IN other news, after finding out that my "motorbike with a sidecar that I can ride in and steer / drive from over there" is a POS (prolly not Point Of Sale)... Dad asked one of the neighbor's to have a look at it and since he owned a bike shop back in the day I tend to believe him. So I dunno what the hell I'm gonna do with it. Prolly have to have a talk w/ him when I go up there next weekend to see my Sis and the new cousin (Marlin) Wait, Oh Crap.. Is It THIS Weekwnd? Damn I hope not... Anyway, I dunno what's good on the thing and what isn't, but I've wanted a bike for a long time. 1 because it will use a hell of a lot less gas than the 'ol Snipervan, and 2 because (at least I think) it looks cool. So after finding out that not only was it going to be a bitch to register- The DMV lost the paperwork, (there's a suprise) the previous owner lives in North Powder Oregon and I've forgotten his name, and I've lost the previous title... It's going to be hell to get running anyway.

So.

I've decided to build my own. Sort of. I picked up a little 36cc gas engine on E-Bay, commonly seen on the back of the common powered scooters. Baught a Shimano Nexus 7 speed hub to use as the transmission, and have been trying to figure out how I'm going to put all together & make it look cool.
I've got 6 Bimba pneumatic actuators I'm going to use as shocks and to lower the contraption for parking so I can get out... Not really sure how the front end's going to work as I want it set up a little like an "old skool" stretched chopper. So I dunno how I'm going to work it so that the front wheel is waaaaay out front like that, but still use the actuators to raise and lower the machine in the front. But I'll figure it out.

I may build my own tuned pipe to save a couple (hunderd) bucks.. Why should I pay 3x the $$ i spent for the engine on an exhaust when I can build my own? Sounds dumb huh. So that's an "in the wings" project after I get the rest of the project made.. I want to build the bike b4 I start fiddlin' with mini-projects.

I plan to build the frame, get the actuators workin', and for the exterior panels use 'haardware cloth' (a kind of thick metal screen) or normal (window) metal screen covered with fiberglass & painted... But I've never done anything like that so I just may go wit sheet-metal. Maybe go with copper if the local recycler's got enough... Or aluminum, or even galvanized flashing. have to paint that, but whatever's easiest to work with.

But the whole thing's gonna take a while... All I have is the engine and the hub. I've got a local bike guy building me the rear wheels, but I have to build the rest... Everything from the motor mount(s) to the gas tank to the steering configuration to the air distro system (from the yet-to-be-purchased compressor) from some kind of air tank through some sort of switch / valve to the actuators. Lots of stuff to design / figure out. I'll get it tho. Prolly not b4 the summer as I'm working on it when I don't have homework, and that's not often.
I may have a solar panel collecting electricity for the battery to power the compressor, or a small generator, or both. I dunno.

I was thinking of powering the bike with a pulse-jet or gas-turbine engine but from what I have read those can be just a bit (howls like a banshee) loud, and in my current (crippled) state would prolly take me f o r e v e r to build. May not seen like it out there in internet land, but I mkove a hell of a lot slower than I once did. Mostly because I cannot pick up / carry heavy things, and the lack of balance is really a problem at times. Speaking of things I can't do I've yet to write a letter back to OWCP about getting me some help around the place (suprise! That request was denied) but that's a whole 'nother story...

Apparently, after taking an "AQ Test", I'm an "AGGRESSIVE CONQUERING ACCOMPLISHER" Or so they say. Thinking about it now, I was, but I'm not sure exactly what I am now...

Anyway, that's what's currently goin' on over in thiss'ere neck of the woods...
Oh! I'll be doing the "how not to kick your own ass in the woods" speech at the Northwest Timber Fallers '04 Roundtable this December and Ron Marley's Shasta College Fire Management class here soon in November so that stuff's still goin' on. (Yes I'm still available for that sort of thing, just ask.)