a British thing

i've just gotten a new book on Showmans Road Locomotives. these are all British as i don't think much of this type of thing happened in USA. these engines were used by circuses and other types of entertainment businesses to haul their equipment on the road. mostly in USA the railroads were used for this, also riverboats. these have got to be some of the most beautiful steam powered machines ever made. the first is a Garrett from 1908 named "British Hero". most of these critters had individual names. second is the magnificent Burrell from 1900 called "Vanguard" and looking much as things must have looked about then. except maybe the modern tires on the trailers. next is an excellent Fowler engine of about the same era. and last is a Marshall engine named "Punch" pulling a trailer. "Punch" is not a full size road locomotive like the above ones but is rather what would be called a road tractor. these were smaller and somewhat handier and of course were used for smaller loads. notice each of the showmans locos have a large dynamo mounted clear out in front over the boiler. these were used for on site electrical power and were usually driven by the engines flywheel. the Garrett in the first picture has the belt hooked to the flywheel and the dynamo

Delorean Hard Drive

The Delorean Time Machine Hard Drive ($250) is a 1:18 scale replica of the iconic Delorean from Back to the Future, with details like working doors and hood, a Mr. Fusion reactor, and 1950's wheels + rims, plus a 500 GB Seagate hard drive buried inside. Consume like you are gunning it to 88.

Via: Uncrate

V8 Skateboard

V8 Supercars, an Australian car racing organization, has built a oversized skateboard powered by a 630-horsepower V8 engine. How do they steer? There is an electric switch that the rider is using to control left to right. You can see he is holding it before he steps on. As the skateboard is unable to pivot like a normal one, the front wheels need turn on their own system.

Kaneda's Bike

　Kaneda's bike that Buck was talking about is put together by a Japanese company, Neo-Fukuoka. It was strictly made to order custom bike and I doubt that they still do it.

The bike was actually officially licensed by the writer/artist/director of "Akira", Katsuhiro Ootomo and his publishing company, Koudansha.
Since it was official "Kaneda's Bike", the form and styling was quite accurate and it is actual operable on street, however unlike the real one in the animation film, it runs with gasoline, not electric. Customer had choice of water-cooled 4 stroke motor, from 250cc to 400cc, and single to 4 cylinders. It also is rear wheel drive with 3 chains and 6 sprockets. The real one was 2 wheel drive. As you see in the picture, Neo-Fukuoka put linked steering system in order to avoid long rake of front fork.

They put DVD navigation system on dash, along with LED speedo/ tacho/ battery gause like the real one.
The man who made the concept bike( he goes by Neo-Fukuoka) spent about 7 years, talking to bike shops and custom builders everywhere to complete the first operable Kaneda bike.

This is what Neo-Fukuoka posted in his site about ordering one.

"Information of "neo-fukuoka 1/1 motorcycle" sale


The prices of base vehicles are from "2,500,000 yen."　（From the about 21,500 U.S. dollars）


An Anime type body work is not attached.
Digital meter and a navigation system are not attached.
(body work, navigation system, and digital meter ,are order equipment.)


Base vehicles,
250cc water-cooled engine loading.
The frame and each part size are based on neo-fukuoka　1/1 motorcycle.


I prepare the same thing as Japanese specification.
It is also possible to carry 400cc engine depending on hope.


All vehicles are one article manufactures based on an order.


Please consult about a price, time for delivery, equipment, etc.


The reply of e-mail which asked is scheduled for April 6 or subsequent ones.
Thank you for your consideration.

neo-fukuoka."

My Head

For all those wondering what's going on inside my head.

Akira

here are a couple of concept motorcycles for Ootomo's anime film Akira. i think i still have a copy somewhere around the house. it was pretty strange but i remember i really liked it. if it is a cartoon of any kind i probably will like it. couldn't determine if these were actually operable or not. perhaps mr. switchum knows more.

Sons of Empire

I have seen some people wearing a shirt , hoody or even vest that got "Sons of Anarchy" logo on their back, completed with a name of the State they are in.

It is like wearing Star Trek uniform in public. They are both from TV show and fictional organization.

Having said that, an artist James Mestemaker did this nice mash-up between "Star Wars" and "Sons of Anarchy"

The season finale of "Sons of Anarchy", featuring Ralph "Sonny" Barger will be aired tomorrow night, by the way.

Shake

Don't look safe at all

I can't tell what kind of guns and bikes they are. Little Help?

1/35 Rikuo Type-97

1/35 Injection model
IJA Type97 Motorcycle RIKUO with Sidecar . It was sold at 1800 Japanese yen, which is like 20 bucks. Pretty expensive for itty bitty model kit... pre-painted ABS.
Via: Pit Road

Leslie Nielson RIP

1926-2010

I don't know about you, but I am bit upset that he is gone.

I grew up watching him playing Frank Dorebin...


Don't call me Shirley....

anybody for a hot dog?

i think animal control is having a special on these next week. looks like this one needs a little mustard and pickle relish. also should toast the bun just a bit.

Zündapp KS 50

I like this ad. You know why.

Wife Out Bikes In

Sadly Peter Calles' wife left him in 1986. But his house is still full of love. He had nice motorcycle collection going on in his garage but after the divorce, it expanded significantly. Once his garage was full, Peter moved to draining the fluids from his growing collection and simply depositing them in the house, nicely Feng shui-ed...

Aside from the Ducati Mark 3 in the bedroom, other rooms in the house feature a Ducati 900SS, a Mike Hailwood Replica and a zero mile Ducati 750F1 along with some MV Augustas, a soupçon of British machines and even a rare Harley.

“I love the sound and design of Italian motorcycles, particularly the Ducati twins. They may not have been as technically advanced, at any point in history, as the Hondas, but the swoops and curves of the Italian machines are seductively sexy. The 1970s vintage bevel-drive Ducatis, with Conti mufflers, make such beautiful mechanical music that they are highly prized by collectors.”

Pictures by Phil Aynsley and you can see the full set of Phil’s photos of Peter’s collection here.


link: RoadRUNNER Magazine

Armored Ship Thursday on Saturday

here are some pictures of the Confederate Ironclad CSS Tennesee. also some information about her and some of her officers. the pictures all have captions telling what each picture is so i'll just add a little info and then the next blog will explain somewhat the great battle of the Tennesee with the Union Fleet at the Battle of Mobile Bay, Alabama in 1864. the Tennesee was built in Selma, Alabama from 1862-1864. she was then taken to Mobile Bay to defend it against the Federal Navy. Franklin Buchanan{Old Buck} was by this time an Admiral and was in overall charge of the Confederate Naval Forces. Commander Johnston was Captain of the Tennesee and Surgeon Conrad was her doctor. CSS Tennesee was the most powerful Confederate Ironclad. she was 209ft. in length displaced 1271tons with 20" of oak and pine backing for her 6" of iron armor. this armor was never penetrated during the battle. Tennesee was armed with two 7" Brooke muzzle loading rifles and four 6.4" Brooke mlr's. unfortuneatly the only engines obtainable for her were underpowered and could only maintain a speed of 5kts. nevertheless she was a formidable opponent for the Union ships to face. it took them around 4 hr. to defeat the Tennesee. her smokestack was shot away her exposed rudder chains were shot away and some of her cannon damaged. after this she had no draft for her furnaces and no way to steer to bring her surviving armament into play and thus was forced to surrender. after this she was taken into the Federal Fleet and became the USS Tennesee. she then served the rest of the war off New Orleans, Louisiana.

Armored Ship Thursday on Saturday

totally forgot this on Thursday due to Thnxgvng party. these are pictures of the Battle of Mobile Bay in 1864. the Confederate Ironclad CSS Tennesee under Admiral Franklin Buchanan and Commander James D. Johnston almost single handedly fought the entire Federal Fleet under Admiral David G. Farragut. of course being totally surrounded and outgunned the Tennesee eventually lost the battle. however, it took the Union forces 4 hr. to subdue the Tennesee which was the Confederate Navy's most powerful Ironclad. the first picture shows the opening of the battle with the USN Monitor USS Tecumseh sinking after hitting a torpedo. she went down very fast taking part of the crew and Captain Craven down with her. the gallant Captain Craven had stepped aside in order that one of the crew could precede him up the ladder to safety. this left no time for the Captain to escape and he went down with his ship. to the left we see the CSS Tennesee approaching the Union Fleet along with some lighter forces behind her. next is the Tennesee alongside the Union ship USS Oneida trading broadsides. the Union Monitor USS Chickasaw is off the portside of Tennesee firing on her. third we see a picture of Admiral David G. Farragut in the rigging of his flagship USS Hartford broadside to broadside with the Tennesee. the fourth picture is of the end of the battle with Tennesee, with her smokestack and rudder chains shot away and the Chickasaw hovering about ready to fire again if necessary. after this with no draft for the furnaces and no way to steer she had no option but to surrender. a great loss to the Confederacy this led to the surrender of Mobile, Alabama after which the Confederates had no major ports open for delivery of supplies from overseas. this of course hastened the surrender of the Confederate States and the end of the War Between the States.

Happy 70th

Today is Bruce Lee's 70th birthday. After his death in 1973, his popularity still remains strong.

Bruce Lee had a motorcycle and it was a 1967 Triumph 650cc Trophy , a choice no doubt influenced by his pal and Triumph fan, Steve McQueen.

Unfortunately I could not find any picture of him riding the thing.

So I am putting a picture of 68 Triumph Trophy and pictures from the 1993 movie, "Dragon: the Bruce Lee Story", which they used 1970 Triumph Bonnie instead of the actual model owned by him. Actor, Jason Scott Lee portraited Bruce.

Sum Pictures from Toy Show

None of people I invited showed up.

North high kids were selling baked goods to raise funding but there were not too many people.

We played old cartoons on big screen.

There should be closing on First Friday. Or not....

Augusta and Adeline Van Buren

By 1916, America was on the verge of being pulled into World War I, and a pair of New York socialites Augusta and Adeline Van Burenset out to prove a point: that women were fit to serve as military dispatch riders. Riding a pair of Indian Power Pluses, traveled from New York to San Francisco over the course of two months. They overcame natural barriers, like the Rocky Mountains, and social barriers, like the local police who apparently had a hard time accepting their choice of men’s clothing. Along the way, the sisters became the first women to reach the summit of Pikes Peak by motor vehicle.
After this series of accomplishments, and after proving their competence, Adeline’s application to the military as a dispatch rider was rejected. The coverage in the media of the day, although adequate in many respects, lacked the recognition that they had earned and so rightfully deserved. Articles in the premier motorcycling magazine of the day praised the bike, but not the sisters. Their historical achievement was described as a vacation, rather than the pilgrimage that it was.

Both Augusta and Adeline eventually married and pursued their lives. There is little evidence about whether they continued riding, but they did continue to be pioneers. Adeline, initially an English teacher, eventually earned her law degree from NYU. Augusta became a pilot, flying with the women’s flying group founded by Amelia Earhart, called the 99s.

Augusta and Adeline Van Buren broke the stereotypes of their time proving that woman could do anything a man could do. In the words of Augusta, “Woman can if she will.”

They were inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 2002.

Via American Motorcyclist Association

Women with will are always attractive in my opinion.

Tommy Tucker

"Growing up in Southern California, teenager Tommy Coleman a.k.a. Tommy Tucker began his career in fashion with the design and creation of punk rock/ heavy metal leather accessories. Now, two decades later, Tommy Tucker continues to create and evolve. His design influences have expanded to themes of biker chic, gothic subculture, BDSM, the old west, heavy metal glamour, and post-apocalyptic culture.

In the style of the true artisan, everything found of TommyTuckerJeans is fashioned by hand. Pieces are cut with time and care, aspiring to a handmade quality seldom reached in modern days.

Tommy Tucker enthusiasts range from sporting stars and fashion whores to entertainers of the film and music industries."

Tommy Tucker Jeans

I like his belts.