Sunday, July 27, 2008

Two Stroke Militia

Here's another helpful and entertaining site in the two-stroke wars — Two Stroke Militia. The site was apparently put together by three guys in the northeast — Jeff Conboy, Tim Weeks, and John Nicholas — and features some of the best analysis and commentary on the two-stroke situation that I've seen. I'm happy to see that they've picked up sponsorship from quite a few companies that also love the smell of race gas and castor oil.

Check out this page on modern two-stroke weapons. Gotta love that new Maico! Is that cool, or what? Tubular steel frame, two-stroke motor, modern styling... Man, that's cool. I'd actually buy a pit pass at a National to see stuff like that. Now if they'd just do a twin-shock version...

I'm going to buy one of their t-shirts. Check out their CafePress store and show your colors. I don't know if that makes me a member or not, but at least they'll know I'm a two-stroke supporter.

Wednesday, July 2, 2008

Cool old-school motocross art

CZ aficionado and webmaster over at CZechPoint, Reese Dengler, posted this reminder on the Cousin Weedy Yahoo list:

http://www.petr-trojan.ic.cz/

Check out Petr Trojan's moto-cross art at the web page above. He's added some new prints of some old Czech moto-heros.

Petr has very nice art of motocross, speedway, and rally car racing, including some charcoal renderings of modern MX riders. But I really like his '60s and '70s-era motocross and scrambles work. Very nice. He says he will have prints available soon. I hope he does.

Thursday, March 6, 2008

Moto-Tek Motorcycle Stand

Following a brief exchange over on the CousinWeedy Yahoo! group I realized I needed to add a link to 4 Speeds Forward, the CZ tech site run by Weedy member Craig Walker, to the Resources links here. CW has a great set of online CZ manuals. He also has a nice review of the Moto-Tek 3in1 Motorcycle Stand. This looks like a nice option for keeping your vintage bike in an upright position while you're clunking around the garage in a stupor looking for that flywheel puller or clutch tool. The price has gone up a bit since CW did his review – it's $169.95 now as steel prices continue to climb. (Side Note: Here's more info on just why steel prices are going through the roof. It's just going to get worse.)

Wednesday, February 20, 2008

The Freestand Motorcycle Hold-down System

I overlooked this in my last post, but it's a pretty cool idea. The Freestand strapless motorcycle tie-down system is from Ivie Racing in Memphis, TN (the dirty south is kicking some new product butt!) This pic shows the dirt bike model but they have variants that fit sport bikes and standard bikes, too. I can't easily explain how this works, but I'll try. The stands have a pair of open, semi-circular hooks attached to short stanchions that pivot from the center of the top cross piece. As you roll the bike forward the outer tip of the hooks catches on the inside of the fork legs. As you push the bike into the stand the hooks pivot to horizontal where they lock, preventing the forks from moving forward or backward. There's a "how it works" video on the site that shows the stand in action.

It's a cool engineering idea and, as the picture shows, holds the bike firmly in almost any position. There is no pressure on any part of the bike. All the force is transferred right into the fork stanchions and steering head. Best of all, it takes only one person because all you do is roll the bike into place. No chance of dropping it while you reach for tie-downs or fasten the clamps used on other systems like the MX Lock-n-Load or the Parts Unlimited Wheel Shoe (which I use). To be fair, the Freestand costs a lot more than either of those products, ranging from $250 to $350 depending on model. So I can't see buying a bunch of these to fill your trailer, but I can see how one would be great in a shop or used on a lift in the garage. I almost always work on bikes alone, and getting one secured in the shop can be a little iffy. Talk to your significant other and see if she (or he) can get you one for Christmas.

Monday, February 18, 2008

Tools and Tricks From Powersports Dealer Expo '08

I was fortunate to be able to attend the 2008 Powersports Dealer Expo in Indianapolis (called the Indy Show because it is always in Indianapolis) this past weekend. It was a great trip. I had a good time, met some old friends, made some new ones, and learned lots of interesting stuff. I’ll be writing about all of it here over the next few weeks. For a rather more lighthearted look at the show check out the Racer X Films from Day 1 and Day 2.

To start I thought I’d review some of the more interesting little doodads and helper-items I saw. Nothing really big here, and some of them sell for a little more than I think they should. But they are still neat and may give you some ideas of your own.

 

First up is the HandyMate from BossMate. Made in Chattanooga, TN the HandyMate is one of those “Duh, why didn’t I think of that?” ideas. It’s just some simple, rectangular braces/brackets through which you slip a 2”x12” board of whatever length you want (probably around 8 feet max.) to create a nice, stable, self-supporting bench. At 21” tall the HandyMate just about the right height to support a long-travel dirt bike. It also makes a nice bench seat for putting on your boots or whatever, as well as a good step stool for reaching stuff on top of the trailer or across the truck bed. If you’re like me and make your loading ramps from 2”x12” lumber, using one of them for a bench seat or bike stand at the trail site is a great extra use. They make all sorts of variations. The HandyMate is the smallest. All you guys with welders and some 1” sq. tubing around can probably make some up yourself, but for a guy like me who doesn’t have that stuff the $45 retail price tag is low enough I can afford to buy a pair. Check them out.

 

Next is the MX Boot Bunny. It’s basically some 3/16” (or maybe 1/4”) mild steel rod that has been shaped into two upright, sock-like shapes that let you slip your upside-down muddy boots over them for washing. The Bunny holds them nice and steady so you can hit them with the pressure washer or car wash nozzle without fear of filling them with water. The basic Bunny just sticks into the ground, but they also offer a little fold-up base that can be used on hard surfaces like driveways. The base folds flat so the unit can hang on a hook in your trailer or truck. This one isn't all that applicable for me since I don’t really ride in the mud anymore. Nor do a lot of vintage guys because it’s just too hard on the bikes. But everything needs washing eventually and at $35.95 for the standard unit and $62.95 for the combo with the base and a hanger it's worth looking at if you don’t like tossing muddy gear into your rig.

 

The next item is from Park Tool USA and is a nifty portable workbench. Park has been making specialized bicycle tools for decades and is the leading brand in that space. For 2008 they are upgrading and modifying a number of their tools for the motorcycle market. They have a range of things like specialty vises for holding shocks and forks, etc. The portable workbench looks like a nice addition to the pit gear for any racer. It'll hold as much as 200 lbs (although you shouldn't try to put a pitbike on it). It has molded recesses so drinks, cans and tools don't go rolling off. Plus they offer a nice little kit that turns it into a 2-wheel dolly for transporting other pit gear. This item is a little pricey. I don't remember exactly what they told me, but I think it's around $150 retail for the table. The dolly kit is extra. That's a lot.

I don't know about you, but I've never been happy with the flimsy camping tables from Walmart, etc. The plastic "church" tables tend to fall over easily if the ground is soft, plus stuff falls off them all the time. The Park table has the legs set at a 45-degree angle so even if the ground is soft it will work its way into the dirt and remain stable. The nice, lightweight aluminum tables from places like Pit Posse or Pit Products cost up to $300. That's totally out of my league. Compared to that the Park table seems like a pretty good deal.

The last item is really a service and web site for ShipMyBike.com. I only talked to this guy for a minute but he seemed knowledgeable and claims to have been serving the motorcycle industry since 1965. His web site has a form you can fill out to get a free quote. Continental US, Hawaii/Alaska, and International services are all available. Here’s a customer quote from his About US page:

"I just got my two Vincent engines shipped by Berklay and they did a great job. Dennis handled it and it came from Mike's house near Toranto Canada to Texas. Mike wanted it shipped one day after he had them crated and ready. After we got shipping arranged, Mike said they made contact with him, and they were there when he wanted them, had them loaded up and gone exactly when he wanted it. They shipped them to NYC for customs, then to me where I picked them up at the Dallas Fort Worth Airport. No problems, no damage, easy to deal with, very reasonable prices (cheaper than I could have driven there!). The crates looked like they didn¹t have a mark on them. No damage to anything, and a great, quick job." — Charlie Hamburger

He’s just an expediter, and I don’t know what sort of premium he gets over the basic carrier rates. But it may still be cheaper than Forward Air. And if he has solid relationships with the trucking and transport companies so his stuff doesn’t get screwed up that’s worth a lot. If you’re getting a bike from overseas it might be a real help to have a specialist expediter. OH, he has a gawdawful animated audio thing on his home page. Very annoying. But just ignore it.

Saturday, December 29, 2007

Keep Your Powder Dry

Here's a nifty little item you might find helpful if you live in a really humid area like I do - hydrosorbent packs from CampingSurvival.com. The self-contained, rechargeable moisture absorbers come in a variety of sizes , change colors to let you know when they're full, and can be recharged with a few hours in an oven. I put them inside the RubberMaid containers I use to store engines and engine parts, clamp the lid down tight, then slip a big 2ml garbage bag around it. Any moisture that gets in the bag gets absorbed by the gel pack. Over time it will even suck out whatever moisture may be in the engine and really keeps the rust out of the internals. Good stuff and pretty cheap insurance if you're going to keep a good motor on a shelf for a year or two. (I know, who does that?) From $5-$12 depending on size. Oh, don't eat them.

Wednesday, December 26, 2007

How to Set Up Your Workshop

One of my favorite things to do at big races is walk through the pits. Not to see the bikes – they all look the same – or even the racers. No, my favorite thing to see is the factory rigs and the pit setups. I love seeing what sort of cool, labor-saving jigs and tools and setups they have. It's the next best thing to seeing inside a professional race shop, which I have never done. I am always looking for things to do to my own shop or trailer to make them more efficient. So when I ran across this book from White Horse Press I bought it right away even though I didn't expect much (I find low expectations are a great way to avoid disappointment.)

I was pleasantly surprised to find the book is nice a collection of reviews of different shops - ranging from small, personal workspaces all the way up to the Yoshimura Racing facility. The author, C. G. Masi, does a great job describing the shop, the work done in it, and the various trade-offs the owner made for space, layout, etc. There are lots of pictures and plenty of helpful advice for anyone looking to revamp a shop, build a new one, or just rearrange the garage. It's chok-full of tips for cheap storage, effective layout, and guidelines for things like compressed air plumbing. If you like to plan things out before you start renovating you'll probably like this book a lot. Add it to the list of things someone can get you for a birthday. You'll both be happy.

Sunday, December 16, 2007

Nice Vintage Engine Stand

This is a product I've used in my shop for over a year. It works really well with ca 1969-1975 CZ motors. From what I can tell it will work with almost any vintage single - two-stroke or four-stroke. It's highly adjustable, easy to use, and Mike Kincaid over at Rampant Racing is a great guy.

When you buy a lot of products over the internet, sight-unseen as I often do, you never know what's going to show up at your door. Often it's a decent product taped into a shoebox or grocery bag or somesuch. Mike doesn't deliver that kind of nonsense. The Rampant Racing stand came fully broken down and fixed in a custom wooden shipping fixture. It was the best-engineered shipping container I've seen and made sure that everything arrived in order and undamaged no matter what the chimpanzees at the freight company did.

That might seem silly, but a guy who puts that kind of thought into how to package his product isn't going to make a cheesy product to go in it. You can bet the engine stand is first-rate — solid engineering, excellent manufacturing quality, nice finish, and easy assembly. If you work on engines out of the frame this is a tool you wqant under your Christmas tree.