Variety is the spice of life.

WTF kind of bike is this????



They say variety is the spice of life. Well I guess not all of us can be content with just owning a bike for fun.



One of my friends, Scott Storms , owner/operator of Stormy Custom Bike Works actually owns this miniature Submarine, and it actually works. How cool is that!



I was at the shop a few days ago talking about what we were going to do with my license plate set up, and just had to take a few pictures, seing as it was at the shop. I had heard him talk about it several times before, but was amazed at how cool this thing really was once I got to see it with my own eyes.



He is having talks with the MN DNR, last I heard and it sounded like they were going to rent use of it once in a while.



I tried to talk him into painting it yellow. He wouldn't bite! LOL!

DOT Vs. Snell approved helmets

What is the difference between Snell and DOT approved helmets?

This is really interesting. I thought you should know.

First off, for this post anyway (SMF) will refer to the Snell Memorial Foundation, NOT Stupid Mother F*cker. LOL!

There are two key differences between a DOT and Snell approved helmet.
First, is the testing standards the helmets go through, and second, is the verification of the results.

The Snell Memorial Foundation (SMF) was founded in 1957 just after William Snell, A.K.A. Pete, died from massive head trauma from a race car accident. (SMF) is a non-profit organization that focuses on learning more about the components of head injuries, & how to prevent them by using helmets. Through their research (SMF) has developed the Snell standard for approving helmets. It is continually tested and updated every five years.

Although both testing processes are very similar, (SMF) requires their certified helmets to withstand a greater impact and absorb more force than the DOT approved helmets.
Both (SMF) and DOT standards drop the head forms on flat and round shaped anvils in order to simulate different types of impacts. However, Snell also uses an edged anvil that specifically tests the integrity of the helmet's shell.

DOT and Snell test each helmet two times at four different impact zones. DOT drops their helmets from 6 feet on the flat anvil and from a 4.5 feet on the round anvil. Snell drops the helmets from 10 feet and 7.5 feet on both anvils, which simulates a more severe impact.

While there is no guarantee that a DOT approved helmet has actually been tested, the purchase of a Snell approved helmet ensures that the product has been evaluated under scrutiny. A Snell-certified helmet also meets and exceeds the DOT standards.

Motorcycle Helmets and helmet laws

I've been looking around for a while now for just the right motorcycle helmet. I want the "look" as well as comfort, and function. There are a million styles. Let the journey begin.

Yeah you heard me, I'm giving in and buying a brain bucket.

On my internet quest, I stumbled upon this great site that has a detailed map and breakdown of helmet laws, and provision's per state. (U.S. Only). Sorry if you are one of my non U.S. visitors.

For those who tour regularily, or not so regular, it may be something you want to check out. I thought this was too good not to pass on.

Check out the helmet law page link that I found.

This is a good one to add to your favorites, unless of course you always wear a helmet anyway.

Making lots of Money with Ads on a blog, Can it be done?

In general, I think those days are long gone due to the amount of people now blogging and advertising. It sounds ironic, because the mass amount of people blogging is a huge viewer ship for our eyes to see advertisements. Almost everyone I know who blogs has a Google Ad Sense, Amazon, or both on their site's side bars. It's Advertisement flooding. Most people who read blogs, have blogs, and have ads of their own, so they don't click on the Ads on other peoples blogs. As much as I read blogs, I've never clicked on a google Ad once, let alone purchased anything from one of their ads. No Amazon either. If I want something from Amazon, I know their website, and I know how to search for what it is I want specifically. Maybe I'm just not all that into Ads. I take it back. When I first got my blog going, I clicked on Google Ad Sense, and Amazon, to get their gizmos on my site. By the advise of some people I’ve read posts on to boost your rank, and traffic, the less cluttered your site is with nonsense ads, the more likely people will come back to visit your site. So, I've since removed them. I might put them back on someday. My traffic has increased substantially. The more I blog, the more content is out there to hit on through Google searches, etc. I don’t really think it has anything to do with having or not having Ads. on your site. Plus if I have more traffic from not having Ads., what difference does more traffic make?
I must admit, I do check my stats from time to time just out of curiosity, but the longer I blog, the more traffic I get, & the less I seem to be caring about stats, and trying to make money blogging.

Quite honestly the only thing I've ever purchased through a blog is a really cool Sturgis T-shirt that I got from The Beach Cruiser. Had it been on a Google Ad Sense Ad, or Amazon Ad in the side bar of their blog, I would have never looked at it, let alone purchased the shirt. I saw it through their Sturgis Store because it was a post, not a side bar advertisement. Side bar advertisements seem a little over rated to me. I could be wrong, but have chatted with some pretty big players in the blogging world, and they seem to sometimes have trouble making any dough doing this as well. Let me know if I'm wrong here. Hell, I'd love to be wrong on this one. I'd love for someone to tell me how I can make all this money blogging without it becomming my new full time job. Just some side mulah would be nice.

For now, I’m going to continue blogging for free and as a hobby. I make nothing doing this, but its fun, & entertaining.

I hope you all enjoy reading my blog as much as I enjoy reading yours. Because of blogging, I get to talk with some of the greatest people on this planet (for free).

Are any of you making any money???? If so, I’d love to hear about it.

Disclaimer…..If anyone wants to give me money, I’ll gladly take it!
LOL!

Vertical Vs. Horizontal #2

Click on the picture to enlarge it.

Oh Fu@k!

My bike's gotta go into the shop to have a new rear tail light/license plate mount fabricated. I've got to do something, and figure it out fast, if I want to ride in the state of Minnesota without getting a ticket.

As of August first, Minnesota legislation piggy backed onto a bill, that license plates now all have to be mounted and displayed horizontally. This kind of Sh*t really pisses me off! I can't stand it that they are allowed to tag things onto other bills. Each one should be individual. This B.S. passed, and I'm pissed!!!! What's next, I ask???

See http://www.dps.state.mn.us/dvs/PlBrochure/PlateFrame.htm for more details. I never even saw it coming until well after the law took effect. My friend told me three days ago. It was confirmed to me when I took my bike to Stormy's Custom Bike works yesterday to have Kenny checked out. Brad, one of the mechanics there gave me the e-mail address above that confirms it.

Had I got any prior notice of this, I would have feuded it guns a blazing!, O.K. maybe an Internet petition, and a letter to the State.

I wonder how this will effect other bikers visiting Minnesota, or just passing through. I wonder how hard they will push giving out tickets for violating this newly passed law.
Even though we don't have a helmet law here in Minnesota, when one of us Minnesotans are traveling through a state that does, and you ain't wearin one, You better bet your sweet @ss they won't give you a break, just 'cause you're not from there. Your gettin a big fat ticket my friend. I'm guessin they'll ticket anyone and everyone they can for this new violation here as well.

Fair warning my friends, fair warning... Don't say Mr. M. never told you so!

And to think, I just got my new low mount set up a short while ago.


And it's not as easy as just turning the plate. The mount backing plate is a piece of welded, polished stainless steel that I had to have custom fabricated, because no one makes good stuff for Sporters. Now not only do I have to physically make the change, and spend so more dough, It will change the look of the bike. Not for the better either I might add.

Oh well, back to the drawing board.

Biker joke.........Too Little, Too Late

Doug Klassen from Fourty Years on Two Wheels had recently posted his rendition of what a biker means in What's in a name. http://40on2.blogspot.com/2008/08/whats-in-name.html

According to his image of a Biker, the 60's version of a ruffian hoodlum on two wheels, here is a very fitting joke.

A regular Joe is at the Pearly Gates, hoping to be admitted.

St. Peter says to the guy,

"I can't see that you did anything really good in your life, but you never did anything bad either. I tell you what, if you can tell me one really good deed that you did, I'll open Heaven's Gates to you."

So the guy says,

"I was driving down the road and saw a gang of bikers assaulting this poor girl. So I pulled over, got out my car, grabbed a tire iron and walked straight up to the gang's leader--a huge ugly guy with a studded leather jacket, bald head but with hair all over his body, and a chain running from his nose to his ear.
Undaunted, I ripped the chain out of his nose and ear and smashed him over the head with the tire iron. Then I turned around and, wielding my tire iron, yelled to the rest of them, "You leave this poor, innocent lady alone! You're all a bunch of sick, deranged animals! Go home before I teach you all a lesson in pain!"

Impressed, St. Peter says,

"Really? I can't seem to find this in your file. When did this happen?"

"Oh, about two minutes ago."