1

Campfire Talk / Re: Believe it or not!

« Last Post by him a layin on Today at 06:46:36 pm »

i put myself though college in the 80s working as a lab assistant in neuropsych labs, doing awful things to monkeys, pigeons and rats. supposedly i got mention in a scholarly journal on the effect of hippocampal lesions on the transfer of short-term to long-term memory. i can go into more detail if anyone wants. the brain is uniquely designed by evolution to routinely reconfigure itself, we call it "learning".

i don't know where AI will lead us, i suppose it will depend on who owns it. i'm a littl;e anxious about it. open the pod by door please, hal.

2

350 J Platform / Re: Belt Drive.

« Last Post by Tommy Wee on Today at 06:44:57 pm »

I checked the belt tension on tuesday morning. I had set it slightly too tight, there was only about 15mm of movement. Now there is 20mm to be had.

 Will see how the belt works in the long run. If it wears anywhere as well as the belt in my Harley does, I might not have to change it ever. I can always switch back to chain, if needed.

Tommy

3

Campfire Talk / Re: More motorcycle radar fun

« Last Post by him a layin on Today at 06:35:01 pm »

i'm not convinced that motorcycles have actually improved since the 70s... sure, they've become more feature-laden but....ok, ok, maybe fuel injection. maybe.

4

Campfire Talk / Re: Believe it or not!

« Last Post by AzCal Retred on Today at 06:34:27 pm »

Nothing to see here folks. None of this will apply to AI. Everything is fine, move along...

Fly brain breakthrough 'huge leap' to unlock human mind

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c0lw0nxw71po

They can walk, hover and the males can even sing love songs to woo mates - all this with a brain that’s tinier than a pinhead.
Now for the first time scientists researching the brain of a fly have identified the position, shape and connections of every single one of its 130,000 cells and 50 million connections.
It's the most detailed analysis of the brain of an adult animal ever produced.
One leading brain specialist independent of the new research described the breakthrough as a "huge leap" in our understanding of our own brains.
One of the research leaders said it would shed new light into “the mechanism of thought”.

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Other marques / Re: 2025 Kawasaki W230

« Last Post by AzCal Retred on Today at 06:14:20 pm »

I'd think that one of these instead of a 400 Ninja is a MUCH better choice to send Bryan or Buffy off to Berkeley with.

Looks like it is on the Kawasaki USA website.
https://www.kawasaki.com/en-us/motorcycle/w/retro-classic/w230

AdvRider says it's real. EFI, ABS, what's not to like?
https://www.advrider.com/us-customers-get-the-kawasaki-w230-retro/
We always get some interest from readers when we talk about the Kawasaki W230, but we always end the story by saying something like “Sorry, but it’s probably not coming to the US market.”
It turns out we were wrong—the Kawasaki W230 has been confirmed for Stateside buyers, and it should be here in the next few months!

Speaking of which, the price tag on the new 230 is a bit higher than these bikes would have commanded pre-COVID. MSRP in the US will be $5,599, with a $400 destination fee. This is supposed to be a “New Rider Friendly” machine, according to the marketing, but some newer riders and older riders as well will balk at that price tag. The Suzuki TU250X cost less than that, but had trouble selling—but that was in the pre-COVID pricing era. Today, an attractive easy-to-ride bike with low weight (315 pounds at the curb) and low seat height (29.3 inches) is a rare thing indeed, and there’s very little to compete with the W230 on showroom floors.

https://ridermagazine.com/2024/10/03/2025-kawasaki-w230-preview-plus-updated-models/

https://www.cycleworld.com/bikes/kawasaki-w230-first-look/
2025 Kawasaki W230 Specs
MSRP:   $5,599
Engine:   SOHC, air-cooled single; 2 valves
Displacement:   233cc
Bore x Stroke:   67.0 x 66.0mm
Compression Ratio:   9.0:1
Transmission/Final Drive:   6-speed/chain
Claimed Horsepower:   NA
Claimed Torque:   14.0 lb.-ft. @ 5,800 rpm
Fuel System:   DFI w/ 32mm throttle body
Frame:   Steel single cradle
Front Suspension:   37mm hydraulic telescopic fork; 4.6 in. travel
Rear Suspension:   Dual shocks, preload adjustable; 3.7 in. travel
Front Brake:   2-piston calipers, 265mm disc w/ ABS
Rear Brake:   1-piston caliper, 220mm disc w/ ABS
Wheels, Front/Rear:   Wire-spoked; 18 x 2.15 in. / 17 x 4.50 in.
Tires, Front/Rear:   90/90-18 / 110/90-17
Rake/Trail:   27.0°/3.7 in.
Wheelbase:   55.7 in.
Ground Clearance:   5.9in.
Seat Height:   29.3 in.
Fuel Capacity:   3.1 gal.
Claimed Curb Weight:   315 lb.
Contact:   kawasaki.com

Bikewale reviews the very similar predecessor, the W175:
https://www.bikewale.com/expert-reviews/kawasaki-w175-street-road-test-review/

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Campfire Talk / Re: More motorcycle radar fun

« Last Post by AzCal Retred on Today at 05:54:49 pm »

I'm beginning to see why Itchy Boots is now riding a 1987 600 Tenere...

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Campfire Talk / Re: More Important UK Infrastructure Gone

« Last Post by AzCal Retred on Today at 05:53:08 pm »

FRENCH FRIES!?!?  Them's Freedum Fries, mister...

Yup, right on cue the buying public is off the rails. TP supplies are being "wiped out". (Ya see whut I did there?) 

https://www.cnn.com/2024/10/02/business/toilet-paper-shortages-port-strike/index.html
https://nypost.com/2024/10/03/business/nyc-costco-shoppers-empty-shelves-in-panic-over-port-strike/

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Bullet with the UCE engine / Re: Serious Performance Mods on an UCE 350cc Royal Enfield

« Last Post by AzCal Retred on Today at 05:44:27 pm »

What many of us geezers do is to select a Mikuni from a reputable supplier that comes pre-jetted for a particular machine application. 1/2 of an 850 Dunstall Norton or similar might be a good candidate. That way the basic collection of internal brass should be "close". The carb body just serves as a support framework for the metering bits. You can see on the website pics what the mounting style is. This costs a bit more but shortcuts a lot of guesswork. The 850 was a performance machine for its day, so RPM & airflow should be similar.

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Campfire Talk / Re: More motorcycle radar fun

« Last Post by NVDucati on Today at 04:19:11 pm »

Bosch announces new motorcycle radar gadgets for KTM bikes and likely other European models will follow.    The systems are optimized for motorcycles with automatic transmissions. If anyone still has a radar detector on their vehicle, you might as well throw it away. You are going to encounter a lot of microwaves during your travels    Here is your morning radar news:  https://www.motorcycle.com/bikes/news/bosch-announces-next-generation-radar-based-safety-systems-44608423

Geez___ and I thought my sidestand safety switch was a pain.

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Bullet with the UCE engine / Re: Serious Performance Mods on an UCE 350cc Royal Enfield

« Last Post by mcplorer on Today at 03:04:15 pm »

My question was more to get wisdom and experience of people who have real world experience at ground with VM32 and VM34 so as a starting point I choose nearly the right size carb and not going haywire on carb size to the extent that jetting becomes a futile effort.

So you actually wanted jet, slide & needle references for an engine that isn't built yet?

Absolutely and 100% Not. It was a simple question that if somone has real world experience using VM32 or VM34 (offcourse on Bullets and I understand still it would be different as mine is going to be 400 and then porting etc etc...) so what is recommended? Let's not read too much between the lines. I just want to make sure I don't go horribly wrong with carb size that's why I wrote "don't want to choose a carb size wrong enough that jetting becomes futile"