Reversible Trike conversion for your Maxi-Scooter

Official Hompage of Tow-Pac, Inc. InstaTrike / MiniTrike

It looks like this is primarily for the Japanese Maxi-Scoots, but give them a call if you are really interested. It involves the installation of an attachment hitch, and then the extra wheels can be attached and removed as the mood strikes you. They claim you will lose 2-3 mpg fuel efficiency and the bike will be about 20% stiffer. Available with 8" or 12" wheels, I think these look pretty slick on the "rolling lazee-boy" style Maxi-Scooters. Sounds like a good deal for those foul-weather year-round riders like myself. When the weather and roads get nasty, just throw on the "training wheels" for some extra stability and peace of mind. Of course then you will have to deal with the "training wheel" jokes, but hey, you've already developed a tough skin from riding that "moped", right?

Cagiva Gran Canyon 900cc

Welcome to CAGIVA MOTORCYCES USA

So my instructor at the MSF BRC had this unique, beautiful dual sport bike that I'd never seen before. He kept talking about his "Kajiva," and I thought it was just sport bike speak, like a "Gixxer" or something. Then, of course when I saw this bike on the range (with all it's decals and labels removed,) I didn't know whose it was. Anyhow, the Cagiva is one pretty bike, in my mind up there with the larger BMW and Triumph dual-sports. According to the instructor, it is really a gear-head's bike, since parts are hard to find, but mechanics who know how work on them are even rarer.

Bajaj to re-launch scooters

Bajaj to re-launch ungeared scooters

What in the world is going on with scooters in India? LML is in deaththroes, leaving Genuine to seek new scooters from Tiawan. Not that that is necessarily bad, those new Genuine scoots are getting some great reviews, and we in the US are getting some great alternatives to higher priced Japanese and Italian imports and lower quality Chinese disposable bikes. And Bajaj announced awhile back that it was gonna quit making it's Vespa-clones, around the time that every local news source stateside starting running articles about how "hot" scooters are becoming. Had the Indians been paying attention and played their cards right, they could have been a major player in the US scooter market. Now they will have to play catch up. Not complaining, just observing, there will be more scooters on the market, and that's (in Martha's words) "a good thing."

Two-wheeler major Bajaj Auto Ltd, which discontinued production of its only ungeared scooter Wave, will re-enter the segment with a set of ungeared scooters ranging from 75-125 cc in the first quarter of next fiscal.
Bajaj Auto managing director Rajiv Bajaj confirmed to FE the company's move to launch ungeared scooters. Analysts say Bajaj is also working on a 150 cc-ungeared scooter.

via 2StrokeBuzz

Comic Strip Artist's Kit

Temple of the Seven Golden Camels: Comic Strip Artist's Kit (Redux)

Finally! A new comics post!
This is pretty cool, some sage advice on panel and page layouts. Everybody just starting to do comics or cartooning should study these pages. They address some of the most common pitfalls you face when just charging in to create a comic.

The other day I got an e-mail from Carson Van Osten, a famous Disney artist who did many Disney Comic Books and created the famous "Comic Strip Artist's Kit". It was created to help beginning comic artists deal with perspective problems and other drawing difficulties. I scanned my old xeroxes a while ago. It's probably the best thing I've ever seen about practical staging and drawing for storyboards or comic books.

via bOINGbOING

Election 2008

Election 2008

Some polling reports from July on "what if the 2008 presidential election was today?"
Looks like Guiliani has a strong lead amongst the Republicans, with Condeelza Rice coming second, and Newt Gringich coming in third.
My main man, Gen. Clark comes in sixth, after Edwards, Hillary, Al Gore (who has expressed in no uncertain terms that he is not interested in running again), and Biden. Personally I think that Clark is not only more "electable" than any of these, he's better equiped to do the job than any of the above, especially considering the situation we find ourselves in, internationally.

Vespa Ape

For those of you who thought the MP3 was Piaggio's first three wheeler, the Dragon presents you with the Ape The Vespa Ape, an enigma wrapped in a conundrum in the transportation world, is back. Vespa, which of course is Italian for "wasp" has been making the Ape, which is Italian for "bee", betraying it's worker drone aesthetic, a three-wheeled urban utility vehicle for nigh on 50 years. They went away for awhile, but now they are back with a diesel version as well. Wrap your head around that, you eco-hipster! An Urban Utility Vehicle, made by Vespa that you can run on biodiesel! How cool is that!

thanks to The Scooter Scoop for turning the Dragon on to this.

BBC NEWS | Science/Nature | 'Oldest' New World writing found

BBC NEWS Science/Nature 'Oldest' New World writing found

"I think it's a hugely important and symbolic find... It's new and further evidence that [the Olmecs] had writing and had text."
The block was carved from precious serpentine rock, suggesting it was probably a holy object used by high orders of society for some kind of ritual activity, she said.
The inscription is indecipherable but scientists hope that further excavations at the site could give clues to its content.