afennell

Can anybody tell me the taillight bulb number for a 05 VFR? I'd like to pickup one on my way home from work and I don't have my manual with me.

So I have officially kicked off the 2010 riding season and discovered that my helmet hurts like hell. I guess I have been gaining weight so my head doesn’t fit my helmet anymore. I know I know, I am 32 years old and it is time to start sipping scotch instead of drinking beer. I guess it was a good run. Anyway, I was wondering if anybody has had some experience with the Nolan helmets with the N-Com Bluetooth system. I did a search and not much came up which I found surprising for the farkle friendly VFR crowd.

This is a bad idea.

For a first project, you need to stick with a tried and true combination of motor/airframe.

If you aren't an EAA member, find a local and join up. Ask lots of questions and listen.

Good luck.

I agree that a first project should be a tried and true combination of motor/airframe. I chose the airframe for just that reason but I am having difficulty with the thought of forking out $20,000 for a Rotax engine. I chose to scratch build the CH701 so that I could keep the cost of the airframe as low as possible while learning how to actually build something with my own hands. This way, when I dent up my new aircraft, I'll know just how to fix it. As for flying experience, I have flown sailplanes, hang gliders, 28 years in multi-million dollar flight simulators, etc. (I repair/maintain simulators as an occupation.) I also fly radio control aircraft. There aren't too many things that I can't fly. I work for the airlines, so I fly for the cost of lunch when I really have to get somewhere in a hurry.

As for the EAA membership, or COPA or RAA or any of those other organizations, I'm having a bit of trouble understanding what they have to offer. Other than getting a pin, a hat or an e-newsletter, I don't really know what these organizations offer that can't already be located somewhere on the internet. I once belonged to COPA. I proudly displayed a gold wing sticker on my car window for years. I seriously didn't understand the benefits of belonging to these organizations. I just want to fly my own homebuilt aircraft out in some farm field for fun. I don't want to deal with air traffic controllers or any other form of government dictators. Flying for the fun of it, while not bothering anyone.

I really like hang gliding. It gives me a sense of freedom. The down side of hang gliding is that I always need an aerotow or have to jump off a mountain. I looked into power assisted hang gliding but discovered the CH701 along the way and decided that this 580lb aircraft made more sense to me than using my legs for landing gear. The CH701 can be fitted with floats or skis and it even has a folding wing option so it is easily trailered and can be stored at home in a garage or shed.

If a non-aircraft engine is experimentally tested in a proven airframe, it could be very dangerous and life threatening. Hang gliding is potentially dangerous too, if you happen to get too far away from the LZ and there are too many trees in your way. I guess that life is all about adventures and people will have to take certain risks as a trade-off for certain pleasures. Flying an untested engine would probably be done safer if it were tested within a close distance to the airfield. The Wright brothers started it all, so I guess we will just have to take technology one step at a time and see where we end up.

I have spent alot of time talking to aircraft builders in selecting my plane Cozy MKIV. I have a friend up at the Brampton Flight Centre who has built 5 planes. I was asking him if I should install a new or used engine. I think his answer summarized the cost saving argument the best. "Do you really want to pour your heart and soul in building a plane and then turn around and put a crappy old engine in the thing." Get the engine that the plane was designed around. If cost is the issue you might want to go with a cheaper airframe design. There are some great steel tube and fabric planes that are far cheaper than the CH701. Aluminum is expensive. Wood planes are also much cheaper to build.

Also, my same friend installed a Rotary engine in a plane just for fun but said that he didn't recommend it. There are so many builder who install two engines in their planes. First they install a cheap alternative engine, spend 6 months or more trying to get it running properly. Then the second engine is the correct engine for the aircraft design after they give up on their first idea.

Motorcycle engines are designed to produce high power abruptly for short periods of time.

Negative... Motorcycle engines are engineered to produce high power for long periods of time... not

short... magazines have run a number of motorcycles at full throttle 12,000 rpms for 24 hours in the

quest of a record... trying running an aircraft engine at 12,000 RPMs and see what happens...

Yeah, but will a motorcycle engine run above 75% throttle continuously and achieve 2000 hours of time between overhauls. Would you bet your life on it?

I'd stick with the Rotax 912 that the plane was designed around. Motorcycle engines are designed to produce high power abruptly for short periods of time. Aircraft engines are design for continuous power for hours on end. Motorcycle engines are simply designed for a different application. It might be cheaper on the front end, but it will destroy your resale value for the aircraft. Nobody wants to buy a plane with a highly modified engine. Most likely are some point you will want to trade up and finance it with the sale of your current aircraft.

By the way, I am just starting to build a Cozy MKIV. Enjoy your build.

perhaps you could comment on the type of gear she was wearing....

always interested in how things handle crashes... (i know there is no way to to put metrics to a crash or objectify data as every crash is different) It sounds like it did it's job.

only if you have time....

We actually just bought this suit two weeks ago for her birthday. It didn't even last 1 hour, but we will likely just replace it with the same stuff. They were Joe Rocket textile pants. I can't remember the exact model, but something similar to the Ballistics pants except for women. The jacket was made by a new company called Shift and it was the Catalina model. The pants actually just have small rips down the right side and actually held up pretty well. The jacket was burned almost completely through the underarm. Don't ask me how that happened. The boots we just standard leather riding boots. The toe of the right foot was worn almost completely through. That was either from rubbing between the guardrail and the bike, or being dragged under the bike as it slid.

Very lucky indeed! BTW, what model Honda is that? Sharon had me out shopping for a new bike for her and I didn't realize Honda makes a more upright position "sport" bike like Yamaha, Kawasaki and Suzuki do. :fing02: on ATGATT

:fing02: Tom, that would be a 599, also known as a Hornet on the other side of the Atlantic.

It is a great little bike. Really snappy throttle in a nice little package. They stopped selling them in North America in 2006, but there are lots on the used market for not much money.

PS After seeing her picture... You better be glad you were leading, she could be a point of fixation.

I prefer when she leads, because as we all know a chick on a bike is one of the sexiest things on the planet. She has always preferred to follow no matter how many times I ask her to lead. Even when she does take that lead occasionally it is usually only a few minutes before she is waving me back in front. I really don't really know why this is.

She is up and about today and actually decided to go out for a few hours this afternoon. It is probably best for her to keep moving if she can so her muscles don't seize up.

How fast was she going when she went down?

I think we were on the ramp at about 60 km/h. There was allot of rush hour traffic and there were some other cars ahead of us keeping us a little slower than we normally ride this particular ramp. It really wasn't a speed issue but a target fixation issue I think. Normally we read some chapters from one of our sport riding techniques book before the season opens, but this year we are renovating and moving, so we haven't had time this year and this ride was a last minute idea. We really should have done some practice or something at the beginning of the season.

Damn I hate these stories. First off, thanks to both of you for wearing the gear and second, I am happy to hear that she will be OK once the aches go away. Everybody should be taking it easy at the beginning of the season just to get the feel of your bike and your skill levels. I commute as much as possible all winter but I keep it toned down to a pace even my mother would approve of. I know that even after riding all winter, the first few curves I decide to take at "summer pace" scare the crap out of me.

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and as usual, we all appreciate photos of women riders. :huh:

Here she is on the first day with her bike.

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Here she is and the Deals Gap.

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So last night we learned about target fixation and the importance of protective gear. Last night my wife and I were out for our first ride of the season. We were hitting our first ramp of the season to get on the expressway out of the city. This particular ramp is usually pretty thrilling because it is a long sweeping curve, and then rolls the opposite direction as you accelerate to highway speed. Anyway, when I was just about to roll onto the throttle to exit the ramp I didn’t see my wife in the mirror. I stopped and saw all the cars stopped and people running up to her. She says that she fixated on some gravel and basically turned wide a drove right into the guardrail. Then she slid along the guardrail and came to a stop about 30 feet down the road. Fortunately one of the drivers who saw the accident was a nurse and she took control of the situation, then a doctor arrived shortly after. They called EMS and made sure to stabilize her neck and spin just as a precaution and did not remove her helmet. Then the tow trucks started arriving, then fire trucks, then the ambulance, and then police. After a long analysis on the side of the road they decided that she didn’t have any back or neck injuries and she could walk to the ambulance. Then they took her to the emergency for x-rays and a general check-up. At about midnight she walked out of emergency with a clean bill of health except for some aches and pains and a bruised spirit. Her gear is finished. Here boots were scraped almost completely through the leather, and her jacket was burned through as were her riding pants. The bike is scrapped on some of the engine cases and has a busted mirror, but remarkably it is reasonably undamaged. Even the fuel tank survived the incident without a scratch. Anyway, I think it was a testament to the principle of wearing all the gear all the time. Without the gear that guardrail would have done some serious damage to her leg and shoulder. When we were in the pharmacy getting some high powered pain killers a gentleman in a wheel chair came up and started talking to us. He asked what she rides and then told us to be careful. He said that a motorcycle is what put him in his chair. He apparently used to race enduro motorcycles, but got clipped by a transport two years ago while riding a street bike. Anyway, the whole thing was a sobering experience and not the best way to start the season. I think we have decided to cool down our riding style a little. We have both been pushing our own limits more than we should over the past couple seasons and it was really just a matter of time. We got off lucky.

I believe that Kanadian Ken knows a thing or two about LEDs.

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa (CNN) -- Crime-obsessed South Africans have a powerful new weapon with which to stop likely criminals: the car flamethrower.

Casting a man-high fireball, reportedly with no damage to the paint, the Blaster has been placed on 25 South African vehicles since its introduction last month.

At 3,900 rand ($655), it offers a cheap, dramatic defense against carjackers. It has yet to be deemed illegal.

South African courts allow killing if convinced that it's in self-defense. The defense is not unheard of. In last year's 13,000 carjackings, criminals often brandished weapons or used them with little provocation.

The Blaster squirts liquefied gas from a bottle in the automobile's trunk through two nozzles, located under the front doors. The gas is then ignited by an electric spark, with fiery consequences.

Both sides flame at the same time, regardless of whether the attack is coming from just one side of the vehicle, or whether passersby are on the other side. But the breadth and depth of blast can be modified according to individual preference.

http://www.cnn.com/WORLD/africa/9812/11/fl...ar/240x180.html

I am fairly certain you can get this as a production feature on many luxury autos in South Africa. At least that is what my South African friend told me. His sister in law was car jacked in Johannesburg, but fortunately they just took the car and left her alone. I understand it happens regularly in South Africa. Apparently they only get $400 per car.

Yeah, that is what they said. I told them that I thought Harleys were junk and that I would never own one. Things went downhill from there. It was a difficult afternoon.

A few seasons ago I was riding up the expressway and I came across a Hells Angel. I noticed that he didn't have anybody tailgating him. It must have been great when all motorcyclists were feared the same way. One time I went by the local club house and asked what I had to do to join. Apparently VFR riders can’t join the Angels.

It actually crosses from Nova Scotia to PEI. Just so the next guy that attempts to ride across the bridge doesn't get lost.

Mounting from the base of the mirrors seems to be a good choice. That said, stock lighting is already plenty bright. Even with low beams there is almost too much light. Unless you are doing some serious long distance riding then fog lights seem like overkill. It also destroys the good looking lines of the bike.

http://www.specialtychromedplastics.com/the_process.htm

Thanks, that was what I have been looking for.

Is there a company that makes a chrome windshield for the 6th gen VFR?

Be warned that chrome screens create a lot of heat. I melted my gauge cluster on my old busa and was really pissed about it. If you find one be aware of the fact it can happen quickly.

Just curious, why would a chrome screen create any heat? Wouldn't it reflect all of the light energy instead of absorbing it?

Eggs Zachary. Reflects all that heat right onto your gauge faces.

What he said. Try it out for yourself but know you have been warned by a friend lookin out for your best intrest.

I've never heard of that with a chrome screen, but I know it can happen with a double bubble screen.

wasn't a double that melted my busa gauges but hey ............ some lessons people need to learn for themselves :wheel:

I guess in that case it would be a good idea to black out the underside of the chrome screen prior to installation.

Is there a company that makes a chrome windshield for the 6th gen VFR?

Be warned that chrome screens create a lot of heat. I melted my gauge cluster on my old busa and was really pissed about it. If you find one be aware of the fact it can happen quickly.

Just curious, why would a chrome screen create any heat? Wouldn't it reflect all of the light energy instead of absorbing it?

I have the gas tank mount for my GPS and I love it. Easy to see and it is nice and symmetrical.

Is there a company that makes a chrome windshield for the 6th gen VFR?

Imagine how much effort it must take to clean this oil enough to put in our motorcycles.

Anyway, back to work now.

I used to think about getting fancy with my oil changes, but I have a tough time finding synthetic oils that don't have a bunch of additives. In addition, I could never seem to find the correct grade numbers in synthetic oil. The motorcycle specific synthetic oils seem so expensive. So I eventually just decided to go with what the owner’s manual recommends. Now I just use Castrol GTX 10W40. It is cheap and easy to find. I figure that frequent changes of cheaper oil, is better than less frequent changes of expensive oil. Besides, all the oils have to meet certain standards. I suspect that we are talking about the last 5% between the various oils.

Why don't we ever talk about which brand of gasoline to use? In reality Shell gasoline may have come from an Imperial Oil refinery or vise versa. They trade the stuff back and forth all the time. I suspect motor oil it the same story. The oil all originates from the same place, at least when we are talking dino oil.

I have thought about getting a radar detector hard wired into a stealth location of the bike. I am concerned that if they were to find it they would impound the entire bike instead of just the radar detector. The officer is to confiscate the detector if he finds one, but if it is hard wired to the bike he might just take the whole bike until such time as the two can be separated. I doubt the officer would give me the time to remove the detector on the shoulder of the highway while he waits.

The trick that I would like to try is to download a list of common radar trap locations into a GPS. They do this for radar cameras in Europe, but it could also be useful for radar in North America. I have found a radar trap point of interest data base on the internet, but the file is for a Garmin GPS and I have a Magellan.

I have tried using a CB radio to listen to trucks on the highway, but that was marginally better than useless. Trucks don't seem to speed much anymore because most of them have speed limiters. Consequently they don't seem to say anything when they see a cruiser. I'd like to try a police band scanner to see if that would help. Maybe the conversation between the cruiser and dispatch would give clues about the locations of the cruisers.

I guess I could just slow down a little, but that wouldn't be much fun.