This is happening MUCH too often these days.
I hope it gets painfully expensive for those who have forgotten they're supposed "To Protect and Serve."
30 September 2010
27 September 2010
Metals, 26 Sep 10
Silver is at $21.50/oz. at last check. That's a 2.5% increase in less than a week.
Gold is still in record territory.
Has everyone else finally awakened to the coming fiasco?
Gold is still in record territory.
Has everyone else finally awakened to the coming fiasco?
Serpico, Et. Al.
As a former law enforcement officer I know our Police are continually looking at an ugly side of our world. Dealing with angry, drunk, frustrated people all the time makes the job difficult. Taking into consideration that even the most routine traffic stop is a potentially fatal situation, it's no wonder our law enforcement personnel fall into the category of having the highest suicide statistics of most jobs. Still, if you choose to work in L.E., you should try your darndest to do the job to the best of your ability and not take advantage of the situation, lest you become a crook yourself.
Are you, like me, troubled by some of the stuff we're now seeing on the news?
A motorcyclist in Maryland gets stopped for speeding... (granted, he was apparently exceeding 100 miles per hour), and the (unmarked car-plain clothes) officer who stopped him is captured on the biker's helmetcam brandishing a gun at him. Then the biker is arrested for "illegally" filming the officer!
This is happening elsewhere too...
A lady, also in Maryland I think, was threatened by Police when they saw her videotaping them questioning a suspect on the street in front of her home.
And then there are the shootings...
An off-duty Marine is accosted and shot by Police in Las Vegas. Now there are troubling reports that Police there have been involved in a cover-up.
How are these actions greatly different from what history has shown us about similar Gestapo-like tactics used by totalitarian governments we defeated in the cold war?
Our Police do a VERY difficult job, one that most of us have no desire to do, and therefore they deserve our support and gratitude.
They also need to take a now-and-then close look at their attitude, and re-read the oath they swore when they first put on the badge. If they no longer feel the same way about doing the job as when they first started, they can no longer do the job properly and need to find work elsewhere.
Updated:
I'm mistaken about him being an off-duty Marine.
He's a graduate of West Point.
Related-
Logic and reason prevail? Wiretapping charges against the motorcyclist have been dropped.
Are you, like me, troubled by some of the stuff we're now seeing on the news?
A motorcyclist in Maryland gets stopped for speeding... (granted, he was apparently exceeding 100 miles per hour), and the (unmarked car-plain clothes) officer who stopped him is captured on the biker's helmetcam brandishing a gun at him. Then the biker is arrested for "illegally" filming the officer!
This is happening elsewhere too...
A lady, also in Maryland I think, was threatened by Police when they saw her videotaping them questioning a suspect on the street in front of her home.
And then there are the shootings...
An off-duty Marine is accosted and shot by Police in Las Vegas. Now there are troubling reports that Police there have been involved in a cover-up.
How are these actions greatly different from what history has shown us about similar Gestapo-like tactics used by totalitarian governments we defeated in the cold war?
Our Police do a VERY difficult job, one that most of us have no desire to do, and therefore they deserve our support and gratitude.
They also need to take a now-and-then close look at their attitude, and re-read the oath they swore when they first put on the badge. If they no longer feel the same way about doing the job as when they first started, they can no longer do the job properly and need to find work elsewhere.
Updated:
I'm mistaken about him being an off-duty Marine.
He's a graduate of West Point.
Related-
Logic and reason prevail? Wiretapping charges against the motorcyclist have been dropped.
Missing
A couple of ya have written expressing concern for my whereabouts. Thank you, but I'm okay... I'm just recovering.
The last couple weeks have been tough on this old bag-O-bones. Lots of extra days at work to cover other guy's vacations. An extra day for mandatory BK ground school. And I've picked up a new student... Tim, my UPS delivery guy, who is now lurking here. Hi Tim!
Tim couldn't help but notice a few packages coming from "Sporty's Pilot Shop" among all those QVC packages, and being a commercial, multi-engine, instrument pilot himself, of course he had to ask. When he found out I was a helicopter instructor he decided to check off another item from his "bucket list". (Tim is also a radio-controlled helicopter pilot, so he's taking to the real thing like a duck to water. He's already hovering with only 2 hours in his new helicopter logbook1"
But getting back to my absence here at "Pitchpull"...
I'll soon be able to drive the Pizza Bike legally.
I spent this weekend attending the Motorcycle Safety Foundation's "Basic Rider Course". Folks who have never ridden a motorcycle (but know how to ride a bicycle), can walk into this course and, after passing the practical skills and written tests, walk out with a certificate to take to the DMV to add the "M" for motorcycle to their regular operator's license.
My course was scheduled for Friday night, all day Saturday, and all day Sunday... 29 hours!
Having ridden for almost 30 years I wondered what I would learn in a "Basic" rider's course, and walked in Friday night wondering if I'd be bored to death. I needn't have worried. About half the class of 36 folks were in the same boat with me...
Experienced riders looking to get their licenses so they could ride legally and insured.
Friday night was spent doing the initial sign-up paperwork, receiving the course study guide, and as a class, answering a few of the questions for the final written exam. Those of us that wanted to use our own helmets also had to show them to confirm they were D.O.T. approved.
Saturday morning we had to park a considerable distance from the course grounds because the instructors wanted the whole parking lot to be vacant. When I got out of the car I was struck by the sound...
Like a HUGE beehive humming. When I finally was able to see what was going on I could see 36 Honda CB 125t's lined up, all running to warm their engines for that day's class. They looked something like this:
You can't tell from the photo, but that ain't a big bike folks...
It truly is almost a bicycle with an engine. But it isn't a toy. It's capable of going close to 60 m.p.h..
They shut the bikes down and called the group together, then divided the class into three groups of 12 each and showed us how the big parking lot was divided into three "ranges". We were then each assigned a bike and were told to walk it to our assigned range. There, the practical instruction started.
And as you can imagine in a course that is teaching folks who have NEVER ridden a motorcycle, it was BASIC!
The first exercise taught us how the clutch works and how to use the "friction zone"...
The area in the clutch travel between where the engine is fully disengaged from the rear wheel to where it is fully engaged. In first gear, we were to release just enough clutch travel to allow the bike to move slowly forward to the point where our boots were on our toes, then we were to pull the lever back in and roll the bike back until our toes were pointed straight up, then let the clutch out again until our toes were again pointed straight down...
We did this for five minutes, and my thoughts were, "This may be a LONNNNNNNNNNG weekend!"
But soon we were riding the perimeter of our "range" in first gear. We then shut our bikes down in an area designated for our range and returned to the classroom for more study on test questions. That's the way the whole weekend went...
A little practical work on the bikes, then a little written test preparation in the classroom.
By Saturday afternoon we were no longer doing boring stuff... we were doing exercises that actually took a degree of skill to properly accomplish. I could see the value of the instruction and was glad to be part of the class.
Saturday night I went to bed early and got a good night's sleep.
Sunday morning when I got out of the car, the sound I heard was not bees, but WASPS...
We had graduated from 125cc bikes to 200cc bikes...
Still relatively small, but genuine, serious motorcycles.
Now the practical exercises got more difficult.
We repeated one we had done that had worried me on the little 125...
You had to drive into a 20X40 box painted on the lot, through a designated gate, drive to the end of the box, then do a "figure 8" in the box before leaving at a designated gate at the opposite end. Maximum test points could be earned by not putting your foot down, and not touching the painted lines designating the boundaries of the box.
It's not easy to do.
But it was actually easier to do on the bigger bikes than it was on the little Hondas.
And so it went...
Practical exercises on the bikes...
Panic stops... Using both brakes to stop in the shortest possible distance while also downshifting from second to first gear.
Swerving.
Accelerating out of corners while staying within a 3-foot painted arc.
More figure 8's.
Then more work in the classroom.
Finally, for 15 minutes we were allowed to work on individual areas we wanted to practice on before the practical test. I worked mainly on figure 8's and panic stops.
Each of the three ranges had two instructors that conducted the test, and it took about half an hour. At the end of the test we all had a pretty good idea how well we had done... we knew what was expected of us. But we didn't know if we had done well enough to not lose enough points to pass.
The written test consisted of 50 multiple-choice questions and was not difficult if you had been paying close attention to the classroom review. Most questions had been thoroughly gone over during class time.
After the written test we were given a break while the tests were graded. When we were called back into the classroom we were given our tests with the results from both the practical and written exams marked at the top.
I did very well on both... not perfect, but very well.
My certificate will be in the mail this week and when I receive it I'll immediately be headed to the DMV to add the "M" to my operator's license.
Would I recommend this course?
You bet. As a matter of fact, I'd recommend it to anyone who ever thought they MIGHT have an interest in motorcycles.
Four or five folks crashed during our "practical" work. They weren't crashing their own machine, and they weren't risking skinning up their own helmet.
Even the most experienced of us learned a few things in this class.
Me? I now have much more confidence in my ability to control the bike at REALLY slow speeds... a skill I was somewhat weak on.
My guess is that about 2/3rds of the class successfully passed the course. In our State if you fail the course you can retake it at no charge. Many I talked with were dismayed at the idea of having to devote another weekend to another attempt at passing, but they had improved so much from when they started, they knew they'd likely pass on another attempt. (One gal in my group was a return student, and was grinning from ear to ear when she got her results... SUCCESS!)
So, that's behind me.
My bike is insured.
I'll very soon have a legal license to drive it.
I'm gonna take John Kay's advice and "Get your motor runnin', Get out on the highway!"
The last couple weeks have been tough on this old bag-O-bones. Lots of extra days at work to cover other guy's vacations. An extra day for mandatory BK ground school. And I've picked up a new student... Tim, my UPS delivery guy, who is now lurking here. Hi Tim!
Tim couldn't help but notice a few packages coming from "Sporty's Pilot Shop" among all those QVC packages, and being a commercial, multi-engine, instrument pilot himself, of course he had to ask. When he found out I was a helicopter instructor he decided to check off another item from his "bucket list". (Tim is also a radio-controlled helicopter pilot, so he's taking to the real thing like a duck to water. He's already hovering with only 2 hours in his new helicopter logbook1"
But getting back to my absence here at "Pitchpull"...
I'll soon be able to drive the Pizza Bike legally.
I spent this weekend attending the Motorcycle Safety Foundation's "Basic Rider Course". Folks who have never ridden a motorcycle (but know how to ride a bicycle), can walk into this course and, after passing the practical skills and written tests, walk out with a certificate to take to the DMV to add the "M" for motorcycle to their regular operator's license.
My course was scheduled for Friday night, all day Saturday, and all day Sunday... 29 hours!
Having ridden for almost 30 years I wondered what I would learn in a "Basic" rider's course, and walked in Friday night wondering if I'd be bored to death. I needn't have worried. About half the class of 36 folks were in the same boat with me...
Experienced riders looking to get their licenses so they could ride legally and insured.
Friday night was spent doing the initial sign-up paperwork, receiving the course study guide, and as a class, answering a few of the questions for the final written exam. Those of us that wanted to use our own helmets also had to show them to confirm they were D.O.T. approved.
Saturday morning we had to park a considerable distance from the course grounds because the instructors wanted the whole parking lot to be vacant. When I got out of the car I was struck by the sound...
Like a HUGE beehive humming. When I finally was able to see what was going on I could see 36 Honda CB 125t's lined up, all running to warm their engines for that day's class. They looked something like this:
You can't tell from the photo, but that ain't a big bike folks...
It truly is almost a bicycle with an engine. But it isn't a toy. It's capable of going close to 60 m.p.h..
They shut the bikes down and called the group together, then divided the class into three groups of 12 each and showed us how the big parking lot was divided into three "ranges". We were then each assigned a bike and were told to walk it to our assigned range. There, the practical instruction started.
And as you can imagine in a course that is teaching folks who have NEVER ridden a motorcycle, it was BASIC!
The first exercise taught us how the clutch works and how to use the "friction zone"...
The area in the clutch travel between where the engine is fully disengaged from the rear wheel to where it is fully engaged. In first gear, we were to release just enough clutch travel to allow the bike to move slowly forward to the point where our boots were on our toes, then we were to pull the lever back in and roll the bike back until our toes were pointed straight up, then let the clutch out again until our toes were again pointed straight down...
We did this for five minutes, and my thoughts were, "This may be a LONNNNNNNNNNG weekend!"
But soon we were riding the perimeter of our "range" in first gear. We then shut our bikes down in an area designated for our range and returned to the classroom for more study on test questions. That's the way the whole weekend went...
A little practical work on the bikes, then a little written test preparation in the classroom.
By Saturday afternoon we were no longer doing boring stuff... we were doing exercises that actually took a degree of skill to properly accomplish. I could see the value of the instruction and was glad to be part of the class.
Saturday night I went to bed early and got a good night's sleep.
Sunday morning when I got out of the car, the sound I heard was not bees, but WASPS...
We had graduated from 125cc bikes to 200cc bikes...
Still relatively small, but genuine, serious motorcycles.
Now the practical exercises got more difficult.
We repeated one we had done that had worried me on the little 125...
You had to drive into a 20X40 box painted on the lot, through a designated gate, drive to the end of the box, then do a "figure 8" in the box before leaving at a designated gate at the opposite end. Maximum test points could be earned by not putting your foot down, and not touching the painted lines designating the boundaries of the box.
It's not easy to do.
But it was actually easier to do on the bigger bikes than it was on the little Hondas.
And so it went...
Practical exercises on the bikes...
Panic stops... Using both brakes to stop in the shortest possible distance while also downshifting from second to first gear.
Swerving.
Accelerating out of corners while staying within a 3-foot painted arc.
More figure 8's.
Then more work in the classroom.
Finally, for 15 minutes we were allowed to work on individual areas we wanted to practice on before the practical test. I worked mainly on figure 8's and panic stops.
Each of the three ranges had two instructors that conducted the test, and it took about half an hour. At the end of the test we all had a pretty good idea how well we had done... we knew what was expected of us. But we didn't know if we had done well enough to not lose enough points to pass.
The written test consisted of 50 multiple-choice questions and was not difficult if you had been paying close attention to the classroom review. Most questions had been thoroughly gone over during class time.
After the written test we were given a break while the tests were graded. When we were called back into the classroom we were given our tests with the results from both the practical and written exams marked at the top.
I did very well on both... not perfect, but very well.
My certificate will be in the mail this week and when I receive it I'll immediately be headed to the DMV to add the "M" to my operator's license.
Would I recommend this course?
You bet. As a matter of fact, I'd recommend it to anyone who ever thought they MIGHT have an interest in motorcycles.
Four or five folks crashed during our "practical" work. They weren't crashing their own machine, and they weren't risking skinning up their own helmet.
Even the most experienced of us learned a few things in this class.
Me? I now have much more confidence in my ability to control the bike at REALLY slow speeds... a skill I was somewhat weak on.
My guess is that about 2/3rds of the class successfully passed the course. In our State if you fail the course you can retake it at no charge. Many I talked with were dismayed at the idea of having to devote another weekend to another attempt at passing, but they had improved so much from when they started, they knew they'd likely pass on another attempt. (One gal in my group was a return student, and was grinning from ear to ear when she got her results... SUCCESS!)
So, that's behind me.
My bike is insured.
I'll very soon have a legal license to drive it.
I'm gonna take John Kay's advice and "Get your motor runnin', Get out on the highway!"
24 September 2010
"The Art of Compromise"
Rich vs. Poor.
Blacks vs. Whites
Hispanics vs. Whites.
Hispanics vs. Vietnamese.
Business vs. Government.
The U.S.A. vs. the World.
This administration has just about all the "stirrable" pots stirred.
Did I miss any?
Can you think of a time in history when the Nation was more divided?
Blacks vs. Whites
Hispanics vs. Whites.
Hispanics vs. Vietnamese.
Business vs. Government.
The U.S.A. vs. the World.
This administration has just about all the "stirrable" pots stirred.
Did I miss any?
Can you think of a time in history when the Nation was more divided?
22 September 2010
21 September 2010
"Sumdood" In Europe Nails It-
A quote from a European who is now personally experiencing "Social Democracy" there...
"The danger to America is not Barack Obama but a citizenry capable of entrusting a man like him with the presidency. It will be easier to limit and undo the follies of an Obama presidency than to restore the necessary common sense and good judgment to an electorate willing to have such a man for their president."
And that is what fills my heart with sadness.
Loved ones I thought were perceptive voted for this guy.
Friends I thought had higher than average intelligence voted for this guy.
Now they are SHOCKED!
SHOCKED at the path he has taken the country down.
(At least they have a clue. Some are still trying to defend his Marxism as best for the country.)
{Sigh.}
"The danger to America is not Barack Obama but a citizenry capable of entrusting a man like him with the presidency. It will be easier to limit and undo the follies of an Obama presidency than to restore the necessary common sense and good judgment to an electorate willing to have such a man for their president."
And that is what fills my heart with sadness.
Loved ones I thought were perceptive voted for this guy.
Friends I thought had higher than average intelligence voted for this guy.
Now they are SHOCKED!
SHOCKED at the path he has taken the country down.
(At least they have a clue. Some are still trying to defend his Marxism as best for the country.)
{Sigh.}
20 September 2010
"My Trip To Al-Qaeda"
19 September 2010
Two-Faced
We're onto 'em. (Well, many of us anyway.)
More and more, we've begun to have our eyes opened to the fact we're playing a game with Muslims, whose value system is totally different from ours. Lying? To a Muslim, lying is only a sin if it's done to another Muslim.
Heck, it's not a sin even then if it furthers the goal of striving toward the new Caliphate and the 12th Imam. What's MOST interesting to me is surveying who has seen the light, and who has not. Seems to me, the folks who haven't a clue are those who are most rabidly anti-Christian. While trying to seem like they're anti-religion, they know it's perfectly safe to attack benign Christians, and they do it with impunity.
Women? Ha! "Peace loving" women are the worst, and by appeasing women-hating Muslims, are gonna be the death of us!
But will they express horror at the fact that Dearborn Michigan seems to now be ruled by Sharia law?
Surely you jest! Only the trouble-making Christians seem to be pointing out the double standard there.
Some years ago I flew an AStar for a company that volunteered that aircraft for use by powerful city, State, and National politicians who could "scratch the company's back". I'd ferry these pols from one campaign or speaking event to another, and got to watch them "up close and personal".
It was amazing to watch them work a crowd, smiling and shaking hands with one constituent and agreeing that we needed to fix a problem by working to remove "A" and install "B",
then working another part of the room and promising another constituent that he would do everything within his power to insure "B" takes precedence over "A".
Politicians...
Prostitutes.
Bald-faced liars.
About a year ago I realized I was passively doing much the same thing...
Socially I would sit and listen to some idiot mouth off about current events and have his facts completely wrong, and I'd bite my tongue and nod my head with a smile, trying to avoid embarrassing the fool and making others around us uncomfortable.
And I watched in horror as my world was slowly being destroyed.
Last year I made the decision I had had enough. I was no longer gonna sit and suffer fools easily. I was gonna start my own one man education process, (and open the door for others to prove me wrong if that was the case). A little over a year has transpired, and you know what?
IT'S BEEN LIBERATING!
I no longer feel dirty. I no longer feel ashamed of myself.
And the factor I never considered when I set out on this quest?
Fools have a tendency to avoid me, so there is much less stress in my life.
Do you like what's happening in your world?
What are you doing about it?
Do folks sit and "talk smack" and assume you agree with them because you're smiling, nodding, and biting your tongue?
How's your blood pressure?
Take my recommendation and see if you don't feel the chains fall away...
Let fools know you're mad as Hell, and you're not gonna take it anymore!
Then stop by and let me know how your quality of life has changed.
Good luck!
More and more, we've begun to have our eyes opened to the fact we're playing a game with Muslims, whose value system is totally different from ours. Lying? To a Muslim, lying is only a sin if it's done to another Muslim.
Heck, it's not a sin even then if it furthers the goal of striving toward the new Caliphate and the 12th Imam. What's MOST interesting to me is surveying who has seen the light, and who has not. Seems to me, the folks who haven't a clue are those who are most rabidly anti-Christian. While trying to seem like they're anti-religion, they know it's perfectly safe to attack benign Christians, and they do it with impunity.
Women? Ha! "Peace loving" women are the worst, and by appeasing women-hating Muslims, are gonna be the death of us!
But will they express horror at the fact that Dearborn Michigan seems to now be ruled by Sharia law?
Surely you jest! Only the trouble-making Christians seem to be pointing out the double standard there.
Some years ago I flew an AStar for a company that volunteered that aircraft for use by powerful city, State, and National politicians who could "scratch the company's back". I'd ferry these pols from one campaign or speaking event to another, and got to watch them "up close and personal".
It was amazing to watch them work a crowd, smiling and shaking hands with one constituent and agreeing that we needed to fix a problem by working to remove "A" and install "B",
then working another part of the room and promising another constituent that he would do everything within his power to insure "B" takes precedence over "A".
Politicians...
Prostitutes.
Bald-faced liars.
About a year ago I realized I was passively doing much the same thing...
Socially I would sit and listen to some idiot mouth off about current events and have his facts completely wrong, and I'd bite my tongue and nod my head with a smile, trying to avoid embarrassing the fool and making others around us uncomfortable.
And I watched in horror as my world was slowly being destroyed.
Last year I made the decision I had had enough. I was no longer gonna sit and suffer fools easily. I was gonna start my own one man education process, (and open the door for others to prove me wrong if that was the case). A little over a year has transpired, and you know what?
IT'S BEEN LIBERATING!
I no longer feel dirty. I no longer feel ashamed of myself.
And the factor I never considered when I set out on this quest?
Fools have a tendency to avoid me, so there is much less stress in my life.
Do you like what's happening in your world?
What are you doing about it?
Do folks sit and "talk smack" and assume you agree with them because you're smiling, nodding, and biting your tongue?
How's your blood pressure?
Take my recommendation and see if you don't feel the chains fall away...
Let fools know you're mad as Hell, and you're not gonna take it anymore!
Then stop by and let me know how your quality of life has changed.
Good luck!
18 September 2010
Engine Configuration, Torque, and Horsepower
You may recall, when I started searching for a motorcycle to put in my garage, I was interested mainly in a bike to use on my commute to and from work. Secondarily, I thought it might be nice if it was big enough and comfortable enough for Sara Jean to hop on and ride along every now and then. Because of an experience I had in the rain several years ago, I made the decision that any bike I buy will either be driven by a belt or a driveshaft. That's not so limiting today as it was a few years ago... most Harleys are belt driven, and most other major manufacturers build at least one shaft-driven bike.
The other consideration in this quest was engine configuration...
For me, bikes with one cylinder vibrate too much for long trips. Some two-cylinder machines vibrate badly, some are smoother. Bikes with three cylinders or more vibrate less, but then you start encountering more complexity and more costs when repairs or preventive maintenance are needed. I started studying different bikes and the options they offered.
My first real motorcycle was a Harley Davidson "Sprint", powered by a single-cylinder 250cc engine. As you can see in the photo at the link, the piston and cylinder were horizontal on this engine. The bike vibrated so badly it fractured the mounting holes on the license plate as I was riding one day. I was lucky that the plate bounced on the pavement a couple times and made a clattering noise so I could go retrieve it. I mounted it upside down with the holes on the bottom of the plate and it fractured and left the bike again, this time making no noise at all. I had to go to the DMV and get a replacement plate, which I mounted on a rubber blanket to resolve the problem.
In High School I rode and loved the Harley Davidson Sportster. At the time, it was sort of the "Sport Bike" in Harley's corral... smaller than their big bikes, but powerful enough to out-accelerate almost everything else on the road.
New Sportsters look like those old bikes but are much improved... they vibrate less, don't leak oil, and you no longer have to risk injury by kicking a lever to bring the engine to life. As you can see in the linked photo, the Sportster has a two-cylinder engine in the form of a "V", with a 45 degree angle between the two cylinders. Old Sportsters vibrated just about as badly as the single-cylinder Sprint. Today's Sportster engines have counterbalancers to negate some of the vibration.
Now I'm gonna rattle on about stuff I only partially understand...
Apparently "felt" vibration in engines is the result of the weight of lots of moving parts rapidly changing direction in the engine. The main vibration you feel is called a "primary vibration". There is also a "secondary vibration" that you can feel. There are tertiary vibrations and so on, but those dwindle to the point of not being discernible. Engine manufacturers worry mainly about primary and secondary vibrations.
Pizza Bike has a two-cylinder V-Twin engine. The V between the cylinders is measured at 90 degrees, so some actually refer to this engine, (and a similar configuration on Ducatis and Aprilias) as "L" twins. These bikes have virtually no primary vibration. There is some secondary vibration that can be felt, but it is MUCH less than the vibration felt on say, a Harley.
The other bike I was considering was the BMW horizontally-opposed twin. Called the "Boxer" engine, vibration is mostly canceled out on this engine because the two pistons move in equal and opposite directions. Here too, there are secondary and other vibrations, but those are minor in nature.
For me it boiled down to this:
I've never owned a BMW or Moto Guzzi. Both bikes have "shaft" final drive systems.
I like the sound of the V-twin over the opposed twin.
My choice was made. Time will tell if my decision was a good one.
But my studies also turned up a fact that I need someone to help me understand.
The following illustrations are horsepower/torque charts, the first is for an Aprilia motorcycle, the second is for a new Corvette. Take a quick look at both:
Now look again at where the torque curve meets the horsepower curve on both charts-
5250 rpm!
Apparently all engines that turn at more than 5250 rpm will have curves that mate up there.
Interesting.
I need someone to explain the "What" and "Why" of that phenomenon, please!
The other consideration in this quest was engine configuration...
For me, bikes with one cylinder vibrate too much for long trips. Some two-cylinder machines vibrate badly, some are smoother. Bikes with three cylinders or more vibrate less, but then you start encountering more complexity and more costs when repairs or preventive maintenance are needed. I started studying different bikes and the options they offered.
My first real motorcycle was a Harley Davidson "Sprint", powered by a single-cylinder 250cc engine. As you can see in the photo at the link, the piston and cylinder were horizontal on this engine. The bike vibrated so badly it fractured the mounting holes on the license plate as I was riding one day. I was lucky that the plate bounced on the pavement a couple times and made a clattering noise so I could go retrieve it. I mounted it upside down with the holes on the bottom of the plate and it fractured and left the bike again, this time making no noise at all. I had to go to the DMV and get a replacement plate, which I mounted on a rubber blanket to resolve the problem.
In High School I rode and loved the Harley Davidson Sportster. At the time, it was sort of the "Sport Bike" in Harley's corral... smaller than their big bikes, but powerful enough to out-accelerate almost everything else on the road.
New Sportsters look like those old bikes but are much improved... they vibrate less, don't leak oil, and you no longer have to risk injury by kicking a lever to bring the engine to life. As you can see in the linked photo, the Sportster has a two-cylinder engine in the form of a "V", with a 45 degree angle between the two cylinders. Old Sportsters vibrated just about as badly as the single-cylinder Sprint. Today's Sportster engines have counterbalancers to negate some of the vibration.
Now I'm gonna rattle on about stuff I only partially understand...
Apparently "felt" vibration in engines is the result of the weight of lots of moving parts rapidly changing direction in the engine. The main vibration you feel is called a "primary vibration". There is also a "secondary vibration" that you can feel. There are tertiary vibrations and so on, but those dwindle to the point of not being discernible. Engine manufacturers worry mainly about primary and secondary vibrations.
Pizza Bike has a two-cylinder V-Twin engine. The V between the cylinders is measured at 90 degrees, so some actually refer to this engine, (and a similar configuration on Ducatis and Aprilias) as "L" twins. These bikes have virtually no primary vibration. There is some secondary vibration that can be felt, but it is MUCH less than the vibration felt on say, a Harley.
The other bike I was considering was the BMW horizontally-opposed twin. Called the "Boxer" engine, vibration is mostly canceled out on this engine because the two pistons move in equal and opposite directions. Here too, there are secondary and other vibrations, but those are minor in nature.
For me it boiled down to this:
I've never owned a BMW or Moto Guzzi. Both bikes have "shaft" final drive systems.
I like the sound of the V-twin over the opposed twin.
My choice was made. Time will tell if my decision was a good one.
But my studies also turned up a fact that I need someone to help me understand.
The following illustrations are horsepower/torque charts, the first is for an Aprilia motorcycle, the second is for a new Corvette. Take a quick look at both:
Now look again at where the torque curve meets the horsepower curve on both charts-
5250 rpm!
Apparently all engines that turn at more than 5250 rpm will have curves that mate up there.
Interesting.
I need someone to explain the "What" and "Why" of that phenomenon, please!
17 September 2010
Freckles
"Freckles are skin damage" he said.
"Nah, they're too cute to be skin damage", said I.
"Ever date a gal with freckles?" he asked.
"Sure", I responded.
"She have freckles on her butt?"
Freckles are skin damage.
(But I still love 'em.)
"Nah, they're too cute to be skin damage", said I.
"Ever date a gal with freckles?" he asked.
"Sure", I responded.
"She have freckles on her butt?"
Freckles are skin damage.
(But I still love 'em.)
16 September 2010
Precious Metals- Keep Your Options Open
The person in that picture is holding $1200 of gold in the center of his/her palm.
Obviously, anyone going out on a limb trying to predict the future is exactly that...
Out on a limb.
So take anything you read here under consideration and do your own research.
A year ago I took a considerable position in silver, and I took physical possession of the purchase. I went back and looked at my last precious metals report, which I posted on 15 January, and found this:
Gold was $1131.00 per ounce.
Silver closed that day at $18.42 per ounce.
The close on both metals today was:
Gold- $1274.00
Silver- $20.76
That means my position in silver is now worth almost 25% more than my purchase price one year ago.
And I truly believe this ride is just beginning.
Be prepared.
15 September 2010
By Popular Demand, Pizza Bike !
Things have changed dramatically since I quit riding 30 years ago-
A 1,000 cc. bike was considered a "large" bike then.
Now bikes half again that size are commonplace.
Blogfriend Tim Frazier has a Triumph displacing 2,300 cc's!
But Pizza Bike is actually bigger than I thought I wanted.
As with cars, bigger engines get poorer gas mileage.
I'm still hoping driven responsibly, Pizza Bike will get 50 mpg.
Regularly outings, (and more picture taking), will start in two weeks. I'll keep you posted on performance figures.
ABSQ !
In the Army we used to have a saying that we'd shout, (only half-seriously)...
"Do SOMETHING, even if it's wrong!"
The point bein', if you set off on a path that's wrong you can study results and realize it pretty quickly, then set a new course to improve the situation.
In our National elections for years now it seems we've had a choice between BAD, and HORRIBLE.
Al Gore?!!!
John ($^*~_$#@) KERRY?!!!!!!
How is it those two lying sacks of fecal material end up at the head of a ticket?
This morning I'm listening to Karl Rove lamenting Christine O'Donnell's win in Delaware as a terrible thing because he thinks that seat now will certainly be won by Democrats. I think Karl Rove is, in many ways, brilliant.
But I also think he's wrong in this case.
Republicans...
Conservatives...
Independents...
I can hear them all shouting...
"Do SOMETHING, even if it's wrong!"
It's time for REAL Hope and Change.
(Oh, and ABSQ? "Anything but the status quo!")
"Do SOMETHING, even if it's wrong!"
The point bein', if you set off on a path that's wrong you can study results and realize it pretty quickly, then set a new course to improve the situation.
In our National elections for years now it seems we've had a choice between BAD, and HORRIBLE.
Al Gore?!!!
John ($^*~_$#@) KERRY?!!!!!!
How is it those two lying sacks of fecal material end up at the head of a ticket?
This morning I'm listening to Karl Rove lamenting Christine O'Donnell's win in Delaware as a terrible thing because he thinks that seat now will certainly be won by Democrats. I think Karl Rove is, in many ways, brilliant.
But I also think he's wrong in this case.
Republicans...
Conservatives...
Independents...
I can hear them all shouting...
"Do SOMETHING, even if it's wrong!"
It's time for REAL Hope and Change.
(Oh, and ABSQ? "Anything but the status quo!")
Gear!
Where to begin here?
I've actually seen folks out riding like those in the photo above. And I've also loaded victims of both motorcycle and car accidents who have found themselves sliding down the road at speeds MUCH faster than you can run. It's painful just lookin' at those wounds.
Gimme a chance to do a practical exercise with the gal in that picture...
Nevermind the idiot at the controls of the bike. He's improperly dressed too, but if he falls he has no one to blame but himself. He's also responsible for her well-being and he's failed miserably, hasn't he?
I'd like to talk to her and give her a piece of coarse sandpaper.
You wouldn't take a piece of heavy grit sandpaper and scrub your thigh with it for several seconds, would you? But the effect of falling off that bike onto the pavement will be several orders of magnitude worse than that. Falling off the bike at speed can scrub off flesh all the way to the bone...
And then bone begins to be ground off too.
Yes, I've seen it many, many times.
That's the chance those two are taking.
So yesterday we started preparing for our Fall "Pizza Bike" rides and went shopping for gear.
We heard of a store that has quality merchandise for discount prices and stopped there first. There we found a nice leather jacket with removable lining for Sara Jean. We also found a set of cute "Harley Davidson" branded lace-up boots at a surprising price. We bought matching reinforced leather gloves with zippered backs.
As we were making our way to the cash register one of the workers from the store who had seen our motorcycle gear said, "It's probably not a good time to go out right now."
"Why?"
"Because some lady just ran a red light in front of the store and clobbered a guy on a bike. His leg was up around his head."
Thanks for the warning.
Sure enough, driving out of the store we saw a Harley Davidson dresser alongside the road in the dying cockroach position. The ambulance with the critically injured dude was already on the way to the hospital and another ambulance was still attending to the gal that ran the light and struck him.
We drove on to the Harley shop where we bought two helmets, a full-face for me and an open face for SJ, and a flat shield to fit hers. SJ also found another pair of boots there... ($149.88!!)
"They're just SO cute!". (Of course they are!)
Her response gave me two thoughts:
1. I've created a monster.
2. At least she wasn't so put off by the horribly mangled Harley that she won't get on behind me.
I know, once again I'm rehashing here...
I can mitigate, but not completely eliminate the risk of riding. Riding like you're invisible is part of it. And protecting important body parts just makes good sense, doesn't it?
...Helmets to soften the blow to the skull.
...Protective jackets, gloves, heavy trousers, and boots to insure the first thing making contact with the industrial-grade sandpaper is not our flesh.
We've literally got it covered and are ready to go when I've got license in hand.
The gal (and guy) in the picture above?
(... Shakes head in amazement.)
I may meet 'em during my next shift.
You could easily read about 'em some day.
More information as I publish:
My company flew the guy involved in the accident I mentioned above.
He apparently wasn't wearing a helmet.
UPDATED UPDATE:
He died.
14 September 2010
An Anecdote Is The Antidote
Cheese food?
CHEESE FOOD?! What the H-E- double hockey sticks is that?
"Past-U-rized processed cheese food"!
If y'all have been on the internet as long as I have, you probably got the email some time ago 'bout how Kentucky Fried Chicken had found a way to birth chickens that, for all intents, looked like mis-shapened footballs...
All breasts, thighs, and drumsticks... and nothin' much else.
I think "cheese food" was probly born in the same labratory, just across the hall.
What IS cheese food?
YOU can't even tell me, can ya?!!
But I bet you're eatin' it!
Go open your ice box right now and pull out that stuff you're makin' greased-cheese sammiches with thinkin' it was "American Cheese", and take a look at what it says on the label.
Go on now! I'll wait 'til you get back.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
*********************************************
See!
It ain't what you thought, is it?!
You're eatin' somethin' you don't even know what it is!
Cheese food!
Well I refuse to eat something I can't begin to identify, and it's one of the reasons I have to go to Sam's Club...
Sam's big box is one of the few places I can find REAL American Cheese!
I buy a big ol' block of American Cheese 'bout the size of a loaf of bread... that sucker must weigh 12 pounds or so. We break it up into smaller portions and freeze most of it. But that way I know we're not eatin' something that some guy lookin' like Henry Waxman conjured up in a test tube, out in City of Industry, California!
We buy our milk at Sam's too. I bought six gallons of "Fat Free" milk yesterday and saved a buck on each gallon... paid for the 45 minute drive to Sam's with that purchase alone! One gallon went into the fridgidaire, and the others went into the freezer next to what was left of that big 'ol block of real cheese.
Of course we bought mass quantities of other things too... cereal, sugar, laundry soap.
And when ya finish checkin' out ya have to take your receipt to a person standing at the exit and show it to 'em to make sure you're not stealin' any cheese or anything.
Yesterday that checker-person was a young male, appeared to be about 18 or so, and if I had wanted to steal cheese he wouldn't have been able to stop me...
He was about the size of cousin Ziggy, ya know... little bitty guy.
When I walked up to 'im I smiled and said, "I want your job!"
He got a kinda confused look on his face and said, "Why?"
"Well, you get to meet and greet everyone comin' through the store, don't you? And we sorta have to have your permission to leave. You're a Bigshot!"
He shrugged and said, "Well, it's really not a great job."
I said, "Well, at your position, you COULD have fun...
You could point underneath the cart and shout real loud WHAT'S THIS?!!, like there's contraband under there or somethin', and scare the poo out of customers!"
He allowed as how he might upset his managers if he did that, and he needs to keep this job.
Stupid managers. They take the fun out of everything.
And they're also the type wantin' us to eat some nebulous football-shaped "chicken thing" and something called "processed cheese food".
They need to understand that a good joke or interesting story is what makes the world go 'round!
The whole world is just fallin' apart, ain't it?
CHEESE FOOD?! What the H-E- double hockey sticks is that?
"Past-U-rized processed cheese food"!
If y'all have been on the internet as long as I have, you probably got the email some time ago 'bout how Kentucky Fried Chicken had found a way to birth chickens that, for all intents, looked like mis-shapened footballs...
All breasts, thighs, and drumsticks... and nothin' much else.
I think "cheese food" was probly born in the same labratory, just across the hall.
What IS cheese food?
YOU can't even tell me, can ya?!!
But I bet you're eatin' it!
Go open your ice box right now and pull out that stuff you're makin' greased-cheese sammiches with thinkin' it was "American Cheese", and take a look at what it says on the label.
Go on now! I'll wait 'til you get back.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
*********************************************
See!
It ain't what you thought, is it?!
You're eatin' somethin' you don't even know what it is!
Cheese food!
Well I refuse to eat something I can't begin to identify, and it's one of the reasons I have to go to Sam's Club...
Sam's big box is one of the few places I can find REAL American Cheese!
I buy a big ol' block of American Cheese 'bout the size of a loaf of bread... that sucker must weigh 12 pounds or so. We break it up into smaller portions and freeze most of it. But that way I know we're not eatin' something that some guy lookin' like Henry Waxman conjured up in a test tube, out in City of Industry, California!
We buy our milk at Sam's too. I bought six gallons of "Fat Free" milk yesterday and saved a buck on each gallon... paid for the 45 minute drive to Sam's with that purchase alone! One gallon went into the fridgidaire, and the others went into the freezer next to what was left of that big 'ol block of real cheese.
Of course we bought mass quantities of other things too... cereal, sugar, laundry soap.
And when ya finish checkin' out ya have to take your receipt to a person standing at the exit and show it to 'em to make sure you're not stealin' any cheese or anything.
Yesterday that checker-person was a young male, appeared to be about 18 or so, and if I had wanted to steal cheese he wouldn't have been able to stop me...
He was about the size of cousin Ziggy, ya know... little bitty guy.
When I walked up to 'im I smiled and said, "I want your job!"
He got a kinda confused look on his face and said, "Why?"
"Well, you get to meet and greet everyone comin' through the store, don't you? And we sorta have to have your permission to leave. You're a Bigshot!"
He shrugged and said, "Well, it's really not a great job."
I said, "Well, at your position, you COULD have fun...
You could point underneath the cart and shout real loud WHAT'S THIS?!!, like there's contraband under there or somethin', and scare the poo out of customers!"
He allowed as how he might upset his managers if he did that, and he needs to keep this job.
Stupid managers. They take the fun out of everything.
And they're also the type wantin' us to eat some nebulous football-shaped "chicken thing" and something called "processed cheese food".
They need to understand that a good joke or interesting story is what makes the world go 'round!
The whole world is just fallin' apart, ain't it?
13 September 2010
Temptation- I Was A Bad Boy.
The Lord made this day...
Rejoice in it!
Yesterday was one of those days.
Eighty degrees. No wind at all. Not a cloud in the sky.
Perfect.
There's this gorgeous motorcycle parked in the garage.
Sara Jean hasn't had the chance to find out if she likes riding on the thing.
It would be a perfect day for a "test" spin.
But remember? I have no motorcycle driver's license.
Pizza Bike is calling...
"C'mon! I haven't been on the road in weeks... lemme stretch my legs!"
"But I haven't ridden any distance in almost 30 years."
"Well, let's keep that from being 30 years and a day!"
To Sara Jean-
"Wanta go for a little ride?"
Without hesitation-
"Yes!"
We started off almost idling around our neighborhood, reaching all of 25 mph or so, and stopped to fill the tank with gas.
Filled to the brim, the pump indicated $9.28.
That's what I'm talkin' about!
"Let's go visit Chuck and Janet" she says.
That means getting out on the highway. Pizza Bike purred its approval.
The sun was warm, but the angle of the sun and the hint of coolness in the air indicated Autumn is knocking on the door. It REALLY was a perfect day!
Back in the corral, the tripmeter indicated we had traveled 84 miles.
And the fact we had broken the rules only contributed to the smiles on our faces.
The MSF course leading to my motorcycle operator's license is scheduled in two weeks.
Think we can resist the temptation to break the rules again?!!
Rejoice in it!
Yesterday was one of those days.
Eighty degrees. No wind at all. Not a cloud in the sky.
Perfect.
There's this gorgeous motorcycle parked in the garage.
Sara Jean hasn't had the chance to find out if she likes riding on the thing.
It would be a perfect day for a "test" spin.
But remember? I have no motorcycle driver's license.
Pizza Bike is calling...
"C'mon! I haven't been on the road in weeks... lemme stretch my legs!"
"But I haven't ridden any distance in almost 30 years."
"Well, let's keep that from being 30 years and a day!"
To Sara Jean-
"Wanta go for a little ride?"
Without hesitation-
"Yes!"
We started off almost idling around our neighborhood, reaching all of 25 mph or so, and stopped to fill the tank with gas.
Filled to the brim, the pump indicated $9.28.
That's what I'm talkin' about!
"Let's go visit Chuck and Janet" she says.
That means getting out on the highway. Pizza Bike purred its approval.
The sun was warm, but the angle of the sun and the hint of coolness in the air indicated Autumn is knocking on the door. It REALLY was a perfect day!
Back in the corral, the tripmeter indicated we had traveled 84 miles.
And the fact we had broken the rules only contributed to the smiles on our faces.
The MSF course leading to my motorcycle operator's license is scheduled in two weeks.
Think we can resist the temptation to break the rules again?!!
Finding Nemo
No, not that Nemo!
I was unaware of the incident until I read a comment to a post at OpFor about a living hero who will soon be awarded the Medal of Honor.
Nemo's story is extraordinary, and reason for me to issue my second "tissue may come in handy" alert of the week!
I was unaware of the incident until I read a comment to a post at OpFor about a living hero who will soon be awarded the Medal of Honor.
Nemo's story is extraordinary, and reason for me to issue my second "tissue may come in handy" alert of the week!
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