Travis Pastrana Rocks!

Warning: Motorcycle Post.
Reverse Rotating Rotors, try saying that five times fast, go ahead try it, it's difficult isn't it. So what are Reverse Rotating Rotors? Well it is something that Mr. Rob Kasten has been working on that is very interesting and could be huge in the motorcycle racing arena. The basic idea is that you mechanically make the disc rotors on the front wheel of a motorcycle spin in the opposite direction. This counter acts what is know as gyroscopic presession. So you stabilze the motorcycle at almost any speed and make it as easy to turn at 180 mph as it is to turn at 20 mph. What I find complete fasintating about this project, is it all started because Mr. Kasten wanted to understand counter steer better.

As I mentioned earlier, I am a motorcycle guy. I grew up being a motorcycle guy, because my Dad is a motorcycle guy. His favorite brand is Honda, even though he currently has a 2001 Triumph Daytona 999i, so of course Honda is my favorite brand too. As I got older also started to gravitate towards the one-offs. The machines that was built for one season of racing, or because someone had an idea on how to do it different. Dr. Tuluie's Tul-Aris 780, an innovative frame and suspension system of his own design, mated to a 780cc 150bhp snowmobile motor and a custom designed transmission system (snowmobiles don't have transmissions like motorcycles, they use a centrifigual clutch, or CVT (constant volecity transmission). His transmission has a carbon fiber case, very exotic design to say the least.

Well surfing around this afternoon I found a great little video of another one-off a, six cylinder 250cc GP bike called the honda RC174 that was originally built in 1966. This one is a replica made by George Beale, man the sound of it is amazing. Check it out and let me know what you think.

Who's Fuzzy? Actually the question is what is Fuzzy? Before your minds go to far with this..Fuzzy is the Quad that my Dad, brothers and I build. It started life as a YZ 490 dirt bike and is now a full fledge quad. Fuzzy is a purebred mut! It's front suspension and brakes are off of a Honda 250R FourTrax. The Latter half of the rear swingarm and brake are from a Suzuki LT250R, while the first part of the swingarm is the stock YZ490 parts. It using the YZ 490 rear shock and linkage. Keeping with the Mut theme, the front plastic is from a 1986 Honda 250R FourTrax and the Rear Plastic is from a 1987 Suzuki LT250R. The Tank is (strange enough) stock YZ490. We fabricated, modified and welded the frame ourselves. We had a friend do the aluminum welding that merged two swingarms in to one.

In the end, Dad has a one off quad that doesn't look, sounds or ride like anyone else's. It is fast and stable and just a lot of fun to ride. There is a lot of bragging rights that goes with building your own quad. Anyone can buy one, but not everyone can make one!