I have been gradually working on getting my shop organized and more functional. Among the things I've been working on are removing clutter, installing a hybrid sound system, and adding shelf space. The glider rocker I mentioned in a previous post was part of removing clutter.
An advertisement-free blog about motorcycling, Northern life, home improvement, power plants, submarines, nuclear stuff, and a few other off-beat subjects. Comments are welcome. (Image is the Selway Crags in Northern Idaho)
Saturday, July 25, 2015
The old bike - Kawasaki KH500
As I mentioned previously, I have an old two-stroke Mach III motorcycle that I've had since high school. While I was out puttering around in the shop this past weekend, I had a sudden impulse, and decided to clean it up.
Home Projects - refurbishing a rocker
A relative has been keeping some stuff in my shop. One of these items was an outdoor glider rocker that was in bad shape. I had promised a while back that I would refurbish it for them.
First Concert
We took our daughter to her first rock concert, and everyone had a pretty good time. One of the local casinos has a summer concert series that brings in some bands that were usually pretty big back in the 1970s and 1980s.
Monday, July 13, 2015
Thursday, July 09, 2015
The Unrideables
There was a period of time in Grand Prix motorcycle racing (The 80s and early 90s) when Australian and American riders were absolutely dominant. Both countries had thriving off-road and dirt-track racing communities, while European and Asian countries did not. As the Grand Prix motorcycles became more and more powerful, riders that could slide the machines turned out to be fastest around the track.
Kenny Roberts was the prototype dirt-track rider who become a successful Grand Prix rider, and he was in turn followed by many others. The bikes were as amazing as the riders. They were powered by very light two-stroke V-4 engines that were pushing 200 very peaky horsepower.
The tires of the day weren't really up to the task of maintaining grip consistently. The frames weren't ready for the forces they had to deal with. And at the time, there were no sophisticated electronics to cut engine power in turns or for launching off the start line. A heroic time really.
The video trailers below capture a sense of how vicious these powerful motorcycles were, and how awesome the guys were who rode them at (and over) their limits.
Kenny Roberts was the prototype dirt-track rider who become a successful Grand Prix rider, and he was in turn followed by many others. The bikes were as amazing as the riders. They were powered by very light two-stroke V-4 engines that were pushing 200 very peaky horsepower.
The tires of the day weren't really up to the task of maintaining grip consistently. The frames weren't ready for the forces they had to deal with. And at the time, there were no sophisticated electronics to cut engine power in turns or for launching off the start line. A heroic time really.
The video trailers below capture a sense of how vicious these powerful motorcycles were, and how awesome the guys were who rode them at (and over) their limits.
Saturday, July 04, 2015
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