Hobbit headz

I plan on running the super-blasty Athena 70cc kit on my Hobbit, but to keep the piston from smacking into the head, you have to re-work the squish band. I haven't really seen too many pics of the process, so I documented what I did to mine.

Used the head gasket to outline.















First couple of passes with a high speed cutting bit on my Dremel.















A little further out, and deeper. An attempt at keeping an even surface.















And the final product after Naz smoothed and polished the surface for me.















I'm missing a pic between three and four to show what it looked like after I got done with a stone grinding bit. The results look decent for doing it free hand with a Dremel.


Hells Satans are going to Sundance with this ridiculous, and barely accurate short film about moped culture in Richmond, VA. Check out the trailer here. Directed by the producer from MTV's True Life series. Haha. I feel partially responsible for this. This guy initially contacted me about doing an episode of Real Life on Mosquito Fleet. We passed on it, and I got him in contact with a few other Moped Army branches. That short film is the result. It doesn't surprise me since Real Life is nothing, but retarded drama anyway. Hope the Satans have fun at the film festival.

I've always preferred this version of Hells Satans.




A rad crew, for sure. I'm hoping to get back to their rally in 2012.

For all my dirt bike ninjas

The best thing about Xbox Live is the indie game section. There are some really fun and innovative games out there, and they all cost a buck. The other day I was perusing the new releases, and happened upon a game called Toy Stunt Bike. After one demo play through I was hooked and plunked down my four quarters to own it. It's super addictive gameplay. Think Toy Story meets Excite Bike. The game is gorgeous, and makes me wish I could get a helmet and Evel Knievel costume for my avatar. Now if only there was a moped skin for your stunt bike...

And that was going to be it for the post. I had no intentions of talking about mopeds this week. Which, apparently angered the moped gods. Here's my punishment.

Two weeks ago, leading a Moped Monday ride, we shot down a big hill toward the end of the ride. Somehow I didn't feel the bike seize, but at the next stoplight, the Ciao sputtered out. I thought I was just out of gas. I flipped to reserve, and started the bike again. Only to die a couple of blocks later. I ended up pushing it to the bar we were meeting at.

I had no reason to suspect a seize, so several times over the next ten or so days I tinkered with it, obviously to no avail. Eventually, I nailed it down to a compression issue. I dropping the engine to check for a blown head gasket or blown seal, finding nothing wrong. Bolted everything back on. Bike still wouldn't start. The only thing I hadn't checked was the cylinder and piston.

As you can see the needle bearing failed. Taking the cylinder and piston with it, and leaving bits of metal throughout my case. That's two kits ruined in two weeks (don't ask about the metrakit).

Big pile of fail. Treats will be seeing a big order from me when I get paid.

Moped Army, 1962

So I've got a bunch of old moped magazines, and I thought I'd occasionally reprint some of the articles here. Here's one from a 1962 issue of Cycling and Mopeds magazine, a British weekly.

This article discusses the lack of moped clubs and how that can be remedied. If you read it closely the author puts forth some ideas that seem very similar to how we do things today. It talks about forming local clubs that operate under a national organization, holding national rallies to get everyone together, and forming racing circuits. Nothing mind-blowing really, but it's interesting to see these ideas formed some 40 years before it finally took place (and on different continent, too).

Murray makeover

This week I got my Murray frame back from Responsible Phil. He and I had been talking about powder coating this for a while. The idea was a UPS brown Magnum-type color. After searching for the perfect powder, he came up with this. The results are beautiful.

As is often said, the pictures don't do it justice. It'll be sex on wheels, and nicer than any Murray deserves to be.

Completely unrelated; this is the right way to get some gamer dice blessed.

(PS: Everyone in this video is nerd-famous).

Seasons Greetings

Happy Hanukkah, gentle (and gentile) readers.





















(Yeah, I know it's a scooter, but when you find a scooter menorah, you post the fucking picture.)