shoulders until they are at hip height. I let my arms dangle totally relaxed short of dropping the medicine ball. Touching the floor is fine if you can do it but it's not a strict goal. DO NOT BOUNCE! You can pull a muscle instead of just stretching it.

Remember, these are not supposed to be hard. You will not feel like Charles Atlas when you are finished. The whole idea is to do 20 minutes a day of easy stuff and have a good time doing it.

Cheers, I'm glad to be back.

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Medicine Balls - Part Deux

Back again after some snow shoveling and weather whining.

There is an old joke about a guy who goes to the doctor and tells him that it hurts whenever he pokes his ribs. The doctor tells him to stop poking himself and the pain will stop.

Starting off with a medicine ball is going to exercise some muscles and ligaments that haven't been used in a while. They're going to get sore. Sore is OK, pain is not! If you feel real pain stop and think about it. Do you need a lighter ball? Do you need to do few reps as you start? Do you need to go see your doctor?

The first 2-3 weeks are going to seem to be going in reverse. You'll be surprised by the number of places you have muscles you never knew about. You'll feel worse, not better but it's actually a good thing. First, it means that you're making progress and, second, as long as it's not pain it means that you are in shape to improve.

What I'm about to describe is what I do each morning, YMMV. If you got the book you can follow along.

I should mention reps. How many should you do? I think a better question is, "How many do you want to do?" Is your goal to achieve tone or to build muscle? How much time do you have? My opinion is that the discipline of a regular schedule is more important than any specific count. If you try for 50 but only do it occasionally you will accomplish nothing. You will only irritate yourself and the ball will end up at the Goodwill store. Some days I only do 6 reps of each exercise, others I do 20. Better to do some small amount and stay on schedule than to skip a day. You will never make it up! If you say you will do this every other day then don't go to bed until you have done it on that day. The number of reps will sort themselves out as you go along and you'll figure out what meets your goals and time constraints. If you find that you're doing a really high number of reps then it's time to get the next heavier ball. I'd suggest starting at 6 reps each exercise and then increasing by 1 until you feel you're being challenged but not killing yourself.

Warming up and stretching is crucial. On the other hand if I did all the warm-ups in the book I would never get to the exercises.

1. I hold the ball at chest level and then bend over until my back is parallel with the floor. I let all my muscles relax and let the ball dangle from my hands. This stretches out my butt, back and shoulder muscles. I count to 8 and straighten up. Like page 28 except that I start at my chest.

2. Ball over my head I squat and swing the ball in a straight armed arc until it's between my feet. I keep my back vertical while I do this. It stretches my legs and arms and gets the blood moving.

Next time, I'll put together the exercises that are the core of my workout.

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Medicine Balls

Did you get your ball yesterday? I didn't think so. But I will continue in hopes that somebody out there will listen. Think about your last long ride, did you come home with sore and cramped muscles? Were the lap times at your last race or track day a lot better at the beginning than at the end? If true, your muscle tone and endurance are not where they should be.

So you need to get the ball AND the book. I'm no Phys-Ed guru, just a guy who's trying to pass on what worked for me.

The Great Medicine Ball Handbook is all you need. Michael Jespersen, Andre Noel Potvin know a lot more about this stuff than I do. The booklet is under $10 and has lots of pretty pictures of the exercises.


Buy it at your local book store or order it online and tomorrow I'll tell you which exercises (and how many) worked for me.

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Speaking of New Year's Resolutions ...

This is the season for everyone to jump on their shiny new Nordic Track or Stair Master or some other sort of silliness that will end up on eBay by next summer. Everyone starts off with high hopes and good intentions and then fails miserably.

My theory is that they all try too hard. They turn it into some sort of mighty sprint to results, get depressed when the results don't develop on schedule, and then find some (any) excuse to give up. It's almost as if they wanted to pull a muscle so that they could quit.

Motorcycling takes muscles. Unless you're an E-Z-Boy cruiser rider you know that a few fast turns on the road or a couple of hills on the trail can give you quite a workout. If you live in the snow belt it's all the worse because you sit all winter and then go out and beat yourself up because you had been sitting all winter.

I'll propose a simple and economical procedure for staying in shape and thereby increasing your fun. It's that old standby, the medicine ball. That should bring back fond memories of horror from your public school days. Seriously though, it is something that has worked for me for many years.

I originally got started with one when a friend suggested it as a way to get rid of the chronic pain in the shoulders and neck that I got from being hunched over a computer all day. Add the stress of constant deadlines and it was a prescription for pain. Much like the pain I get from a long road ride while keeping the throttle open with my right hand.

To get started:
1. Get a ball. Since you're a Manly (Wo)Man you'll certainly want to start BIG. DON'T! That is the surest way to failure I can think of. Better to save your money and spend it on a beer and some Advil.

Even if you feel that you're in tip-top shape start with a 4-6 pound ball. The 4 pounder is a nice size that won't pull anything and will let you develop the most important part of any plan; the discipline of doing it every day (or whatever your schedule is). Just like the Nordic Tracks that end up on craigslist, the medicine ball will not help if it sits on the shelf.

Start with a light ball and get in the habit of working with it on a regular schedule. It's cheap ($8-15) and as you develop you can always work up to a 8 or 10 pound ball. It will come in handy when you restart your regime after your vacation or other hiatus

Just as important as the weight is the size. Some are as small as 5", others are as big as a basket ball. Pick one that you can easily hold on to. For the lighter weights I like the small size and for my heavy ball I like the basket ball size.

Every local sports store has them so go pick one up today and tomorrow I'll talk about actual exercises.

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New Year's Resolutions

1. Ride More
2. Fall Less

That's pretty much it! A new job would be nice but that would just be so I could implement the above. Life is simple, people make it complicated!

Happy New Year!

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