Wow.. the first video was interesting, but this.. this was fantastic. Something Europe, looks like Europe.. hard to put my finger on it. Anyhow… this is a shorter but much more engaging clip. Riding on the bridge looked pretty wild!
Syncronized Motorcycle Riding Team
Not sure what to say or think about this. But, it’s amusing to watch, and they show excellent adherence to timing and speed. It’s impressive, weird, and interesting all at the same time.
A little paint test on the KZ400
Conducted a little paint test over the weekend. Hung up the parts, on a makeshift suspension system and shot some paint.
One panel, much like the gas tank, is still giving me some trouble. There are pits from the plastic welding that just do not want to fill. I have a new filling/sanding primer I’ll try out on the next round.
Here is a little closer shot of the panel that did work out really nicely. The welding is not visible with the final paint color.
I know I can achieve the desired result with the other panel, I just need to keep working on it. So far I’m very happy with the paint color choice. But I can tell it will take a lot of work to get a good polished result with this paint.
Hemp for Victory!
Somehow the conversation at work devolved into us finding this little gem:
Hemp for Victory. 1943 Film by the US Government. It’s 10 min. long, and seems to have been sped up a bit during digitizing. According to the websie where I found this, the film was VERY difficult to locate, and a usable copy was not located until 1976!.
Here it is, hosted on YouTube… at least until someone in the US Government puts a stop to it:
TOR (The Onoin Router)
So.. looks like I have some reading to do. I have a basic understand of WHY one would use a TOR network. Now I need to educate myself on how it all works. 20 years away from CIS classes makes one a little rusty.
Some links I’ll be checking out:
onion routing definition – computer
A method for anonymous communications over a wide area network such as the Internet. It hides the names of the parties that are communicating as well as the data by encrypting the payload in layers, with a different encryption layer for each hop in the route. Using cooperating proxy routers throughout the network, the initiating onion router, called a “….
Go Online without Getting Snooped: Tor (The Onion Router)
step 1 — How Tor Works
An “onion router” is an Internet site that takes requests for web-pages and passes them onto other onion routers, and on to other onion routers, until one of them finally decides to fetch the page and pass it back through the layers of the onion until it reaches you. The t….
Tor: Overview
Tor is a network of virtual tunnels that allows people and groups to improve their privacy and security on the Internet. It also enables software developers to create new communication tools with built-in privacy features. Tor provides the foundation for a range of applications that allow organ…
Cafe 400 – final concept test 1
Despite a wild week at work, I did get a little work done on the KZ.
I have enough general paint supplies to start doing some color / idea testing on the bike. After much deliberation, the first color I am going to try is a very dark green, with light metalic flake. I’m hoping the flake is subtle enough that the bike, does not look like some sort of carnival ride attarction (or worse yet, a Bass Boat).
Test installation of the bars and grips complete, I’m very pleased with both the look and ergonomics!
It is also time to set down another guide coat, which will be sanded off to find any low spots in the fillers or outstanding dents in the tank. With the coat applied, it provides an excellent preview of what bike’s final look will be, with the dark paint I have selected. Some additional graphics will be added to the tank, but the overall look will be the same.
I don’t hate it.
SOLD – KTM 950 Adventure S – $8500
Yes, I’m clearing out my stable, consolidating and building a war chest for other acquisitions. Thus, the least ridden of my bikes is up for sale. Motorbyte had some nice things to say about the KTM 950
Bike was fully serviced at 8600 miles by Cliff’s Cycle Center (KTM authorized dealer). That service included:
– new battery
– valve adjustments
– carburetor cleaning and syncing
– recall check and service
– oil and filters
Also done at the same time. New tires front and rear. Also included in purchase are 3 sets of spare tubes. These were originally very difficult to source, but supplies have become more available in the last couple of years. I’ve never had to replace them due to flats. Tubes were replaced with the tires by Cycle Gear, Tacoma.
SPECIFICATIONS:
ADDITIONAL FEATURES:
PHOTOS
UPDATE:
The KTM was sold on Aug 28, 2009 in Vancouver WA. I’ll miss you big girl, that’s for certain.
Yeah! Resurected Audio!!!!
It all started at 5:00AM this morning when the mail server at work died. One of our few single-power supply systems still in use (we have a nice 4 SAS dual-power RAID 10 system to replace it scheduled for deployment Aug 21). At any rate, the CRAPPY Ablecom SP302-1S power supply gave up (2nd one in 6 months, and it looks like a 3rd one just started to show signs of dying an hour ago) and one of our most critical systems was down!
After getting one of my engineers in route, I knew I’d have some time to look at the ripped up car in my garage. With time on my hands, I flipped through some axillary tools sets, locating a pair of flat radio removal tools (designed for Alpine head units). Pondering the possibilities of possibly manufacturing my old keys, I set about cutting up the metal. At least it was something to keep me busy.
It took a few attempts to find the right angles, but I did finally managed to get he head unit (aka Command Unit) removed!!
And, as I suspected, there it was yet ANOTHER fuse. I’d recalled this morning from projects past, that most of the head units in MBZ had a fuse on the back of them. And so does this one:
I always have an ample supply of fuses (from careers past). With hope alive in my heart, and my cell phone by my side waiting to hear from my team, what the prognosis was for our mail server.. I re-attached the mass of plugs (3 analog, one fiber optic CAN, and the antenna);
slipped it into the dash and:
CODE! I have the code prompt. Expensive disaster averted! Being the fastidious keeper of information that I am, I had the code at hand, and within a few seconds…. was rewarded with the sounds of my favorite local FM station.
At least the day did not start out as a TOTAL loss!
My guys called me back shortly after this, and let me know that the server was dead, totally dead, no power. I instructed them to pull the system from our rack and bring it home for recovery. I hastely re-assembled my car, got dressed, stopped by Krispy-Kreme to buy them coffee and doughnuts, then rocketed into the office to direct the recovery effort (which is still underway).
At least I could listen to the music for a little while. 🙂
To the Stealer! I need special tools to remove ‘Command Unit’
After a couple hours of net searching, it’s off to the dealer to buy the special tools for removing the stock head unit. $8.00 for a thin piece of metal. Porsche is the only manufacture ahead of Mercedes for the requirement of ‘special tools’ to do anything of measure on these cars. I’ll be sure to post photos of these amazing tools once I get them. Assuming they have them in stock, the local MBZ dealer in Fife is a real loser.
UPDATED: As I suspected, the dealer did not have tools in stock. I’ll be waiting a week for them to arrive. I don’t know why they don’t have them. These tools are not very big (small stamped steel keys) they are not very expensive ($9.65 with tax). They are also used for many model years audio units. I should have driven to Seattle where they likely gave them away on the counter as nicknacks!
Boooooooo BOSE dies in my car… :(
Arg. Instead of plowing into the tail-end of the jerk that cut me off yesterday, I am rewarded with the stereo system in my car, dying.
Why and what happened? I’m still trying to sort that out. But I do know that whatever DID happen to my car’s audio system, it happened when I had to get deep into the brakes to avoid a rather ‘rude’ driver. Right then the radio cut. I thought maybe a bad commercial break or something. Looked down at the radio a few seconds later and… NOBODY HOME.
I finished my errands yesterday, with only the sound of the 24 valve 4.3L V8 to serenade me. Now.. there is nothing wrong with the nice sound of a powerful V8 engine (OK.. 285 HP powerful… not too bad for a motor that 262 CID motor that idles like glass at 400 RPM, try that with your S***block Chevy! hahaha) . At any rate.. BOSE dead.
I parked it in the garage this morning and took the ML to work. It needed some gas (it ALWAYS needs some gas, powered by the same V8 engine, but pushing AWD and a brick of a body, it’s pretty harsh on the Premium fuel), but I didn’t want to spend the 1 hour commute to work listening to hushed sounds of wind and the expansion joints of the highway.
Upon returning home, I enlisted the assistance of my helper (aka son) and we took the rear end of the car’s interior apart. The majority of the audio system is located back there so it seemed a good place to start.
Sadly, after checking both fuse blocks, and the fuse on the main audio amp (all good), I’m out of ideas for the quick-fix on the system. Looks like I’ll have to get the special tools to remove the factory head unit and see if maybe the plug on the back of that came loose during braking. I hope so… sad if it happend, happy for me if I can fix it without spending $2500 for all new audio. These factory systems are all CAN-BUS fiber optic networked. Can’t just ‘toss in’ a new head unit.
Happy happy, joy joy.