H-D Aermacchi Sprint

I believe that the H-D 350 I saw at Glory last weekend is the same kind of bike as this Sprint, featured over at Loud Bike.

I have no real knowledge of these bikes, so there may be some variations or differences in model years etc. But it sure looks the same to me. Very cool.

whoa

L: some kind of exotic autocross

HST and SS

Hunter S. Thompson is apparently no longer with us. Right now the only news is the AP report and a request from his son that privacy is respected. Suicide is shitty news.

So, here is a link to an Aussie site with the text from his Song of the Sausage Creature, an article he wrote for Cycle World Magazine, about test riding a Ducati 900 Supersport.

In what was, up until 30 minutes ago, more light moto news to be posted, I visited Glory, a shop run by Junstin and Kristina Kell. They manufacture and sell old style jeans and motorcycle sweaters and deal in Davida helmets, goggles and other retro moto-gear. They also own some beautiful vintage bikes, including an old Harley 350 that looked a bit like this, but with a black tank and a different logo.

While there I found a few vintage patches that I picked up, a piece of new/old stock that is a felt AMA logo patch (old, old style), and a Ducati patch that must be old because I don't think that embroiderists will allow their computer controlled machines to make a patch so gummed up any more. You can see 'em here, shown with some dramatic lighting compliments of this neu inexpensive scanner.

I also learned something. The owner, who currently rides a 750 Monster, had before that a Buell. He mentioned the valves were heading south after not that many miles, but before they could be fixed it was stolen. He came out from a restaurant or bar one night and it was gone. Reckoning it had been towed since he parked between cars, he called the cops. Nope, they didn't have it. Gone.

Turns out that thieves take the Buells for their guts, the Harley Sportster engines, of which he had the larger size version. It sounds like a particularly filthy bit of work as I was told that H-D has marked or stamped or laser engraved all the major components on their bikes outside and inside the engine. A stolen part would have to end up with either a very, very clueless, or more likely equally crooked new "owner".

Reading about HST and then linking to his essay makes me think even more about the beautiful Supersport that is up at Pro Italia. The one I sat on just today. The link is to their pre-owned page - a good chance it'll be gone from there soon.

Keeping preoccupied from the dreary news by reading some thoughts on Ducatis over at Pashnit.

KTM 950 Adventure review

In my continuing interest in the Austrian brand, here is a review of the Big Adventure "Katoom", by OneWheelDrive.net.

Dread Vout

Dread of Sunday Night Even Afflicts People Who Like Their Work. (via Kottke and Romanesko)
This has been my story for as long as I can remember. I can't remember melted cheese having any impact, but having some errands, checking things off a list (basically my version of setting my clothes out for Monday - but without the clothes) tends to generate that needed feeling of control to often keep the dread at lower levels.

I'd imagine that my moto-work, being freelance and often attended to at odd hours, affects the Sunday dread as well - if I am dreading work on Monday, I simply get it over with and go to work on Sunday.

Also: A Ska Primer

Dread

Dread of Sunday Night Even Afflicts People Who Like Their Work. (via Kottke and Romanesko)
This has been my story for as long as I can remember. I can't remember melted cheese having any impact, but having some errands, checking things off a list (basically my version of setting my clothes out for Monday - but without the clothes) tends to generate that needed feeling of control to often keep the dread at lower levels.

I'd imagine that my moto-work, being freelance and often attended to at odd hours, affects the Sunday dread as well - if I am dreading work on Monday, I simply get it over with and go to work on Sunday.

Last week

If you EVER have the chance to visit The Magic Castle, I cannot suggest strongly enough that you TAKE IT!

A friend of Stizzle's is a member of the Academy or League of Necromancers or whatever they are called and put us on the list so that we could have entry and enjoy the shows. My mind is still reeling from the show in the "close up" room. Amazing, how the hell did he get all those damn foam balls in my hand without me knowing??

If the Castle and entertainment and other bits, which I haven't even begun to describe were not enough, these two were visiting at the same time as us. Obviously standing out but also fitting in with the bizarre set and setting, we HAD to talk to them and find out who they were. Luckily, the Magic Castle means everyone is friendly and the next thing you know we were having conversations with visiting NY interventionist consultants, fraternal magicians and invisible piano players.

On the Moto front, I finally put the new instrument cluster bulbs into 1988. Why did it take so long? Who can say, but they appear to be fine now.

On Sat. a couple of us rode way, waaaaay out to Riverside to see what sort of pile of KTM stuff that Malcolm Smith had at his joint. The store was pretty unimpressive with the thing you notice first and at all times is the strips of flourescent lights. They had just moved most of the shop around the night before, but for the most part it was a smaller version of a mega store, heaps of racks and cases and lots of bikes lined up. There was a bunch of KTM gear, but not as much of the casual wear that I had hoped to see. One of the parts dudes tried to score me a "hard parts" catalog, but was down to his last one. He did mention how some people will buy anything with "...these three letters on it." To illustrate this he pointed to some glass vitrines that held swiss army knives, wallets, goggles, hats, (the last few) stickers, cups, thermos' and such which were next to the camping chairs and co-branded smokey joe that all came in the recognizable black and orange.

Loyalty.

They had a used 950 Adventure out front, but the used bikes were unwelcomingly lined up so close to each other, that it was too difficult even to try for a sit. Probably the idea. Somehow this joint is a BMW dealer. This and BMW of Hollywood must be old dealerships - the shop I work for looked into carrying that make, but was told that the BMW bikes, parts and gear would have to be distinctly separate (room wise) from the brands the shop currently deals. Hollywood and Malcom's must have old franchises to have a heap of brands tossed in together.

While there we walked across the street to a HUGE, but maybe simply representationally sized Harley dealer. This massive showroom was TIGHT, all the product looked good. There was a pool table for the family to mess with while dad is exercizing his crisis, a large selection of shiny bikes and an amazing amount of gear, accessories and stuff. Coffee? Both beans and ground, bag or can. I think I saw four or five kinds of Harley CANDLES! I also remember an H-D folding wooden checkers set, with metal pistons as the playing pieces. When I saw the legendary Harley 1 logo on a patch, I was ready to buy. But out of what must have been at least 20 different t-shirt designs, they did not have a white tshirt with the red, white and blue 1 on it. "We had 'em last summer." she said.

Bright light

But any brighter? Dunno yet.

I spent a few hours at the shop yesterday and then in a fit of poor judgement began to dismantle the fairing on 1988 as the sun was going down. Luckily for me, Stizzle stopped by on his CB500f and lent a hand. A couple hours into slowly taking bits off the bike we had a shadeless table lamp on the gastank so we could see. At least it was a cool and clear night.

At the end of it all, we had gotten the front headlight off, cleaned it out, replaced the lens and "upgraded" the bulb. I'll put that in quotes because while it the light looks bluer, I haven't been on the road yet to see if there is any noticable difference besides color. Despite one slow-witted wrong turn, we managed to get all the plastic back on as it was a few hours earlier.

Lazy

Ho Ho, I'd better get on the stick.
In the last two days this humble site has been mentioned on two different moto-based sites, the previous post's Twisting Asphalt as well as Why Bike, the latter having added me to his aggregator which means that this post about his aggregator will in fact soon end up, within the aggregator.

Things that have not been done to "1988", the K100RS SE:

Headlight lens replacement (mit neu gasket 'natch)
Headlight bulb upgrade
Them small ass green lights sitting in the little manila envelope, taken OUT of the envelope and swapped into the instrument cluster to replace the dead ass ones. (only two or three)

Who knows when the front lens took a stone in the kisser. It has a clean hole, nearly dead center. When on the phone with Irv Seav's, I decided to eat the $45 bucks and step up to some neu bright white bulb. Allegedly it'll make the old setup seem like I was riding around with a gas lamp in front of me.

Safety first.

The XT meanwhile lanquishes. I won't say it gets Cold here in LA, but it does get chilly and dark in that small, small garage, and then the "winter" rains don't help, because the walls and ceilings only kinda sorta help with the rains. But it is warming up here so now all I need to do is make some time. Easy. (sheesh)

I have been home from the holiday trip for a month now, guaged by the fact that I picked up the new BIKE magazine today. The last issue was picked up, along with that week's MCN on my way through Heathrow, heading back home, Jan. 5th.