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  1. Today
  2. Soon more light in my garage! Led power!
  3. Let there be light so you can see what you do Will be connected soon. Led power
  4. keny

    Anything goes!

  5. Nice video series, although I did cringe when he had the engine block in the bead blaster, and left the shift drum and mechanism installed. Also he was a bit rough handling the pistons, throwing them in a pile every time...
  6. I miss those days...I could so do a project engine...except for that money thing...
  7. OK but this guy was seriously WRONG to spraypaint inside the engine cases, which the honda factory did not do.
  8. Yesterday
  9. 40+ years riding, some 15? helmets. 2 of my current 4 are due for replacement at some point next year.
  10. You'll with the thick twang
  11. Thats funny! I just happened upon this while cruising youtube on my lunch time. Pretty good so far!
  12. Which "you?" I rarely have fogging issues. They've pretty much solved that from early on saliva to later pinlock features and venting. Riding since the mid 80s and...including the 4 helmets in the cycle now, a lot of helmets. lol
  13. What about visors that fog ( badly )? I've got a new mid - high $ BELL that I can't wear in winter but use an old Shark coz it came with a mouth and nose cover How many years have you been riding and how many helmets have you had? Me 23 years and 4 lids
  14. I know the X14 & 15 and RF1200 & 1400 have removable chin strap covers. Also the HJC RHPA 11 and new 12 has. HJC RPHA 1N chin straps are NOT removeable, which is odd for their "top tier" racing helmet.
  15. Ah, unfortunately for me this was done by RCC Creations. Though I was born in Scotland, I can only dream of that shop or those skills.
  16. May be, but again, depending on who the "they" you were speaking of.
  17. I thought that they were non removable. I may need to look into this...
  18. Curious as who is the "they" you speak of? Most all the helmet brands have the removable / washable chin strap covers.
  19. I was watching this video last night, your workshop is amazing as is your work
  20. My apologies if this series has already been mentioned, but here is the engine build episode of the NC30 / VFR400 restoration series:
  21. Wouldn't happen to have been with Andy, aka Missendon Flyer would it? He has started showing videos of his tour in Japan.
  22. Last week
  23. I stick with ECE as Snell has been criticized as being too hard and not forgiving enough in motorcycle accidents. Fortnine did a somewhat recent video going in depth on this. Just ignore the cheese. My personal experience with a very expensive Snell helmet lends credence to this criticism and why I avoid. 😐
  24. For me, tied for #1 are safety and comfort. Then venting/shield usage ease/clarity. Then ability to remove and clean interior. Then price point, although I always buy clearance. I wish that they'd make the soft bits around the strap removable for cleaning.
  25. The AGV "exceeds the ECE standard by a large margin" according to the AGV website, as well as U.S. DOT. This is definitely one of the reasons it was on my list. And it may not mean much to say you protect the heads of Rossi, Miller, Mir etc. but it means something. Lab tests only roughly replicate actual crashes. There's not a lot of public funding for motorcycle safety, at least not here in North America, but I have read that manufacturers are now testing side impact and glancing blows in addition to simple direct impact. So ECE, Snell, DOT is what we've got to go by. A manufacturer that's been around for a while and has a rep for quality is an important factor also--I continue to believe that Arai is the gold standard here. You may get a safe helmet that's cheap, but as Dutchy and Captain mentioned, fit and comfort are safety factors too. And I won't lie, I care how it looks! This hasn't turn into an oil thread but it was drifting in that direction. Since this is VFRD at least no one chimed in with "you're safer without a helmet." 😎
  26. A Schuberth C3 saved my bacon, T-boning an oncoming cager turning left...
  27. Oh! And a "vintage look" SHOEi for the 1975 MV...
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    1. med_gallery_491_3463_298783.jpg

      Juniper Pass

      I took a day off from work and also from my bicycle training to take out the Veefalo one last time before the weather turns ugly, supposed to snow the rest of the week and possibly start sticking to the ground along the Colorado Front Range. I took a leisurely pace up hwy 105 toward Morrison and got reacquainted with the bike since its been over a month since I took any sort of twisties on it at all, hwy 105 is a scenic ride along the front range between Denver and Colorado Springs, its mostly easy fast sweepers and lite traffic so its a favorite road of mine when going north. Then I have to negotiate a bit of traffic near Highlands ranch and up hwy 470 into the mountains. I decided to take the Morrison Exit and try either Lookout Mountain or head up Golden Gate Canyon - this time it was Lookout Mountain, I was sort of making it up on the fly as I went along. Lookout Mountain is my old bicycling haunt from my days while I was working at Coors, its a killer ride and all uphill - I don't think I could do it today If I had to, not quite there yet! I saw a whole bunch of riders doing it though and wished I was in shape enough to be there doing it as well. 30 more lbs and I will be able to do it! On this day I would do it on the Veefalo instead.

       

       

       

       

      I took a video from the gateway to the top at the Lookout Mountain State Park, getting past riders, the guy in the green jacket actually pretty much astounded me with how far he had gotten in the short time it took me to set up my camera, some 3 miles at least and up to the gateway from the turn off at hwy 6! Amazing I thought. I took the first two turns slow then got more comfortable as I went up further, till I was doing well, I made some gearing mistakes and took the tight 15mph marked hairpins in the wrong gear so I lugged it a bit on one or two. Still enjoyed it though and then got off at the top and hiked over a rock outcropping for an overview of the road for the pictures below.

       

       

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      Lookout Mountain - Golden Colorado

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      Zoomed in

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      Lookout Mountain Park top of the mountain

      From there I headed up interstate 70 to Idaho Springs for a beer at the Tommy-knockers brewery, I was the only customer in the joint - slow day for them so they treated me like a king! I got a nice tour of the place sort of impromptu, they made me a nice Pastrami sandwich on rye and with the brown ale it was fantastic. I must say the beer is much better there than in the bottles - its always good at the brewery. I am glad I stopped

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      Tommy-knockers Brewpub Idaho Springs

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      Idaho Springs Colorado

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      Mashtuns and fermenters

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      Rows of fermenters

      I finished my lunch and since the road to Mount Evans is right there I headed up Squaw pass hoping to get in some nice pictures I wasn't expecting what I found, ICE IN ALL THE SHADY PARTS

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      Icy patches on Squaw Pass definitely taking it easy on that road

      There were some section where the ice covered the whole road for 300 yards or so I had to roll through it with my legs out to help keep the bike from sliding and falling over, I took it real slow. A Ford pickup was right behind me so I pulled over to let him pass but the guy was going slower then even I was so I pressed on - in places where I could see I just cut over to the oncoming lane and out of the ice where the sun was shining on the road more, but some places there was not alternative so I just had to go slow, good thing it wasn't slick but rather they tossed some gravel over the worst parts so I had some traction!

      I did stop for pictures in all the best spots

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      Echo Lake at Mount Evans showing off my new plate

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      Elephant Butte Park and Denver

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      Close up

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      Veefalo on Squaw Pass

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      Juniper Pass

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      Juniper Pass

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      Mount Evans

      My route A is home B is Tommy-knockers

       

    2. martinkap
      Latest Entry

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      Not that it matters and not that I expect anyone had noticed, but to those who sent me "where are you?" I would like to say I am back. Not only that I am officially returning to VFRD after nearly 2 months break but I have also ridden my Hawk last weekend and had FUN! Let me restate that; I had major fun riding! Something I have almost given up on.

      Most of you have been riding your whole adult lives and riding is not only a hobby to you, it is part of you. But I started riding three years ago and even though I have encounter some setbacks, till this spring I loved riding with whole my heart. However, I have always considered riding as my hobby. As a hobby which suppose to make my life better, more fun and more rich. Life is too short to do something which we don't fully love.

      My love of riding received a first major scar this spring: I lost a friend on the racetrack. He was a total stranger who offered me his help after I lowsided at CMP track last year. I still remember hearing his "Hi, my name is Todd, do you need help?" while I was duct-taping my roadrash from ripped jacket. He helped me straighten up the shifter and we kept in touch. The next time we saw each other was the day he died.

      With 9 months delay, I can say that Todd's death shook me more than I have realized. It rooted fear in me which was fueled by seeing and hearing about others getting hurt over and over again. If I was to summarize this year - it would be one big accident report. I became sensitive to every broken bone, every roadrash, every lowside. And even though I did 10 track days this year, I became slower and slower and slower. Suddenly, I have acquired this 'grandma' riding style on the road, frozen with fear that behind every corner there is car standing in my lane, or major sand trap or deer staring at me ... I was crippled with fear not only for me about also for my fellow rider.

      So, at the end of this year, I rode more and more by myself. I could not bear the feelings of responsibility for others on the road and my lines were crippled by my own fears. It all culminated this fall at WDGAH. In a freaky accident Love2rideh82crash was taken down by a truck crossing into our lane. I was done. I finished the weekend, locked the VFR into a garage and took a break.

      Until the last weekend, I pretended that motorcycles do not exists. As a last instance after 2 months break from riding, I decided to go to CMP track to see if I can still have fun. I also felt like I should go for the memory of Todd. I went and I had fun! I had much more fun than I expected and the most fun on track I can remember. Suddenly the whole track connected into an uninterupted line of turns and I felt one with the bike riding around! I was giggling like a little girl in my helmet and keep on giggling ever since smile.gif

      Granted I was not the fastest one and through out the weekend, I have never exceeded about 60% of my riding abilities, but I had no "oh-shit" nor 'blond' moments. I could have maybe go faster, I could have brake later for the turns and I could have lean further, but I am no Rossi nor Stoner. I decided to ride for fun and I had amazing blast riding well within my comfort zone.

      I was proud of myself when, after bandaging Ricks arm, I was able to distance myself and go back to riding without the year-long fear. I did feel bad for him but the feelings were not crippling my lines nor my mind. And when a total stranger came to me and said "Hi, my name is Todd", my heart stopped for a minute though but I suddenly knew that my life went a full circle. I probably will never win MotoGP :idea3: , but I am back! :wheel:

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