Archive for March, 2005
911 says “Too Bad”
24 March 2005A Connecticut caller to 911 trying to get help for an injured motorcyclist gets the response of “Yeah, too bad” and then they hang up! The call was routed to the State Police barracks and was answered by Trooper Robert Peasley. Thinking they got a wrong number the caller tried again and the next trooper [...]
Unix Motorcycle
23 March 2005OK, I’m going out on a limb here, but I bet some of you not only ride motorcycles but, … here goes, you like computers, too. I know, crazy idea but it’s true. Don’t feel bad, I fall into that category and so does this guy who built a PC into his Kawasaki Z1000. The [...]
High gas prices, same total cost
23 March 2005Whether you ride a motorcycle or drive a car, you eventually end up at a gas pump. These days that can be a pretty exciting experience. On your bike it’s not so bad, but lots of motorcyclists have pickup trucks with big tanks, let’s see, 30 gallons of regular @ $2.15, … ouch.
There [...]
New Snell helmet standard for children
22 March 2005If you have some little riders in your house, you may be interested to know the Snell Memorial Foundation has a new proposed standard for helmets for children. Basically it recognizes the difference in strength and stamina of a child and their ability to wear a helmet designed for an adult. They have the proposed [...]
3D printers and Fab labs
21 March 2005A while back I said easy access to advanced software made smaller shops capable of high level design and engineering and used the Motoczysz C1 and Hayabusa V8 as examples. Well, hold on to your hat, Toto, we’re not in Kansas anymore.
Some time ago I read a few brief articles on 3D printers and thought, [...]
Spring opens with snow
21 March 2005Just a comment about our local weather. There were a few brave souls out riding last Friday and Saturday even though temperatures struggled in the 30’s to almost 40 degrees. I guess I don’t have that sort of commitment. Some riders in southern California get depressed over a long bout of constant rain, (wait a [...]
More ENV observations
20 March 2005When I looked at the ENV hydrogen motorcycle the other day, it seemed to be a great showcase for the hydrogen fuel cell technology it uses, and it is that, but it really isn’t a bad design in any event. It has an aluminum frame and swingarm (with an enclosed monoshock), belt drive, good ground [...]
Bikelug collapsible trailer
19 March 2005This trailer looks pretty cool. It’s the Bikelug collapsible trailer. It’s fully collapsible and will carry a motorcycle weighing up to 1000 pounds. Trailer your bike to the shop then toss the trailer in your trunk. Or maybe you just bought a bike somewhere far away and don’t want to drag an empty trailer all [...]
