Life In The Garage

There She Goes

2011-06-05T08:56:00.000-07:00

I sold the Daytona Saturday.

I think it went to a good home, where it will get a more attention than I could give it, and near Mt Ranier where there are some nice roads. But I'm still suffering from some sellers remorse.

Confusing Myself

2011-05-29T20:16:00.000-07:00

Yes, it's been a long time. But, then again, none of you are paying for this so... too bad.

I confused myself over the weekend. I'm not very bright so I get confused alot, it's normal. But the way it happened still has me ... well, confused.

I have a 1987 Suzuki Intruder 1400. It was Suzuki's big V-Twin cruiser from the mid-80s. I bought it already well-used in 1993. Over the years I've put alot of money and effort into making it look the way I want. Some changes were just bolt-on (exhaust, wheels, hand controls) while others were mrore involved (custom tank, rear fender, side skirts).

Sadly, no matter how much paint and chrome I put on it, the bike never seemed to run very well.

I gave up. I don't have the time anymore to keep it running. I just want a bike that runs. I decided to do a bike transplant. Yep, a bike transplant. (I hear this is how Dr Jarvik got started.) The Intruder 1400 was almost completely unchanged during its entire run from 1986 through 2008. Some colors were changed, a few odds and ends, but honestly it's the same bike. I decided I'd buy another bike and swap all of my custom bits.

As it turns out, you can still buy a *new* Intruder 1400. (Now sold as the Suzuki S83.) These are 3-4 year old bikes that have never sold. With some factory offers and motivated dealers you can get them pretty cheap. And with a warranty.

I do some research and find a bike at a dealer that's well regarded. I load up the trailer, grab the checkbook, and head to Everett.

The bike is great. A 2008 with 22 miles on it (including the 8 from my test ride). All of my accessories (with one exception) should transfer over. The price, although not free, is reasonable and quite a bit lower than the price on the only other new S83 nearby.

I hear myself say "I'll take it." in my head several times. But the words never come out. I leave the dealer with an empty trailer and I don't know why.

Maybe it was the color, it was gold. I decide to drive to Monroe where the only other new S83 in the area is (it's black). I'll make them the same offer I was given in Everett. The Monroe dealer had earlier quoted me a price about $1500 higher but I'm convinced he'll take this.

I drive 30 minutes to Monroe, pull into the parking lot. Then sit there. I never even get out of the car. I don't want it.

I just spent all about 4 hours (and about $50 in gas) and I come home empty handed by my own choice.

I'm still very confused about what just happened.

Change of Pace

2010-09-09T13:16:00.000-07:00

It's been an oddly hectic few weeks around here. I had hoped that my leave of absence from work would yield some nice quiet time, some time with the baby, and maybe some garage time. Alas, that hasn't been the case.

At the end of August I took my first (and probably only) trackday trip of 2010. I went to Oregon Raceway Park and rode with STAR. The original plan was to ride 4 consecutive days, 2 with NESBA and 2 with STAR but the economy has apparently overwhelmed NESBA and they cancelled a number of their events in the Northwest. Hopefully they'll be back in 2011.

The days with STAR were fabulous, as always. They run a very controlled event.

I'm definitely going slower than I have in previous years but it's fun anyway. Just to prove to myself that I'm slow I decided to take a ride on the back of Jason Pridmores bike. If you ever have the chance to ride on a bike piloted by a former AMA champion I suggest you take it. It will

a) Show you what a modern sport bike is really capable of.
2) Convince you that there are better riders than you. Period.
iii) Prove that some people have ice-water in their veins.

The ride starts simply enough. You climb on the back of his GSXR1000. (It's completely stock except for an after-market exhaust and a custom tank that has handles built into it for a passenger to hold onto. It even has DOT tires.) He turns and says "Just look over my shoulder as we lean and give me a little room to shift around on the bike. When we get to that sharp left at the end I'll ask if you want to go for another lap." Sounds easy enough.

Then a very odd thing happens. But after a few turns I get used to the fact that all the other bikes on the track must be in reverse.

The "sharp left at the end" is a 1st gear, downhill corner that's been my nemesis ever since I showed up at ORP. I hate it. But I figure he'll go through it, settle the bike in the short straight that follows, then yell something incomprehensible to me at which point I'll give him the "thumbs up" and we'll go around again.

That's not what happened.

Going *into* the corner, carrying more speed, and using more braking force than I ever have, he does the unthinkable. He lets go the bars, flips up his visor, turns his head and asks me "So, you okay for another round?". His voice is so flat you think he might be a waiter asking to refill your coffee.

Since I'm a sane person my response was "No! You idiot! Watch where you're going! Two hands! Two hands! Get me off this machine and away from this crazy man!" But I don't think my pronunciation was right. All I heard was my voice saying "Holy crap! Hell yes!"

Getting a Second Opinion

2010-08-22T13:34:00.001-07:00

I took the bike to the local shop last week. It's had some clutch problems that I wanted to get resolved before my track day. After explaining the symptoms to the dealer I'm told "That's normal for your bike. You can't adjust it, that's just the way it is." Hmmmm... I don't think so.

Yesterday I went to a second dealer and explained things. "Have you tried bleeding the system again?" Uh no... and why didn't I think of that? "We have a BBQ today so grab a burger and we'll have someone take a quick look." 15 minutes later I've gotten my bike fixed, no charge, and a free lunch.

Nothing To See Here, Move Along.

2010-08-10T23:02:00.000-07:00

Anandi and I were out in Bellevue a couple days ago and saw a Mercedes SL65 AMG. A very nice little toy. But, honestly, not terribly unusual in Bellevue. What was interesting was that it seemed to have a driving-buddy. Another silver Mercedes 2-door. A very sharp looking car but I couldn't quite place it.

Today, after some internet searching, I found it: A Mercedes SLS.

Now I just need two things: six good numbers and $1 for a lottery ticket.

High Mileage

2010-06-07T08:22:00.000-07:00

I took the green TR6 out for a spin over Memorial Day weekend. I had to put a tank of gas in it. The log book now looks like:

11/05/2005...59250...Purchase
05/29/2006...59302...Gas, 9.2g
08/01/2007...59485...Gas, 9.3g
05/30/2010...59645...Gas, 8.7g

Yep, in 4.5 years it's covered 400 miles.

Memorial Day Blah

2010-05-30T09:11:00.000-07:00

It's Memorial Day weekend. Time for BBQs, flip-flops and frisbee in the park.

Unless you're in Seattle.

Here it's time to get the umbrella, make sure you've got an extra layer of clothes, and watch the rain. <...sigh, the furnace just turned on...>

It feels like it's been a busy time at Chez Creath. But none of the activity is happening in the garage. I've had the Ducati out twice but the Daytona and the Suzuki are both sedentary. I'm considering working on the Green Machine today. It seems that 4-wheeled toys may be a better option that 2-wheeled ones.

The biggest car-related news is the purchase of a portable GPS (Garmin Nuvi 1390T) for the Nitro. I'm not a fan of GPSes but I have to admit it's a nice little widget. Certainly a better choice than paying $1900 for the OEM navigation system.

On the topic of GPSes:
I'm a geek. I'm a motorcycle fan. But I am not a motorcycle geek. I just can't help but shake my head when I talk to riders with blue-tooth, radar, GPS, cell-phone, intercom, and an MP3 player on their bike. It's exactly the opposite of why I like to ride. For me the whole purpose is to get away. Why try to get away from it if you're just going to bring it along anyway?

Well, that's assuming the rain ever stops and I get a chance to get away.

Only in a Jeep

2010-02-21T07:54:00.000-08:00

An unpleasant night.

The baby wouldn't sleep. She needed to be upright, moving, and holding onto her mother or I. Since momma is trying to shake off a cold I won the privilege of being a human crib. So there I was: baby in the carrier (of course it's from Jeep), unable to rest, or even really to sit down. 11pm to 2am. What to do?

Surf the internet.

I ended up reading a whole slew of articles on Sports Car Market. Here are some of the ones that caught my eye. (If you don't have an account to SCM get one. It's free and I don't think I've ever gotten a piece of spam from them. Sure 93.2% of the cars the talk about are way out of my league, but so are the Seahawks and I'm a fan of them too.)

BWM Z8

Being partial to the roadster style I loved this car when it first came out. Its appeal has faded. The lines aren't distinctive enough. There isn't that love-me-or-hate-me-but-I'm-not-compromising look about it. Which isn't to say I wouldn't like one. I see one occasionally around the office and it's always worth a second glance.

Not Your Typical F40

If you offered me my choice of Ferraris I'd take an F40. Maybe it's because I turned 16 the year these first came out. Posters of a red Ferrari and a white Countach were required in every boys room at the time. I loved the notion a race car that was changed just enough to be street legal. No A/C, no radio, no ABS. I understand some didn't have roll-down windows or even interior door panels. Just horsepower. They were known as unforgiving cars with 470hp, this factory competition car claims 850hp.

Maserati MC12

"The Enzo was designed for high-performance work but not for serious racing" Gee, life must be rough when your $650,000 Ferrari Enzo isn't getting done. Better get one of these.

Mercedes 300SL

Resto-modded by AMG? Hmmm... I like the resto-mod concept and AMG certainly has the ability to do it right. But there are some cars that should be left unmolested. (And those wheels have got to go.)

Doozy

My image of a leisurely Sunday drive down a wooded country road always includes a golden-era soft-top.

Testa Rossa

Sometimes I imagine that drive being a little less leisurely.

2010

2010-01-19T20:41:00.000-08:00

As usual I have a single New Years Resolution for 2010. Same one I've had for about the last 12 years. "Finish more projects than I start." So far I'm about 2-of-11 on this resolution. It's just not in my blood I guess.

Will this year be different? Yes. But not necessarily because I'll be more focused. More likely it'll be different in the garage for the same reason it will be different everywhere: baby. (No, not "I love my car, she's my baby." I mean "Hey there's a pooping, screaming, yet somehow irresistibly cute baby living in my house.")

There are a few less $$ to go into starting new projects. So that'll help my resolution. And a few of the outstanding projects could bring in some $$. (Namely finishing and selling one of the cars and/or bikes.)

But, in addition to a drop in disposable income, the baby came with a little surprise: parental leave. My employer is quite generous with family leave so I have an opportunity to take alot of time off and maybe use some of that time to address some projects. ... One can always hope.

2010 will almost certainly have fewer trackdays than the last few years. But the schedule does work in my favor in some cases. Here are some of my options for motorcycle events:

MotoFit at Oregon Raceway Park May 29/30 (Memorial Day weekend)
MotoFit at Oregon Raceway Park July 3/4
NESBA at Pacific Raceways July 17/18
2-Fast at Pacific Raceways July 24
SBNW July 28 - Aug 1
2-Fast at Oregon Raceway Park July 31/Aug 1
NESBA at Oregon Raceway Park Aug 28/29
STAR at Oregon Raceway Park Aug 30/31
MotoFit at Oregon Raceway Park Sept 4/5 (Labor Day weekend)

Clearly I won't make it to all of those. But everyone of those dates is reasonable. Almost all weekends, and at the two nearest tracks. My main target is the 4 consecutive ORP dates Aug 28-31. (I have credit with NESBA from last year, and I'd love to see STAR on a track like ORP.)

Anyway, we'll have to see how things work out. Right now I'd be happy to get a few decent days just to get back outside.

The Time-Value of Money

2009-12-05T10:42:00.000-08:00

Earlier this week my parents sent me the original purchase contract for The Triumph. They bought it for just under $5100. It got me thinking: what could you buy with that today?

Adjusting for inflation $5100 in 1974 is equivalent to about $22000 in Dec 2009.

So off we go to Edmunds to see what comparable 2009-model car we can get for our $22000...

Mini Cooper:
A base-model Mini convertible starts at $23,900. Close enough. For that you get 2745lb car with

1.4L I4 engine (114hp, 118lb-ft of torque).
6-speed manual transmission
28/36 mpg
Four-wheel ABS
Traction control
Stability control
Front and side air bags
5-star roll-over protection
A power convertible top (with remote control)
Power windows, door locks, mirrors
Air conditioning
AM/FM radio with CD-player

(On a completely unrelated note: I saw about 25 original Minis in Redmond this morning. Clearly a club headed out for some fun. Hopefully the 27-degree temps won't cause any problems.)

Pontiac Solstice
A base Solstice is $24,275. (And given the state of Pontiac I bet if you can find a new one you can get it for alot less.) The Solstice is a 2860lb car with

2.4L I4 engine (173hp, 167lb-ft)
5-speed manual transmission
19/25 mpg
4-wheel ABS
Trction control
Stabilty control
Front airbags
5-star roll-over protection
Power windows and door locks
No air conditioning (it's a $960 option)
AM/FM stereo with CD player

Mazda Miata
The Miata starts at $21,750. And that gets you a 2450lbs-reason why I have absolutely no respect for you. Why? Simple. In 1989 (when the convertible was considered nearly dead) Mazda came out with the Miata. By all accounts it was a fun, 2-seat, top-down, toy. Sounds good, right? Then they decided to market it as the "Return of the classic British Roadster". Sorry, no. It's a mass-produced toaster. So I refuse to spend any more time on it.

1974 Triumph TR6
The TR6 is a model of modern technology and innova... okay sorry, I couldn't contain that little laughing fit right there. A TR6 is 2450lbs chunk of iron. What you get is

2.5l I6 engine (104hp, 140lb-ft)
4-speed manual tranmission
About 23mpg
No ABS (unless it counts as ABS if the braking system doesn't generate enough pressure to lock up the rear drums)
Organic traction and stability control (in the form of a gas pedal and steering wheel)
0-star roll-over protection. The windscreen can support about 300 lbs. In a roll-over it will surrender faster than the French.
No power door locks, windows, mirrors. Not even power steering.
No airbags.
No air conditioning
AM/FM stereo with 2 speakers strategically placed to play into the drivers right knee and the passengers left knee.

The conclusions:

You can get more bang for your car-dollar today than in 1974.
A Miata is a bad choice unless you're shopping for a victim the local Truck-A-Saurus. [Sunday! Sunday! Sunday!]
If you own a mini you'll have lots of company in Redmond.

Hemmings Motor News
Sportcar Market Magazine

Priorities Change

2009-09-29T19:45:00.000-07:00

I felt old before. Sometimes I think I had a mid-life crisis at 22. But now I'm really old.

On Sept 18th I became a dad.

(Excuse me while *I* have to reread that last sentence.)

I'm an engineer. Sometimes, when faced with a nearly incomprehensible statement like that one, I have to put some numbers on it to cope. Unfortunately not all numbers help. Here are a few that have passed through my head lately

She'll be in the high school class of 2027.

I'll be 56 at her graduation.

In-state college will be about $32,000/year. Private school will be twice that.(Inflation adjusted)

If I save $365/month starting now I might be able to cover 4 years of an in-state school.

My dad, when he was my age, had a 13-year-old daughter and an 11-year-old son.

The ratio of eggs-to-baskets just went from 1:1 to 3:1. (Was two people supported by two paychecks. Now three people on one paycheck.)

When she gets her license The Triumph will be 51 years old. (Luckily, by then, there won't be any gas and all the cars will be DeLoreans powered by "Mr Fusion" so I won't have to worry about her wanting to borrow it.)

This isn't helping.

So, what does this mean for the garage? I'm not sure yet. Certainly it will mean less funds to play with. The track season next year will be shorter (if it exists at all). I might have to give up the Seahawks season tickets. And, if you know anyone in the market for a Mallard TR6, please let me know.

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Stadium

2009-08-23T17:25:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was the first Seahawks home game of the year. A preseason game against the Denver Broncos.

Football season is a mixed bag for me. I love football. There's nothing better to have on the TV while you nap your way through a Sunday. But it also marks the end of the summer. And around here that means the start of a long gray season.

Anyway, here are a few things I learned (or reaffirmed) yesterday:

Segways aren't any cooler when they're branded by Ferrari. I saw one downtown with red fenders and chrome wheels. Sorry, dude, it's still a Segway. (And this is coming from a guy with a Ferrari-branded laptop.)

Clydesdales are ginormous. They're like snorting mountains with hairy hooves. Budweiser had one of their Clydesdale teams at the game. I swear they were over 6 feet at the shoulder.
I'm not a classical music guy, but it's hard to beat an opera singer delivering the national anthem unaccompanied.
Even preseason football is entertaining if the crowd is into it.
Recession or not. People will pay to watch the NFL.
Bleached hair, jeans, boots, and the ability to prop up your drunk boy-friend as he yells at the guy rooting for the visitors seems to be the main criteria for women attending the game.
If you're flushed out of the pocket on 4th and goal from the 2 you eat the ball. Run out of bounds. Throw it incomplete. Dive for the goal line. Do NOT flick it up for grabs in the endzone.
It's okay to leave a pre-season game early.

The sound of a big Healey running through downtown on a summer night is something special. Judging by the look on the drivers face he knows it too.

Why Hast Thou Forsaken Me?

2009-08-02T07:24:00.000-07:00

I have offended the motorcycle gods. Somehow, somewhere, I did something wrong and they became angry and vindictive.

I decided to join SBNW 2009 with a NESBA track event at ORP. Sounded like a good plan: ride the gorge Wed, Thurs, Fri, listen to Reg Pridmore speak, ride Maryhill Loops road, then head to ORP for the weekend. I felt one of the problems I had with the Ducati the last time at ORP was simple unfamiliarity. I hadn't been on it in months. A few hundred twisty miles in the gorge should solve that and I'd be prepared for ORP.

Unfortunately the gods decreed that it was not to be.

During the drive down on Wednesday it was 108. The fairgrounds in Stevenson don't offer air-conditioning or much shade and it was over 95 throughout the week. Riding was pretty much limited to the early morning hours. The afternoon was reserved for Gatorade and sitting in front of the fan wearing a cooling vest.

Friday morning I repeated the route Joe and I had taken at last years SBNW to the Goldendale Observatory. It's *much* better in the daylight. (Although still a little iffy in some spots.) That put me close to Maryhill Loops so, after a quick stop for a 396-oz Double Death Gulp at the local convenience store, I went to wait my turn to ride MHL.

I like the attention that the Ducati gets. I'm not ashamed to admit it. Red, white, green and Italian. It looks good. People, especially motorcycle people, are attracted to it. But, what I don't like is when someone is staring quizzically at my bike then says "Is the tire supposed to look like that?" My front tire, with only 600 miles and one track day under it's belt, was splitting between the bead and the main carcass. Doh!

No MHL for me. I headed back to the fairgrounds hoping to find a tire vendor and a professional opinion. Unfortunately none was to be found. My riding was over for the day. I decided I'd take the bike to ORP Saturday as planned and address the tire there.

Friday afternoon I spent the usual 2-3 hours converting the bike from street to track. Not a fun experience in the heat. In the middle of that project I got a message from Joe who was supposed to come to SBNW that afternoon. "TJ ... I had an accident. ... I think broke my wrist. ... I don't know where the bike is. ... " Luckily, after getting ahold of him (well, sort of, he wasn't entirely conscious) I was convinced that he wasn't calling from a ditch and was in fact in a hospital in Vancouver. Sounds like he'll be okay.

The heat at ORP on Saturday was nasty. There is *no* natural shade unless you're the size of a ground-squirrel. I missed the first session of the day dealing with my tire. (I swapped it out with one I had brought with me.) The 10am session I ended after 3 laps because I wasn't thinking straight. I got a few good lap in the 11am session but the heat wasn't making it fun. I skipped the noon session, and there was a lunch break from 1-2. The 2pm session was 2 laps. I felt good at the start (after the long) but by the middle of the second lap I was losing focus on the task. A quick risk-assessment and it was time to go. I rolled out of the pits by 3pm headed for home.

Two tracks days had been reduced to less than 10 laps. But the bike is still shiny and my leathers are still unscathed. Discretion being the better part of valor and all that.

I thought they were done with me. I had admitted defeat. I was headed for home. Contrite and penitent. But the gods had one more warning, just a parting shot. They decided to trigger the transmission-overheating warning light on the Nitro in the middle of nowhere. "Slow down boy. We may be the motorcycle gods but we're good friends with the tow-vehicle gods too." ... Okay, okay, I guess I can climb the hills at 45.

I have started a repentance plan. I stopped for a biker who had run out of gas on freeway.

Delegation of Power

2009-07-04T06:11:00.000-07:00

I've been on a green kick lately. Replacing bulbs with CFL, looking into solar power (yes, even in Seattle) and a few other things. It's not an attempt to reduce my utility costs (although that's a nice side effect) but to use less power. We use 30-60kWh of electricity per day and that's too much.

But where does it go? 30-60kWh per day means at any given instant I'm using 1250-2500 watts of electricity. ... 2500 watts. That's a crapload of power.

Being a geek I need numbers. I bought a Kill-A-Watt from Amazon for about $25. It's exactly what I need. It measures the power consumption of a single outlet. Plug it in, plug an appliance into it, let it collect data for awhile, then move it to measure something else. It'll take some time to get all the data I want but here's what I found so far:

A/C. We have a wall A/C unit in the bedroom we use for maybe 10 days/year. It draws an average of about 450 watts on the days we run it. That's alot but not a surprise. Since we use it so rarely I doubt this contributes much to our yearly average consumption.
Office PC. Our main computer is almost always on and is a pretty hefty PC but I had no idea it draws 250 watts. Even when it drops into sleep mode and kills the monitors it's still sucking 180 watts.
Garage fridge. I figured this would be a beast. It's a cheap full-sized fridge we bought about 4 years ago. But I guess it's pretty well insulated. 28 watt average.
Dehumidifier. I live in Seattle, I have metal toys, rust sucks. So a dehumidifier seemed like a good idea. I should have guessed since it functions much like an A/C but I was shocked to see it draws an average of 375 watts. And since it's on all the time so far this looks like our big offender.

I'm still checking a few other things like the other PCs in the house, the stereo, the instant-hot-water tap, the home theater. I'd really like to find some other power hog. Even turning down the dehumidifier gives me the willies.

Just Waiting

2009-06-22T20:50:00.000-07:00

I found a near-perfect track trip:
- Sunday and Monday : travel 1100 miles
- Tuesday and Wednesday : track days at Streets of Willow
- Thursday : travel 250 miles
- Friday : Vegas baby!
- Saturday and Sunday : track days at Pahrump
- Sunday night : travel 650 miles
- Monday and Tuesday : track days at Thunderhill
- Wednesday : travel 700 miles
- Thursday : fall down in my own bed
Well, okay, maybe 650 miles in a night between track days isn't really feasible. But it still looks like fun on paper. Unfortunately it's in early October and I doubt I'll be allowed out of the house then.

My friend John is buying an oxy-acetylene welding rig. (He and I took the welding class a few months ago.) Personally I'd opt for a MiG but his needs are different from mine. Regardless, I'm hoping to mooch some fire-time from him once he gets setup.

Project #1: a tripod bench for a vise.

FIRE!

Hello? Is There Anybody Out There?

2009-06-15T23:36:00.000-07:00

Two track days at ORP this weekend.

Apparently the track day crowd is out of money or got lost on the way to the track. There was hardly anyone there. A typical track day has about 100 riders. Saturday there were 21. Sunday there might have been 23.

That's rough for NESBA's finances but it makes for a nice open track.

I couldn't find anyone to split the gas and hotel costs so I decided to bring both bikes. (I figured if I got there early enough on Friday I'd take a ride on the Triumph.) Turns out it was a good plan. The Ducati was a pain in the first track session on Saturday. I just couldn't sort anything out. So I quickly converted the Triumph and took it out for a few sessions. Hoping to find a clue.

It worked well. The Triumph is alot easier to pilot. The ergonomics suit someone of my ... um ... magnitude a little better. Or maybe I'm just more used to it. The Ducati was out in the afternoon Saturday and I split time between the bikes on Sunday as well.

Based on the videos from May I was turning laps in about 2:18 on the Triumph. That's me, in charge, thinking I know what I'm doing, going to the whip.

Based on the data collected this weekend I was turning laps in about 2:18 on the Ducati. That's me, scared out of my friggin mind, hoping to survive, trying the rein the bike in.

I guess I need some more practice.

Down On All Fours

2009-05-30T16:30:00.000-07:00

It's a beautiful day and I want to go out.

The Suzuki needs a tune-up (again). The Daytonas battery died (not sure why). The Ducati is still dressed for the track.

Luckily I have backup for the backup for the backup. I have toys with four wheels.

After a little time on the battery charger (and a little time under the hose) the Green Machine was declared road-worthy. (Okay, yes dad, you're right. No 30+ year-old car is road-worthy. Particularly one made at a British factory more famous for labor strife than efficiency. But, hey, I work with what I've got. It starts, it turns, it even stops. That equals "road-worthy".)

I decided to try the route I took Monday on the bike. (Minus the mud-pushing.) Ignore the moronic path between F and G. Google Maps is missing some data I guess.

View Larger Map

Every time I ride the Suzuki I'm amazed at how pleasant it is. Much more relaxed, much more like a weekend should be.

The same was true today except an order of magnitude bigger. I was going a robust 32 mph but it sure felt good. Top down, no helmet, no heavy leather jacket, same twisty road. I could even carry a refreshing beverage.

...

I think this four-wheels-with-a-motor thing might just catch on.

Feeling a Little Loopy

2009-05-25T18:03:00.000-07:00

Saturday Duane and I went out for a nice long motorcycle tour. The freeway sections were a little rough but overall a nice way to burn most of the day:

View Larger Map

Monday I wanted to do some focused wandering. My intent was to go up Paradise Lake Rd (I had heard it was pretty nice) and investigate a few minor variations on my typical weekend ride. The plan was:

View Larger Map
Unfortunately, Google Maps doesn't mention that

Most of the roads are unmarked
Many were dirt or unmaintained.
And some are permanently blocked.

Oh well. I suppose it's good exercise pushing your bike around gates and through mud. And I did see some interesting scenery.

Fake Right, Go Left

2009-05-19T17:07:00.000-07:00

Back to Oregon Raceway Park over the weekend. Two full days. Exciting stuff. I even considered bringing the Ducati since I knew the track a little.

The weather forecast was "Sat: 80, sunny, no wind" "Sun: 85, sunny, no wind". How can you beat that?

By Saturday afternoon the track and I had come to a mutually-acceptable agreement: I'd accelerate over blind hills and the track would agree not to move between laps. Wonderfully efficient. I was feeling good, moving well, not scaring myself nearly as often as usual. I think I may have even passed someone.

Sunday morning I was back and ready to pick up where I left off.

Then came the word: "Today we're going to ride the track in other direction." ... Dammit! Back to square one. A whole new set of blind rises and corners. I was so slow I switched to the beginner group Sunday afternoon (partly to have more space since there were 1/2 as many bikes in that group).

I wasn't the only one struggling. Sunday was pretty rough all around. There were more than a few downed bikes. The ambulance had to respond twice. (Once for an on-track incident, once for a spectator that collapsed in the heat.) Happily everyone was fine but it was hard to get into any sort of rhythm. I'm sure glad I didn't bring the Ducati.

Here's a lap from Saturday. (It's similar to the lap from April with more of the motion-sickness inducing aspects that I know both of my readers crave):

Here's a nearly traffic-free lap from Sunday afternoon:

Random Odds + Ends

2009-05-03T21:11:00.000-07:00

ORP (well, actually the dirt road leading to ORP) highlighted some problems. Everything inside the trailer was covered in dust. So I spent the week taking apart the interior and trying to reseal it. We'll see how successful I was in a couple weeks.

I ran out of batteries to power the camera too. Thought it would be easy to tap into the bike for power but the fuse I pull to disable the headlights also disables the tail lights, turn signals, and license plate light. I'll need to poke around and find a switchable source that's easy to get to and not effected by that fuse.

My cousin is off on his road trip.

I'm still planning to go back to ORP in a couple weeks. I'm waiting for the weather forecast before signing up and getting a hotel.

BTW, if you're ever in need of breakfast in The Dalles Oregon, I suggest stopping by the Country Cousin Inn. Get a cinnamon roll. Fresh basked and as big as your head!

First Day at ORP

2009-04-27T05:56:00.000-07:00

Saturday I was at the newly opened Oregon Raceway Park. The track is more construction zone than finished product. The in-field is dirt, the last 3 miles of road leading to the track is dirt, there's no power, no water. In the afternoon when the wind and dust kicked up the visibility dropped to zero. A few sessions were cut short and I called it a day around 2pm.

But the track surface itself was in place. And early in the day the weather was nearly perfect. Here's a video of one of the early laps:

It definitely has some interesting sections. Lots of blind areas where you have to remember where the track went last lap and hope it hasn't moved since. Once they sort out dirt control (grass in-field, added curbing) it should be a great track.

Things Change

2009-03-29T16:46:00.000-07:00

Yeah, it's been awhile since I posted. 'Life', it's what happens when you have other plans.

Big changes are on the horizon for the garage-life. My wife is expecting our first child in September. (Thank you. And, to the smart-ass in the peanut gallery: keep your 'condolences' to yourself.)

One of the biggest questions I've been asked is: "When are you going to sell the motorcycles?" And the answer to that is "I'm not, unless I run out of money." My wife is okay with the bikes, and I confine my true craziness to the track where it's comparatively safe. So the bikes and toy cars are staying.

However, that doesn't mean things will be unchanged. First, it means my wife will take some time away from work and that means less disposable income and that means fewer track days. Second, it means fewer trips. (She has some funny notion that I shouldn't go to an out-of-state event on Sept 29/30 if she's due on Sept 25th. ?!?! Women.) Third, the garage layout needs to change. I have to move everything out of the guestroom (helmets, leathers, boots, etc) to make room for BabyX. Right now I'm planning to get one of these to handle the storage.

I'm sure a whole lot else will change too, but we'll handle that as it comes up.

Hotter Than the Surface of the Sun

2009-02-12T19:15:00.000-08:00

For those of you who are also Seattle-ites: "Sun" is a yellow point-source of light and heat in the sky. No, no. That horizon-wide, mildly glowing, gray thing is not "Sun" that's what meteorologists call "a bad place to live".

My welding class is now about half over. This week we were introduced to the plasma cutter. Possibly the coolest thing ever. The plasma is about 16000 degrees and the cut is about 1/16". You can almost write your name in steel with it.

I made, then messed up, then repaired, then almost destroyed my first project (a metal box) this week. But now it's time to move on to another project. ... Any suggestions?

Playing with Fire

2009-01-16T20:07:00.000-08:00

Tuesday I started a welding class. The course is offered by Pratt Fine Arts Center. As you might guess from the name I'm the lowly laborer in a room full of artists. The class began with introductions.

The other students: "I want to incorporate steel into my wood-working art." "I need to make metal molds for my glass blowing." "I want to learn to braze my custom jewelry."

Me: "Uh, I want to weld stuff."

The first class was filled with safety lessons and introductions to the equipment. But near the end we did get a chance to light the oxy-acetylene torch and "weld" some scrap.

Mom will be happy to know I still have all my fingers.

The American Dream

2009-01-12T19:10:00.000-08:00

"A chicken in every pot, a car in every garage"? Uh, no. Sorry Herbert, guess again. A single car?! Don't be ridiculous.

"Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness"? Eh, not bad. How about more feeling.

"Free at last! free at last! thank God Almighty, we are free at last!"? Well, yeah, that's pretty much it.

My American Dream is ... "To be a motorized hobo." (I know, I know, a Reverend-King-quality orator I'll never be.)

To reduce my life to a small bag, toss it on a bike or in a car trunk, and go. Anywhere. Everywhere. Sleep when you're tired, eat when you're hungry. If you're bored move on, if it looks interesting stay a few more days.

12 years ago I took a small trip that might fit that description. 4 weeks and 6600 miles in a TR6 with no real plan to speak of. It's one of the best months of my life.

I'm happy (and more than a little jealous) that my cousin is headed out on a much larger hobo-trip in the Spring. So far his plan seems to be "See people. Go places. Come home when the money runs out."

Sounds like a solid strategy to me.

Snow, and Why No Sane Person Likes It

2009-01-08T18:18:00.001-08:00

Yesterday I was victimized by snow.

Again.

I guess the Snow God didn't think bursting two water pipes and taking half of my vacation days was enough.

Of course, being an idiot, I figured the Snow God had been vanquished. It was, after all, over 50 degrees and had been for several days. In my 6 years as a physics major at Caltech I'm pretty sure someone said something about the melting point of snow being much lower than 50 degrees. But hey, that's just scientists blathering, what do they know?

How does one become the victim of snow when it's over 50 degrees? Well...

1. Start with some snow. Alot of snow.
2. Mix in cars that can't handle the snow.
3. Add tire chains.
4. Take your newly chained-up car onto a freeway.
5. Drive until the chains snap off.
6. Wait patiently until it's raining like Niagara when TJ will come by, run over the chain fragments, and blow a tire.

Tada!

Wasn't that fun?

On the plus side, I do highly recommend a remote tire pressure monitor. They come in handy occasionally.

Don't Look Down

2008-12-22T09:11:00.000-08:00

Okay, stay focused on the long-term. Don't think about the short-term. Plan for the summer not the winter. Ignore the snow and frozen pipes. Don't look down.

Most of the track day groups have published their 2009 schedules. Here's a possible schedule for next year:

Trip 1 : Miller Motorsports Park
- April 25 (Sat) - APEX
- April 27 (Mon) - STAR
- April 28 (Tues) - STAR
Trip 2 : Oregon Raceway Park
- May 23 (Sat) - 2Fast
- May 24 (Sun) - 2Fast
Local : Pacific Raceways
- July 8 (Wed) - 2Fast
Trip 3 : Oregon Raceway Park
- August 15 (Sat) - 2Fast
- August 16 (Sun) - 2Fast
Trip 4 : Portland International Raceway
- September 29 (Tues) - STAR
- September 30 (Wed) - STAR
Trip 5 : Chuckwalla
- December 4 (Fri) - STAR
- December 5 (Sat) - STAR
- December 6 (Sun) - STAR

That's an aggressive schedule for me. 13 track days is more than I've ever done in a year (I attended 11 in 2008). And 5 out-of-state trips is 4 more than I've taken since 2002. But ORP and Portland are only a few hours away so it's doable.

Unless, of course, I'm snowed in, or have water problems, or lose power, or become a victim of any of the other weather-related fiascoes Seattle seems to enjoy.

Trip the Light Craptastic

2008-12-18T12:12:00.000-08:00

I'm at home today. Not entirely by choice.

This does not suit the motorcycle/convertible lifestyle that I aspire to.

As a PSA: if you have a track bike (or any liquid-cooled engine that doesn't contain glycol) you might want to drain it. Cracked cylinder heads are a pain. My guys now have a small space heater keeping them company in the garage.

Dear Santa...

2008-12-11T20:55:00.000-08:00

It happens from time to time. I get bored then I get distracted. I start to think about the possibilities. The numbers. I'm a geek, that's what I do. And it's the holidays so it's somewhat fitting to put together a little wishlist.

What do I mean? The $207M lottery jackpot of course.

I'm a practical guy. Well, except for the British roadsters and the Ducati, and the belief that no one ever build *exactly* what I want so I have to buy it then modify it. Or wait 4 years for someone to make just what I need. I mean, really! What's the problem? Am I asking too much? ... Wait, where was I? Oh right, practical. But $207M is plenty to be practical and have a little fun. Right?

A few new toys in the garage would be okay. (Heck, probably a whole new garage!)

I'd need the basics:

Plus something a little unusual:

And maybe something very unusual:

(The doors slide forward into the fenders?!)

The Ferrari and the Ariel would clearly need to spend time on the track. So I need a way to get *to* the track. I hate flying. So maybe a nice motorcoach? This one should do:

It's only $2.1M.

It's a simple list, I'm a simple guy. Now, all I need are 6 good numbers and $1.

Dark at 4:30pm?!

2008-12-02T17:50:00.000-08:00

As much as the long summer days are great, the short winter ones stink. Sometimes a week will go buy when I don't see my house in the daylight.

Some of the 2009 track day schedules have been posted. I'm still waiting for a schedule from STAR and NESBA. But 2-Fast and Keigwins have posted schedules, as well as a few others.

The most intriguing date thus far? Keigwins has the full track at Miller on June 13th + 14th. I'm a little intimidated by some of the long straights of that track but the surface and facilities are first-rate. With some luck one of the other motorcycle groups will get the Friday before or the Monday after and make the drive worth it.

Still hoping for an early date to start the season. STAR at Spring Mountain in February sure would be nice.

Does It Come With A "Mr Fusion"?

2008-11-16T18:57:00.001-08:00

The wife and I were on the way to dinner last night when we came upon on oddity for Seattle: an interesting car, over 10 years old, outside of its garage between October and June. ... Rust is a bitch.

In this case it was a DeLorean DMC-12.

I'm not a huge fan of DeLorean. But, the combination of the gull-wings, stainless steel body, and Back To The Future makes it somewhat interesting.

Much to my surprise Anandi expressed some interest in one. I doubt we'd ever actually shell out $20k for one but owning a novelty car is fun to think about.

As a side note: on the way back from the game today I saw another classic car (Okay, okay. Relax. Maybe the DeLorean isn't a classic but this one really is). A Morgan Plus 4. It looked well loved and well worn. New top and skirts and tires, but well worn paint, some rust and some scars. All-in-all a nice honest car. Kudos to whoever owns it and actually uses it.

New Sandbox To Play In

2008-11-16T09:41:00.000-08:00

Woot! Oregon Raceway Park is opening for business in 2009. At least one local track group is already on their schedule.

Personally I wish the track were more "technical" and less "horse-power" but it's still good to have another pseudo-local track option.

ORP isn't far from the Columbia River Gorge where the SBNW event was held a few months ago. It could make for an interesting motorcycle trip where a day or two on the track is combined with a day or two riding around The Gorge. ... Maybe I can talk Joe into making the trip.

Just Some Random Notes

2008-11-02T07:47:00.000-08:00

Despite my better judgement I've been wandering around Facebook for a few weeks. (I'm testing a theory: I think I'm just as anti-social online as I am in person.) Despite not being in Facebooks target demographic since I don't have an iPhone covered in pink glitter and a Hello Kitty backpack I do occasionally run into a nugget of good stuff.

Like World Class Driving. I don't know much about them but they'll be in town twice in 2009. Might be worth a look.

I'm still stalking the motorcycle track day websites. The schedule for 2-Fast is up. All mid-week dates as usual. Their performance last year impressed me so I'll make an effort to ride with them again in 2009. Unfortunately they only run at Pacific Raceways and the weather there is hit-or-miss until June. So I'm still looking for good early season dates.

I did run across this and this. I guess I'll scratch Fast Freddy off the list for the time being.

Also from Facebook I learned that there might be a 20-year reunion for my high school in the Spring. I'm trying to figure out
1) is it worth going?
b) what else I might combine in the trip?
iii) should I drive The Triumph down?

3500 miles in a TR6 is rough. On the driver, on the car, on the passenger, on the guy behind you inhaling burnt oil. But PCH in May in a convertible is achingly appealing.

Economic Downturn

2008-10-16T20:13:00.000-07:00

I have no money. Alot of my no money is invested in stocks. And that no money is really turning into no money lately.

How do I respond? I go virtual window shopping. Perhaps someone else took a financial hit recently as well. Because they gave up a very nice toy.

$875,000? That's not completely crazy for todays values. But with a little foresight you could have had Clint Eastwoods for about 1/2 the price.

I'm Not Going to Make It

2008-10-15T21:52:00.000-07:00

It's only been a week and I'm already stalking all of the motorcycle track day websites hoping they've published their 2009 schedules. STAR? Nope. APEX? Nope. NESBA? Nope. 2-Fast? Nope.

Everyday.

...

Gotta go, maybe one's been published while I was writing this.

I Give Up

2008-10-08T21:11:00.000-07:00

Today was the day.

All hope is gone.

There's really no point in prolonging the inevitable.

I need to face the facts and get on with my life.

That's right, today I gave up on the riding/convertible season.

It's been raining since we got back from Canada. It'll be raining until two teaser days in March (which will, of course, be mid-week or on a weekend when I'm out of town) then won't really stop until mid-June. ... I know what you're thinking and I totally agree: no sane person would put up with this.

What does giving up on the season look like? It looks like cleaning up the garage. Actually putting things where they belong (instead of putting things somewhere convenient). All of the trackday stuff went into boxes. The tools came out of the portable boxes and go back to their permanent spots. Bikes get stuffed into corners and covered with sheets.

It's a sad day.

But nature abhors a vacuum. As riding/convertible season leaves it makes room for ... ... WRENCHING SEASON!!!

The wrenching list includes paint, electrical, gadgetry, cars, bikes, even some work on the garage itself. ... That's alot. I'm tired just thinking about it. Maybe I should start with a nap instead.

Canadian Lessons

2008-10-01T18:04:00.000-07:00

Things I learned in or about Canada in roughly chronological order:

1km = .624 miles. When the sign says "80" it means "50".

1 liter = .2642 gallons. "$1.39" = $5/gallon.

Sometimes the valet admits it.

You can tour Canadian construction zones (at least in Whistler).

The Olympics will be much bigger in 2010 than they were in 1988.

There's alot of untouched wilderness in Canada.

Canadians are serious about hockey.

The CFL is not the NFL minor-leagues.

Peanut doesn't care. It's his house now and you better let him sleep.

Canadian political ads suck too.

Goats are not afraid of traffic.

The Nitro has passing power.

It's easier to enter Canada than the U.S.

Canadians understand "Keep right except to pass". Seattlites do not.

I think "Seattle" is Chinook-Indian for "The rain starts at the city limits."

Great White North - Done

2008-09-30T17:44:00.000-07:00

Just returned from a driving trip through Canada. I'll post some pictures as soon as I get up the energy to get them off the camera. But here are the highlights:

2220 miles (20.7 mpg)

5 days driving up to Bonnyville Alberta

1.5 days driving back

Here's roughly the route we took.

The roads between Vancouver and Whistler were awful. (Construction in preparation for the 2010 Olympics.) And from Whistler to Lillooet was even worse but without the hope for improvement. Other than that the driving was great.

Fade to Black

2008-09-12T20:30:00.000-07:00

Another track weekend (Friday and Saturday anyway). This is the last one for me this season, I promise.

Odd day.

Unloaded the Daytona and found it had a completely flat rear tire. Couldn't find out where it was punctured. Inflated it. It was fine. Thought about using it but it gave me the heebie-jeebies so I replaced both tires. ("New tires: $220. Replacing motorcycle plastics: $2000. Avoiding a blow-out at 130mph: priceless.")

Rode the Daytona all day. (Why not? It has new tires.) Felt good. Felt fast. I was looking forward to figuring out my laptimes. (I use the video recording for that.) Unfortunately my camera batteries were fading and I recorded about an hour of black and silence. ... Or maybe I was faster than light and sound! Yeah! That must be it!

Guess I need to add that to the list of off-season motorcycle tasks:
- Wire the camera into the motorcycle power.

TJ Regresses

2008-09-07T17:44:00.000-07:00

Track weekend.

Saturday started well on the Daytona. Saturday ended poorly on the Ducati.

It was sort of like a baby eating ice cream: messy, loud, all-over-the-place. In some places I was too fast, in others too slow. In an attempt to get more free track I dropped down to the Beginner session where there were fewer bikes. ... At least if I ride like crap I won't stand out as much...

I decided the bike-switch was part of the problem so Sunday I stuck with the Ducati. I'm very proud of my Ducati. It's a nice toy. I like to show it off. It's usually good for some attention and compliments.

Unfortunately on Sunday the guy in the next pit over brought a Desmosedici. (For those not up on your Ducati models, imagine going to a horse race where someone brought a unicorn. A very fast unicorn.) Oh well. At least he's in the Beginner group so I'm not on the absolute top of the $-per-mph curve.

Fantasy Football Anonymous

2008-09-03T08:03:00.000-07:00

TJ: "Hi, my name is TJ and I'm addicted to fantasy football."
Group: "Hi TJ"

Statistics + football + Sundays. How can that not be a perfect combination for a numbers geek? Last night was our draft. 12 football fans in a room with pizza and beer all trying to decide whether to draft some unknown 3rd-string rookie running-back or a kicker in the 13th round. Good fun.

My post-draft analysis says I have the strongest team. ... My post-draft analysis *always* says I have the strongest team. Yet I always end up 7-7 and get booted in the first round of the playoffs.

My current starting line-up:

QB - Drew Brees
RB - Ladainan Tomlinson
RB - Earnest Graham
WR - Andre Johnson
WR - Chad Johnson
PK - Mason Crosby
DEF/ST - Chicago Bears

Remember, there are a whopping 4 prime-time games this week:

Thursday - Redskins v Giants
Sunday night - Bears v Colts
Monday night - Vikings v Packers
Monday night - Broncos v Raiders

Some Pics from SBNW

2008-08-31T09:24:00.001-07:00

I met this fellow at the Mt St Helens overlook. He was coming from Vancover. Before that Nova Scotia. His next stops: California, Pennsylvania and Texas (in that order). Then where? Argentina followed by a cargo ship to Cape Town then North back home to Ireland! Seriously. He's expecting to take 2 years to do it.

I was tired having just ridden a few hours through Washington.

The bike garage was a nice little show on it's own. This is only about 1/3 of it:

If I were to get into the motorcycle touring life I think my weapon of choice would be a Victory Vision. At first I thought it was hideous. The it started growing on me. Now that I've seen one in person it looks pretty slick.

Northern Oregon is pretty empty, but I can see why people like it anyway.

Gorgeous Gorge

2008-08-24T15:59:00.000-07:00

Got a bike? Sportbike, tourer, cruiser, Schwinn, it doesn't matter. If you have a bike you should take it to the Columbia River Gorge. If you live in Seattle I suggest heading down the East side of Mt Rainer. Make a side trip up Route 99 to the Mt St Helens viewpoint.

There are many great rides around the Gorge. Joe and I chose Mosier Loop Saturday morning. Beautiful rolling hills, clean asphalt, no traffic. But be prepared for bicyclists. Pay special attention around Rowena Crest:

Saturday night we went up to Goldendale Observatory. We took the SBNW-suggested route on the way up. The route was great, unfortunately we left late and some of the roads lacked reflective striping, shoulders, or edge markers. ... I think the headlights on the Daytona are just for show. We took a less interesting but quicker route on the way back.

I'll add more about the trip later. (Still recovering from the saddle fatigue.)

Useless, Overpriced, Crap that I Must Have

2008-08-20T17:35:00.000-07:00

My wife and I have different views on money. ... Well, I guess it's the same view: money is for spending. But the difference is what to spend it on and when.

I'm a planner. I like to stalk the things I want, make sure they're the right. "Is this the best price? Will it do what I want? Where will I put it? If I lose my sense of smell because of a freak mold attack is this still the one I'd choose?" You know, the vital questions.

My wife? Not so much. "Hey look, that's nice." Two days later UPS is delivering 4 of them and we still don't really know what they do.

I'm sure the best process is somewhere in between.

Here's some stuff I might buy if I were more impulsive.

I need a place to prop my feet up and relax:

It's nice to stretch out and watch TV:

I'll need a clock so I don't miss "Top Gear":

If the guys come over they'll need chairs and a table for their drinks:

(BTW, total cost would be about $6400.)

The Car Is A Star

2008-08-15T20:32:00.000-07:00

I was watching Law & Order today. (It's what I do, come home, sit on the floor with the dogs, eat my lunch and watch TV. Everyday. I call it my comfort zone, others call it a rut.) Today's episode was "Amends" from 2000. I've seen it about 83 times and the only thing I remember is... the bad guy drove a TR6.

The villains getaway car in "Three Men and a Baby" was a TR6.
An episode of Columbo includes a TR6 as the murder weapon.

Are all TR6s on TV and in the movies driven by villains? Hmmm. Sounds like a question for the modern Oracle at Delphi. The keeper of all of mans knowledge. The most magnificent: INTERNET!

A quick search found:

Triumph Cars in Movies and on TV

Minnesota Triumphs Sports Car Club A short list, but their "Jokes About British Cars" might be worth a read.

IMCDB.org A valiant effort at a car-centric IMDB.com but they fall a little short.

One Big Circle and Lots of Little Circles

2008-08-13T18:13:00.000-07:00

Big Circle:

I signed up for SBNW 2008. A friend, who has a bike much more appropriate to covering distance, suggested it. I'll give it a try. I've done 500 mile days before but this is my first foray into motorcycle camping. I bought a tent and a sleeping bag. For storage I just have a makeshift tail pack. Hopefully it's enough. (Hopefully I'll remember to bring the camera.)

Because of the "edits" to fit luggage I've decided to take the Daytona. It now has a passenger seat and pegs for the first time in 8 years. ... I was surprised I could find them.

Little Circles:

I signed up for track days Sept 6, 7, and 13. Might add the 14th but right now I'm planning to go to the Seahawks / 49ers game.

The Modern Garagthon

2008-08-10T10:30:00.000-07:00

I enjoy the Olympics. Here's the Life In The Garage pentathlon

1) Oil change. Contestants judged by how clean their hands are at the end.
2) Tool find. Where's that tool? You had it 15 seconds ago now it's nowhere to be found.
3) Trailer power lift. You loaded the bikes before hooking the trailer to the truck. Now what?
4) Musical vehicles. The bike you want to work on is stuffed in a corner, it's raining outside. Move the cars and bikes around without getting them wet.
5) Couch avoidance. You have $73. You just bought a motorized toy that costs... much more. Explain it to your spouse.

Random Notes

2008-08-06T21:24:00.000-07:00

Just a few things from today:

- Brett Favre was traded by the Packers. Bummer, I thought I might get some crazy Cheesehead to overpay for my tickets when the Packers are in town.

- I paid off the Ducati. I borrowed the money from our joint account so I'm not really out of debt. I just have a much nicer loan officer.

- Brett Favre was picked up by the Jets. Cool, maybe some crazy New York fan will overpay for my tickets when the Jets are in town.

Truck Meets Trailer

2008-08-02T23:04:00.000-07:00

Dammit.

I dented the trailer this week.
I dented the Nitro this week.
I did it in one shot.
I did it in my own driveway.

----------

Step right up! Step right up! Don't be shy! Be the first person on your block to see The Amazing Trailer Idiot in person!

Watch him open the tailgate!
Watch him unhook the trailer!
You'll be amazed as he pulls the trailer by hand unwittingly running it into the corner of the tailgate!
All without a clue!
But wait! Any Trailer Idiot could do that. But The Amazing Trailer Idiot can also ... please ma'am maybe the children shouldn't hear this...
That's right! He'll lower the tongue jack while they're still in contact! It's shocking! Horrendous! The most gruesome of shows! But you won't be able to look away as he puts a 6" dent in the trailer and a 6" curl in the tailgate!

----------

I'm not going to bother fixing the trailer.

The tailgate was functional. It was just cosmetic. I used a couple of boards and some clamps to bend it back closer to it's original shape. It's not perfect but it's acceptable. ... At least to a trailer idiot.

Football, Favre, Funds

2008-07-29T23:15:00.000-07:00

So what's the deal with this Favre guy? I mean really, is he playing, is he retiring, is he playing for someone else? These are serious questions with serious implications.

Green Bay is coming to Seattle this year.

I have Seahawks season tickets.

How will I know how much I can sell them for if I don't know if Favre is playing?

I know, I know. If I were a "real football fan" I wouldn't sell the tickets I'd go to every game, paint my face blue and green, and sleep at the stadium. Right, I totally agree. But season tickets aren't cheap. Sure, there are only 10 games (8 regular season and 2 preseason games that the NFL money machine forces every season ticket holder to buy. ... C'mon! Can't you stick it to Fox or ESPN for the extra money?!) but it's still pricey. And this year the cost crossed a psychological boundary that forces some reassessment.

In addition to the usual NFC West suspects this season we host
- Chicago Bears (pre-season)
- Oakland Raiders (pre-season)
- Green Bay Packers
- Philadelphia Eagles
- Washington Redskins
- New England Patriots
- New York Jets

What does this have to do with the garage? ... It's FOOTBALL!!! (If you have to ask, nevermind.)

No Sessions? No Problem!

2008-07-29T07:04:00.001-07:00

A big thumbs up for the NESBA "Skills Enhancement Day" Monday. (Instead of Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced groups each using the track for 20-minute sessions, an SED is made up of a single group and an open track. You enter and exit the track whenever you want.) I was nervous about this approach. I wasn't sure riders would recognize their own fatigue. I don't want to ride with someone trying to squeeze out one continuous 4-hour session.

I was wrong. Riders were more courteous than usual and I believe there were fewer incidents.

Despite a late start, and one long disruption for an oil spill, I was able to find more time than usual. And, more importantly, it was higher quality track time.

I'd ride for 15 minutes, then rest for 20. ... That sounds more structured than it was. My system was more like "Rest when I'm tired. Ride when I'm not tired." Sort of the strategy Peanut takes. "Where and when does Peanut sleep? Wherever and whenever he's tired." ... Dogs are smarter than they look.

Did I get any faster Monday? Eh, who knows. I had a good time so I don't really care. I'd pay extra for a track day like that again.

Garagapalooza

2008-07-26T20:23:00.000-07:00

Big doings in Garagetown this weekend.

The day started with a trip to Lynnwood to pick up my 955i. I decided that the hiccups and the preceding 3 years were sufficient reason to take it to a dealer to have it checked out.

Then I went to the All British Field Meet. (Since I'm not too bright I forgot to bring a camera.) I noticed a few things:
a) "Free event" does not mean "free parking"
2) Old British cars are mostly owned by middle-aged men. The most common phrase heard all day: "I wanted one when I was in high school. When I saw this one for sale I couldn't resist."
iii) The size of the crowd was inversely proportional to the cost of the car. This wasn't universal but new expensive cars (like an Aston Martin DB9) were definitely less popular than the old cheap ones (like a road weary MGB).
4) Swap meet sellers either expect alot of haggling or don't understand the difference between "I'd like to have this part" and "my car is a giant useless planter box without this part and you have the only one in the free world".

ABFM was much bigger than I expected. Probably 150-200 show cars from just about every British make you can think of. (At least 50 Triumphs.) And most were not from Washington. Alot of Oregonians and Canadians. It was a casual comfortable event. 20% of the owners were sitting with their cars and were more than happy to chat about them. [Insert reference to middle-aged men and their toys here.]

The number of cars for sale was smaller. Maybe 50 total. Five TR6s. From a complete but trailered project car ($5200) to a restored but not perfect drivers car ($18200). Comparing them makes me think the money to fix the cosmetics of my green one would pay off. ... Assuming anyone actually sells the cars near the asking price.

On the way out of the show I found my next car. Well, maybe not, but I'd certainly like to find a way to get one in my garage. A Bentley Speed 6. Cars from that era are just ginormous in every sense. But this one somehow incorporated "elegant" and "sporty" with "massive". The owner claimed it drove well and covers 2400 miles/year. He also said it isn't difficult to maintain. Good to hear since the buy-in to the Speed 6 club is probably deep into the 6-figures.

So that was Saturday.

Sunday will also be filled with garage-centric activities because I have a track day on Monday.
- Take the 955i out for a little test ride. Why? Because I just don't trust dealers and I'd rather find a problem at 15mph than at 115mph.
- Pack up the trailer.
- Get the Ducati ready. (Where did I leave that data collection widget? Oh yes, it's behind the couch where I threw it after it called me a chicken last time.)
- Get all the supporting stuff together. Like gas, food, shade, tools, etc.

Great White North

2008-07-23T21:07:00.000-07:00

We're headed to Canada. Why? Dunno. Maybe Anandi thinks the weather is too nice here so we're going to find snow. After some negotiation we've picked a week in September that doesn't interfere with anything important ("important" = "Seahawks home games" + "track days"). We'll load the dogs into the Nitro and head to Cold Lake Alberta.

I'm looking forward to it. We used to go on road trips pretty regularly. (Because Vegas was only 6 hours from Tucson.) Adding the dogs we'll change things a bit but it should be good. We'll spend 4-5 days driving out, 2-3 days in Cold Lake, then 2 days driving back. That will give us plenty of time to stop and smell the ... well ... Canadians I guess.

Vroom Vroom Oops

2008-07-18T22:06:00.002-07:00

I meant to post this earlier but forgot. It's from my last track day at Pacific Raceways. It's not all that different from previous videos but I like to bring down the SNR of the internet just like everyone else so I figured 32MB of useless drivel was a good idea. (Later I'll post 700MB of our dogs wandering around the living room.)

Near the end some one passes me then low-sides. The accident wasn't that bad, the rider was fine and the bike was repairable, but it shows how quickly things can get out of hand. As a point of reference, his speed was probably 50-60mph when he went down.

This Looks Like a Job For Trailer Man!

2008-07-17T07:26:00.000-07:00

Two days, two bike retrievals.

Tuesday someone at work had his scooter crap out during his lunch hour. He found a spot to leave it and caught the bus back to work. I volunteered to go pick it up for him in the evening.

Wednesday I helped another guy pick up a bike he'd just bought. (A 1973 Honda 350/4 that has been converted to a cafe-style.) It can be a pain in the butt to squeeze that trailer through the streets of Capitol Hill.

Hopefully soon I can add a third retrieval: my Daytona from the dealership.

Go forth and tell all that you see...

2008-07-12T10:26:00.000-07:00

Summer is here, summer is here!

The 15-day forecast (what a laugh, as if the 2-day forecast was more than 50% correct) calls for sunny days with highs between 71 and 76. Add nearly 16 hours of daylight and it's hard to beat.

(Yes, yes. I know I complain about the weather here all the time. and 9 months out of the year it really and truly is depressing. But I don't think there's a place in the country that has better weather than Seattle in the Summer. ... Now if I can just figure out how to be in Seattle in the summer and Tucson the rest of the year...)

Beautiful sunny Saturday and what's my plan? ... Motorcycles you say? Of course! ... But maybe not riding them. The Daytona is in for service (to cure the hiccups). The Ducati is dressed for the track. That leaves the Suzuki which won't start. So my plan for the day is chasing down electrical gremlins. [sarcasm] My favorite! [/sarcasm]

A Pig in a Poke?

2008-07-07T20:50:00.000-07:00

I may have bought a pig in a poke. The green TR6 has revealed a few more ... indiscretions.

The "broken antenna mount" wasn't really broken. It wasn't really a mount. It was someones home-brew modification. Someone just drilled a hole in the body and stuck the antenna through it.

A slightly asymmetric bumper turned out to be a crushed mount. No damage to the bumper but now I'm curious what other stuff is warped behind it.

The All British Field Meet is coming July 26th. Maybe I'll find some help for some of this.

Or better yet, an indiscriminate buyer looking for a small pig.

Bawk! Bawk, Bawk, Bawk!

2008-06-30T19:48:00.000-07:00

I'm a chicken. A six-foot-one, two-hundred-mumble-mumble pound, chicken. Really and truly a chicken. Trust me, I have the data, I can prove it.

This weekend I was at the track. I brought both bikes. The Daytona has a camera system so I have some decent pictures of me pretending not to be a chicken. Unfortunately the Daytona had some troubles and I switched to the Ducati. The Ducati has a data collection system. And, apparently, one of the data points it captures is "Is Rider a Chicken? (Yes/No)". And it came back a definite yes.

Here's about 2 1/2 minutes of data:

The top graph is speed. The middle graph is RPM. The bottom graph is the chicken-o-meter. It shows throttle position. See that pink-highlighted sliver? That shows how long I had the throttle at 100%. It's 1.3 seconds long.

1.3 seconds.

I figured pink was the right color for highlighting.

Forward Thinking

2008-06-19T21:06:00.000-07:00

I get it, I really do. I'm an engineer and sometimes I'm guilty of it myself. You're in a rush, you just want it to work, maybe it's a prototype and you'll fix it in the final version. But it never happens. The final version is just the prototype with a liberal coating of Spackle.

Life would be so much easier if people planned their products to be maintainable. That's all I want. Nothing dramatic. Just spend a little time up front so when things don't go quite right your customers have a chance to figure it out.

For instance, don't follow the lead of the 2000 Monte Carlo SS. Lifting the engine to change a spark plug? Did Chevy not think a spark plug would need to be replaced? Odd, it's listed in the manual as regular maintenance.

I'll admit that my current context isn't nearly as egregious as that. I am dealing with a car that's 35 years old. And it's British. And it was built in a factory made famous for labor strife. But things shouldn't be this hard. I shouldn't have to spend an hour (plus a trip to Sears for tools) to remount one interior door handle.

On the plus side, I did take it out for a very short spin and it's quite nice.

(A little online research shows that the MC SS isn't alone in requiring major work to get at all the plugs. What is this world coming to?)

Fathers Day 2008

2008-06-15T08:56:00.000-07:00

It's possible that my dad is a superhero. I know that's not an unusual thing to hear from a son, but bear in mind I'm 37 years old, not 7. (... ohhhh, how I wish I was 7 ... [insert daydream about climbing trees, playing in dirt, and trying to decide how to spend the princely sum of $1/week here] ...)

My dad is a fix-it guy. You don't need to buy a new one, just fix the old one. I like to think I have the same philosophy. The big difference: dad can actually fix the item in question. It didn't seem to matter what it was. The car, the TV, the porch swing, the inflamed appendix, he could fix them all. (Okay, maybe not the appendix, but good for you for paying attention.) Me? I take the widget apart, lose 4 pieces, break another 2, spend 4 hours cursing myself and end up buying a new widget anyway.

I don't know how he did it. We hire people to do much of our house and yard projects and I still can't keep up with the stuff I need to do in the garage. Clearly a superhero.

Happy Fathers Day.

BTW: Anyone want a semi-functional bread maker? Couldn't fix it, got a new one. At least I didn't lose any pieces.

More Track Days

2008-06-10T21:13:00.000-07:00

I signed up for more local track days. June 28th, June 29th, and July 28th. All are with NESBA. The July date should be interesting. It's marketed as "Skills Enhancement I" which means all the riders will be from the I or "intermediate" group and the track will be open to come and go as you choose. (Instead of scheduled 20-minute sessions.) Some classroom sessions will also be available to teach body position, etc.

I'm still considering another out-of-state trip this year but I haven't signed up yet. Right now the leading option is a trip to Thunderhill October 11-14. The first two days with Keigwins, the last two days with STAR. It would be another week-long trip like the one to Miller.

It's been in the low 50s and raining the last few days. I turned the furnace back on last weekend. Not what I had in mind for June. (I guess it's been the coldest start of June on record.) I'm trying to keep my spirits up by at least *thinking* about riding.

More Pictures From Miller

2008-05-31T15:23:00.000-07:00

The pictures from Munch Photos arrived in the mail today. Thought I'd share a few. (Particularly since some people had challenged my knee-dragger credentials.)

This one is from Tuesday afternoon. (One of the last sessions of the trip.) The wind was start to gust on the track so I decided I'd take the Daytona out instead of the Duc.

I like this pic a lot. I haven't seen many other head-on shots. (Although it does make me look like a giant riding a little mini-bike.)

If You Have the Means, I Highly Recommend Picking One Up

2008-05-30T06:55:00.000-07:00

Did you see this? Don't get me wrong, I'm all in favor of market-forces, and people spending their money how they choose. A 1961 Ferrari California is certainly a remarkable car. But $10.9million?!

Let's hope Cameron's dad now keeps the garage door locked.

Speaking of which, does anyone else have to look away during the "Ferrari killer" scene? I know it's not a real one, but it still gives me the willies. It's just wrong.

Back From Vegas

2008-05-26T10:09:00.000-07:00

We just got back from a short trip to Las Vegas.

I'm not a big fan of Las Vegas shows. Nor theme hotels. I don't like to walk 20 minutes to get to the casino next door. So when we go to Vegas we generally stay downtown instead of on the strip. Our usual destination is The Golden Nugget.

The pretense for the trip was a chance for Anandi to see Nightwish in concert. And since I'm not into Scandinavian metal bands I decided it would be a good opportunity to play a little poker and maybe see a little sunshine for a change. (And have some time in Vegas without adult supervision. ... But, shhhh!, don't tell Anandi that.)

While she was at her concert I played a No-Limit Texas Hold'em tournament at Binions. I didn't expect to do well since I don't play much live poker. The game started at 8pm and I went bust just after midnight, finishing 6th in a field of 25. Not good enough to get paid but I was happy with my performance anyway.

I usually start my gambling at 3am when the casinos are the emptiest. At that hour the only people to talk to are
a) The college kid who wants to "Spend a weekend in Vegas without a hotel room! Hell yeah!" He's been up 2 days and is too drunk to remember where he was supposed to meet his buddies who have given up the dream and rented a room.
2) The guy in his late 50's who used to be the first guy or, more likely, one of his room-renting buddies. He's wearing a black shirt with flames and motorcycles or martini glasses on it. His attempt at an all-nighter (for old-times sake) has hit the wall.
iii) The degenerate gambler who was the first guy and got hooked on the rush. The people at the check-cashing place know him on sight. So do all the casino workers and the beat cops.

So I talk to the dealers. (If they're good dealers.) It's interesting to hear an insiders view of the casino. I found out that downtown hotel properties are relatively cheap. Binions was just bought for $32 million. ... Six or eight lucky spins on the Roulette table and maybe I could really break-the-bank. ... Do you think anyone would want to come to TJs-House-of-Gambling-Fun? :)

So Much for Peanut and the Thunderdome

2008-05-17T06:06:00.000-07:00

We're having yard work done. We're not yard work people so we've pretty much just ignored the backyard for 4 years. In Seattle, that's not a good idea. (Note to self: weeds in Seattle grow faster than rocks in Tucson.) We have dogs so we make sure the dogs are inside when the people are working outside. It's mostly a dog-safety thing, not a people-safety thing. Our beagle, Spike, has a tendency to bolt if the gate is open. Plus power-tools and curious dogs don't mix.

Our other dog, Peanut, is a Rottweiler-mix. He's well socialized and friendly. He's also 115lbs with an opinion about how things are supposed to be and the confidence to stand behind that opinion. We've never asked him to be a guard-dog. We've never allowed people in the house without first introducing them to Peanut. So we honestly didn't know how he might respond to an intruder.

Until yesterday.

The landscapers came over without telling us. We were at work. The dogs had the run of the yard. And the guys decided to climb over the locked gate.

Peanuts response: none.

I'm happy that he isn't likely to hurt someone even when left unattended but a small part of me wishes he would have convinced the "intruders" to stay out of the yard.

Why the Empire Fell

2008-05-11T16:52:00.000-07:00

It's Sunday and like alot of Sundays I wanted bagels. And this Sunday I had an excuse to get them: I needed to move the car out of the garage. So if the car is moving 20' out of the garage it might as well go 4 miles to get bagels, right? Perfectly reasonable.

But, fear not, this story isn't about bagels. (And, you'll be happy to know, it's also mercifully short.)

On the way to get bagels an odd car turned left across traffic in front of me. It was big and green and vaguely 70's-ish. At first I thought it was an old Volvo station wagon. ... No, Volvo did boxy but not that kind of boxy. Plus the green was all wrong. ... It makes its turn and I get a good look head on. ... Holy crap! It's a Rolls Royce Station wagon!

Giant
1970s
Rolls Royce
Right-hand drive
British Racing Green
Station wagon

Never knew such a thing existed. (And I kind of wish I still didn't.) It looked something like this:

Track Trip: Pictures

2008-05-10T09:59:00.000-07:00

From Saturday. Taken by FotoMotion.

Here's the bike that caught fire. It doesn't really capture how complete the destruction was. ... But it's a good image to keep in mind if I ever get the urge to crash. I wouldn't want the Daytona to end up like this.

Track Trip: Chapter7 - Post Mortem

2008-05-04T18:10:00.000-07:00

I'm going to try to take a little more scientific approach to my track riding. Not that I have any aspirations of being a professional (or even club) racer but I'm a little tired of feeling like I'm going slower and slower all the time. So, in that vein, here's what I'm taking away from my trip to Miller last week:

Goals going in:
1. Increase lean angles, particularly to the right. I did well with this goal. On Tuesday I was comfortably dragging a knee in almost every corner of the track. (Turn8 was only possible with the Daytona and only because it's suspension is pretty poor.) In many cases I was more comfortable going right than left.
2. Relax and trust the bike. I need a little more work on this. I entered one corner too hot (the corner that ended my Monday) and I didn't have the confidence to lean the bike over, keep my eyes focused on my intended goal, and just ride it out. I stood the bike up a little and got on the brakes hard.
3. Don't sit down. (This might seem odd to a non-track rider but keeping your weight out of the seat can be a big benefit on the track. It makes your weight transfer more fluid and you can control the bike easier if your weight isn't all on the seat.) I was happy with how well I did towards this goal. I wasn't perfect and I need to get in better shape but I was pleased with my ability to support myself with my feet instead of my hands and butt. ... After trying to muscle the Daytona around the track all day Saturday, I was completely beat on Sunday. But, if I had been sitting in the seat I wouldn't have been able to finish Saturday.

Things to work on:
1. Lean angles. Getting a knee down is great. It's a lot of fun too. But it's possible to lean much further. I shouldn't consider touching a knee as the limit.
2. Look further ahead. Target fixation can ruin your day or save it. I need to look where I want to go. It will help me be more consistent with my lines, and help me get out of bad situations. I'd be happy to consistently look 2 seconds ahead of my bike.

As a side note (and please don't tell my wife or my mother about this): I considered crashing on purpose. ... Go ahead, read that again. ... In case you think there was a typo:

I (a seemingly rational person) considered crashing (a seemingly irrational act).

My thought process was "Wouldn't it be better to see what crashing is like when it's my choice? I'm already leaned way over. I'm in the slowest corner. No one is behind me. It's the last session of the last day. I'm on my cheap motorcycle. ... I could force a painless low-side crash just to see what it's like." ... Then I remembered the charcoal bike from Saturday and decided that as old as the Daytona is, I didn't want to light it on fire. ... Was I completely crazy to think about it?

Track Trip: Chapter6 - Getting Home

2008-05-01T10:33:00.000-07:00

1:10am - Awake and not very happy about it.

1:20am - Might as well get some miles done.

3:10am to 5:10am - Napping at a rest stop.

6:00am - Windy doesn't just suck for motorcycles. I'm not making very good time and my gas mileage really stinks.

9:30am - Breakfast. Mmmmm..... Egg McMuffin.

9:45am - 11:15am - At a Dodge dealer in Boise. The Nitro feels sluggish but I don't know if that's because of the wind or something more significant. It's due for it's 3000 mile service anyway so I might as well get someone to look at it.

11:15am - Chuckle to myself about my Larry-Miller-centric week. He owns Miller Motorsports Park where I was riding. He owns the Utah Jazz who I spent most of the my time at the hotel watching. And he owns Sundance Dodge which is where I stopped for the check-up. (A thumbs-up to Sundance. They were accommodating, quick, and friendly.)

12:30pm to 1:45pm - Napping at a rest stop.

5:40pm - Last tank of gas. I think I have enough daylight to get over Snoqualmie pass.

7:15pm - Pulling a trailer down a snowy mountain road can be sketchy. The Nitro lost it's footing and started to slide. My attempts to slow down make the slide worse since the trailer is pushing from behind and trying to spin the Nitro. Once I get it into 4WD everything returns to normal, but I'm glad the lane next to me was empty.

8:05pm - Home sweet home. Almost 19 hours beginning to end. 14.5 hours of driving. 850 miles. 11.6 mpg.

Track Trip: Chapter5 - Tuesday with STAR

2008-05-01T05:32:00.000-07:00

Another good day at the track. (Is there such a thing as a bad day at the track?) The forecast was for temps in the 80s with wind from 10-20 and gusts over 30. I don’t enjoy riding in gusty wind. It’s particularly unfestive when you’re fully leaned and a gust tries to push you into the pavement. So I considered riding the Daytona. (Not that it’s any better in the wind but I’d be less likely to cry like a little girl if I wrecked it.) Luckily the weather forecasters were wrong. (Surprise! Who would have guessed?!) The wind didn’t pick up until late afternoon.

A moment of silence for the Bimota. … … … … … It low-slided in Turn14. It’s scratched up but it will be back. The rider was absolutely fine. And surprisingly zen bout the whole experience. I suspect his chi will be rattled when he gets the repair bill.

Munch Photos was at the track. I ordered a CD of all of the images. I also ordered a CD from Fotomotion who was at the APEX day on Saturday. At this point I’m probably not getting my moneys worth by buying track pictures. I just can’t resist. I have this delusion that I’ll look at the pictures, have an epiphany about my riding, and suddenly be a world class rider. In reality they’ll show exactly what they always show: I’m slow but I lean a lot. … I’ll post images when I get the CDs.

Track Trip: Chapter4 - Monday with STAR

2008-04-28T18:09:00.000-07:00

Small group with STAR Monday. So small in fact, we ran only one group instead of splitting into two.

I decided to rent a garage at the track with 5 other riders. The garages are only $75/day. That includes power, shade, access to the restroom, and about 400sqft of space to setup. $25 for a garage for 2 days? And the ability to leave the bikes there overnight? (They lock the door and there's overnight security.) No brainer. The bikes are probably safer there than in my trailer in the hotel parking lot.

There are usually a few oddities sprinkled in among the Suzukis and Hondas. Usually it's a Triumph, or a 2-stroke of some sort, or maybe a Hypermotard. Today the exotica was supplied by a Bimota Tesi 3D. Pretty wild stuff.

Saturday I stuck the Daytona in 3rd and forgot about shifting. Monday I stuck the Ducati in 2nd and forgot about shifting. (Trust me, the Ducati can get around the track faster in 2nd than the Daytona can in 3rd.) In some of the later sessions I added a shift into 3rd on the two longer straights, but essentially I left it in 2nd. It's amazing how much easier it is to focus on what you want to do (in my case relaxing on the bike and lean-angle) when you eliminate a variable like lots of shifting. ... I suspect many people think I'm cheating. But those are the same people who I'm passing as they struggle to keep their bike under control as they shift 15 times / lap. ... In other words: the jealous people. :)

My day ended one session early. I was on the track at about 3:45 and I was chasing another rider around the track. In the first few morning sessions she (yes, SHE) had passed me and was able to pull away from me slowly. In this session I was gaining on her pretty quick and I really wanted to pass her. We got into some slower traffic, she passed a rider and if I didn't pass the same rider I'd be held up on the next couple of corners. So I added some speed and went around him too... and was in the corner too hot, stood the bike up, and probably pissed off the guy I just passed quite a bit. About two turns later it dawned on me "Why am I worried about her? I should be focused on my own riding. This is stupid." I pulled off at the next opportunity and then noticed how tired I was. Physical fatigue had led to a mental breakdown.

I decided to end my day. I have all day Tuesday.

Track Trip: Chapter3 - Saturday with APEX

2008-04-27T18:25:00.000-07:00

I’ve never ridden at Miller. So I’m a little nervous. I’m not one of those riders that can just head out onto the track for the first time and start railing. I like to do recon. Lots and lots of recon.

I’ve also never ridden with APEX. Generally track groups are the same. But each seems to attract a slightly different type of rider. This event is a shared one between APEX and the local Ducati dealership. I’m hoping the Ducati guys (who are probably older and a little more conservative) will keep things civilized.

I arrive at Miller at about 7am, go through registration, and find a spot to pit. The place is amazing. Huge grandstands, covered garage space, clean and professional.

They announce that the first session out will have two “sighting laps” so new people can get used to the layout. (Whew) The track is as nice as the rest of the facility. Wide open sight lines, good pavement, well marked.

The third session is going pretty well. I was getting the feel of the track. I come out of the chicane and see the next corner worker waving the red flag. Red? That’s odd, but okay. While in the back straight I see a huge smoke column and a fireball off to my left! 20-30 feet of black smoke on top of 5-6 feet of flames!

Turns out someone low-sided in Turn 2, they separated from the bike and thought everything was fine. The bike slid across the infield then back onto the track in Turn 3 where it caught fire. The frame was snapped, all the plastic and fiberglass was melted, the rims were bent. I’ll see if I can dig up a picture of the bike after they brought it back to the pits. The rider was fine. Surprised but fine.

I was on the Daytona in the morning and thought I might switch to the Ducati after lunch. But, after a bike on fire? Uh, no.

In the interest of keeping things simple for myself I decided to ride the whole track in 3rd gear. The Daytona has enough torque at 4000rpm to deal with the slow corners, and can easily run to 100+mph on the front straight. Was I being passed? Yes. But it made it a lot easier to focus on body position and lean angle. And I wasn’t the slowest bike out there.

The rest of the day was pretty uneventful. The APEX guys run a pretty good event. And the Miller track is awesome. A day off, then back to the track Mon and Tues with STAR.

Track Trip: Chapter2 - Getting There

2008-04-27T17:43:00.000-07:00

Here’s my Friday

2:08am – Wake up. Why 2:08am? No idea. I wanted to get up at 3:30 and be out by 4:00 but I guess my internal chronometer is a little off.

2:10am – Convince Spike that it’s not really time to get up and eat breakfast. He reluctantly goes back to his bed.

2:30am – Leave the house. If I’m up I might as well cover some miles.

2:50am – Leave work. Work? Why am I at work? Dunno. For some reason I stopped by the office. I think my plan was to get my iPod but that didn’t actually happen.

3:00am – Gassed up and ready to go.

4:00 – Nasty weather on I-90. Nearly blinding snow. Luckily at this hour there’s almost no one else on the road so I drive in the middle of the two lanes.

4:05am – 18-wheelers have some sort of magical vision. Or instruments like planes flying in bad weather. Maybe I’ll just tuck in line behind one.

4:10am – Or maybe they just don’t care if they live or die. Sorry but when your trailer goes sideways on the downhills and you don't change your driving you’re going to have to get along without me as an escort.

4:40am – The weather is a lot clearer on the backside of the mountains.

7:00am – Stop for a nap, some gas, and some breakfast. Mmmm…. Egg McMuffins.

9:00am – The satellite radio is pretty cool. But after awhile I’m a little tired of it. Pop in a few CDs I brought with me. … Shirley Manson sure is angry.

11:00am – Stop for a nap, some gas, and some lunch. What's with Oregon and not being able to pump your own gas?

1:00pm – Discover that the Nitro gets about the same mileage at 82mph as it does at 67mph.

3:00pm – My blood pressure rises over some bozo on the freeway. Left lane hog. He accelerates from 70 to 95 whenever I try to go around him. Bad Karma will soon be upon him.

5:30pm – Check into the hotel.

14.5 hours from beginning to end. Just under 13 hours of diving. 851 miles. 14mpg. All in all not a bad trip. Here's the route.

Track Trip: Chapter1 - Getting Ready

2008-04-27T04:25:00.000-07:00

What I take to a track day:

Motorcycle related:
• The bike
• Two keys. One I keep on me, one I keep with my clothes in case I lose the first one.
• 5 gallons of extra gas.
• Front and rear wheel stands
• Shop manual

Track gear:
• Helmet
• Gloves
• Boots
• Leathers

For comfort:
I spend a reasonable amount of time not on the track between sessions. I like to sit and relax so I’m ready for the next session.

• A couple of folding chairs
• One of those collapsible shade things
• A cooler with ice

Things to ward off Mr. Murphy:
Everything I can think to make minor repairs at the track. The track is a pretty stressful environment for the bike. Things vibrate loose. They get hot. They pick up dirt and grime.

• Hand tools
--- Two ratchets
--- Socket set
--- Box-end wrenches
--- Allen wrenches
--- Two crescent wrenches
--- Hammer
--- Several pliers
--- Torque wrench
--- Rear-wheel sockets
--- An awl
--- Set of screw drivers
• Cleaners
--- Rags
--- Chain wax
--- WD-40
--- Windex
--- Brake cleaner
• Electrical wire
• Wire ties
• Collection of nuts, bolts, washers and quick-release fasteners.
• Fuses
• Extra tie-downs for the bike
• Electrical tape
• Duct tape

Because I have space in the trailer and I’m a little anal retentive:
• Portable electrical power. I’m not a fan of gas-powered generators at the track. (Too loud, too much of a hassle for my needs.) But some electrical power is handy. I just bought something similar to this. It’s essentially just a rechargeable battery with AC outlets and an air compressor.
• Extra tires. They’re spares, and they can act as ballast for the shade thing if the wind starts to pick up.
• An extra bike. I admit this is a bit excessive. But for multi-day trips it’s nice insurance. I don’t ever want to crash. But it would be worse if I crashed on day 1 and then couldn’t ride on days 2 through N.

Track Day Pics

2008-04-17T19:29:00.000-07:00

There was a photographer at the track last weekend. He caught a handful of shots of me.

Here are some from the morning.

And here are a few from the afternoon.

Always Have a Spare Handy

2008-04-16T19:03:00.000-07:00

I went to the NESBA track day last Saturday. It turned out to be a gorgeous day. According to the gauge in my car on the way back it was 81 degrees. (So the 7-day forecast was only off by 35 degrees. Thanks guys.)

I had a few goals for the day. (I find it's helpful to have goals for the day so I don't just get caught up in "Hey, that guy just passed me! I better speed up!". When I do that I usually just end up scaring myself and not making any real progress.)

1. Figure out if the trailer works. Do the bikes fit? Do they stay put? Is the weight distributed correctly? How much other crap can I stuff in there? How kind of gas mileage does the Nitro get pulling it? I needed to sort these things out before the trip to Miller in a couple weeks.
2. Lean angles. Ignore lap times, braking points, and especially other riders. Focus on getting the bike leaned further. Especially to the right.
3. Relax. Trust the bike. It knows how to get around the track. The more I relax the more the bike takes over and the more likely things will go well.

The trailer worked 98% perfect. The bikes stayed put for the 40-minute drive. Everything except my safety gear fit in the trailer (bikes, gas, shade, chairs, tools, spare tires) without a problem. The Nitro did well pulling it. It didn't have a problem getting to 70mph and it got about 14.5 mpg on the trip. I should get a spare tire for the trailer but other than that everything is all set.

Because it was the first track day of the season I decided to ride the 955i instead of the Ducati. Too many people (including me) that might be rusty after the winter. I also figured riding the cheaper bike would help me with goal #3. Things were going pretty well in the morning. I was feeling comfortable and I'd managed to drag a knee in turn 3 (one of the few right hand turns at Pacific Raceways.) But in the 3rd session the check engine light came on so I cut the session short.

I wasn't able to figure out what the problem was, I didn't want to risk major damage to the motor, but I didn't want to pack up and call it a day. So I decided I'd ride the Ducati in the afternoon. (It was mighty convenient having a second bike handy.)

Riding the two bikes back to back was surprising:
1. The Ducati can really fly. It was much easier to tip into the corners and would pull out of them in a huge rush.
2. The 955i is considerably louder. I shift by ear and a few times on the 1098 I had the red "Hey bozo, your shift point was 1000rpm ago." light come on because I just wasn't used to the Ducati sound.

By the second session on the Ducati I was dragging a knee in turns 2, 3, 4, 6, 7 and 9. (3 and 6 are rights.) It's just so much easier to toss around.

I still intend to start on the 955i when I get to Miller. If for no other reason than it's a good bike for recon at a track I've never ridden. But I suspect the 1098 is going to get the lions share of my 3 days in Tooele.

Should I Stay or Should I Go?

2008-04-07T18:43:00.000-07:00

I had a big April planned. I signed up for the local NESBA track days for April 12+13. Then I have a trip to Tooele Utah (outside of Salt Lake City) for 3 track days over four days with APEX and STAR. So I'll test out my trailer with the trip to Kent, then be ready for the longer trip.

Unfortunately the weather has decided to taunt me.

NESBA allows you to cancel your registration up to 7 days in advance and get full credit towards another NESBA day. So Saturday the 5th (12 - 7 = 5) I checked the forecast for the 12th: 46/37 70% chance of rain. I don't like to ride in the rain, I don't want to go to the track in the rain. So I cancelled my registration. There are plenty of other NESBA days this year I can apply the credit to.

I checked the forecast for the 12th today: 63/42 20% chance of rain. Great. Now it's going to be good track day weather and I'm not registered. ... Oh well, if the weather is good I can just drive down there and sign up at the last minute. It will cost me an extra $20 but I guess that's a cheap hedge against bad weather in Seattle in April.

Continued Failure to Like This

2008-03-30T08:11:00.000-07:00

This is unacceptable. It's March 30th. Spring has been here over a week.

At 7pm (when we left for dinner) it was cold and raining. By 9:30 there was 2-3 inches of snow in the yards and it was sticking to the roads. This morning there are at least four trees that snapped under the weight of the slushy snow. I had to clear my own driveway with a chainsaw. I couldn't let the dogs out this morning because I wasn't sure if the fence was intact after the neighbors tree fell on it.

This is stupid.

This is not conducive to the convertible and motorcycle lifestyle I aspire to.

It's just stupid.

It's bad enough to be cloudy and wet in late March. But snow? And downed trees? Really? That's what this is about?

Excuse me, I have to go to Lowe's to find a generator. The forecast includes more snow today and tomorrow and I suspect I'll be losing power.

What's That Wagon You're Draggin'?

2008-03-23T08:21:00.000-07:00

I bought a trailer yesterday. After looking around for the better part of 6 months I finally ended up settling on a 6x12 box trailer from Home Depot.

In the end it came down to a few options:
- a used box trailer (~$2200)
- a new box trailer (~$3000)
- a used aerodynamic trailer (~$4500 if you can find one)
- a new aerodynamic trailer (~$6000 + shipping from Tennessee)

I figured I probably won't use it enough for the aerodynamic one to pay itself off. (It might save me $0.10/mile.) Then I figured the peace of mind of a new trailer was worth the difference in price. So I ended up with a cheapest new one I could find.

I have some tie-down anchor points and a second motorcycle chock on order. Hopefully they'll arrive sometime this week. I'm hoping to have it setup so I can test it out at a local track day on April 12th.

Why don't trailer manufacturers make trailers short enough to fit under a typical garage door? Why is that such an unusual thing? Not only does it mean you can get your trailer out of the elements, but it also means it's a foot taller than the typical tow vehicle and acting like a parachute brake. I'm not saying *all* trailers should be short, I'm just saying it shouldn't be a special order for 50% extra just to have 8 inches lopped off the top of a box.

...

Why is that *nobody* seems to make exactly what I want? Seems like I have to settle or modify everything. ... You probably think I'm too picky. I prefer to think I'm right and everyone else is slipping into mediocrity.

Lois Is On Her Own For Awhile

2008-02-26T21:16:00.000-08:00

We've had decent weather lately. I usually wait until we've had two days in a row without rain before I take the bikes out. (That way there's no water falling from the sky and no water flying up from the road.) Surprisingly we've had a few days recently that fit the bill.

Unfortunately the Ducati was still dressed up for the track and not the street. It's kind of a daunting task to swap out all of the bodywork and the lights and brackets and .... So I just didn't. It was sunny last week and I wanted to ride the bike not futz with it. So I took out the Daytona instead.

Saturday afternoon I broke down and did the conversion. It took about 4 hours to get it converted. Not exactly a Clark-Kent-Into-The-Phone-Booth quick change operation but it wasn't as time consuming as I feared. A little more practice and a few changes and I might cut that time in half.

Mondays Aren't Too Bad

2008-02-19T20:43:00.000-08:00

I did get the Daytona out on Monday. It was a little chilly but overall not too bad. Here's the route I took. It's kind of a typical eastside motorcycle tour. The surface was good, the only downside is the area is mostly residential so there's always a chance that the unseen car will pop up. Unfortunately there aren't any really empty roads around here. Too many people.

I need to get more seat time in. After about 150 miles between Sunday and Monday I'm pretty sore.

Sunny Days, Sweeping the Clouds Away

2008-02-17T19:33:00.000-08:00

Forecast for Monday in Seattle:

- 54 degrees
- Sunny
- Chance of precipitation: 0%
- Chance of TJ going to work: low

I spent part of the weekend checking on the bikes. (Three days of nice weather in the forecast.)

The Suzuki was stubborn. It wouldn't start Saturday at all. The decompression solenoid might not be operating correctly. I was able to get it started this morning but only by manually holding open the decomp valve. Once it warmed up it did okay, I'll take another look tomorrow and see how grumpy it is.

Other than adding a quick connect for a Battery Tender I didn't mess with the Ducati at all. It would take too much vehicle juggling to get it out of the garage.

The Daytona fired right up after its time on the Battery Tender. I was surprised since it hasn't moved since July. I took it out for about 60 miles today and it's doing pretty well. It definitely feels different. It has less power than the Ducati but at street speeds that's hardly an issue. The extra 100lbs however, is pretty noticeable.

Speaking of the Daytona I'm having trouble deciding what to do with it:

1. Sell it. This seems reasonable considering I have another sportbike in the Ducati. The Daytona would probably only sell for $3500-$4500. It costs me less than $200/year to hold onto (insurance ~$120, registration ~$50). The money would be handy considering the Ducati loan but it wouldn't be life-changing.

2. Keep it. When I go to a new track (or if I get to a track and it's wet or the people look particularly foolish) it would be nice to have a bike I'm less concerned about. Plus, if I go on a long trip (for instance April 26, 28, 29 at Miller) having a spare bike might keep my trip from ending early. Plus, a spare bike might come in handy when trying to lure someone to a track day for the first time. (Dave? Joe? Are you paying attention?)

Opinions? Suggestions?

Mmmmmm.... meat

2008-02-02T14:14:00.000-08:00

The big game is almost here. You're excited aren't you? But are you ready? Do you have what it takes? Do you have a big TV? Have you stocked the beer fridge?

Do you have meat?

Meat. You need meat. Why? Because it's football, dumb-dumb. Manly. Violence on national TV for your entertainment. Strategy, preparation, scouting. Millions of dollars will be spent by beer marketers and idiots at GoDaddy.com just to keep you out of the bathroom during the timeouts. The least you can do is come prepared.

Everyone accepts that meat is awesome. (Well, the *real* men do.) But we're not complete savages so we should cook it. Right, cooked meat. That's what we need. It adds a thin veneer of civility while also requiring fire.

Cooked meat. ... The problem with cooked meat is, well, it's messy. And while a real man couldn't care less if his hands were covered in meat juice it does turn out to be bad for the TV remote. And since the violence extravaganza might have a play we want to rewind and replay on our Tivo it's imperative that the remote work. (Don't anyone get the crazy notion that we'd actually get up and walk over to the TV instead of using the remote. If you're thinking that, get out. ... Seriously. Out. ... But leave the meat.)

So we need bread. We'll put the cooked meat on the bread. Why bread instead of a plate? Because we're men dammit! Men! Do men like to do dishes? No! Think of bread as a plate you can eat and never have to wash. So bread is in, plates are out.

We need cheese. Professional football was perfected in the Midwest. The Bears, Lions and of course the Packers. Have you seen packers fans? 78 below zero, their fingers are frozen to black and what are they wearing? A t-shirt and a cheese head. Now that's manly. In honor of our hearty comrades we will eat cheese.

So far we have meat, cheese, bread, and fire to go with our football. ... Sounds pretty good doesn't it? But sometimes just meat, cheese and bread is bland. And bland is not for manly men like us! We need spice! Something hot and tangy that will go well with our cheese and meat and fire and bread and football.

BBQ. BBQ is the answer. (To oh so many questions like "Why did God rest of the 7th day?" - BBQ.) Hot spicy BBQ sauce on the bread with the meat and cheese. That will work. The problem with BBQ sauce is it is slippery. You're thinking "Slippery? Why is this idiot talking about 'slippery' when describing his food?" Because I've done this before and I know what I'm talking about. So sit down and pay attention. Maybe you'll learn something.

I'm sure you've figured out by now that we're making a sandwich. A tasty sandwich. But our needs are greater than just taste. The sandwich has to function in the real world. We have to gain sustenance from it but not allow it to distract us from our football. We can't bite into the sandwich only to have the meat slide out the back and onto the floor. That would mean getting out of the chair and eating off the floor. And the TV is not setup to be watched from the floor.

Let's avoid that scenario by using skewers. Not toothpicks. Skewers. This is a meal, not a snack. Which brings me to quantities.

Bread: a half a loaf of French bread.
Meat: there should be at least as much meat as there is bread so an 8-12 oz package of lunch meat should do it. The whole package.
Cheese: Velveeta. Why? Dunno, it just seems to work best.
BBQ: Bullseye. It's tasty and it's called Bullseye which sounds sufficiently manly for the task at hand.

Put your sandwich together, put it on a paper towel, and wrap it up in some tin foil. Stick the whole thing in the oven at 375-degrees for about 30 minutes. Don't worry if it's 25 or 35 or even 45 minutes, it'll be fine. ... Hell, just take it out during the first commercial break after you're hungry.

Put it on a cutting board, unwrap it, and run it through with a couple bamboo skewers. Take the whole thing over to the TV and dig in. When you're done brush the crumbs off your shirt, wad up the tin foil and throw it away. Then put the cutting board back where you found it (it's still clean).

Meat, cheese, bread, and BBQ. No muss, no fuss, no dishes. Doesn't get better than that.

Some assembly required. I'm out of bamboo skewers. Metal will have to do.

Be sure to properly slather the BBQ on the bread.

Mmmmm.... meat.

Tick ... tock ... tick. Waiting sucks. I'm hungry.

Life is good.

!burp!

Doing the dishes.

Got a long way to go and a short time to get there.

2008-01-27T20:20:00.000-08:00

You can't go wrong when you mix a Trans-Am, a semi truck, and a Basset Hound. Toss in Jerry Reed and it's instant cinematic history. (We all know Burt Reynolds and Sally Field were really just fillers.)

We decided to take our new car on a weekend trip out to the Manitou Lodge on the Olympic Peninsula. It's a nice little secluded spot about 4 hours drive from here. I was looking at it as sort of a test drive of our new car. We were bringing both of the dogs (so we'd see how much space they really had), the road there is mostly 2-lane blacktop (so we'd find out if the Nitro had the power to pass), and it was in the mountains (so we'd see if it could handle the sloppy stuff).

I'm sure my wife thought of it as some sort of weekend getaway or romantic trip or some other foolishness.

Here's what we found out:
1. It gets better mileage than expected. We averaged 21.4 mpg on the trip. That's higher than the 15/20 rating the EPA gives the 2008 model.
2. It's not a smooth ride but it's acceptable on a long trip.
3. The 4WD system is screwy. It doesn't engage automatically. You have to manually shift from "2WD" to "4WD Lock" with a switch on the dash. In 4WD the transfer case is locked so it shouldn't be used on dry pavement. In the muck it's pretty sure-footed.
4. Satellite radio is cool (you're never out of range) but the reception stinks (even trees will block the signal).
5. The dogs have plenty of space in the back to lay down. But Peanut prefers to sit up and look around. Spike prefers to snore.
6. It needs mud-flaps. It kicks up a huge amount of spray and muck and a lot of it ends up on the rear window. The cars behind us probably hate it. ... But it's hard to be sure since I can't see them.
7. It has plenty of passing power. Just ask the Washington State Patrol.

We both want to change a few things about the Nitro. She wants new door handles and she thinks it needs some running boards (it's a bit tall for her to get in and out of). Of course we'll need the mud-flaps. And, since we're already shopping, we might as well get some spiffy valve caps, a nice new grille, and of course some bling.

I Need More Money (and Less Brains)

2008-01-21T18:04:00.000-08:00

The Barrett-Jackson classic car auction finished yesterday. I didn't watch as much of it as I would have liked, and I haven't heard of any industry-altering sales this year. But I did find a few lots that looked interesting on their website.

I used to like the Barrett-Jackson auction for the exotics. The Ferraris, the Duesenbergs, the Tuckers. You know, the cars you never saw out in "the real world." Lately they've been focusing on classic American muscle cars. (I have nothing against that. As an American I like to celebrate my heritage by driving by myself in a 6-passenger, 6500lb car at 80 mph, getting 4mpg, while eating a Big Mac from a non-bio-degradable Styrofoam container.) But it seems like the big money excitement cars are very rare versions of somewhat common cars.

Maybe I haven't seen a 1970 Chevelle LS-6. But does it look different than the Chevelle on blocks in my neighbors yard? Probably not. But when is the last time you saw anything like a Mercedes 540K? Or a Duesenberg? Or even a Ferrari Dino?

I still have to work for a living. For me Barrett-Jackson is a car show not an auction. I want to see unicorns, not buy horses.

1974 Triumph TR-6. Sold for $14,500. Mallard Green with 42000 original miles. It looks really nice in the pictures but, as my wife likes to point out I'm a little anal about these things. So there are a few things that look out of place to me. I'm no expert (and if you are an expert please correct me) but here's my list:
1. Tires. On a car being sold as an original they should be Redlines.
2. Exhaust. Looks like a Monza.
3. Badging. What is that in front of the British-Leyland badge on the left front fender?
4. Bumpers. There are black rubber bumper riders in the back but not in the front. I've never seen that before.
5. Under the hood. What's with the red hoses? What's the box on the drivers side inner fender behind the brake reservoir?

Sunday! Sunday! Sunday!

1966 Austin-Healey 3000 Mk III. $105,000!

1967 Cobra 427. Okay, this looks like about 1000 cars you've already seen. Hell, there's a Superformance dealer down the street with 40 in his lot that you couldn't tell from an original at a stop light. (And it's one of the American Muscle cars I was whining about 4 paragraphs ago. Cobras are given a pass.) It's a 427 side-oiler? 11,000 original miles? If I had the resources I'd have gone toe-to-toe with Ron Pratte for this one.

I guess it's good to have something to strive for.

Duc in a Track Suit

2008-01-13T15:47:00.000-08:00

I spent a few nights this week redoing the paint on the fiberglass tail of the Ducati. I broke down and bought a cheap power sander to help strip off the old paint. It worked out pretty well but there was still a lot of hand work to do towards the end.

After finishing the tail I thought about stripping and repainting the nose again. But I've decided to put that off for another day because
a) I'm tired of paint fumes
2) My wife wants her parking space in the garage back
iii) I don't have any good paint left

So, for now, here's what a Duc in a track suit looks like:

I just put the clear coat on Friday night so I still haven't waxed or buffed it. But you can see that it's a much better looking piece than the nose.

Big Pimpin, Spendin Cheese

2008-01-05T23:22:00.000-08:00

It happened just the way I thought it was going to (only 23 times faster).

Yep, that's right, I'm not above saying "I told you so".

We went for test drives today:

Dodge Nitro R/T
Toyota Highlander
Toyota RAV4 V6

The Highlander is huge. It's like driving a truck full of your grandmothers couch. It has 100hp more than the Subaru but with 1000 extra pounds to haul around it didn't feel very peppy. It drives a lot like the Camry it's based on, but just much much bigger.

Next up was the RAV4. They didn't have a new V6 AWD so we drove a used 07. (They're close enough to the same car for what I wanted to find out.) It's a nice car. I was alot more comfortable driving it from square 1. It has the same powertrain as the Highlander and is 500 lbs lighter. It was also a Sport model so it felt pretty quick.

So after 90 minutes we'd crossed off one from our list and confirmed another. Not bad in my book.

The Nitro feels very substantial. Big, tall, solid. It's the same weight and power as the Highlander but much more responsive. When you put your foot down it goes. And it makes some beautiful music in the process. The more my wife drove the Nitro the more she seemed to like it. (Secretly, she wants to be a truck driver. Or at least a road-bully.)

We expected the price would be about the same. The RAV4 is cheaper but demand is higher so dealers aren't cutting as much off MSRP. The RAV4 was a Sport model without many widgets, the Nitro was the R/T which gives it a lot of interior amenities.

So there it was: on one side the RAV4 with it's better mileage and greater reliability; on the other side the Nitro with it's additional options and in-your-face style. Substance vs style.

The RAV4 was the 'right' choice.

We bought the Nitro.

Now, move that sedan out of the way before I change lanes over you!

What a Pain in My Tail Section

2008-01-01T23:31:00.000-08:00

2008 is off to an inauspicious start.

The tail section for my Ducati arrive about 6 weeks ago. I haven't had much time to deal with it until last week. I decided I'd try to match the reds better this time around. (Every time I look at the mismatched color on the nose it bugs me a little more.) I found a website that would sell me aerosol spray cans of the right color. Not cheap but I figured it was worth a try so I ordered 2 cans of color and 1 can of clear coat. My order arrived Monday.

Even a lab rat learns from experience, right? I decided to spend more time prepping the piece in the hopes of getting a better result. I put about 4 hours into filling, and sanding, and priming, and sanding, and filling, and sanding, and priming. ... Mostly sanding. In the end it looked promising.

I wanted to mimic the OEM piece. I'd try to match the basic stripes but I wasn't going to worry about the lettering. It was going to be a simple but time consuming job:

1. Paint the whole piece white with the cheap paint I already had.
2. Mask off the stripes.
3. Paint the piece red with the expensive paint I just bought.
4. Clear coat everything.

The white went on pretty well.

The masking wasn't too hard although my tape doesn't do curves well and there are some subtle curves.

The red went on beautifully.

I pulled the masking off an hour later and I was pretty excited. The color was as close to the original as you could hope for. The time spent on the prep work had paid off. Things were going to be great.

Unfortunately there were two significant problems: there was a spot where the masking failed and there was some red over spray; and there was another spot where the masking tape pulled up some of the white paint revealing the grey primer. I figured it wouldn't be hard to re mask those spots and respray some white.

So I got some paper and went to town. I wanted to be sure none of the new white got into the red so I made sure to mask everything except the two problem areas. I sprayed the white and an hour later came back figuring I'd pull the masking and spray the clear and I'd be all set.

Unfortunately when I did the masking the red paint was dry but not dry enough. The paper stuck in the paint and ruined absolutely the whole thing. What was a good paint job with two significant flaws had become a piece of garbage. There's no way to salvage it, I'm going to have to remove all of the paint and start all over from primer.

Stupid new year.

New Car Shopping

2007-12-23T07:05:00.000-08:00

My wife wants a new car. More accurately she wants to replace *my* car. I drive the designated dog car. Lately she's been taking the dogs to the park on a daily basis and it's making a mess of her nice new Audi.

Maybe you're thinking "Hey, why doesn't she just drive your car? Are you some sort of territorial bastard that won't share?" Of course the answer to that is "Yes, I am a territorial bastard. I pee a circle around my motorcycles at least once per week. ... But not when it comes to something as cookie-cutter as a 2003 Subaru Forester. It's a glorified toaster. She's welcome to drive it." The problem is it's a manual transmission and she doesn't want to learn how to drive a stick.

So she wants us to get a new dog-friendly, automatic-transmission, AWD car to replace my Forester.

Well, if we're going to get a new car, I have some requirements too. We should get something that can tow an enclosed trailer (at which point I can go out and *get* an enclosed trailer). Since it will mostly be doing car-type-duty it should get decent gas mileage and drive like a car.

After a little shopping our short list is:

Dodge Nitro R/T
Toyota Highlander
Toyota RAV4 V6

We haven't driven anything yet. I suspect we'll find that the RAV4 is the most logical choice for us. But I'll want the Nitro anyway.

This could turn out to be a big win for me. I could end up with a new car, a new trailer *and* additional spending money. How? Because of how our finances work. There's MyMoney, HerMoney and OurMoney. A new car would definitely be paid for with OurMoney but since I bought the Subaru before we were married any money we get from selling it is MyMoney. And it will be more than enough MyMoney to buy a trailer.

Well, maybe putting that money towards the Ducati loan would be a good idea too. That was a big MyMoney purchase.

Incontrovertible Visual Evidence

2007-12-01T06:41:00.000-08:00

I just received some more pics from my track days in Pahrump so I thought I'd post a few more of them.

Here's a snippet of the video they took of me at the track:

Cruising the Sky

2007-11-23T17:23:00.000-08:00

My trip to the track in Pahrump also included a trip to Tucson to visit family.

Since the trailer I borrowed had room for two bikes and I couldn't convince anyone to join me (Dave, Joe and Jason, this is where you should feel guilty and ashamed of yourselves) I decided to bring the Suzuki. That way I could enjoy the Tucson weather if the opportunity arose.

It turned out to be a good idea. (Insert Guinness-ad "Brilliant!" here.)

Just outside of Tucson is one of the best mountain roads anywhere. It covers about 25 miles from Tucson up to Mt Lemmon Ski Valley. The scenery ranges from the Sonoran Desert to pine forest as you climb from 3000' to about 9000' in elevation. ... Well, here's a good description. The road is Catalina Highway but it's less commonly called Sky Island Scenic Byway.

I hadn't been on Catalina Highway since I lived in Tucson in 2002. Back then they were in the midst of a long-term repaving project of the entire road. But, much to my delight, they've finished that project. That means gorgeous smooth wide asphalt for 25 miles.

In 2002 I would get up early and get in a few spirited mountain "laps" before the cars showed up in force on the weekends. (I'm not the sort of person that drags a knee on public roads, but if I were, Catalina highway was one of the best places for it. It wasn't hard to find times where there was zero other traffic on the mountain.) But for this trip I had the Suzuki. It's a much different ride on a cruiser. Not better, not worse, just different. You pay more attention to the scenery than on the sport bike. But it can still be a spirited ride.

If you're in Tucson with a bike it's a ride you won't regret.

I'm starting to think that moving back to Tucson might be worth the 20% pay cut. A couple hours each weekend on the mountain might save me enough in therapy costs to make it worthwhile.

Pahrump Revisited

2007-11-21T18:34:00.000-08:00

November 8th and 9th STAR held their year-end track event at Spring Mountain in Pahrump. Since I had a new bike I figured it would be a good way to get it out on the track for the first time. (1. The riding season around here ends in Min-October. 2. My impression of open track days here isn't good, there's just too much chaos.) So I borrowed an enclosed trailer and a truck to pull it with and headed down.

As always STAR put on a great event. They now have professional photographers that take pictures of the on-track action. The pictures are then used in the classroom sessions to help illustrate what you're doing well and not so well. You also have the option to buy the pictures of yourself. Here are a few:

You can see how my spray paint turned out on the racing body. The nose and fairings are sprayed. The tank and the tail section are OEM. The bellypan isn't OEM but it came already black.

I've said it before and I'll say it again: if you have a sport bike you owe it to yourself to take it to the track. You don't have to be a daredevil or a speed freak. If you're the conservative type think of it as learning the capabilities of your motorcycle to make you a better and safer rider when the unexpected happens on the street. Regardless how you validate it, going to the track is an absolute must.

I know there are some people out there (well, assuming *anyone* reads this blog at all I guess) that think "That bike is too expensive to take to the track. What if you wreck it?" True, that would stink. I'd cry and whimper and spend a week naked, in the corner, in the fetal position. But bikes like this are designed for the track. That's their whole purpose in life. Otherwise they might as well be in the living room as sculpture. ... Come to think of it, that wouldn't be a bad idea either. :)

Who's Crazy Now?

2007-10-07T17:02:00.000-07:00

Earlier this week I stumbled across this. (If that link doesn't resolve it's a listing from a local collector car dealership for a 1976 TR6. They're asking $22950.) Normally when I see things like this, particularly from a dealership, I discount them as someone seeking a bigger sucker. But I haven't kept up with the market value of TR6s lately so I decided to take a look.

Believe it or not $23,000 for a high-end TR6 isn't totally out of line. NADA page for a 1973 TR6 I'm not crazy enough to think either of mine could command top dollar, but even in the lower ranges the value has come up.

I might be able to turn a profit on the green one.

I might be able to get 1/3 of what I've put in to the white one.

Preparation

2007-10-07T16:31:00.000-07:00

I've spent the last several weeks trying to get my motorcycle ready for it's track day in November.

I hemmed and hawwed about how I should paint the fiberglass racing body. Should I try my air sprayer and use real automotive paint? Should I go to a professional painter? Should I use aerosol spray paint? I spent about a week trying to decide. In the end the cost of the equipment and materials was just too high to justify the automotive paint. (I bought the fiberglass in order to save money after all.) Ditto for getting a professional paint job. So rattle can it was.

In the end spray paint was definitely the right choice. The paint job wasn't limited by the quality of the paint, it was limited by quality the bodywork under the paint. Clearly I need more practice. In the end the paint job came out ok for a track bike but it's not hard to see the flaws. I invested about $100 and 20 hours into it. I still have a few odds and ends to clear up but once I finish I'll post some pictures.

This weekend I've tried to finish the other prep work. Mostly removing stuff I don't need or want at the track. This is the first time taking the Ducati apart so it's been slow. (I could track-prep the Daytona in about 2 hours.) Everything from finding and removing fuses to pulling off the license-plate bracket. Hopefully it will be easier next time.

I had hoped to spend some time this weekend sync-ing the carbs on the Suzuki. (Since I'm going to the track day alone with a trailer big enough for two bikes I figured I'd bring the Suzuki along.) Unfortunately that will have to wait for another time. Probably next weekend.

I ordered two sets of Dunlop 208GP tires. (Since Dunlop is one of the sponsors of the track school I can get a pretty good price.) So far both rear tires have arrived but niether of the front tires. ... I'm considering just using the OEM tires for the track days since I don't have many miles of them (and no miles on the edges).

A piece of advice if you have a Ducati: Buy the shop manual. At first I was a little disappointed that they come on CD instead of a hard copy, but so far I've been impressed with the content.

Another piece of advice if you have a Ducati: Don't live in Seattle. The riding season is clearly already over.

Family Portrait

2007-09-17T18:39:00.001-07:00

Here's one big picture that pretty much shows where all of my disposable income has gone over the last 15 years.

Friday I signed up for another couple of days with STAR. I'm going back to Pahrump NV in November. I've put about 900 miles on the Ducati so far but it's still fairly intimidating so I thought the best place to understand it's track manners was at STAR (instead of with a bunch of bozos trying to cram one last trackday hurrah into the Seattle riding season). I think I'll be able to borrow an enclosed trailer and a truck to tow it with so I don't have my Ducati spending the night out in the open at the Notel Motel during the trip. Plus the trailer is large enough to take two bikes so if no one else joins me on the trip I might take the Suzuki as well.

Now I just need to figure out how to paint that fiberglass race body before I head down there.

I may have been dropped on my head as a child

2007-08-16T06:40:00.000-07:00

That Ducati 1098 Tri-Colore isn't at the dealer any more. Someone snatched it up on Tuesday.

The problem is that 'someone' was me.

Here's my 12-step program for Ducati ownership:

1. Lose mind.
2. Find a banker who has also lost thier mind.
3. Buy Ducati and race bodywork.
4. Break-in Ducati.
5. Figure out how to paint fiberglass.
6. Service Ducati.
7. Get extra bike protection widgets.
8. Break-in Ducati some more.
9. Paint fiberglass.
10. Install race bodywork and widgets.
11. Go to track.
12. Try to stop giggling.

So far I'm on step 4. (Well, a little bit of step 12 too.) With some luck I'll get comfortable with it and get it to the track this season.

It's a little hard to get a truly accurate picture since I'm limited to < 6000 rpm during the break-in picture. But early indications are that it's scary powerful. It's 100lbs lighter and has 60hp more than the Daytona.

Sweet dreams are made of these.

2007-08-11T21:22:00.000-07:00

Wow! March 4th?! Eeek, I'm not very good at this am I? Oh well, you get what you pay for and I'm sure none of you are paying for this.

What's happened in 5 months? Well, the weather got nice so I got out from in front of computer and did stuff. What stuff? I can't remember but I'm sure it was fun.

... Uh ... Hmmm..... 5 months? .... What *did* I do? ...

Track days! Right! Three tracks days at Pacific Raceways. June 2nd + 3rd, and July 30th. On June 2nd I snapped the chain during the first session. I thought it was going to end my whole weekend but luckily I had an extra link and with some help I was back in the action after missing only one session. Here's one of my laps: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hc9LsSHHYIw

BTW, that's a new camera setup on the bike. I replaced the Archos AV500 recorder with an Aiptek MPVR. The Archos couldn't handle the vibration very well since it writes to an HDD. The Aiptek writes to a CF card and it works pretty well. (And it's smaller.)

July 30th I was at PR again. I was pretty sick so I only ran 4 or 5 sessions and most of those I came in early. Much to my surprise I was able to get a knee down in turns 2, 3, 4, 6, and 9. (Six really freaked me out, it was totally unintentional.) My lap times weren't spectacular but I did manage to see 133mph on the computer at one point. (No, mom, I wasn't watching my speedometer at 133mph. The computer records my max speed and I check it when the session is over.)

My group at work was given the week of July 30th off. (Hence being at the track on a Monday.) I thought I'd take some time to myself and drive out to Glacier National Park. In preparation I finally had the other 5 Redlines put on The Triumph. I know my dad thinks I'm crazy (for many reasons we won't get into here) but the Redlines really do make a difference. They somehow just look right.

Gentlemen, please remove your hats as we observe a moment of silence to commemorate the loss of our beloved original spare. .............. For 32 years it sat patiently in the trunk. Ever vigilant. Always ready to step in when needed. It was a fine old tire and I'll miss it terribly.

But in the end I decided it wouldn't be too smart to drive 4 days with the top down if I was sick. So I never did go to Glacier. (No, I could not have put the top up. I have a convertible. If the top is up I might just as well be driving a coupe. And that's just silliness.)

The same day I had the Redlines mounted I had new tires put on the Daytona in preparation for the track day. While they were being mounted at a local dealer I made a strategic error: I went upstairs to sales. Why was that an error? Because I found one of these on these on the floor. Whoever had put a deposit on it couldn't finish the deal and there no one else was waiting for a Tri-Colore. (The other 1098 models have a waiting list almost a year long at this dealership.) I tried it on for size and woudn't you know, it fit!

I talked with the sales guys and the service guys and they were clearly conspiring against the sensible part of my brain. But I managed to escape with new tires and before their Jedi Mind Tricks forced me into a new Ducati. I got in the car thinking "Whew! That was close! Good thing someone even dumber than me will snap that up. And probably even before my credit union opens again."

Except... I stopped by the dealer today and it is still there.

Waiting for me.

Calling to me.

It must be a sign.

Maybe it's the re-incarnation of that original spare. ... Maybe I should get it. Maybe it's trying to keep looking out for me. ... Right?

Mud Bath

2007-03-04T15:35:00.000-08:00

I took the bike to work on Friday. Some folks were planning to ride to the premier of Wild Hogs in the afternoon. I was going to join them on the off chance that the weather was cooperative. Of course this is Seattle so ... well ... yeah, that didn't happen.

But an odd thing happened at 11:30. I decided to go for a lunch ride with a couple other crazy fools. They wanted to get a burger at a little cafe in Fall City which is a 30-minute ride. Me? I just wanted to burn some gas.

It was raining. The road was wet. And I have no rear fender to speak of. I ended up covered in dirt.

It was great!

Did you worry about getting dirty when you were 7? And when mom told you to get out of the rain didn't you mutter something about "When I grow up I'm going to do what I want!"? ... So? Are you eating ice cream everyday? Are you playing in the mud?

On the Road Again

2007-02-16T18:05:00.000-08:00

Good ol' Willie. Anyone know if he's paid off his taxes yet? ... Oh well.

It actually happened on Wednesday. I picked my Suzuki up from the dealer! (What? You don't think that's exciting? Just because I've done that about 2 dozen times in the last few years? Ah, okay, here's the important point -->) WITHOUT A TRAILER!

That's right boys and girls. It's alive and kicking and coming to a yuppie-biker-hangout near you.

It runs pretty good in the mid rev range. I'm not sure it's getting enough fuel once the revs pick up. It's a little early to say. My hope is to push a tank of gas through it this weekend. (If the weather cooperates.)

I've covered about 25 miles so far. And I've learned a few things already:
1) Mirrors are almost useless on a bike. But not as useless as having *no* mirrors.
2) If you have a short rear fender and you ride when the road is wet, you're going to get a nice disgusting stripe of grime on the back of your jacket.
3) Riding a cruiser with forward controls is absolutely nothing like riding a sport bike. (Although the riding position is oddly similar to the driving position in a TR6.)

Work items left:
- Polished / chromed final drive.
- Polished / powdercoated lower front legs
- Replace the oil cooler with something slimmer.
- Hide / cleanup the bluing on the front pipe.
- Get a speedometer cable.

Sit Happens

2007-02-05T12:04:00.000-08:00

I decided to move forward on the Suzuki last week. I need to get a seat installed before it will be safe enough for the guys at the dealer to ride it, and that's a pre-requisite for them to be able to tune it.

So I called Richs Custom Seats. Explained that I'd need a new pan and a new seat. I got the "bring the bike down and we can figure it out" response I expected. I made an appointment for Saturday.

I figured the process would look something like...

1. Bring the bike down Saturday morning.
2. Spend 15-30 minutes talking over what I wanted, what was possible, and deciding on a plan. Leave the bike behind.
3. Come back a week or two later (once the pan was done) to do the foam fitting. Take the bike.
4. Come back a week or two later to pick up the completed seat and sign over my first born son as payment.

Instead the process was...

1. Bring the bike in 10:45am Saturday.
2. Spend 15 minutes talking about what I wanted and what could be done with what I had.
3. Hang in the shop talking motorcycles with Rich, his employees, and a number of other customers (most of whom we're also a little surprised by Richs process).
4. About a dozen times get asked by Rich to verify that the shape / style / fit of the seat was what I expected.
5. Leave about 6:00pm with the bike and the finished seat.

Yeah, it cost me the day but now I have the seat done instead of waiting until the end of the month. Plus it only cost about 60% of what I expected. (Partly because they were able to modify my existing seatpan instead of having to create a new one from scratch.)

Next time I'll just have to remember to bring a book.

If you look close at the picture from the right side you'll also see the other little change I had to make. I had to move the rear brake reservoir to keep it from touching the exhaust. One of my finer successes: I spent 45 minutes and about $0.89 to make the bracket.