The Kneeslider

Doers Builders and Positive People

The Mechanical Beauty of Gears in Motion

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Pat Conkle was a retired machinist and he created this amazing display of gears, levers, cams and pistons in his shop while his wife, whose health was failing, sat nearby. They were able to spend this time together as he built some very impressive mechanisms that can be appreciated by anyone, though the more technically inclined you are, the more you'll see. Watch the … [Read more...]

Mule Shows the Potential Hidden in the Sportster

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Here's an orange and black Sportster headed to Michigan, the "Michigan Mafia." It started out as a bike I was building for myself. A 1995 Sportster frame with an 02 Buell M-2 Cyclone motor. We did quite a few mods to the frame, moving the shocks forward about 6” and building an entirely new rear subframe. Added to the seat rails are sections of 1x2 rectangular tubing split … [Read more...]

Stirling Engines and Vacuum Motors for a Trip Back in Time – UPDATED

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Some enthusiasts of the latest high technology, especially the younger ones among us, have never developed an appreciation for engines of the past, perhaps because they've never been exposed to them. Some of us, though, have long loved exposed rocker arms and flywheels and smile at the simplicity of stirling engines and vacuum motors and if you look around a bit, you'll find … [Read more...]

Harley Davidson Project LiveWire

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Perhaps the end times are nigh, Harley Davidson is building an electric motorcycle. Called Project LiveWire, it is being presented as sort of a beta test: ... select consumers across the country will be able to ride and provide feedback on the bike, helping to shape the future of Harley-Davidson’s first-ever electric motorcycle. Interesting. Several months ago, I … [Read more...]

Elio Motors Follow Up – Will They Fulfill the Promise?

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A little over a year ago, we looked at a new company in Louisiana called Elio Motors. They were promising to build a new, enclosed three wheeler with two tandem seats, capable of 84 mpg on the highway, meeting automotive crash standards at a price of $6800. I was a bit skeptical that it would accomplish all that, if it was ever built at all, but a few days ago I received an … [Read more...]