Mika
12-03-2006, 05:08 AM
http://www.oddjokes.com/images/presents.gif
Today’s Birthdays / Calendar (http://www.bmwmoa.org/forum/calendar.php?do=getinfo&day=2006-12-3&c=1)
BMW Group Press Club:
A Rolls-Royce Welcome for Goodwood Barn Owls
http://m1ka.smugmug.com/photos/114221956-M.jpg
A custom-made owl box was unveiled today in the 42 acre grounds of the Rolls-Royce plant at Goodwood. It has been installed as part of the company’s commitment to encourage biodiversity within its grounds. The box, designed and crafted by staff at West Dean College, Chichester features an owl mascot.
The Barn Owl, now a specially protected species, has declined in numbers by more than two thirds in the last 100 years, which is attributed to the intensification of agriculture and the loss of rough grassy areas around fields. In Sussex the numbers have dropped in recent years to around 100 breeding pairs. Dr Barrie Watson, President of the Sussex Ornithological Society, who advised Rolls-Royce on the best location for the new owl box said, “More environmentally friendly farming practices will provide more habitats for owls to hunt over. So it is important to provide secure nest sites for them, like the owl box at Rolls-Royce. I am delighted to see the company take this step.”
Anna Rabone, environment consultant at Rolls-Royce said, “The emphasis at Goodwood is on operating a technologically advanced facility, producing cars to the highest quality, yet making a positive contribution to the biodiversity of the natural landscape. The lake and the landscaping, including our eight acre living roof, where non-chemical techniques are used to control pests, are proving a haven for numerous bird species and other wildlife.”
BMW MOA Chartered Club:
Great Plains Beemer – Saskatchewan #246
Founded:
8/1/1994
Contact:
Murray Wagner (wagm@sasktel.net)
3425 Rae St.
Regina, SK S4S 1S6 Canada
szepj1.sasktelwebsite.net/gpb.html
Meetings:
1st Sunday every month,9:30 a.m. breakfast meet--check website for location
Events:
Arm River Run, Arm River Campground, off #2 north of Findlater, 2nd weekend in June. Watch for confirmation and posting on website.
News from the 2007 Rally area (http://www.bmwmoa.org/rally/rally07/rally07announce.htm):
Gemütlichkeit (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gem%C3%Bctlichkeit)
There is no direct translation for the word Gemütlichkeit.
However, Gemütlichkeit is the warm, comfortable feeling
one receives from pleasant surroundings and atmosphere.
I think you will find that when you come here.
http://pics2.city-data.com/city/maps7/cmu1903.gif
Addison Wisconsin (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Addison,_Wisconsin)
JSOnline.com (http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=537019):Tradition found in tree farms
Ozaukee – Washington Daily News ( http://www.dailynewsol.com/index.htm)
Fond Du Lac Reporter ( http://www.fdlreporter.com/apps/pbcs.dll/frontpage)
The Sheboygan Press ( http://www.sheboygan-press.com/apps/pbcs.dll/frontpage)
Daily Citizen, Beaver Dam (http://www.wiscnews.com/bdc/)
Weather
West Bend WI
Current (http://www.weather.com/weather/local/USWI0733?from=search_current)
10 Day Forcast (http://www.weather.com/weather/tenday/USWI0733?from=36hr_topnav_undeclared )
United States
National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (http://www.noaa.gov/)
Canada
Meteorological Service of Canada (http://www.weatheroffice.ec.gc.ca/canada_e.html)
News:
Motocyclistonline.com (http://www.motorcyclistonline.com/newsandupdates/122_0612_bill_begnall_dies/)Bill Bangnall, former editor and publisher of Motorcyclist dies.
Mcnews.com (http://www.mcnews.com.au/NewsArchives/2006/december/camel_out.htm): Camel is leaving international motorsport.
Sport Rider ( http://www.sportrider.com/features/146_0410_ten_kate_honda_cbr1000rr/): WSB Honda CBR1000RR for the street.
motoring.co.za ( http://www.motoring.co.za/index.php?fSectionId=1566&fArticleId=3514308): Suzuki GSX-R750: A pocket thunderbolt.
Beer News
USAToday.com (http://www.usatoday.com/news/offbeat/2006-12-02-santa-beer_x.htm?csp=34): Main says no to Santa label.
Scaremonkeys.com (http://www.scaredmonkeys.com/2006/12/02/christmas-light-house-goes-big-time/): Last years Christmas light house goes big time.
Feature:
http://www.bmw-motorrad.co.za/bikes/tests/pics/3mintests.jpg
Wondering about Road Tests.
I have a new winter project: Lay out a Road Test Circuit and become a Test Driver.
I spent a great deal of money and time acquiring then reading motorcycle and car magazines when I was young. I still do. Before I had my driver’s license I did not have a great sense of what the article was describing so I spent my time devouring road test data panels.
It was a great self study learning process. When I did not understand something in the data panel I would go back into the article, find a reference to explain it or seek out other reference material (including my father) to find explanations.
By the time I acquired my license I was ready to be a road test driver. At least that was what I thought. A bit of racing experience (gymkhana, sanction road racing and not so legal of the street variety) quickly told me I was fast and understood a great deal but there were many who were better than I. So my wonderings took me in other directions.
That is until a recent moment of serendipity took me back to the idea of being a road tester. My purpose for wanting to be a road test driver have changed at the same time the idea has expanded and changed directions slightly.
My original thought process was not as linear as this piece may lead you to believe. Let me walk you through my plan to lay out a road test circuit and become a test driver. More importantly in the end, explain the why for me and why you may want to do the same.
BIKE Magazine: The Bike 440 (http://www.bikemagazine.co.uk/nav?page=bikemagazine.contentspage&view_resource=5229868)
I came across this gem in my internet wonderings some time ago. I enjoy the road test in this magazine so it was interesting to learn about the Bike 440. They describe it best themselves in this paragraph.
“The Bike 440 route is a beast. Devised to test all aspects of a road bike and its rider, there's a bit of everything in there - whether the testers like it or not. Yes, it includes some of the greatest riding roads in Britain, but the route also forces its way along mind-numbingly tedious motorways and through congested towns.”
I bookmarked the page and started to day dream. On my next trip to England I would rent a bike and drive the 440 as a motorcycling and site seeing adventure. It was a fun day dream. I tucked the idea away in the back of my mind for future reference. In other words I promptly forgot about it.
On a different excursion of wondering about the internet I found myself at the BMW-Motorrad SA website and came across these two items. The first that caught my eye is titled 3 Minute Road Tests (http://www.bmw-motorrad.co.za/bikes/tests/main.asp). It is a series of short BMW motorcycle reviews, of various models, written by average riders like you and me. The second part was the form (http://www.bmw-motorrad.co.za/bikes/tests/form.asp) they have put together on the site for submitting reviews. This struck me as a clever idea I should pass along in the Morning Reads at some time. I was pressed for time when I cam across them. I bookmarked the page and tucked this away in the cluttered corner of my mind labeled Morning Reads for Future Reference. Again once safely filed in my mind I promptly forgot about it hem.
Recently I found myself frustrated. There are various symptoms that manifest themselves when I am so afflicted. On this particular day I was displaying the cleaning symptom. This is a bit of a misnomer in that it normally involves tearing something apart cleaning it and putting it back together. If energy or frustration wanes before the job is finished I have a greater mess, but I am not frustrated.
Bedroom closets were the object or more accurately the victims of my frustration on that day. My bedroom has a wall of closets and a built in dresser hidden behind bi-fold doors and overhead storage areas with sliding doors. On this particular day I was leaving no door un-bi-folded or un-slid. There was a pile for trash, Goodwill and piles for the sake of piling. They were on the floor and on my bed. My energy was high, things were being cleaned and my frustration was being dealt with. Until I folded back the doors hiding my built in dresser.
There, neatly piled and organized on a protective mat so the wooden top of the dresser would not be damaged, sits a pile of motorcycle parts. They are destined for the Roadster as part of winter projects. I stood there and looked at them for a moment. I smiled as I thought about the various ideas I would work out. The fun I would have in the garage. And the fun I would have testing them to see if they are in fact the solutions I want. At that moment a couple of forgotten things fell out of the back of my mind and into my consciousness.
I need to devise a road test circuit so that I can test my parts out to see if they do what I thought they would. The GS Adventure seat that I am going to try on the Roadster is a prime example. It would be much better to find out in a road test, that it does or does not work like the seats of old, rather than to find out on an extended trip.
In this manner the idea and a project were born. It may seem grandiose at first blush, but I think it makes sense when you step back and think about it.
Much of the work we do on our motorcycles can be road tested by riding around the block to see if the repair leaks do the brakes I worked on stop me and so on. There is no need for a big road test circuit.
My growing stack of parts includes a seat, different pegs, handlebars and more. These may feel fine on a trip around the block but after 50 miles can turn into trip killers. This is where the idea of establishing a road test circuit comes in.
The idea is simple. I plan on assessing my past riding habits riding territory and my riding plans for next season. This should establish what type of roads I need to include in my version of the Bike 440. I am a daily commuter, tour with long days of multiple tank fills, get off and explore gravel and dirt roads and more.
I did a quick internet search to see if there were examples in addition to the ones I already had. The searches returned a great number of hits but the quality of the pickings have been slim. On the Illinois DMV website I did come across a Federal guideline (http://www.cyberdriveillinois.com/departments/drivers/driver_education/commercial_driver_training/federal_criteria.html) written to test commercial truck drivers. As I scanned the list it reminded me to include things like stopping and starting on hills and the like. We take these things in stride on a day to day basis. If overlooked as part of the circuit we may not flesh out a problem with the change we have made to our motorcycle. The search is a starting point riding is another.
Once I have done that the goal is to find a single reasonable loop that can be covered in an afternoon that encompasses all of these elements. If it can not be done in a single loop them a series of connecting ones will do. As I take as many rides as possible in the late riding season I am assessing as I purposefully wonder about.
No, you don’t need to do this for every work project performed on your motorcycle. Again, the idea is that there are some that are major revamps. A planned road test that you have covered at some time before you do the work and then after may help you avoid the discovery of problems on that long planned tour.
Just wondering.
Now let’s see. If I include a pass through Lakeville where all the Euro-Trash bike dealers are located, when Cycle World calls…
…First I need to clear the bed so I can stop sleeping on the sofa.
Adventure Posts:
A Journey For Healthcare Access (http://www.salcar.org/): A very interesting site passed along to me. It is Sunday so you have some time to catch up with the blog as you tour South America.
Gear:
webBikeWorld.com (http://www.webbikeworld.com/r3/motorcycle-armor/forcefield/): Product Review – Forcefield Motorcycle Armor. webBikeWorld looks at Forcefields twist on protection for those who are willing to spend a bit more time to save a bunch of pain.
Word of the Day:
octane number: Every brand of gasoline has an octane rating or number which indicates its ability to resist knocking. When the numbers were first developed, the researchers found that normal heptane (a hydrocarbon) had almost no ability to resist knocking so they gave it an octane number of zero. Then they found that isooctane (also a hydrocarbon) was very resistant to knocking so they gave it the octane number of 100. To measure a particular sample of gasoline they discovered when it began to create detonation. Then they mixed isooctane to heptane to find out what percentage of isooctane created the same results as the sample of gasoline. In United States, there are two methods for determining the octane number depending upon operating conditions. The Research Octane Number (RON) is obtained when conditions are somewhat mild. The Motor Octane Number (MON) is obtained when conditions are somewhat severe and give a much lower number than the RON. The numbers on the gasoline pumps are usually an average of the RON and MON. Usually the pump number is about four numbers less than the RON. Thus if the automobile manufacturer recommends using gasoline with a RON of 91 or more, it would be acceptable to use pump gas rating of 87. The pump number is the anti-knock index which is half the sum of the RON and the MON. Also see motor octane number research octane number
Today’s Birthdays / Calendar (http://www.bmwmoa.org/forum/calendar.php?do=getinfo&day=2006-12-3&c=1)
BMW Group Press Club:
A Rolls-Royce Welcome for Goodwood Barn Owls
http://m1ka.smugmug.com/photos/114221956-M.jpg
A custom-made owl box was unveiled today in the 42 acre grounds of the Rolls-Royce plant at Goodwood. It has been installed as part of the company’s commitment to encourage biodiversity within its grounds. The box, designed and crafted by staff at West Dean College, Chichester features an owl mascot.
The Barn Owl, now a specially protected species, has declined in numbers by more than two thirds in the last 100 years, which is attributed to the intensification of agriculture and the loss of rough grassy areas around fields. In Sussex the numbers have dropped in recent years to around 100 breeding pairs. Dr Barrie Watson, President of the Sussex Ornithological Society, who advised Rolls-Royce on the best location for the new owl box said, “More environmentally friendly farming practices will provide more habitats for owls to hunt over. So it is important to provide secure nest sites for them, like the owl box at Rolls-Royce. I am delighted to see the company take this step.”
Anna Rabone, environment consultant at Rolls-Royce said, “The emphasis at Goodwood is on operating a technologically advanced facility, producing cars to the highest quality, yet making a positive contribution to the biodiversity of the natural landscape. The lake and the landscaping, including our eight acre living roof, where non-chemical techniques are used to control pests, are proving a haven for numerous bird species and other wildlife.”
BMW MOA Chartered Club:
Great Plains Beemer – Saskatchewan #246
Founded:
8/1/1994
Contact:
Murray Wagner (wagm@sasktel.net)
3425 Rae St.
Regina, SK S4S 1S6 Canada
szepj1.sasktelwebsite.net/gpb.html
Meetings:
1st Sunday every month,9:30 a.m. breakfast meet--check website for location
Events:
Arm River Run, Arm River Campground, off #2 north of Findlater, 2nd weekend in June. Watch for confirmation and posting on website.
News from the 2007 Rally area (http://www.bmwmoa.org/rally/rally07/rally07announce.htm):
Gemütlichkeit (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gem%C3%Bctlichkeit)
There is no direct translation for the word Gemütlichkeit.
However, Gemütlichkeit is the warm, comfortable feeling
one receives from pleasant surroundings and atmosphere.
I think you will find that when you come here.
http://pics2.city-data.com/city/maps7/cmu1903.gif
Addison Wisconsin (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Addison,_Wisconsin)
JSOnline.com (http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=537019):Tradition found in tree farms
Ozaukee – Washington Daily News ( http://www.dailynewsol.com/index.htm)
Fond Du Lac Reporter ( http://www.fdlreporter.com/apps/pbcs.dll/frontpage)
The Sheboygan Press ( http://www.sheboygan-press.com/apps/pbcs.dll/frontpage)
Daily Citizen, Beaver Dam (http://www.wiscnews.com/bdc/)
Weather
West Bend WI
Current (http://www.weather.com/weather/local/USWI0733?from=search_current)
10 Day Forcast (http://www.weather.com/weather/tenday/USWI0733?from=36hr_topnav_undeclared )
United States
National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (http://www.noaa.gov/)
Canada
Meteorological Service of Canada (http://www.weatheroffice.ec.gc.ca/canada_e.html)
News:
Motocyclistonline.com (http://www.motorcyclistonline.com/newsandupdates/122_0612_bill_begnall_dies/)Bill Bangnall, former editor and publisher of Motorcyclist dies.
Mcnews.com (http://www.mcnews.com.au/NewsArchives/2006/december/camel_out.htm): Camel is leaving international motorsport.
Sport Rider ( http://www.sportrider.com/features/146_0410_ten_kate_honda_cbr1000rr/): WSB Honda CBR1000RR for the street.
motoring.co.za ( http://www.motoring.co.za/index.php?fSectionId=1566&fArticleId=3514308): Suzuki GSX-R750: A pocket thunderbolt.
Beer News
USAToday.com (http://www.usatoday.com/news/offbeat/2006-12-02-santa-beer_x.htm?csp=34): Main says no to Santa label.
Scaremonkeys.com (http://www.scaredmonkeys.com/2006/12/02/christmas-light-house-goes-big-time/): Last years Christmas light house goes big time.
Feature:
http://www.bmw-motorrad.co.za/bikes/tests/pics/3mintests.jpg
Wondering about Road Tests.
I have a new winter project: Lay out a Road Test Circuit and become a Test Driver.
I spent a great deal of money and time acquiring then reading motorcycle and car magazines when I was young. I still do. Before I had my driver’s license I did not have a great sense of what the article was describing so I spent my time devouring road test data panels.
It was a great self study learning process. When I did not understand something in the data panel I would go back into the article, find a reference to explain it or seek out other reference material (including my father) to find explanations.
By the time I acquired my license I was ready to be a road test driver. At least that was what I thought. A bit of racing experience (gymkhana, sanction road racing and not so legal of the street variety) quickly told me I was fast and understood a great deal but there were many who were better than I. So my wonderings took me in other directions.
That is until a recent moment of serendipity took me back to the idea of being a road tester. My purpose for wanting to be a road test driver have changed at the same time the idea has expanded and changed directions slightly.
My original thought process was not as linear as this piece may lead you to believe. Let me walk you through my plan to lay out a road test circuit and become a test driver. More importantly in the end, explain the why for me and why you may want to do the same.
BIKE Magazine: The Bike 440 (http://www.bikemagazine.co.uk/nav?page=bikemagazine.contentspage&view_resource=5229868)
I came across this gem in my internet wonderings some time ago. I enjoy the road test in this magazine so it was interesting to learn about the Bike 440. They describe it best themselves in this paragraph.
“The Bike 440 route is a beast. Devised to test all aspects of a road bike and its rider, there's a bit of everything in there - whether the testers like it or not. Yes, it includes some of the greatest riding roads in Britain, but the route also forces its way along mind-numbingly tedious motorways and through congested towns.”
I bookmarked the page and started to day dream. On my next trip to England I would rent a bike and drive the 440 as a motorcycling and site seeing adventure. It was a fun day dream. I tucked the idea away in the back of my mind for future reference. In other words I promptly forgot about it.
On a different excursion of wondering about the internet I found myself at the BMW-Motorrad SA website and came across these two items. The first that caught my eye is titled 3 Minute Road Tests (http://www.bmw-motorrad.co.za/bikes/tests/main.asp). It is a series of short BMW motorcycle reviews, of various models, written by average riders like you and me. The second part was the form (http://www.bmw-motorrad.co.za/bikes/tests/form.asp) they have put together on the site for submitting reviews. This struck me as a clever idea I should pass along in the Morning Reads at some time. I was pressed for time when I cam across them. I bookmarked the page and tucked this away in the cluttered corner of my mind labeled Morning Reads for Future Reference. Again once safely filed in my mind I promptly forgot about it hem.
Recently I found myself frustrated. There are various symptoms that manifest themselves when I am so afflicted. On this particular day I was displaying the cleaning symptom. This is a bit of a misnomer in that it normally involves tearing something apart cleaning it and putting it back together. If energy or frustration wanes before the job is finished I have a greater mess, but I am not frustrated.
Bedroom closets were the object or more accurately the victims of my frustration on that day. My bedroom has a wall of closets and a built in dresser hidden behind bi-fold doors and overhead storage areas with sliding doors. On this particular day I was leaving no door un-bi-folded or un-slid. There was a pile for trash, Goodwill and piles for the sake of piling. They were on the floor and on my bed. My energy was high, things were being cleaned and my frustration was being dealt with. Until I folded back the doors hiding my built in dresser.
There, neatly piled and organized on a protective mat so the wooden top of the dresser would not be damaged, sits a pile of motorcycle parts. They are destined for the Roadster as part of winter projects. I stood there and looked at them for a moment. I smiled as I thought about the various ideas I would work out. The fun I would have in the garage. And the fun I would have testing them to see if they are in fact the solutions I want. At that moment a couple of forgotten things fell out of the back of my mind and into my consciousness.
I need to devise a road test circuit so that I can test my parts out to see if they do what I thought they would. The GS Adventure seat that I am going to try on the Roadster is a prime example. It would be much better to find out in a road test, that it does or does not work like the seats of old, rather than to find out on an extended trip.
In this manner the idea and a project were born. It may seem grandiose at first blush, but I think it makes sense when you step back and think about it.
Much of the work we do on our motorcycles can be road tested by riding around the block to see if the repair leaks do the brakes I worked on stop me and so on. There is no need for a big road test circuit.
My growing stack of parts includes a seat, different pegs, handlebars and more. These may feel fine on a trip around the block but after 50 miles can turn into trip killers. This is where the idea of establishing a road test circuit comes in.
The idea is simple. I plan on assessing my past riding habits riding territory and my riding plans for next season. This should establish what type of roads I need to include in my version of the Bike 440. I am a daily commuter, tour with long days of multiple tank fills, get off and explore gravel and dirt roads and more.
I did a quick internet search to see if there were examples in addition to the ones I already had. The searches returned a great number of hits but the quality of the pickings have been slim. On the Illinois DMV website I did come across a Federal guideline (http://www.cyberdriveillinois.com/departments/drivers/driver_education/commercial_driver_training/federal_criteria.html) written to test commercial truck drivers. As I scanned the list it reminded me to include things like stopping and starting on hills and the like. We take these things in stride on a day to day basis. If overlooked as part of the circuit we may not flesh out a problem with the change we have made to our motorcycle. The search is a starting point riding is another.
Once I have done that the goal is to find a single reasonable loop that can be covered in an afternoon that encompasses all of these elements. If it can not be done in a single loop them a series of connecting ones will do. As I take as many rides as possible in the late riding season I am assessing as I purposefully wonder about.
No, you don’t need to do this for every work project performed on your motorcycle. Again, the idea is that there are some that are major revamps. A planned road test that you have covered at some time before you do the work and then after may help you avoid the discovery of problems on that long planned tour.
Just wondering.
Now let’s see. If I include a pass through Lakeville where all the Euro-Trash bike dealers are located, when Cycle World calls…
…First I need to clear the bed so I can stop sleeping on the sofa.
Adventure Posts:
A Journey For Healthcare Access (http://www.salcar.org/): A very interesting site passed along to me. It is Sunday so you have some time to catch up with the blog as you tour South America.
Gear:
webBikeWorld.com (http://www.webbikeworld.com/r3/motorcycle-armor/forcefield/): Product Review – Forcefield Motorcycle Armor. webBikeWorld looks at Forcefields twist on protection for those who are willing to spend a bit more time to save a bunch of pain.
Word of the Day:
octane number: Every brand of gasoline has an octane rating or number which indicates its ability to resist knocking. When the numbers were first developed, the researchers found that normal heptane (a hydrocarbon) had almost no ability to resist knocking so they gave it an octane number of zero. Then they found that isooctane (also a hydrocarbon) was very resistant to knocking so they gave it the octane number of 100. To measure a particular sample of gasoline they discovered when it began to create detonation. Then they mixed isooctane to heptane to find out what percentage of isooctane created the same results as the sample of gasoline. In United States, there are two methods for determining the octane number depending upon operating conditions. The Research Octane Number (RON) is obtained when conditions are somewhat mild. The Motor Octane Number (MON) is obtained when conditions are somewhat severe and give a much lower number than the RON. The numbers on the gasoline pumps are usually an average of the RON and MON. Usually the pump number is about four numbers less than the RON. Thus if the automobile manufacturer recommends using gasoline with a RON of 91 or more, it would be acceptable to use pump gas rating of 87. The pump number is the anti-knock index which is half the sum of the RON and the MON. Also see motor octane number research octane number