Sunday, July 31, 2011

Write or Ride - What would you do?


I admit that it's hard to write anything when the weather's great, a friend comes over with a dirt bike and I've found a whole new area a hour from my house.

 
Yes, that's a 40 year old Yamaha DT-1 250cc. Nothing stopped it which is a tribute to the great engineering that went into to it.

The only problem we had was ween Jason missed cresting a hill climb and bumped into a tree as he worked his way back down. That disturbed a hornet's nest and we were quickly running away from the stinging swarm. We stood around at a good distance for several minutes until they calmed down before going back to get the bike.
 
Need a web programmer?

Thursday, July 28, 2011

Unemployed Again

 Alas, my project was canceled and I have time to blog again. New and improved as this is now reformatted to fit mobile devices.

So, if anyone is still out there, I'll be back online with new and views of whatever comes my way.

Stay tuned.

Need a web programmer?

Monday, June 6, 2011

Thailand Vintage Enduro

Worth going HD and Full Screen. I want to go riding with these guys!

Monday, April 11, 2011

Free Ice Cream

From Peter and Slash/Food:


The only thing better than ice cream is free ice cream. On Tuesday, April 12th, Ben & Jerry's scoop shops are offering free cones from noon to 8 p.m.

Why the sudden generosity? It's the company's 33rd birthday, and it's also an opportunity for them to showcase their newest flavors, from the Jimmy-Fallon-inspired Late Night Snack (vanilla with caramel and fudge-covered potato chips) to Clusterfluff (peanut butter ice cream with caramel clusters and marshmallow swirls). If you want to savor the anticipation, you can browse the whole flavor list.

Check for nearby shops on the website's scoop shop locator before you head out. Just be prepared: There will be lines. And yes, it will be worth it.


Saturday, April 9, 2011

Name this car




The last picture shows where the missing "Deluxe" emblem used to be. A dead give away!

Monday, April 4, 2011

New Museum



Motorcyclepedia is a new museum in Newburg NY that promises to be pretty interesting. A better article than I could write (or have time to write) is here. I'm thinking that a day here and another day at the Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome would make a very nice weekend ride assuming that spring ever gets here.

Sunday, April 3, 2011

Spring Rice-O-Rama-ish

I have cleaned this up because it had, quite possibly, the worst html I have ever seen! However, if it's even half of what Rice-O-Rama is then it will be a great event. See you there.

Jap Bike Mike's
2nd Annual Motorcycle Swap Meet and Flea Market

10 am-5 pm rain or shine
Sunday April 17 2011

NORTH BROOKFIELD SPORTSMAN'S CLUB
20 BOYNTON RD. North Brookfield MA (Same place as Rice-O-Rama)

LOTS OF PARTS for all types of motorcycles
DIRT BIKES! QUADS! RACERS! 2-STROKES! ANT
SCOOTERS! RAT BIKES! GOLD WINGS! TURBOS! MINI BIKES! ACCESSORIES TOO!

DON'T MISS THIS GREAT EVENT!
VENDORS: Bring what you have---ALL BIKES WELCOME

GATES OPEN AT 10AM
VENDORS IN AT 7AM

ADULTS $5 DONATION -- KIDS FREE -- BRING THE FAMILY
VENDOR SPACE $15 DONATION -----INCLUDES ONE ADMISSION

FOR INFORMATION, CALL 508-439-2473 or 978-870-4792
or visit us at:

Friday, April 1, 2011

Think You're Having A Bad Day?


Maxime Berger's Ducati managed to lose it's rear wheel in a corner. While Berger experienced only bruises I'm sure there was some extreme cleaning in store for the inside of those leathers!

Sunday, March 27, 2011

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!
.

Thursday, March 24, 2011

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

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Schuberth Helmets On Sale

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


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:
Most sizes and colors in stock.
Call Adventure Moto @ 561-242-5158 if interested.
Ask for me.
Thanks,
Claudio

Sunday, March 20, 2011

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.

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?

Sunday, March 13, 2011

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.

Sunday, February 27, 2011

Transalp Article

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





Friday, February 25, 2011

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).

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.

Thursday, February 17, 2011

Dream!

This is the best video on YouTube!



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

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!

Thursday, February 10, 2011

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.

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

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