Tulsa Hoonigans

Domains For Sell in UK

2012-02-25T03:40:00.001-06:00

I HAVE THESE RARE DOMAINS FOR SALE IF ANYONE IS INTERESTED? PLEASE CALL ME AT +91-9990721183 / 8586875020 or Email me your bid with domain name at ceo@speakmeme.com or bestboydelhi@gmail.com . Visit

http://mychoicedelhi.blogspot.in/2012/02/domain-selling-in-uk-rare-domains-today.html

Below is list of Domains :-
DIYARPAZAR.COM
THEKO.INFO
P3MI.COM
J33Z.COM
DLBIN.COM
CR1B.COM
TVPLANETNETWORK.COM
YOURPOWERPROFITS.COM
CATALYTICCONVERSIONS.COM
ASKJEVESKIDS.COM
DIYARPAZAR.COM
ACCOMPANYISTS.COM
UNIQUEMARKET.CO.UK

The Next Rambo?

2011-07-11T23:41:00.001-05:00

No word's to describe, just watch the video!

My hero!

2011-07-10T19:57:00.003-05:00

I can only hope I am this cool when I am this guys age. Looks like I'll play me a little battlefield tonight!

Ridiculous

2011-07-10T19:25:00.001-05:00

Please tell me what is wrong with the below picture? I swear I didn't step a foot outside more than to move the sprinkler and couldn't even imagine riding in this weather. Hope we get some rain soon as it looks like the middle of August in my back yard. Dry, dry, dry!

Darth Fiesta

2011-07-04T21:31:00.000-05:00

Although they will only be using this livery for test mules, it sure does look menacing on the Fiesta. Check out how small that motor is in the engine bay. 1.6L@300+bhp!

The Monster defeats the Mountain

2011-07-04T20:26:00.001-05:00

23 years of trying and Nobuhiro 'Monster' Tajima has finally beat the 10 minute mark up Pikes Peak in the 2011 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. Setting the previous record in 2007 at 10:01:408, Monster smashes the record this year at 9:51:278. I have followed this peripherally over the years I love to see all the classes race up the mountain and it is really something to watch the open class cars. Some say the record will come with an asterisk as there are only about 3 miles of gravel left and considering Rod Millen put in a 10:04:06 on 12.42 miles of gravel in 1994, some say it's a wonder it took this long. In any case, this is still a run to watch and I was actually cringing at some of the drop-offs! See record run below.

WRC Pace Notes - Explained

2011-07-04T19:18:00.001-05:00

See short video below showing 3 different ways that 3 different drivers write their pace notes for the same corner. Interesting indeed.

I'm Back! Almost...

2011-07-04T19:12:00.001-05:00

Per my previous post related to a pinched nerve in my neck, I was continuing to have difficulty sitting upright in a chair without extreme pain and after a full day of work sitting at a computer, I was in no mood/condition to sit at a computer at home no matter how much I might want to! That being said, I haven't been on my computer over the last couple of month much more than to check my mail or do a few searches and have seriously neglected my blog. That will hopefully change as having exhausted all avenues in seeking relief from my pain, I decided to undergo anterior cervical discectomy and fusion surgery and was operated on 06/21/11. The surgery was a success and two weeks later, I am pain free from the pinched nerve but still recovering from the surgery itself. I have been back to work for a week and am able to do some limited driving but no motorcycle riding for a minimum of 8 more weeks. Other than that, things are looking up and I am happy to say that the pinched nerve has been relieved of pressure and sitting in a chair is no longer a problem! I will be in a soft collar for another 3 weeks and then I hope to be able to begin some light rehabilitation, eventually regaining full strength/range of motion in my neck. See link below for a general idea of the kind of surgery I underwent.

Osama Bin Laden Dead!

2011-05-01T22:29:00.000-05:00

We finally go the bastard! More to come as news is released.

Where Have You Been?

2011-04-18T22:05:00.000-05:00

Well, it appears that the knock I took on the head during the snowstorm in early February did more damage than I initially thought as I am now exhibiting symptoms consistent with a bulging disc at the C5/C6 vertebrae. Long story short, I was shoveling snow out in the blizzard and had only opened the garage door to about five feet to keep the snow from blowing in. Finished up the driveway, pulled my hood down tight and sprinted to get in the garage with my eyes down and.... Well, you can imagine the rest. Hit myself square in the top of the head, perpendicular to my spine, and almost knocked myself out cold. Neck hurt for a week or so but didn't seem to bother me after that until about three weeks ago at which time I started exhibiting real pain in the upper left quadrant of my back, radiating up the left side of my neck and down my left arm. Two trips to the Doc, one to the Chiro and now Physical Therapy with no real relief yet. Really hate that I haven't been posting more as there has been quite a bit of WRC news I would like to share but to let you know just how much it hurts to sit in front of my computer, I haven't done any gaming for almost 2 weeks! If my condition doesn't improve quite a bit in the next few weeks, the Rally may be questionable. Updates as I receive them.

Crysis 2 = Awkward!

2011-04-12T21:49:00.000-05:00

Started playing Crysis 2 over the weekend and ran across this beauty in a savage fire fight on the docks. That truly is planting someone headfirst, no?

FINALLY!

2011-04-04T21:29:00.000-05:00

Ordered the clutch cable a week ago tomorrow and I suppose I wasn't really thinking when I expected it to be here before last weekend but Saturday came and went with no clutch cable and a beautiful day of riding missed. Coming home from work today, I saw the package on the porch and knew I was in luck. Quick dinner and then out to the garage to get the bike running for the nice days we are going to have this week before a weekend full of rain. As you fairinged guys know, 80% of the battle with a job like this is removing the plastics and although mine is nowhere near as bad as a full-fairinged bike, to clean up the sides of the motor, they pile everything on top and it was quite a chore snaking the clutch cable through the spaghetti. Cable in, adjusted and a quick ride showed that my cable pull had been degrading much longer than I noticed. With the shorter bars, it had put the initial metal elbow off the lever perch in a bind as it snaked through the cable loom bolted to the top triple so upon re-installation, I routed it outside the loom with no binding. Clutch pull is much, much smoother and no clank on getting it into first gear! Really wish I would have thought to buy an air filter as mine really needed changing but I wanted to ride tomorrow so I bolted her back up. Now for some tires and the Fizzy is ready to roll. As for the ZRX, well that's a different story entirely...

Monster Truck Backflip

2011-04-03T20:03:00.002-05:00

Even if you don't like monster trucks, this is flat out badass! Although not the first backflip done in competition, I believe it is the first someone drove away from.

Bike Night Barbecue

2011-04-03T19:52:00.003-05:00

Had the guys over Saturday to enjoy the evening and eat some barbecue. We also welcomed a new rider, Steve Young, to our group and look forward to getting him out to Arkansas sometimes soon. Steve is a new employee at Scott&Goble architects and rides the black and copper Kawasaki Vulcan.

Good looking group

Gazing lovingly over our machines

Dave's Triumph Daytona

Deekster's Kawasaki ZRX

Phil's BMW F800S

Brett's Honda Shadow

Steve's Kawasaki Vulcan

Just getting started

About 4 hours later

Serving it up

Brett's "get that out of my face" look

Phil's "please take my picture" look

Steve seems genuinely excited to be here

Enjoying the fellowship

The Iceman Comes to NASCAR

2011-03-30T11:42:00.000-05:00

This guy must be exceptionally bored! Although I have enjoyed watching him in WRC last year and this, I think he realizes how "out of the water" he is with top-tier WRC drivers and feels he can make more of an impact in circuit racing. It will be interesting and I look forward to watching Carl Edwards take him out at Talladega at 200+ mph!

Ouch...

2011-03-26T00:04:00.002-05:00

Well, Ken Block's Rally Portugal got off to a rocky start to say the least. Too bad as this was a rally he had done before and I was hoping he would have at least a top 10 finish. Oh well, I just hope he doesn't get frustrated.

Arghhhhh...

2011-03-23T22:21:00.001-05:00

Snapped the clutch cable on the Fizzy heading home for lunch today, from downtown, in road construction. Only 3 miles but all midtown traffic so needless to say I had to be creative in getting the bike home which included flat out running a couple of red lights. Oh well, made it home safe and the cable is only $50 if I can find a place to order it. Sucks as the weather is perfect and I'm getting tired of putting gas in Ta Tonka!

Spring is Here II!

2011-03-22T21:29:00.001-05:00

It's getting there! Hope to get the fence in the backyard completed in the next week and then I can finally build my horseshoe pits! HicklQue 2011, here we come!

Spring is Here!

2011-03-21T23:00:00.000-05:00

I cam always tell spring is here as the crawfish are in season. Put together a little crawfish boil for my buds Saturday night and everyone seemed to have a good time. Some good food, better fellowship and then UFC 128: Shogun vs. Jones. What a great night and only could have been better with a zip through the twisties prior to us eating. Oh well, that's coming soon enough and if the weather stays nice, I see us getting to Arkansas before the middle of April. Next on the yard party agenda, HicklQue!

2011 WRC Rally de Portugal

2011-03-21T22:48:00.000-05:00

Finally it's here, the first "real" test between Ford and the Citroen! The first rally, Rally Sweden, is a specialist rally with the Scandinavians typically taking victory. Rally Mexico is atypical for the elevation the rally runs at, some of the stages at altitudes higher than any stage run in Europe. This really saps horsepower and makes it tough to compare the cars head to head. Rally de Portugal is typical European gravel rally fare and is where we will be able to see if one car has an advantage over another.

See link here for the official WRC YouTube channel where you can get a fix on some older rallies. From 2004 onward, the rally reviews are quite complete but prior to that, the day-end reviews are a mess with nothing being in order. In any case, it's a good place to get some background on the current players and I highly recommend 2005, 2006 and 2007!

Ken Block Mancrush

2011-03-21T21:51:00.000-05:00

Perhaps you are wondering "who in the hell is this Ken Block guy and what's up with Chuck's mancrush on him?" Well, there's not an altogether straight answer to this question but it starts with my newfound passion for the World Rally Championship. I have always been aware of rally racing peripherally, and am familiar with the general history of the evolution of cars prior to Group B to the present, but didn’t start following WRC full time until about halfway through the 2009 season when I was able to get access to footage through the internet. Long story short, I was hooked from the first stage I watched and just can't get enough!

Ken Block comes into the picture because he is the first American to drive in the WRC and score points since 1988 and although Ken understands he will probably never win a rally, much less the championship, that still hasn’t dampened his passion for the sport. I could bore you with the details of Ken’s background but the short version is that he is 42 years old, the founder of DC shoes and discovered a passion for rallying in his mid-30s. Ken raced in the American Rally Championship for about 5 years then made the switch to WRC fulltime in 2010. I believe he has a 3-year contract with Monster Energy drink and look to see him make rapid improvements through the rest of this year and into the next. Ken has a great attitude and is just what the WRC needed for a personality. Following Ken gives me the emotional investment that makes following any sport that much more fun and I look forward to him winning a stage outright before the end of the year!

As for the WRC itself, this is a great time to be getting into it as it is on the upswing. Since the worldwide economic downturn of 2007, the championship has degraded to only 2 manufacturer’s with only Ford and Citroën fielding factory vehicles. BMW is bringing the Mini Countryman into the series mid-season and Saab, Toyota and VW are making noises of rejoining the championship. Along with that, a Russian billionaire has purchased North One Sports, which provides coverage of the WRC, and has promised much improved coverage of the championship.

All in all, this is a fantastic time to be getting involved with the WRC and I’d be more than happy to provide you guys with the videos so you can follow along as well. There have been only 2 rallies thus far and I will reupload Sweden and Mexico to my FTP so you guys can have access to them to catch up. Rally Portugal is this coming weekend and I will upload those files as I get access to them. In any case, if you want a more in-depth history on the championship, I have 35G worth of WRC year-end reviews going back to the early 80s so just give me a shout.

Honorary Hoonigan

2011-03-21T21:11:00.001-05:00

No words needed. Whole video is worth a look! Thanks to Phil for forwarding this on.

It's That Time!

2011-03-15T20:50:00.000-05:00

Not to bring anyone down but with riding season coming up, the following clip kind of brings it all into perspective. What a close call! Thanks to Ryan for forwarding this on to me.

Congrats!

2011-03-12T20:12:00.000-06:00

Phil surprised me last night saying he was headed to Memphis this morning to pick up a new bike, a BMW F800S. SWEET! Can't wait to see it and get Phil back to Arkansas for some fun in the twistys.

We're live!

2011-02-24T22:02:00.000-06:00

Although I have enjoyed posting on the Hooliecrew blog over the past couple of years, I really wanted a place of my own where I could post without having to worry about whether or not it would be interesting to anyone in particular or not. Now I can post all of my entries here and easily port over posts to other blogs if I feel they are appropriate. I thought long and hard about what to title my new blog and wanted something along the same theme as Hooliecrew and wouldn't you know, Ken Block came through for me. In a slow-mo video of him launching over Colin's Crest on the Vargasen Stage in Sweden earlier this month, I noticed the moniker "HOONIGAN" emblazoned across the radiator grill opening and there it was, my blog title! In any case, tired of messing with this thing tonight but glad to have it up and running.

HWY 221 ZRXOA Fall Rally Eureka Springs (09/24/10)

2010-10-25T20:55:00.000-05:00

Following Neal back to Eureka Springs from Brushy's Corner after Roland's off.

Push Mountain Rd. ZRXOA Fall Rally Eureka Springs (09/23/10)

2010-10-25T20:50:00.000-05:00

Push Mountain Rod. from HWY14 heading north, running it to just over the crest of the hill.

Ken Block - Gymkhana Part 3

2010-09-15T17:49:00.000-05:00

Wow, just wow! Go to YouTube and watch in hi-def if possible.

The Hulk - Universal Studios Orlando

2010-09-11T13:55:00.000-05:00

What a ride!

I Love China

2010-09-11T10:47:00.000-05:00

eBay levers

Crazy good for $30 levers for the pair! Fit like a charm.

A tad dramatic...

2010-07-17T07:31:00.000-05:00

Perhaps, but it does sum up how I feel right now. Even through the pain I feel like there is improvement in my range of motion and less "tightness" in my joint which was being caused by the thickened bursa. Might be too early to get my hopes up but I am trying to stay positive. The fact that I won't be immobilized for 6 weeks has gotten me excited enough to start looking towards the next Roadeo!

Happy Father's Day - Late

2010-06-22T07:22:00.000-05:00

For all you Dads...

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly...

2010-04-28T20:45:00.000-05:00

I just couldn't stand not knowing what kind of shape the bike was in so I went up to the storage yard to take a look. I think several factors played into my advantage that kept damage to a minimum. Wreck happened at low speeds and we actually ended up in the entrance to a parking lot which has some upward slope to it which took some vertical out of the drop.

Front rim seems to have taken the worst of it as it must have "dug in" on the incline. Bottom of fork leg is scuffed.

2 of the 3 places the front fairing is scuffed. Bottom of radiator shroud is scuffed. Custom blinker is scuffed.

3 of 3 places the front fairing is scuffed.

Can is scuffed.

Bar end and lever on right side.

Left rearset looks bent and heelplate was sheared off.

Rear brake lever mangles and possibly the rearset bent.

The savior!

All in all I feel I got pretty lucky considering I was physically struck by the truck. Hopefully I can get the rear sets sorted before the rally and I'll deal with the other items afterwords.

Man Down, Man Down!

2010-04-27T18:29:00.000-05:00

Got sideswiped by a pickup turning left off of a light. I was behind him as the light turned green and pulled into the right lane as soon as we cleared the intersection I pulled into the right lane. He decided he needed Taco Bueno and cut on me hard. Honestly, it happened so fast I didn't have a chance. I didn't even get a chance to check the bke but obviously it's not going on the trip. Doctor coming in, will update later.

Edited Account:

Got taken out today by a pickup truck at 11th and Delaware on the way home from work on my motorcycle. The truck in front of me, and myself, had just turned left onto 11th Street off of a redlight on Delaware coming south out of the TU campus. As soon as we cleared the intersection I moved into the right lane as I typically don't like to be behind pickups for sight-line issues. As I pulled next to him, my guess is that he decided to cut into one of the fast-food restaurants on the south side of the road as he cut hard from the left lane and tried to dart in the parking lot on the right, taking me out in the process. I had absolutely no time to react and was down before I could even begin to think about taking evasive maneuvers. By the time I got up and sorted myself out, someone had already called the ambulance and although I really didn't want to go to the hospital, Cindy insisted so I took a ride to the ER. By the time I was strapped into the ambulance, and the initial shock of the accident was wearing off, my shoulder was really starting to hurt and I my thoughts were that I might have broken/fractured my collar bone. X-Rays in the ER turned up negative so after 3.5 hrs in the ER I was released.

I never really got a chance to survey the bike at the scene as it was down on its right side and too close to the truck to pick up. I have no idea how bad the damage is but my guess is rashed right fairing, bent/broken right peg and bars and trashed exhaust can. Hopefully it is still rideable and I am going to try and retrieve it from the wrecker yard today. All in all I feel I came out of the incident in pretty good shape and hope to take a lesson from all of this. I want to be more upset with myself for not being able to avoid the situation but in running through the scenario over and over in my head, it was completely out of my control. The guy couldn't have done a better job of timing the sideswipe even if he was doing it intentionally. In any case, I'll keep you guys posted and thanks to everyone for the calls and well-wishes.

New Bars

2010-04-25T23:20:00.000-05:00

Finally got around to installing my "new" bars on the Fizzy and am looking forward to seeing how they ride tomorrow. On Friday, I messed around with quite a few different mounting positions as I had some lower bar mounts and 3 different sets of bars laying around. It quickly became obvious that I didn't really want to go lower so after thinking on it for a couple of days, I mounted the flat drag bars after cutting 1/2" off of each end. Sitting on the bike it seems much more comfortable now with the bars at a more natural position. See comparison below.

For you dog lovers...

2010-04-25T01:07:00.000-05:00

This is what I envision going through Milo and Bodie's heads when Dick or Brett comes over...

Bulldogged Akra

2010-04-18T21:23:00.000-05:00

Well, I have to say this was a mod that went exceptionally well considering how little info I had on what was involved. I knew I wanted approximately 4 inches taken out of the can but that was about it. The process was fairly straight-forward with disassembly requiring no more than drilling the rivets out. Cutting the carbon fiber was so much easier than I thought it was going to be and was accomplished with a hacksaw with a new blade. While I had the can off, I hit the pipe with my buffing wheel and voila, I solved my pipe color issue as well! I took the rear pegs off and used a ZRX MikiMoto pipe hanger and it worked out just right. The aftermarket pipe hangers for the Fizzy come perpendicular off of the frame and don't really look good where the MikiMoto has a nice rear sweep that works well with the lines of the bike. The only minor drawbacks to the entire mod are the strap marks on the carbon fiber wrap from the stock mounting location. Hopefully the sun will take care of that over time. Thanks to Deek for pitching in and helping!

A Perfect Tuesday

2010-04-13T21:58:00.000-05:00

What a beautiful day to grill a steak!

Battlefield: Bad Company 2

2010-03-14T11:49:00.000-05:00

Looking to get back into multiplayer online gaming, I've purchased Battlefield: Bad Company 2 at the suggestion of one of the draftsmen in the office. I have never really played war-sims so it has been a struggle getting up to speed. It is so unlike the FEAR2 clips I posted previously as you truly have to be concerned with taking fire from the enemy which really slows down the pace of the game. In any case, I have been having fun with it and am getting close to being familiar enough with the game to jump into online play. To me, The graphics are just stunning and I can't imagine where we will be in 5 more years with almost cinematic quality gameplay.

Randomness for Douglas

2010-03-14T11:45:00.000-05:00

Reminds me of your "eye-picture" in Mountain View.

Yummy!

2010-03-14T10:58:00.000-05:00

Between omelettes, barbecue and fresh-made salsa, I might have the goods to open up a restaurant, LOL!

TRON: Legacy

2010-03-14T10:41:00.000-05:00

Be sure to watch in Hi-Def!

FEAR 2: Project Origins

2010-03-01T06:11:00.000-06:00

Just messing around after installing FRAPS, a custom screen capture program, on my PC. This is the 2nd game in the series and is a horror-based, first person shooter. The supernatural stuff I encounter at the end of the clip is pretty creepy, especially late at night!

Hell yeah!

2010-02-28T13:51:00.000-06:00

Powered Armor level in FEAR2: Project Origins. I am a god!

Missing my baby today...

2010-02-27T17:49:00.000-06:00

Dick forwarded me a picture of my late Boxer Maggie and it got me thinking about her so I dug out my favorite picture of her and thought I would share.

Bling is in the air...

2010-02-27T17:26:00.000-06:00

Had a visitor today and he was riding something green and shiny. Dick's "new" ZRX is definitely getting the "Frierson touch" and is really looking sweet!

When free wifi goes bad!

2010-02-25T23:25:00.000-06:00

Ran across this clip today from a tech podcast I listen to regularly and it made me think of one of you more than the others! Enjoy.

Bad boys, bad boys...

2010-02-24T22:02:00.000-06:00

Proud or shameful? You tell me!

Post Your Desktop

2010-02-23T22:53:00.000-06:00

Here's mine! Been running Vista for a few years now with no issues and although I bought 3 licenses of Win7 when they had the sale on them upon initial release, I just can't warrant the upgrade right now consideing how great my machine runs. As a bonus, I posted another screencap of my basic computer specs.

Sapa Tatanka

2010-02-13T18:34:00.000-06:00

Over the years I failed to document several cool vehicles I have owned, most notably a cherry 1974 Z-28 with a 4-speed Muncie and a 1986 Mustang SVO so I thought I would post a couple of pics of my 2000 Dodge Ram. Nothing extraordinary about her at all other than it represents the body style that "changed everything" in the world of trucks in America. I bought the truck from my brother in 2002 with less than 10K on the odo and she now has about 55K on the clock. The truck has been very reliable with the exception of the tranny which I had to have rebuilt because of issues that are well documented on the internet. I just got some Kumho Road Venture all-terrains mounted which I like very much and enjoy the "old school" look of tall, skinny, high profile tires. Like my ZRX, the truck is a great "15 foot" truck but any closer and you can see she's been kept outside the better part of a decade. I don't really put too much time and effort into keeping her spotless but I do use "Chuck's Tire-Foam" trick on the motor about twice a year and keep her cleaned up when the weather is nice. She has hauled a lot of rock and dirt, pulled her fair share of trailers and the 4-wheel drive has been invaluable here in the winters through ice and snow.

If only...

2010-02-13T12:48:00.000-06:00

...I had an extra 10K! Having grown up in Europe from 1967-1972, I have always had a place in my heart for the early 70s euroboxes and hope to be able to have one at some point. This one looks to be a perfect start to something like the below!

NADA - Not Cars

2010-02-09T19:24:00.000-06:00

I'm sure most of you are aware that my brother raises cattle in Arkansas but not that he has been very active in the North American Devon Association as they work to bring the Devon breed back to prominence. See below for a short blog he did for the NADA on "cattle as a commodity". Also, I have linked to his ranch's website if you care to read more.

NADA - Guest Blog

Fourche River Farm & Cattle Co.

I am so proud of what he and his wife are doing and the determination with which they are doing it. He was able to find financial success early in life and has used that to jump-start their dream and they are loving every minute of it! You go bro!

UFC 109

2010-02-06T10:31:00.000-06:00

Looking forward to it tonight!

More Football Humor

2010-02-06T00:36:00.000-06:00

Each year as the Superbowl approaches, I like to take the opportunity to share this gem with others who might appreciate it. Okay, it might not be as funny to you guys as it is to me but it is Sandler at his finest!

Adam Sandler - New Music - More Music Videos

My Hero - Peyton Manning

2010-02-06T00:31:00.000-06:00

I suppose not everyone may appreciate the humor in this clip as you would have to be an NFL fan and familiar with Peyton Manning's personality, but if you where, it's good stuff!

Climb Dance

2010-02-06T00:08:00.000-06:00

I swear I had posted this previously but looking back through the blog and in talking to Douglas I couldn't find that I had so if it is a repost, I apologize. This is Ari Vatenen's well documented climb up Pikes Peak in a Peugeot 405 T16 Group B rally car in 1989. There are no words to describe...

9:14

2010-02-05T23:57:00.000-06:00

...is all I ask you devote to watching this video. Over the years I have enjoyed many types of racing but rally cars have always seemed to play a part in my life. I remember going to the department stores at Christmas as a kid and always gravitating to the "rally car" models although I had no real idea of what they were. A squatty Fiat with a tire strapped to its roof just seemed cool! X-Games gave World Rally cars a rebirth a few years ago and my access to media through the internet allowed me a conduit to footage that is not readily available in the states and I took advantage. This clip is Ari Vatanen in the Isle of Mann Manx Rally in 1983 and although it doesn't show the "Dear God" moment this rally is known for, it's the highest quality clip I could find. Enjoy...

Tulsa Snow

2010-01-30T20:52:00.000-06:00

Well, we had quite a snowstorm over the past couple of days. About 8" here in midtown with most of it falling between noon and eight o'clock last night. We did have about a quarter of an inch of freezing rain overnight Thursday but were spared any significant damage here in Tulsa. We are at 14.1" of total snow accumulation for the season with 8.6" being average. Also, we typically get most of our snow in March so it could get interesting. Fortunately I got new tires on SapaTatanka(Black Buffalo) the day before the storm hit. I had four Kumho Road Venture ATs mounted, 315/75R16 for $850, and they have performed great in the snow.

Extreme Home Makeover - Tulsa

2010-01-28T19:15:00.000-06:00

As luck would have it, I was made aware last night that Extreme Home Makeover was possibly going to be in my neighborhood this morning. Although there were no stirrings in the neighborhood as I made my way to work, I was notified mid-morning that the rumor was true and a family around the corner had been chosen for a home makeover. Story below and pics following.

The Story

Map with location relative to the HicklHaus. Guard dogs indicate checkpoints for access to street the house is on...

A shot from the front of my garage showing the miserable conditions they are working in...

Another Hobby of Mine

2010-01-28T18:47:00.000-06:00

I'm sure you guys have figured out by now that computers, and tech gadgets in general, are a hobby of mine and I enjoy working on them as much as motorcycles. To me, there is very little difference between putting in a jet kit and assembling a computer from scratch. That being said, I recently "gained possession" of an older laptop that had been hardware locked. Now this is different than the typical Username/Password protection when logging into a computer, different than a BIOS lock at the post screen, this is actually an EEPROM chip on the motherboard that must be "activated" with a password to even get the computer to begin the boot process. This is typically done with computers belonging to institutions/corporations and loaned to employees which I assume this one had at one time. Once I discovered it was hardware locked, I decided to see if I could "crack" it. A quick search on the internet determined it was hopeless without calling the manufacturer, proving ownership and receiving a "master unlock code". As that was not possible, I dug in further and found there was a "paperclip" method for shorting out the EEPROM chip and not to bore you with the details, it was successful! EUREKA! Method did require complete disassembly of the laptop which was fairly interesting as there were dozens of tiny screws of various sizes and lengths to keep track of and I had to short the chip out while powering up the computer. Interesting.

The Fix

So Much I Don't Understand

2010-01-24T17:09:00.000-06:00

There are times when I like to think I am a fairly well-rounded individual and know a little bit about most everything but then I run across something like the below and realize there is an entire world of crap out there I know nothing about and have never given a second though to.

For Your Enjoyment

2010-01-24T00:20:00.000-06:00

I was down in Lake Jackson visitng my parents over Christmas and took a picture of the last official "Hickl Family Portrait" which Mom has prominently displayed in her entry foyer. It had to have been taken somewhere between 1983 and 1985 and I thought you guys would get a kick out of it. Notice that Greg is sporting a real mullet and I the infamous "permullet". Nice!

A New Year and Things to Come...

2010-01-19T22:31:00.000-06:00

First off, a HUGE "thank you" to Douglas for putting together the "2009 Hooliecrew Year in Review" video. It's so very nice to have a quick 10 minute clip to bring back all the memories and to whet the appetite for all the rides to come. I know how much work went into putting the video together and it makes it that much more special to me. I must have watched it a dozen times already and my ass-crack gets bigger every time! If only we had something similar for every year we have been riding together.

On another note, I suppose it is official, the Hooliecrew will be visiting the great state of Tennessee the 2nd full week of May and I for one can't wait! It will be nice to trailer up and to have access to some fun toys to play with so everyone better brush up on their xBox360 MotoGP 2009 as I am going to give you all an ass-whoopin'! Plenty of good roads and all the time in the world to explore them. Now if I could only find a vehicle that got more than 10mpg, I'd be all set.

Work is going well, meaning we have plenty of it, and for that I am grateful. We are picking smaller remodel projets across all client groups which is messier and less profitable work, but it is enough to keep everyone busy and to stave off any lay-offs for the immediate future. The 10th of January was my 10 year anniversary at Scott&Goble and it is so hard to believe it has been that long... until I look in the mirror that is! LOL. 011000 - 011010 (SGA's Digital Man)

Finally, Cindy bought me a ContourHD sportcam for Christmas and the weather cleared up enough for me to get it mounted and take some video today at lunch. See link to video below and let me know what you think. I have it mounted to the right radiator guard and the angle looks about right. Kind of neat to see the suspension working and will be cool to see how much the forks compress in some of the downhill hairpins. The video was still uploading to YouTube at the time I posted this blog so quality will not be maximized for a few hours as Google does its magic. I am also posting the 2009 Hoolicrew video for any visitors to the blog to enjoy. Look forward to seeing you guys and would love to get some e-mail banter started about the trip. Where to stay, what to see, etc.

Happy New Year Hoolies!

2010-01-01T01:59:00.000-06:00

Friends just left and wanted to wish all of you a Happy New Year! Looking forward to spending more time with you guys this year, especially our trip to Tennessee. Hope you enjoyed your night and spent it with those important to you. UFC 108 Saturday night, woohoo!

Chuck

Santa's New Ride

2009-12-17T22:46:00.000-06:00

That's my boy !!

Happy Birthday, Ride Leader!!!

2009-12-09T14:42:00.000-06:00

2006 BMW 330xi

2009-11-29T22:40:00.000-06:00

Couple of pics of the new car I snapped while at the cabin. Car is a 2006 BMW 330xi, the "x" designator indicating all-wheel drive. 3L I6 pushing 255hp through a 6-speed automatic transmission. Car has less than 30K on the odo, a year left on factory warranty and 2 additional years through BMW once that expires as it a certified pre-owned vehicle. The car is an absolute hoot to drive and would love to really run it through its paces out in the hills of Arkansas, something I couldn't do with the precious cargo I had onboard over the weekend.

Tilt Shift Photography

2009-11-29T22:25:00.000-06:00

Been playing with a post production process emulating tilt shift photography today as it is all the rage in iPhone apps at the moment. Although tilt shift is typically achieved with a special camera lens, it can be "faked" with image editing software. Below are several examples of some images I produced today. I don't find any of them exceptional and did it just as an experiment as tilt shift photography is typically used to make wide angle shots from above look "miniaturized", a category into which none of these photos fall.

The boat still floats

2009-11-28T16:21:00.000-06:00

It's been a while since the boat has seen the water. Made a quick trip out to the local spot to see if it still floats, threw the fishing poles in the boat just in case. The boat motor is still has a few issues. The alarm triggers after about 3 minutes after its up to speed. Not a cooling issue, I've check all that out...(and no it doesn't have a radiator on it!) The oiling system is also hooked up to the buzzer. Once the buzzer sounds, kill the engine, wait for about 3 or 4 minutes, and off we go. As long as we keep it under about 2K rpm, no issue. The book says that 'old' oil or a clogged filter can cause this. I have no idea where this filter is, not yet anyway.

As expected fishing was pretty slow. Several boats were out passing the time of day and we didn't see a fish caught. We drifted up to a shell reef that's about 2 foot deep and dropped the anchor. Just on the other side the water drops to 28 feet. I was throwing plastic in the shallows when the fish hit. Quickly hoisted the anchor, cranked up the boat and took after the fish as it headed for the deep water. After about 10 minutes or so, we landed the fish....a black drum...kin to the redfish. The fish is in the 30 lbs class. My fishing reel is spooled with 12 lb test! After the photo opportunity, we released the drum to fight another day.

The Traveling Roadeo

2009-11-23T14:32:00.000-06:00

The Traveling Roadeo, or "7 states and 2300 miles in 4 days".

I needed another motorcycle like I needed a hole in my head, but heck, what does "need" got to do with it!!!

Jody and I left my place at 0500 on a Thursday morning with the intention of making a marathon road trip to Tennessee to pick up a new 2008 CBR1000RR and get a couple days of riding in the Tennessee mountains.

Along the way we hooked up with a few OA members - zrxrob, Luke, Thunderbolt, smart3900, and eatmoretwinkies.

Along the way we made a couple of "night time strafing runs" in the dark back to the hotel in Chattanooga after a day of riding braving the 40 degree temps and indiginous wildlife along the way.

All in all it was a good trip, albeit on a very tight schedule.

Tennessee and Georgia roads rock and so does the new CBR.

I am nowhere near articulate enough to put into words how good the new bike is to do it justice.....so I won't even try.

Unfortunately, being on such a tight schedule did not allow much time to stop and take pictures.....and believe me there were a lot of scenic opportunities worthy of stopping........but we just did not have the time.

So, here are the few we did take.

Jody and Joe on the Cherohala Skyway

ZRX group ride

luke, zrxrob, thunderbolt, and jm1

Radiator repair at Signal Mountain

Radiator repair in Cleveland

Thunderbolt on the Cherohala

ZRX group

At the hotel in Chattanooga

Fresh from the dealership at the hotel

Am I High?

2009-11-22T18:28:00.000-06:00

I bit the bullet today and bought another ZRX1200 for no other reason than I just wanted it, damn it !! Is that so wrong? Not if you are a member of the Hoolie Crew !! Now we all have at least two bikes draining our meager resources. I keep asking -What Just Happened? Did I really just commit my son's college money for a motorcycle? No-I tell myself-just the next 20 Christmas presents from my wife !!

But don't we all deserve to indulge ourselves once in this crazy mixed up world? I feel better now-the oxycodone is starting to kick in.

Enjoy the pics !

Flight 1549 Recreation

2009-11-12T23:02:00.000-06:00

Ran across this reading my WIRED magazine online. ExoSphere3D has gathered all available data and recreated the entire flight of Flight 1549 from takeoff to Sully's spectacular ditch in the Hudson. See embedded video below. I am sure you guys realize that if you hold down the CNTRL and the ALT keys and then click the video, it will throw you straight into YouTube where the video is easier to watch.

It's that time again...

2009-11-11T23:26:00.000-06:00

Well, as Daylight Savings Time comes to an end and I go to work in the dark and come home in the dark, it's officially PC gaming season! Below are a couple of videos of a game I have started the season with. Incredible stylized graphics, interesting storyline and spectacular soundtrack. First video is an official trailer and is a little "glammed" up for marketing reasons but the second one is very close to actual game-play footage, being a vignette of the armor class I am playing. We have come so far from the Beyond Castle Wolfenstein I started on in 1984! See gameplay footage in last video.

2009-11-11T22:55:00.000-06:00

I recently acquired some new photo editing and management software and I came across this pic while it was scanning using a face detection program. Anywho, that's not really the point. Point is I came across this pic and thought: "Where the bloody hell were we in this pic?" Since I found it out of context, not knowing any of the pics that came before it in the folder, I just couldn't place it. And by looking at the people in the background, it looked like we were in an old folks home. Hence the caption. I mean no offense, Dick. Just thought it was a funny pic. I apologize in advance.

Facebook Follies

2009-11-11T22:54:00.000-06:00

Oh, the agony of Facebook and hometown heroes living "back in the day"! Don't get me wrong, I had a great time in High School but it wasn't the high point in my life like it seems to have been for so many on Facebook. "The Hustlers"? Seriously? Makes me think some of the coaches had some things they were hiding or just didn't get the irony.

The Last Emperor

2009-11-08T10:26:00.000-06:00

Dick and Douglas are well aware of my man-crush on Fedor Emelianenko and my passion for watching Mixed Martial Arts(MMA)matches of all kind whether it be UFC, Affliction, Strikeforce or the now defunct Pride and K1 highlights. MMA has come a long way from its early days of glorified "human cock-fighting" and has transformed itself into the highest form of combat sports available today combining all the combat skills whether it be Greco-Roman wresting, Jiu-Jitsu, Judo, Karate, Muay Thai, etc. Without going into too much detail, Fedor is a heavyweight fighter out of Russia who is considered by many to be "The Baddest Man on the Planet" having an MMA record of 31-1-1 with the only loss beeing a doctor stoppage early in his career due to a cut. Plenty of info on him available on the internet if you care to learn more so I won't bore you with it here. To me, Fedor epitomizes how I wish all elite athletes would carry themselves but that is a conversation for another time. Enjoy the fight below before it gets taken down from YouTube.

Halloween 2009

2009-10-30T10:35:00.000-05:00

So I work with a friend, his name is Chuck. He's the guy who's Yamaha XS we have diligently been working on and he comes up to me a few weeks ago and asks me if I want to go in on a costume idea with him for the Halloween Costume Contest at work. I said sure, not really having any idea of what he had in mind. Chuck's idea and he even bought the costumes. A couple of "Nun-Chucks"!

Proud Pappa

2009-10-28T19:43:00.000-05:00

I know I don't talk too much about my job with you guys but I do get to do some pretty nifty projects at times, the below building being one of my tops. This is a Lowe's project across the freeway from the San Jose, CA International Airport from which we were required to take design cues. We were given a general elevation approved by San Jose Planning and Zoning and it was up to me to turn that idea into a set of construction documents. Design cues included the corrugated metal paneling, glass feature framing the entry and the rectilinear awnings at the Garden Center and Customer Loading Canopy. Seeing something like this constructed from details that I physically put on paper is one of the most rewarding parts of my job. I'm not particularly fond of the colors used but those were dictated to us by the developer.

Finally!

2009-10-28T19:26:00.000-05:00

After much anticipation, my family pack of Windows7 arrived today. My plan is to install the first copy on my Home Theater PC to see how things go. Although I have been running Vista with zero issues for over a year now on two different machines, given all the positive press W7 has been receiving from pundits on both sides of the aisle, I thought I'd give it a shot. Microsoft is offering, while supplies last, a 3-pack of upgrades for $150 which is very hard to beat for people with multiple machines. In-depth report upcoming.

Good News/Bad News

2009-09-30T06:47:00.000-05:00

Although I'll leave the ride report to Douglas, I will fill you guys in on something that happened at the outset of the ride. As you know from a previous blog, I had purchased a set of trackday take-offs from Ocelot on the ZRXOA and had them mounted up on the ZRX with the intent of surprising Douglas by showing up riding "mean-green". Bike has been running superb since I got the coil issue addressed and was excited to be back on the Rex with a chance to get it back in the twisties! Leaving Tulsa Saturday morning it was a little cool so the bike was running even better. I got about 100 miles north of Tulsa when I pulled over to the side of the road to check my map and to my great dismay, I was soon enveloped in a choking cloud of blue (oil) smoke emanating from my tailpipe! What to do now? First instinct was to turn around and head home so as not to get caught out on the road with a disabled bike. I called the wife to let her know I was returning and also called Dick who reinforced my decision not to push the bike any further than I needed to. Called/texted Douglas to let him know my plan and headed back to Tulsa. Once back on the road, I noticed the bike wasn't really burning oil at speed and was still running great. Since I was so close to Douglas, less than 30 miles, I stopped, texted him I was on my way, turned around and continued on to Big Brutus. Met up with Douglas at Big Brutus and was pretty bummed about what was happening. Douglas was very positive about the whole situation and suggested we ride back to Tulsa, get my Fizzy and continue on our trip which is what we ended up doing. Trip turned out wonderful but I knew rear tire on my Fizzy wasn't up to the task but had little choice other than to take it given the pickle we were in.

As for the ZRX, she starts/runs fine with no obvious noises. Bike puffs blue smoke at idle and partial throttle and throttle blips. If I idle it up to 5K, the smoke eventually clears up almost completely and there is very little noticeable smoke at speed. I initially thought it might be a valve guide/seal but when decelerating using engine braking, the smoke doesn't seem to get worse as one would expect given the vacuum this maneuver is creating. I had a valve guide/seal go on my manual transmission Z-28 and whenever I would engine brake, it would pull all the oil down the valve stem and smoke like a sum-bitch. In any case, I don't plan on messing with the ZRX before the rally and will look at it over the winter. At Dick's direction I'll start by pulling plugs to see if it's isolated to one cylinder or affecting them all. Hopefully, it's just a valve job and not a ring issue although I suppose a scored cylinder might mean it's 1224 time! Maybe this is a great thing in disguise! Any thoughts appreciated and ask any questions you might have.

Yikes!

2009-09-28T22:16:00.000-05:00

This is what my rear tire looked like after getting home! Once again, I pushed my rear tire to the limit and almost didn't make it home. Turns out the Diablo is a steel-belted tire which is probably what allowed it to last as long as it did. After getting to the motel Sunday night, it was obvious the tire was done but there were no chords showing. By the time we got to Yellville, Monday morning, things were looking grim and I was dreading every mile home from that point on. More on the trip later.

New Mexico Trip

2009-09-20T19:13:00.000-05:00

God I love New Mexico !! Wonder why I ever left....

John McEnroe vs. Novak Djokovic U.S Open 2009

2009-09-20T18:14:00.000-05:00

Ran across this accidentally and thought it was pretty funny. I grew up playing racket sports and followed tennis enthusiastically in my youth. The battles between Jimmy Connors and young McEnroe still stand out in my mind as some of the best tennis ever played. Although I don't follow much now, I do try and keep up with who the current players are, Djokovic being one of them. I guess he is quite the jokester and pulled this little stunt after running through an opponent in the quarterfinals at the U.S. Open. Priceless stuff!

The Butterly Effect

2009-09-20T17:47:00.000-05:00

Just enjoying the yard and getting pics of the dogs when this little guy showed up! He looked pretty beat up but seemd to be operating normally. Took 75 pics in about 5 minutes and these are some of the better ones. Enjoy and I'll be happy to send full-res images if you e-mail me with a request.

Happy Birthday Little Buddy!

2009-09-13T00:50:00.000-05:00

Enjoyed it my little man!

New Shoes for the ZRX

2009-09-10T06:44:00.000-05:00

In order to attend the Fall Rally on the ZRX, I would need new tires for the ZRX. Cash is tight so I decided to give ocelot's Track Day take-offs a shot. Tires shipped 09/02/09 and arrived yesterday at 09/09/09. I didn't actually know they had been dropped on the porch until this morning when I tracked them through UPS. In any case, the tires have beat my expectations on all levels. It honestly looks like my tires have about 20 laps on the track and I got the guy who didn't even take them to the edge. I know where I will be buying my tires in the near future and would recommend them to all of you as well! Time to get the Harbor Freight tire changer figured out!

MotoCam Mount Trois

2009-09-08T21:36:00.000-05:00

Here are a couple of quick pics of my latest camera amount on the ZRX. Tried a helmet cam and it worked really well from an anti-vibration standpoint but the constant head movement was nauseating. One can never say I don't look both ways... at least 4 times before crossing traffic! In any case, this was a quick mock-up using 16g tin, final version would be in aluminum plating on the order of 3/32" or 1/8". Let me know what you think, maybe some drawbacks I haven't thought of. Also, the helmet cam video I reference above is still on my FTP if you care to watch. Use a puke-bag and don't say I didn't warn you!

Front 3/4 shot. Using mounting points on the radiator.

Rear 3/4 shot...

Detail shot of mount...

View from cockpit. Quick glance will now show if camera is in record mode so there are no more "I'm sorry, I thought it was on" moments...

Front view. Mounting points are confirmed vertical but camera plate is missing lower velcro mount making camera appear off-axis. I have confidence final install will be vertical...

Front view detail showing missing velcro...

Detail from above. I'll make final version slightly longer to capture more of the mounting plate...

"The Fix"

2009-09-06T10:25:00.000-05:00

There is nothing like one of my "super scrambles" to clear the cobwebs in the morning!

The ingredients. A little pit ham, fresh tomtoes, avacado, mushrooms, cilantro and cheese...

The eggs. A little MSG, salt, pepper, paprika and red pepper flakes.

Looking good!

Eureka! A little salt and pepper and fresh cilantro to top it off.

Happy Birthday!!!

2009-09-02T21:22:00.000-05:00

To the guy who can ride circles around us all, who can fix whatever it is with what's in the toolkit under the seat, and who will ride it no matter how bad it's been crashed.
It's always fun riding with you, Joe B.
Here's to many more years to come!!!

Happy birthday, compadre!!!

Passion For Your Hobby

2009-09-01T22:17:00.000-05:00

Was trolling the FZ1OA this evening, just looking for something fun and ran across the below video. This guy(CopperDawg) is well-known on the Fizzy board and makes custom parts for the Fizzy. Very expensive custom parts that is! Sure would have been nice to have something like this as a reference when I was first getting into modding the ZRX. The guy obviously has a passion for his bike and it really comes through in his video. Douglas, maybe you could produce something like this. Of course you might have to spruce up that hillbilly garage of yours to give your video any credibility! LOL...

She's 40!

2009-09-01T19:46:00.000-05:00

Well, the ZRX flipped 40K on the way to work today, woohoo! I miscalculated and got caught on the freeway as it happened so close will have to do. Ironic that I achieve this milestone just as I am having a rekindling of my passion for the ZRX and it is nice to see her come this far and still be something to look at. There are a lot of things I like about the Fizzy, it's razor sharp handling being at the very top of the list but I just feel more "right" on the ZRX. We'll see what happens with the Fizzy but I'm fairly confident now that I could never get rid of the ZRX. Thanks to all of you for your support as I went through this time of crisis and thanks to those of you who whispered words of wisdom to me as I was contemplating the unthinkable!

Man Day at the Dynos - ZRX Edition

2009-08-30T18:34:00.000-05:00

I won't bother repeating the Dyno Day setup as it is all in the previous Fizzy dyno post. Needless to say, I had no preconceived notions as to what I expected out of the Fizzy for horsepower and the 150hp pull was a nice surprise. As for the ZRX, well that is a whole different story. You guys have listened to me complain about my ZRX over the last year and given that I pulled the numbers I did on the ZRX, I feel the majority of my issues probably revolved around the coil wire that was working during the same time frame. Although I had fixed the coil wire issue on the ZRX and confirmed it ran, I only took it around the block and never ran it hard before getting the Fizzy and putting the ZRX into hibernation. I can't help but think my ZRX was not running as it should have been for months prior to me finding/fixing the coil wire issue and that reinforced some of the negative feelings I had for the bike based on the pitted Muzzy cams and my "imaginary" pinging issues. In any case, you can see from my post documenting my return to the ZRX World, the bike is running stronger than ever and I am extremely pleased with it!

Back on topic, the first pull on the ZRX showed 142hp with an A/F above 15. Bike was so lean it was shooting flames out the exhaust which you can see in the video and really popping on decel. Driveability on the street was good but I was definitely running too lean. As dyno runs were only $20, Dick and Brett suggested we rejet the bike to see what kind of difference we could make going from 135 to 138 mains. Brett ran me to the house in his truck, we picked up all the tools needed and rejetted in the parking lot. I paid for another run and the dyno operator was confused as to why I wanted to run it again. I explained we had rejetted the bike and wanted to see where A/F was at. He seemed duly impressed! Second pull netted a solid 147hp with A/F still being well above 14. At Dick's suggestion, I will come out on the air screw 1/4 turn next time I have the carbs off but I think going up any more on the mains will kill my driveability and mileage. Also, a little lean in Tulsa would only fatten up as I gained altitude in Arkansas so all in all, I think I'd prefer to be a little on the lean side. I'd love to hear anyone's thoughts on the subject.

Maybe it was just my imagination but the bike seemed peppier on the way home and I am looking forward to getting it out where I can really "wick it up"! Looking at the power curve of the second dyno run, I think it explains pretty clearly why we all love the ZRX so much. Overlay that power curve over the Fizzy power curve and there isn't even a question as to which bike would be more "fun" to ride. All in all we had a great time and I feel I got my money's worth for the $60 I spent. It was nice to spend the day with my friends and a bunch of motorcycle guys standing around watching dyno runs like they were a burlesque show. There were some pretty sick bikes out there with one guy trailering his drag bikes from Fayetteville to take advantage of the dyno. Enjoy the videos and pics!

Fizzy on the dyno...

ZRX on the dyno...

How to rejet a ZRX in 7 mins...

Always willing to help...

Contrary to popular belief, I am capable of doing
some things on my own...

Lots of friendly folks around...

Sonny Crockett stopped by...

Man Day at the Dynos - FZ1 Edition

2009-08-30T13:30:00.000-05:00

A local bike shop, Metric Cycles, had an "End of Summer" bash on Saturday at which they were offering $20 dyno pulls. I thought this would be a great opportunity to get the Fizzy baselined for horsepower and also, I hadn't had the ZRX officially dynoed since I added the hi-comp pistons and cams so was excited/nervous to get that done. I invited a few folks to join me and Dick, Brett and I headed up to the shop arriving right at 10:00am, Dick on the Fizzy, me on the ZRX and Brett in his truck. Dyno runs were from 11:00am to 2:00pm and I was just sure bikes would be lined up in the streets for the bargain dyno runs and I wanted to get in line so we would be sure to get a pull. Well, I guess the rest of Tulsa wasn't quite as excited as I was and Dick, Brett and I were the first 3 people to show up. Fortunately there were donuts and coffee available and we sat around for a while catching up and talking motorcycles. After "breakfast", I got both bikes signed in and paid for and we rode around back to the dyno which was loaded with a beater V-Max that was just finishing a wicked 90hp pull. As much as I lusted over the V-Max in the late-80s, they seem to disappoint every time I see one on a dyno!

As we were the only bikes there, the Fizzy immediately went on the dyno. Now I really had no idea what to expect as I had read so many different things on the Fizzy board concerning various mods and expected horsepower. All I have done to the Fizzy performance wise to this point has been to add an Akra slip-on I got from Scott Vint for $300 shipped, install Ivan's Fuel Cut-Off Eliminator for about $100, gutted the catalytic converter in the mid-pipe along with opening up the airbox. Collective wisdom on the FZOA says these mods require a power commander lest "extreme damage" be inflicted on the engine due to an exceptionally lean A/F ratio. "Danger, Danger!". Well, although I had intended to pick up a Power Commander at some point just to get to play with custom mapping, I almost pulled the trigger as soon as I found out about the dyno day thinking I would need it to make maximum horsepower. As you can see from the dyno chart below, that would have been an exceptional waste of money and I may still buy one but it is by no means "required".

The other guy in the video, assisting the dyno operator, is Brad and is someone I have dealt with before as he mounted my last set of Diablos for me. Interestingly enough, it turns out he has an '07 Fizzy as well but his is bone stock but more on that below. Once the Fizzy is secured on the dyno, the operator brings the bike up to speed and pulls some baseline readings. After his first full pull, I notice him glance over at Brad giving him a strange look. Although I can see the dyno monitor, I can' really tell what is going on but fear the A/F might be so out of whack that the operator is concerned to pull again. That turns out not to be the case as the operator executes another couple of pulls. As the operator finishes the run, Brad steps up to the operator who says something that I can't quite hear and to which Brad responds with a blank look. At this point, all I am thinking is that either my A/F is way out of whack or my bike has just pulled some really pathetic numbers and they are trying to decide how to break it to me. Neither is the case and the brief exchange between the operator and Brad is due to the Fizzy just pulling 150hp! The look on Brad's face was actually surprise as he had just dynoed his bike at 133hp! Cool! See video below and then dyno chart below that.

Embedded video hint: Start video then hold down the CNTRL and ALT key and then click anywhere in the video window again. This will take you straight to the Youtube version where you have access to video info and High Quality setting.

\

I'm Back!!

2009-08-30T12:35:00.000-05:00

As I e-mailed Douglas Wednesday morning last week before heading into the office, I had gotten my ZRX fired up Tuesday night with it taking a little more effort than I thought it would. I don’t know why I thought she would fire right up as the fuel tank was almost empty when I parked her 4 months ago and with all the coil issues and misfiring I was going through just prior to putting her on the rear stand, I think a couple of the plugs had been wet-fouled and were marginal at best. In any case, after draining the battery trying to get her started, I put her on the charger and finally got her cranked up. After a few minutes of idling, she smoothed right out and although I wanted to take her out for a spin, it was late so I just put her on the trickle charger and closed the door to the garage with the sweet sound of the Kerker still ringing in my ears.

Waking up Wednesday morning, I had not intended to ride the ZRX to work as she was pretty dusty and I wanted to get her cleaned up, along with an oil and filter change, before taking her out on the streets but as I walked out into the garage to saddle up the Fizzy, she just seemed to beckon to me. Having a total lack of self-control, I asked myself “why not?”, dropped her off the rear stand, rolled her out onto the driveway and at the first push of the starter, she cranked right up. After gearing up and getting on the bike, I could immediately feel the difference in weight between the ZRX and the Fizzy as I rolled the bike around in the driveway. The ZRX is definitely more of a handful to maneuver around at rest but I managed to get her out into the street with no issues, got her pointed in the right direction, snicked her into first gear and off we went.

I have been off of the ZRX and riding the Fizzy for enough time that I had forgotten all the subtleties of my ZRX. First thing I notice is that my clutch setup with HD springs all the way around is a little absurd to pull. That combined with my shorty Pazzo clutch lever and it feels like I am setting a grizzly trap every time I grab for some clutch! Although I had been commenting on the smooth shifting on the Fizzy, the Armz’s shifter rod I have on the ZRX provides very accurate feel and minimal gearshift slop, much more precise than the Fizzy shifter. I now feel the shifting issues I have complained about on my ZRX are due to improper lever adjustment which I will address by dropping the lever a spline or two on the shaft. Also, I had the clutch set up on the ZRX to begin engaging almost instantly upon release whereas the Fizzy releases much later in the throw. A quick flip of the adjusters on the Pazzos and a nice compromise was found to bring the two clutch releases to a similar point. Another difference immediately noticed was the seating position between the ZRX and the Fizzy. Although subtle, when sitting astride the Fizzy, one feels encapsulated within the bike due to the lower seating position along with the wrap around fairing and gauge package. Sitting astride the ZRX is more like sitting on my dirt bike, you are sitting “on” the bike, not “in” the bike. Other than that, the ergonomics are comparable and I find both bikes equally comfortable.

Off and running and the first thing I notice is the sound! This thing sounds like a motorcycle should sound and the Kerker is everything the Akra on the Fizzy is not. It is crude, unrefined and screams "look this way NOW"! The second thing I notice is how it keeps wanting to fall over in every neighborhood corner I go around. Yikes! I had forgotten how much attention this bike requires at slow speed! Where the Fizzy has very light steering and almost seems on remote control at times, the ZRX has to be steered through the neighborhoods and needs constant attention. The third thing I notice is how bad the suspension on my Fizzy is in comparison to my ZRX suspension. The ZRX handling is taught but still soaks of the small road variations with ease whereas the Fizzy is like, to quote Douglas, “riding a go-kart”. It is that stiff and any decision of mine to keep the Fizzy would need to include addressing the suspension issues. In all fairness, I have not spent the time adjusting the Fizzy suspension to suit my weight but I am fairly certain it would never get to the level of the ZRX suspension.

Out of the neighborhood, I chortle my way along surface streets and take the long way to get to an entrance ramp I know I can hammer it on. I let the ramp clear, get the bike straightened up and hammer the throttle in first gear as I typically do on the same ramp on the Fizzy. It didn’t take me long to remember how bad an idea this is on the ZRX as the bike proceeded to launch itself straight up in the air. WOW!! The Fizzy is geared so much taller in first whereas it seems the ZRX is geared to pull stumps out of the ground. The rest of the ride to work was uneventful with the most significant difference on the freeway being the absolute butter smoothness of the Keihin CVK carbs, especially at very small throttle adjustments.

Trust me, I am aware of all the mystique the ZRX brings to the table when talking about torque but it is incredible how different the power delivery is on the ZRX versus the Fizzy. I realize I am overstating the obvious and preaching to the crowd but it was still stunning and I was grinning ear-to-ear all day at work! I had gotten a little taste of the ZRX torque riding Dick’s bike back from Mountain View but it was nice to be back in the saddle of my own ZRX again! When purchasing the Fizzy, I knew I needed to give myself enough time on the Fizzy to let the “new” wear off before I ever thought about making a decision that would separate me from my ZRX. I know now that I could never get rid of her, end of story, as the ZRX has too much character and too much of my blood, sweat and tears in her. This bike has a special place in my heart and will be with me until the end!

My First Love

2009-08-11T21:49:00.000-05:00

Here's a pic of the first car I ever owned. It's a 1974 Toyota Celica and obviously not the actual car I owned but an excellent example highlighting the beautiful lines of the car. I have been playing around with the idea of getting one to restore but fortunately I am too lazy for such an endeavor!

Finally!!

2009-08-10T21:09:00.000-05:00

Well, I have had my iPhone for almost a week now and am completely disappointed in myself for having put off purchasing one for this long. You guys know I am a techie, love my computers and all of the latest A/V toys but I am not an early adopter of anything. I could bore you with a bunch of reasons why I have put it off for so long but the bottom line is I hate following the crowd and so many people were on the iPhone bandwagon.

Well let me tell you this, there is a reason there are so many people on the apple-cart as they have this smart phone thing figured out and the iPhone is as simple and easy a device to use as I have ever put my hands on. The user interface is intuitive and straight-forward with key user settings only 1 or 2 levels deep, not 6 levels deep like on my Samsung Blackjack! The “touch” interface is exquisite making navigation through the phone just plain fun!

After hammering on this thing for an entire week now, the only two things I see as issues are battery life and the digital keyboard. If hooked up to Wi-Fi, downloading/installing apps, watching YouTube videos and doing a lot of Facebook updates and e-mailing, the battery won’t get you through the day. If used as most regular adults use phones, I imagine 2 days before charging would be possible. As for the keyboard, to keep the form factor slim, Apple chose to go with a digital keyboard on the screen and this will take me some additional time to get used to.

As you have probably heard, the “Apps” are what this phone is all about and this unit has the power to deliver them running at 600 mhz with 256MB of dedicated RAM. For Christ’s sake, I have a running desktop with stats less than that! This power, coupled with an accelerometer and built-in GPS gives you a device that can do essentially anything. There are apps for everything from online banking to blogging to letting you know what’s going on in town to auto performance apps that give you ¼ mile times and horsepower as well as reading/clearing error codes. Anything you can think of and I mean anything!

For those of you wanting to get in on the cheap, the 2nd gen iPhone 3G is still available for $99 if you are eligible for an upgrade and sign a 2-year contract with AT&T. The final point of contention for me in getting the iPhone was that you have no choice but to opt for the $30/month Apple data package in addition to your standard calling plan. For me it wasn’t as big a deal as I already had a $15/month data package for my Samsung, but it was just the idea that AT&T and Apple had me over a barrel on this with no options. Given what I know now, I would do it in a heartbeat even at $30/month as the device is that frakin' convenient. I have just begun to scratch the surface of what this device can do and will keep everyone posted.

They're here, they're here!!

2009-07-13T19:56:00.000-05:00

Well, I got my order from Motorcycle Superstore today and was extremely impressed with the entire transaction. Tons of choices, great prices, free 3-day shipping, awesome packaging and they even through in a complimentary issue MotoUSA magazine. I ended up buying the Shift Racing Lodown jeans and their Fuel street shoes. Both items fit true to size and the shoes are extremely light. On the other hand, the jeans are exceptionally heavy denim and with the sewn in Kevlar panes, I don't imagine they will ventilate very well. Oh well, they will be lighter than any of my textile pants and give me a little more protection than regular jeans. The way things are going this week, it is going to be an absolute scorcher next week so prepare to the extent you can. The more I think about it, the more I think Joe, Jody, Dick and myself should try and pick Douglas up somewhere north in Missouri. I'll start coordinating with Douglas and see if we can't map something out. Hope you guys are staying cool and I am really looking forward to next week!

Squid Squad Ride Report, June 19-21

2009-06-25T23:49:00.000-05:00

About a week after the rally, Chuck suggested a “quickie”, a short weekend trip to Arkansas. It would be a first for Ivan and a return trip for Ryan. Like a true minute man, I quickly ordered parts to do my forks and bearings and got at least the bearings done. Exactly one month after hitting the road for the Spring Rally, and one day after turning 35 years old, I was on the road again headed back to Arkansas.
If you slab down, Eureka Springs is 240 miles from KC. But I always like the scenic route when I have the time. I made a decent 8-hour day of it. 331 miles on Friday. I lunched on 12oz of prunes from the Amish, where my faithful steed had just turned 33,333 miles.
I arrived in Eureka just before 5pm and checked into the HoJo Eureka. What a pleasant surprise that place is at $55 a night. Cold A/C, clean carpet, new fixtures, good beds, etc. I watched Nascar qualifying at Sanoma on Speed for a couple of hours. Chuck and the Squid Squad arrived at around 8:30 that evening and we rendezvoused at our usual Mexican joint for some grub. The huevos rancheros were better than I remembered. After-dinner beer and jokes out under the gazebo in back of the hotel.
Saturday morning found us at the Smokehouse with the karaoke lady and the “big-ass” biscuits. Neither failed to deliver on this hot June morning. Some jokes and speculation about me carrying Chuck up the look-out tower until we realize it’s pay to play. So it’s off on the bikes we go.

We get about 20 minutes south on HWY23 and Chuck has to pull over to tell the kids to pick up the pace. “Ride your own ride…..as long as it’s at my pace.” Huntsville and we’re stopping for energy drinks. This is looking like it might be a long day.

We made our way down the Pig Trail and stopped shy of Turner Bend and headed East on HWY215. That’s the video I sent you guys a link to. That’s me, yours truly, Mr. Mid-Corner Braking, Mr. Timid Entry Speeds. At the end of HWY215, with Chuck at my side, I took my helmet off, got a cool drink of water, and caught my breath for a bit in the shade. But then suited up as soon as I heard pipes approaching in the distance…. effectively robbing Ryan and Ivan of their much-needed break. “I feel bad,” I said to Chuck, with maybe a semblance of remorse. “We used to do that to you,” he said matter-of-factly.
Headed south on HWY 103, Chuck goaded me into a drag race on one of those long straights. It was a rolling street start, and by god I had him for what seemed like 100 yards. But then I experienced a loss of power that allowed Chuck to pass me easily. I immediately looked down at the instruments, only to realize I had bounced it off the rev limiter. In 27k miles, that’s the first time I’ve ever done that. How cool!
We used I-40 as a quick connect to HWY 7, which took us over to HWY 27. We’ve all been on the upper part of HWY27, but not often have we ridden that southern-most leg. And boy is it a doozey. Good road. Chuck blasts past a State Trooper’s Dodge Charger that was hiding in a bush. The Trooper settled for second best and lit me up. But oddly he lectured me for about 30 seconds and then sent me on my way. I’ve kept bluegill out of water longer than that and let them go. It was the quickest riot act I’d ever been read, a hodge podge of all the clichés we’ve heard before….quick reference to body bags and bikes being towed. I didn’t even take my helmet off and he didn’t even ask to see my license. I stayed on the lead lap even! Of course Chuck was long gone. We caught up with him about half an hour later. That’s where this pic was taken.

After 250 miles of riding on Saturday, we finally made it into Mountain View at around 6pm. In 90 plus degree heat and pure sun, we were all “cat-licked out.” Chuck decided he and the boys would eschew their drinking seeing as how it was going to be another 50 mile round trip to get a case of beer. Chuck in flip flops and NONE of us wearing helmets or any gear of any kind, we went and had Mexican food at the usual place. Afterward, we partook of the wondrous mountain music that Mountain View is known for. The heat and humidity didn’t seem to keep anyone away. What great atmosphere and charm that town has.
Sunday, we had breakfast at Hardees and parted ways. Ryan and Ivan both did quite well considering the oppressive heat and some of the difficult switch-backs they maneuvered on HWY23 and HWY103. They’re good fellas and I really enjoyed my weekend with the Squid Squad. 975 miles traveled when I got back to KC Sunday afternoon.

Home from the Northern Frontier

2009-06-22T00:34:00.000-05:00

I wish I could say 'It's great to be back!' and mean it but the family and I just returned from the trip of a lifetime. I won't bore you with too many details but I truly wish everyone could experience what Alaska has to offer. I am still stunned by the beauty and grandeur. A word about the Hoonah Ziprider-5,300 feet long, drops almost 2000 ft, 60 mph and 90 seconds of screaming sphincter clenching heart pounding terror as you plummet into the mist and emerge with a beautiful ocean view. Once back on terra firma, some tourists told me they could hear me screaming 'This is Fu**ING AWESOME!!!' as I flew overhead. I'm treating this as pure speculation of course. First see Capt Colton returning from a dangerous mission over the Arctic:

Summer 2009 Squid Squad Outing - Teaser

2009-06-21T23:11:00.000-05:00

The clip below needs no explanation other than giving you an opportunity to meet Ivan and Ryan, friends of mine who joined us on our Arkansas excursion. More posts to come...