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By Ted Dunlap, on May 7th, 2023 
I stuffed a third-hand 912 flat-track-racer engine into my ’56 Porsche Speedster. It went like stink, but the high compression racing pistons required 50% aviation gas and 50% gas-station leaded premium … yes this was a while ago … during the existence of leaded premium. I ran that exhilarating combination joyfully for a while, but I eventually tired of trips to the airport for 50% avgas fillups of my 30mpg daily driver, so I de-tuned the frisky filly. High octane for non-engineers: Higher octane reduces the volatility of the fuel so it does not ignite from the compression of the air-fuel mixture before the spark plugs order such ignition at the optimal moment of crankshaft rotation and piston positions. Higher […]
By compatriot, on April 19th, 2023 
I am sharing this from another rider and writer as a note to self as much as anything – Ted – by an ER Nurse Who Rides How do you mix bikes with a career in the ER? Photo: Mircea Moira/Shutterstock.com Alex Colpitts is a registered nurse who spent years working in the emergency room—and he’s also a motorcyclist. How does he reconcile the risk of riding with his time seeing the aftermath of crashes? Read on: I have been riding motorcycles for 20 years now. Like most riders, I’m frequently asked “Aren’t you afraid of crashing? Dying?”. My answer is always that, yes, of course I am—I’ve seen the consequences first-hand. I have been a registered nurse for […]
By Ted Dunlap, on December 16th, 2022 
Once in a while I simply get lucky as a photographer. I suppose as a modestly inspired amateur, that will be the only way I get a photo that really tickles me. Below is one of them. At my skill level, getting the lighting just right to comfortably light the background while focusing attention, and projecting a welcoming feeling has to be totally a lucky shot, but this one speaks volumes for the shop guy, and the car guy in me. I briefly opened the bay doors to admit the Honda for its overdue wheel swap from summer to winter. The woodburner in the far corner got the shop heat back up to a workspace comfortable 45-60 in no time. […]
By Ted Dunlap, on October 31st, 2022 
Just over a week ago I took what I feared was my final BMW run of the year … documented in the post: last ride of the season -? Having discovered that 50-degrees is still comfortable for my motorcycle gear, I squeezed another one in today. As you can see from the photos below, it rewarded me with some special guests. I am guessing that makes about 500 miles total for me on he … stuff got in the way. I’ll have to get my money’s-worth later. Just before I reached Lost Trail Pass, I saw wet pavement in a corner warning me to slow way down. One or two curves later it was slushy snow in the road. […]
By Ted Dunlap, on October 22nd, 2022 
The weather prognosticators are predicting significant drops in temperature and increases in that frozen water thing Montana likes to do to us. Meanwhile, my new-to-me 2009 BMW R1200RS-P (patrol or police model) bike has way-too-few me miles on it. Thursday I pushed all my ‘get the estate ready for winter’ chores aside to grab what may turn out to be my last highway munching ride of the season. The Iron Butt (long distance motorcyclist) guys may snicker, but 160 miles was way better than spending all winter wishing I had taken it out one more time. The roads were excellent, the patrol bike was a great pleasure to ride, the weather suited my clothes perfectly and the scenery was […]
By Ted Dunlap, on October 8th, 2022 
As THEY continue destruction of our lovely world, we have few intelligent choices before us. Of course we could hang our expectations on the hook that what has always been the way of the world will continue to be so. That one only works properly for those whose views span centuries and aren’t limited to the tales published by the victors. Suffice to say that is not common. All of the world’s interlinked fiat currencies are turning to dust. Even less reliable and more controlled e-currencies are waiting in the wings to be trotted out when the masses are deemed ready to accept the change. Food, energy, hardware, and more are about to be nearly unobtainable. On to the […]
By Ted Dunlap, on September 19th, 2022 
As it turns out, I am reasonably adept at both. The first came naturally and easily to me. Just be Ted. Actually, the repair was natural as well, though not as easy. Friday I spent hours with hedge shears cutting the noxious weeds in my potato patch. This involved A LOT of stooping and bending giving me a very sore back that evening. Saturday morning I was happily symptom free, so I promptly FIXED THAT by taking my Dutch hoe to noxious weeds in the chicken yard. About three-quarters of the way through I was feeling tenderness in my lower back, but I was ALMOST DONE! So, of course, I finished the job. My back was still sore Sunday […]
By Ted Dunlap, on September 5th, 2022 
Nobody could tell me, but I’ll give a go at warning those capable of listening … I am a returning rider who is definitely not young, flexible or strong. I picked up a new 2009 BMW R1200RT motorcycle in Denver. It only had 14,000 miles on odometer when 80,000 is more typical of these on the used market. It took the dealership until 6:00 PM (well into Denver’s going home commute traffic) to send me down the road with new tires mounted and new fuel pump installed. My first hour on the new bike was slightly uncomfortable surrounded by commuters, trucks and vacationers with big city attitudes as I made my way to a family reunion in Monument, Colorado. Friday […]
By Ted Dunlap, on August 13th, 2022 
I am teasing my way through Leanings 2 by Peter Egan. This evening I came across a gem describing as I wish I could the massive barrier to free movement when a large group of motorcyclists, or specialized car gang decide to CRUISE roadways that the vast majority of travelers use for actual travel. I have come across small-to-medium-sized batches of them from time to time. If there aren’t too many, or the roadway is favorable, I typically put them behind me … thus disappearing from their lives forever … which should not be any bother at all to them, but often is a major insult in some weird way … if you don’t want to crawl down the […]
By Ted Dunlap, on August 12th, 2022 
According to Calculator Soup dot-com, the momentum of 170-pound human at 60 miles-per-hour is 14,955 foot pounds of energy. Famously the most powerful, devastating rifle round available in this country to regular people is the 50 BMG (aka 50-cal). Introduced in 1921, and still highly respected for its devastating force, it averages 13,241 foot pounds of force. Tough choice. Suffice to say I don’t want to get hit by either, but notice the similarity – both are A LOT of energy. I decided to research this while reading a discussion of safety gear for motorcyclists. Novices think of helmets and consider the topic closed. Oh no. Armored jackets, pants, gloves AND boots are considered “All The Gear All The […]
By Ted Dunlap, on July 10th, 2022 
The background on this car … I was an enthusiastic, radical, seriously competitive Sports Car Guy for most of my life… okay, still am. For 20 years THAT CAR was a 1956 Porsche Speedster barn find – a very rare car that was lightweight and lent itself for high performance driving … Just what the doctor ordered. It also became highly valued in the collector market and its sale in 1999 financed my escape from The People’s Republic of California. After about 16 years sports-car-less, I picked up a very-well-prepared autocross car that was vintage, collectable, lightweight and ticked all the boxes for this enthusiastic, radical, seriously competitive Sports Car Guy. I spent a lot of time and money […]
By Ted Dunlap, on June 24th, 2022 
I did not have much of a choice. I was left home alone. I had to practice more with my new-to-me motorcycle. The weather was gorgeous. My neighborhood is perfect. (People come here from all over the world to drink from the fountain of natural beauty in Montana’s Bitterroot) I know of several lightly-traveled, low-speed roads that are just right for a bike that likes to cruise in the 40-50 mile-per-hour range and a returning motorcycle pilot that is right there in his comfort zone. I have to reconnect those biker synapses muscle memories in my crusty old brain. The top right photo looks at the Bitterroot Mountain Range from its foothills. Next on the right is The Bitterroot […]
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