Here is a motorcycle ride video I did last Sunday with Dan and Donna-Lynne over the Eleven Bridges Road to Wayne, Alberta culminating in a stop for refreshments at the Last Chance Saloon.
I shot the video at great peril to myself as I put the bike on cruise and held the camera with my throttle hand. No bikers were injured, maimed or otherwise disfigured in the making of this epic journey.
Push the little arrow thingy to watch the video.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Sunday, February 08, 2009
Motorcycle Tent Trailer
Now that I have the Goldwing with its extra power and towing capacity, I would like to upgrade from my current cargo trailer to a tent trailer.
I am getting a little too old to be sleeping in a pup tent and the crawling around on the ground is hard on the old knees and back
Looking over the net, most that I find are rather expensive for my budget.
I am getting a little too old to be sleeping in a pup tent and the crawling around on the ground is hard on the old knees and back
Looking over the net, most that I find are rather expensive for my budget.
This one is from Leesurelite and retails for more than $5,000 dollars. I like the layout and the room as well as the low weight of the trailer [250 lbs].
So why can't I build one for less?
I started doodling and doing some planning and this is what I come up with.
It should be simple enough to build the box, bend a little conduit piping and manufacture the hardware needed, take it to an upholsterer and get them to sew up a tent. The box would be about 5 feet long-40 inches wide and 18 inches tall. Once opened up the whole thing sets up quickly. As you lift the top of the box it pulls the canvas and the tent poles into position. The tubing can be made adjustable and pushed upward to make the canvas taut. Then a small board is extended to make the sleeping area 6'6 feet long.
If all goes well it should end up looking something like this. Granted it will not have the sleek look of fiberglass like the retail model but it should be sufficient to keep one off the ground and have room to stand up in.
The tubing had me stumped for a little while but with a tubing bender and some additional hardware the whole thing could fold down into the box neatly.
Attach the box to the top of a trailer, stick a cooler on the front frame and away you go camping.
Anyhoo, this is as far as I have gotten, the tent tarp still has a few wrinkles left to be ironed out and I don't want to get started on a doomed project unless I am sure that I can finish it and have a decent looking trailer to haul behind the Wing.
I think I can keep the cost down as I already have the trailer, just need to add stabilizer jacks to the bottom of it, buy some plywood and piano hinge, get the tubing, tubing bender and then find some fabric for the tent.
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Goldwing Chrome
And so it begins.
One of the great things about having a Goldwing is the numerous add-ons that are available for that bike. When I acquired my Goldwing it had some extra chrome but by no means was it loaded. At first I was a little hesitant to order on-line but now after taking the plunge I find it to be a safe and fast way to find items for these older wings.
Trunk Rack- The wing needed a trunk rack to stow some extra cargo on those longer camping trips. this item was purchased from Sabre Cycle in Missouri, good service and prices for Wings of all ages. I also managed to find a left side snap-on-pocket for the fairing, the only place on the net that I know of that had this item.
Saddle Bag Liners- Needed some bag liners for extra ease of taking things off the bike as the hard bags are permanently fixed and these are cool. These and the other items below have been ordered from JC Whitney, they have a few Wing items but there selection is limited. I also have a set of chromed levers coming.
Saddlebag Rails- My saddle bags lids are starting to show some wear and tear mostly from sun damage and these little bits of bling will distract the eye from the wear spots and prevent further damage to the lids, besides you can't have too much chrome on a Goldwing.
Wind deflectors-These are handy when the weather gets hot and you want to direct a breeze towards your self.
Lights-How could you not add extra lights to the back of a wing, safety first and besides these will replace a couple crusty ones already on the bike.
One of the great things about having a Goldwing is the numerous add-ons that are available for that bike. When I acquired my Goldwing it had some extra chrome but by no means was it loaded. At first I was a little hesitant to order on-line but now after taking the plunge I find it to be a safe and fast way to find items for these older wings.
Trunk Rack- The wing needed a trunk rack to stow some extra cargo on those longer camping trips. this item was purchased from Sabre Cycle in Missouri, good service and prices for Wings of all ages. I also managed to find a left side snap-on-pocket for the fairing, the only place on the net that I know of that had this item.
Saddle Bag Liners- Needed some bag liners for extra ease of taking things off the bike as the hard bags are permanently fixed and these are cool. These and the other items below have been ordered from JC Whitney, they have a few Wing items but there selection is limited. I also have a set of chromed levers coming.
Saddlebag Rails- My saddle bags lids are starting to show some wear and tear mostly from sun damage and these little bits of bling will distract the eye from the wear spots and prevent further damage to the lids, besides you can't have too much chrome on a Goldwing.
Wind deflectors-These are handy when the weather gets hot and you want to direct a breeze towards your self.
Lights-How could you not add extra lights to the back of a wing, safety first and besides these will replace a couple crusty ones already on the bike.
The temperature got up to zero yesterday and today so naturally my thoughts turned to biking and what I would need for the upcoming riding season.
I have been buying these items on line and find that even with the difference in the dollar and the shipping cost it is easier and cheaper to buy out of the United States.
I have also ordered items from BikeBandit.com and found them to be a good reliable source of stock motorcycle parts and accessories.
Next up I need to order a trailer hitch, tank rack and a stock looking antenna
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