Wheeee.... Whoa....
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)
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
Sunday, June 07, 2015
Astrophotography
One of the things I enjoyed doing with my roommate's telescope was astrophotography - that is, taking pictures of stars, planets and nebulae. I only tried it a few times, and there was definitely room for improvement but still have a few prints of the better shots.
Telescopes, Astronomy and (next post) Astrophotography
Once upon a time in San Diego, I had a roommate who bought a what at the time was a really expensive telescope. It was a nice Celestron telescope with an 8 inch aperture, just like this one.
Monday, June 01, 2015
HIstory of Grand Prix automobile racing
I found these videos fascinating - the march of racing technology across 40 years.
Three part series on the post-WWII era.
Three part series on the post-WWII era.
Saturday, May 09, 2015
Wednesday, May 06, 2015
Monday, May 04, 2015
Geological Cataclysm - The Missoula Floods
Eastern Washington state has a very interesting, if barren, landscape. It took a fascinating geological detective story to understand how it got this way. What is amazing is how awesome and violent the process was that produced this landscape!
The image below shows an area known as the Channeled Scablands. Spokane, Washington is the city at the upper right.
The image below shows an area known as the Channeled Scablands. Spokane, Washington is the city at the upper right.
Sunday, May 03, 2015
Geological Cataclysms - The Cascadia Earthquake of 1700
This is another successful and impressive geological detective story.
The largest earthquakes in the world occur at subduction zones. A subduction zone is where one continental plate is being pushed underneath another. Only a subduction zone can generate an earthquake greater than magnitude 8.5 (a "great earthquake")
The largest earthquakes in the world occur at subduction zones. A subduction zone is where one continental plate is being pushed underneath another. Only a subduction zone can generate an earthquake greater than magnitude 8.5 (a "great earthquake")
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