Category Archives: Automotive

Real Biker? No thank you.

I have got to get a Sport Bike now.  Reason, I have to distance myself from the Cruiser set.  My thing about disliking Harleys is really more about disliking Harley Extreme Enthusiasts.  I’ve had run in’s in the past with these brand new leather clad insurance brokers who just got their new HD’s with only 400 miles on the odometer – “Get a REAL bike!”  Really?  You mean your obnoxiously loud V-Twin that cranks out only 58 horse power because it’s engine technology is 20 years out of date… that’s a real bike.  But my bike with it’s V-4 engine with a Carb for each piston and 4 valves for each piston and tuned for 90 horses with huge torque and a huge powerband to give me all that power whenever I want it… Yeah, fine.  It’s not a real bike.  You win.  Even though with your anemic power output to pull your huge bulk which gives you at most half the power to weight ratio… you straddle a better machine, Sir.

“You’re not a Biker on that!”  Really?  Because I’ve not seen you riding all week.  Because it’s been nasty weather… and then it was too hot… and you’ve been rolling in your Cage all summer except just today when you finally got the weather report you wanted and you just pulled on your Leather Vest to show off your Patch.  Fine.  You are a Real Biker.  I’m not.  I’ve only ridden my bike every single day… Sometimes arriving at work soggy… sometimes arriving at home sodden wet.  But grinning.  I’ve ridden in thunder storms, rain storms, wind storms, dust storms, snow, hail, through freezing cold, and blistering heat… every day.  And you are going to tell me that I’m not a real biker.   Cool.  Because if you are  a Real Biker, I don’t want anything to do with being a Biker.   If it makes you feel better… I’ll call myself a Rider or a Motorcyclist.   You, Sir, can be the Real Biker.

Yeah, I don’t want anything do with all that… I’m going to trade my Cruiser for Sport Bike.  Ideally a Sport Touring bike.  Because I don’t want anyone to even think about calling me a “Biker”.

This Magna is now on KSL for sale or trade.   Now if I could trade this for a Honda VFR, I’d be well pleased.

It didn’t go well

Okay so I’m changing the oil in my motorcycle.  And… well.. it didn’t go well.   The punch line is that I crushed the little bone at the tip of my pinky and spilled all the old oil all over my driveway.  Oh, the oil is changed.  New filter, fresh oil… Bike is happy.   It just looks like Mr. Bean did it.   And my pinky wont stop bleeding from under the fingernail where the cuticle used to be.  Ouch.

Cars I want:

If I had the means to build an automotive collection that rivals my gun collection… I’d have a few cars that I don’t think most fellows would expect.
A Jeep Rubicon, and a classic full sized Wagoneer.
Mazda Miata.
BMW M3, and a 2002.
Porsche 944S2, and a Cayman.
Toyota Tacoma 4 door, and an FJ.
A Ford Police Interceptor.

There would be some others as well, such as an Alfa Brera, and a tweaked 84 VW Rabbit GTI (again) … but the above list would be the first vehicles I’d go for.  The one car on the list that has surprised those that have first heard it, is the little Miata.  My wife’s extended family has a fellow that actually races them.  The suspension with some tweaking and the engine, with some tweaking produces a machine that is just incredible.  The balance and quick handling is astonishing… it is one of the last of the true sports cars.   To many people confuse a Sports Car for a GT car.  Two very different things.

 

Arachnis Deathicus

This is the SECOND TIME it’s happened.  I grab my brain bucket, pull on the gloves and jump on my Magna.  I cruise around the corner, up the street, and hit the highway.  When I hit 60MPH, the airflow through my helmet’s vents, dislodges anything that crawled into them.

What happens is I get up to speed, and all the sudden there is a Speeider crawling on my face shield.  Normal reaction is to swat it.  Well, tonight I swatted it.  It of course, being INSIDE my face shield… was unhurt.  So it jumped onto my face.  On my cheek.  Then it ran under my eyeglasses.  (Insert the “Scream Like A Girl” sound effect)

At 60 Miles Per Hour.   There it is.  On my eye.  Under a face shield, and glasses, and there’s not a damn thing I can do about it until I calmly pull over and stop.   BTW, my bike can make a stop from 60 in about 5 feet.

Continue reading Arachnis Deathicus

A Naked Goldwing

This is something I’ve wanted to build for years.   A Naked Sport bike built off a Goldwing.  This guy did it.  It’s just not quite finished.  If it had a seat, and if it had the cover for the tank, I’d be very tempted to trade my Magna for it.  This ginormous Cafe Racer is just cool… at least, I think it’s cool.  The drag bars and the stripped down look… I really think that’s as cool as bikes get.  I’d paint the thing black and call it the “Deathwing”.  Which was the name I’d given the build when I was a teenager.  I had some friends that started the project, but never taken it to completion.  Much like this one.

Crusader Racing: Looking for a Testing Volunteer

Crusader Weaponry is about to form a new branch of the company: Crusader Racing. We want to test out Automotive Slipstream product in the harshest crucible of automotive stress… Racing. We are looking for a Volunteer Test Subjects for Slipstream Racing products.
The Candidate needs to be involved in Racing of some sort… Car, Truck, Motorcycle… basically anything with an internal combustion engine and goes fast while looking cool. (Barstool Racing and Lawnmower Racing… need not apply… or any other racing that starts with “Hold my Beer”.)
We’re looking for a Racing Team Car, Truck, or Bike (4 Stroke, and one that doesn’t use a wet clutch!) that is getting ready to do an engine rebuild in the near future. Which is just about any racing team, isn’t it?
We’d like some Data in return. Pre Slipstream Data. Engine noise, vibration, power. And then same information after treatment with Slipstream. How it performs in a race. And then, when you do your rebuild, how the engine internals look.
We are also looking at doing a Racing Sponsorship down the road… so if this works out, you help us… we’ll help you. I don’t know any racing team that wouldn’t like another Sponsorship.
Post a link to your Racing Team, Site, or even just a picture of your Racing rig… or email it to me as some folks would rather do. We’ll pick one or two and get this set up.

Utter shame… I hang my head low…

I am what I have hated.  Years ago when I was more involved in the pursuit of Going Faster, I would scold and criticize and ridicule people for this sin… and I am now one of those sinners.  Years of driving trucks has ruined me… made me grow soft.  I hated being behind those people… and I am now one of them.

I am…

An Early Apexer.

I need to return to a School of Fast and retrain my Line.

I need a fairing

My Honda Magna has a windscreen that looks like a police riot shield.  I took it off and blasted up the highway… and it’s not good without some wind protection.  I need something a lot smaller, something streamlined a bit…   Maybe something like this:

I like the nice sleak bullet shape it gives the front end, while still having enough to channel air flow away from most of me.

If anyone out there sees a fairing like this that would work for a ’95 Magna, Let me know, please!

 

Cycle Chops

“It’s just like riding a bike. It’ll come back to you.” That’s true. Getting used to riding again… brothers and sisters… it feels good. There is no other feeling like it. If I have to explain it to you, you wont understand. I should have never given up riding.
The Honda V-4 engine – I’m of the firm opinion that this is the best engine ever built for motorcycles. The strong roll on acceleration is biblical, smooth, and right now. This makes passing rock flinging trucks not just faster, but safer. Being able to get out of danger quick is a very good thing. Also the fact that my little puny 750cc engine has destroyed a number of 1200cc powered V-Twin type bikes… that just makes me happy.

Getting used to riding again is one thing. I’m also getting used to a new bike. The Magna I have now is called a “3rd Gen” by Magna Owners. The previous Magna I had was a 1st Gen… It was an 85 or 86 if I remember right. I got it for 800 bucks and it only had 2,000 miles on it. It was Cherry. Those Magnas had a longer fork, and pegs that were a bit more forward… more chopper like. After riding this Magna, in it’s more “Standard” position… I think I’d rather have the older style for the comfort.
However, the 3rd Gen Magna has more rigid forks, quicker turn in, and all around better handling. I think even has a better lean angle to it. It feels more like a Sports Bike. This makes me tempted to take curves at faster velocities, riding it like it was a Sports Bike. Which is all fine and well… very cool actually… but I’d rather like the more stretched out position of the older bike. Easier on the knees.

Then again, back then with my last Magna, I didn’t have any problems with my knees. Still. I miss that old Magna. It was a dark blue – almost black… all dark and sinister looking… it was a sexy bike. I rode that when I was going to ROTC at BYU. Not the normal BYU bike. Everyone else on a motorcycle had sport bikes or scooters.
No matter how bad I feel, how much I hurt… I get on the bike and start riding… I feel better. I forget the pain and everything… and I’m just riding.