Tim's Motorcycle Diaries

Sunday, 26 June 2022

Gas Prices And Riding Your Motorcycle

Petro-Canada is charging 6¢ a litre
more for super than ESSO is.

I was out and about on two wheels both Saturday and Sunday last weekend. Because I live in one of the most geologically tedious places in the world, I often have to ride for 20 minutes just to find *any* corner. This has me juggling contradicting ideas when it comes to the latest round of record-breaking fuel prices. On the one hand, fuel is more expensive. Thirty bucks used to be as much as I ever put into a bike, now it's over forty. On the other hand, after riding for twenty minutes to find a damned corner there are far few people driving around like gormless idiots on it so I get to actually enjoy the lean. I think I'm OK with the return on investment with strangely high gas prices: it's expensive but the roads are nicer to ride.

This isn't the first time fuel prices went this high. They did in 2012 as well due to Middle Eastern instability, but back then (with costs per barrel similar) fuel at the pump out this way reached $1.36/litre and had everyone apoplectic. A decade later the same crude oil prices have us paying almost $2.50 a litre, but hey, if you can't get rich from declining resources and a climate disaster you were instrumental in causing, you shouldn't be running a petrochemical company.

My son and I two up on the Kawasaki are averaging over 42 miles per gallon...

The Tiger is mainly doing one-up work now that the Concours takes care of pillions. With its new sprockets the RPMs have dropped a few hundred in any given gear and it's now averaging over 60mpg on long, top gear rides. At this kind of mileage I can handle higher fuel costs.

LINKS

2012: "Retail pump prices rose early in the year, starting at $1.21 per litre, peaking at $1.36 per litre in April, declining to $1.23 per litre in July"

"Crude oil prices... ]averaged $703/m3 (US$112/bbl)"

https://www.statista.com/statistics/262858/change-in-opec-crude-oil-prices-since-1960/

It might be unpopular, but I believe we should be charging the environmental damage in each litre of gasoline.

The True Cost of Burning Hydrocarbons:

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10584-015-1343-0

https://archive.thinkprogress.org/heres-what-gas-would-have-to-cost-to-account-for-health-and-environmental-impacts-c0ed088e8f38/

https://www.nrcan.gc.ca/our-natural-resources/domestic-and-international-markets/transportation-fuel-prices/4593

NOTE: when gas was $112US/barrel in May this year, retail pump prices were $1.95/litre. Someone's getting rich off climate disaster and political unrest.

Wednesday, 8 June 2022

Moto Art

Various photos from rides over the last month, worked over with photoshop into not-photographs!

Kawasaki GTR1400 at sunset (and below)

Triumph Tiger on a Sunday Ride

Tuesday, 31 May 2022

May Motorcycle Photography

Motorcycle photography over the past couple of weeks.

Two-up sunset ride on the Tiger with a Ricoh Theta SC mounted to the rear view mirror with a flexible tripod:

Testing a new Theta SC 360 camera mounted on the windshield with a flexible tripod:

If you're curious about how to do this, click HERE!

Kawasaki Concours 14 on a sunset ride (no 360 camera this time, just the phone):

Sunday, 15 May 2022

Forging Moto-Maker Spaces

As a family we attended a blacksmithing day at Happy Knife Forge last weekend. Highly recommended, it's money well spent. Jason will not only show you the basics, but is keen to get you up and running as a blacksmith. My granddad was a coal merchant back in the old country and the smell of coke burning on the forge prompted a sense memory from the crib; it smelled like home.

I've ruminated on fabrication and micro-manufacturing on TMD before from a digital perspective using the latest techniques. Given the space and tools I'd quite happily spend my time designing and creating using everything from medieval blacksmithing through 20th Century metal working and on into 21st Century digital manufacturing techniques. Connecting these processes separated by time but with the same intent would produce some genuinely interesting and bespoke combinations.

I've had the itch to get back into welding for some time, but a lack of space and gear means I'm not while I'm where I'm at. The blacksmithing experience has me wanting to expand my metal working beyond just welding, which means even more space and kit getting added to the wish list. You can do a lot in a tight space, and I am, but when it comes to storing the chemicals and managing the heat in some of these processes, there is no substitute for space.

A property with an old industrial building on
it would make for a fantastic restoration
leading to a multi-millenial foundry covering
everything from blacksmithing to digital design!

Given the time and resources I'd hit an intensive welding program, then set up my multi-millenial forge/shop/maker space with everything from blacksmithing tools through metal working and mechanical to 21st Century 3d scanning, digital modelling and printing. The forge would be in the corner of a repurposed, old brick building that also includes space for metalwork, all very fireproof. Across the floor in the same open concept.would be space for a paint booth/shot blasting station and plenty of mechanical workspace. Upstairs (open concept, with just a railing) would be digital design and manufacturing in a cleaner workspace. If I could walk out to that every morning to create, restore and repair, I'd hardly care if there were pandemics or anything else. Put it near some good riding roads (ie: not in Southern Ontario), and it'd be just about perfect.

I've been thinking about a digital workshop for a while now, but the blacksmithing experience has me thinking old school as well.

The future-garage scene in Big Hero 6 gets the digital side of it right.

Used Options:

Metal Working Tool Links

https://www.amazon.ca/Solary-Magnetic-Induction-Flameless-Automotive/dp/B08XTHTMZP

https://canadaweldingsupply.ca/products/metabo-5-variable-speed-rat-tail-angle-grinder

Digital Manufacturing Links

https://3dprintingindustry.com/news/car-sos-tv-show-uses-3d-printing-and-scanning-to-restore-classic-car-195222/

https://www.javelin-tech.com/3d/artec-3d-scanner-price/

https://all3dp.com/1/best-professional-3d-scanners-industrial/

https://all3dp.com/1/best-professional-3d-printer-small-business/

Riding Through an Oil Painting

After a long day at work I found myself watching the sky change colours and jumped on the Tiger for a ride down the river. It felt like riding through a Van Gogh...

All photos taken with a Ricoh 360 camera mounted on the windshield, autofiring every 8 seconds.

West Montrose Covered Bridge: one of these times I'm going to ride through and find myself in 1881!

Photos are in reverse chronological order. Sunset was at 8:30pm - I was on the road from about 8:10 to 8:50pm.

If you want a breakdown of how to get on-bike 360 photos like this, check THIS out! If you really want to digitally flex, you can create a 360 'tiny planet' stop motion film out of this kind of photography: