Boardtrack sidehacks

Posted on March 8, 2011 by dr.hypercube

The answer to the question I ended the last post with is yes, there were boardtrack sidecar motorcycles:

Not-great camera work (who am I to talk?), but interesting footage regardless – looks like there’s at least one leaning-wheel rig:

I’m including this for the drilled cylinder action. From a thread that led me to the first YouTube video, “Since the engines were four stroke anyway, they would often drill holes in the cylinders just above the top of the piston when it was at the bottom of its stroke. This improved exhaust scavenging and gave a higher top speed at the expense of hot oily legs for the rider.”

And from the same thread, this beautiful machine (notice the brakes – that’s right – there aren’t any!!!):

Boardtrack moped and Rule 34

Posted on March 6, 2011 by dr.hypercube

Here, here and here I went on about the possibility of an early racing motorcycle inspired moped. I should have known. I’d already figured out (second link) that is wasn’t an original idea – now I discover that there’s at least one forum with a section devoted to the notion. My peregrinations started at Ride the Machine, with a post that led to Boardtrack Builder, Tobias Björklund’s blog:

Which led to this build thread:

I very much like this picture (used for frame layout).

Which led to Halcyon Cycle Works, where one can get a frame, leaf spring fork or the whole enchilada:

First things first – I have a bicycle project (100% human power) to work on, but dreaming doesn’t cost a nickel. I wonder if there was a board track sidecar class…

Connections and Commensalism

Posted on February 27, 2011 by dr.hypercube

The Internet is, among other things, a massive connection engine. I’ve made some great random connections following links around – some clicktrails I’ve managed to remember, some leave me scratching my head and grinning. The link to Sarah Jovan got established via Lord Whimsy’s live journal and an indication of interest in carnivorous plants. Regardless how tenuous the connection, there’s something in all of us (especially strong in me, perhaps) that loves to jump up and down and yell, “Hey! I (kinda/internet) know that person!”:

The commensalism in the title? Lichens are a symbiosis of fungus and algae. For Sarah, my favorite lichen (because my mum taught me it’s common name when I was about 8 or 9) – a Cladonia, too: