Someone emailed me a link to this asking me my opinion. I’m not impressed… but at least it’s a step to this.
Category Archives: Automotive
Axis Powers
When Germany and Italy work together on something, amazing things happen and France surrenders.
Ducati and AMG have conspired together to build an evil motorcycle called the Diavel AMG. It’s already banned in Poland.
Quite seriously, Italian designs and German engineering is the best of both worlds… It’s the automotive equivalent of crossing the streams.
Favorite Carmageddon Moment.
I’ve posted about favorite car movies and chase scenes… But I’ve never brought up this one.
Now, I am not a huge fan of George Looney Clooney, but he does a great job in this film “The Peacemaker”. In this scene, we have a car chase up to the point that Clooney says “Screw This” and turns the table. He stops running and then uses his big Merc as a warhammer and demolishes the two little Bimmers that are chasing him. You almost feel sorry for the little guys. Almost.
Nicole Kidman spends a lot of time showing off how good her bottom looks in slacks. Eh, pretty good actually. The rest of the movie is fun, but not to be taken seriously. Nicole’s character is the least believable out of all of them. Oh, I also like the scene when Clooney jumps from chopper into the truck. That’s good stuff.
So, what is your favorite Carmageddon Moment?
The Mustang II
The Mustang II is a lie. It’s not a Mustang. It’s not even a “Two” because there was nothing before it. I don’t care how nice yours was, or how much you loved it… It was a damn dirty lie!
Tango Uniform Truck.
Many of you know my old Chevy truck. It’s a 2500 Scotsdale four by four, with an extended cab. It’s been all over with multiple trips to Vegas and has carted around four of those who contribute to Concealed Carry Magazine. It’s been a great truck and I am very fond of it. My wife is even more taken with it. She enjoys the strong engine and capacity to haul pretty much anything.
Unfortunately the old War Wagon is on it’s last legs and othe thing could go Tang Uniform at any time now. It’s now leaking oil from multiple locations, smoking, overheating, and running like total crap now. I’m not sure what the problem is… But it’s more than what I want to deal with right now.
I have the chance to buy a Toyota Forerunner… If my check from the publisher is what I hope it is. Then my Bride can have her baby blue Explorer back and I’ll have a rig to drive through winter. Driving the Chevy back and forth to work every day isn’t going to happen. Especially since it doesn’t have a heater anymore. I think if I get this Toyota, I’m going to do something with it…
Check certain engine parts, check mileage per gallon, try to measure just how good the rig is running. Then do a full Slipstream treatment on it. A long term test. See if Slipstream has solid benefits like what we think it has. The Chevy is just too beaten down to be a good test mule.
Bike chain failure.
I knew I was well overdue to get a new bike chain. I was planning on doing it in October, towards the end of the riding season. Fate however, had other plans. Coming back from a lunch at Cafe Rio, the chain broke.
I’ve had a chain break before on me. When it did, the chain locked up the rear tire and I was suddenly dumped to the ground. I was going pretty fast and the results were unpleasant but not serious as I was wearing good protective gear. I was shaken, but not stirred. This time, it was strange… engine RPM just ramped up and spun free with no increase in speed… the chain just unspooled off the sprockets.
The bike will go into the shop tomorrow. New chain, sprockets, tires. (7000 miles of hard riding is evidently the life span of these tires I had.) While it’s in the shop I’ll have them put in some iridium plugs, K&N filter and rejet it.
I think my riding for the year is done. I’ll hit it again in the spring.
Riding.
The new helmet came in from LeatherUp.com. It’s a Scorpion. It is lighter and quieter than my last helmet, and fits better too. It’s a good upgrade from the one that literally saved my life. This wasn’t the first time a helmet saved me. These things are important and I just can’t understand why a guy would want to ride without one. A rider is 16 times more likely to be killed or seriously injured than a driver… Safety first.
I know the risks, and I am cautious. But bad things can happen. Like a stray five gallon bucket hitting me in the head. Guys, if anything happens to me… Know that I was enjoying doing something that loved. And that isn’t a bad way to go. Because of my health… I can’t do a lot of what I used to do… But I can still ride.
I would still like to trade my Honda Magna for a Sport Bike… Because I need more peg-clearance. Not to go faster… But to slow down less.
Any takers?
Fast is Art
I suggest watching this on YouTube at Full Screen. This is some of the most amazing, full tilt riding I’ve ever seen.
What the duce?
On my way to work on the bike this morning, I’m flying through some twists… Flick the bike to the left… Then to the right… And as I’m coming through the curve, I downshift and goose the throttle. This lightens the front end and I exit the curve at full speed.
And then the throttle comes off in my hand.
WTF?
I got it fixed now and the bike is fine now… But what a weird random thing to happen.
Pull over.
Gotta love the Highway Patrol. 60 in a 60… All my papers in order… I was still held for 20 minutes while the guy ran everything. Nothing he could get me for. But I did get a warning for not pulling over far enough. Great.