MAN OR ASTRO-MAN?

Now here's a band I'd love to see live and I just discovered that they "re-formed" (or officially just returned from their cryogenic hibernation!!!) to play at SXSW in Texas this year too. Man Or Astro-Man? was one of the most theatrical punk bands of the 1990s, recording 10 albums, 2 CD EPs, and a plethora of singles and contributions to compilation albums between 1993 and 2001.“We did have minor concerns regarding our aging process on planet Earth,” is what they told Wired.com in an e-mail interview. Formed in Auburn, Alabama, USA, the group originally featured CoCo the Electronic Monkey Wizard on alternate universe bass, Birdstuff on drums, Star Crunch on guitar, and Dr. Delecto & his Invisible Vaportron on bass! Dexter X later replaced Dr. Delecto, and Star Crunch left the band too. Read more of the Wired.com interview at

http://www.wired.com/underwire/2010/02/man-or-astro-man/#ixzz0mUPqpWaN

Primarily an instrumental band, Man or Astro-Man? blend the garage and surf rock style of the 1960s with the new wave and punk rock sounds of the late 1970s and early 1980s. Man or Astro-Man? are known for their use of science fiction themes, audio samples, obscure electronic devices (such as theremins and tesla coils), and high-energy live performances. Their earlier albums like Is It ... Man or Astroman? and Destroy All Astromen! featured some traditional surf rock instrumentation and sci-fi sound bytes, but later albums like EEVIAC... and A Spectrum of Infinite Scale make more use of synthesizers, printers (like the Apple ImageWriter II) and more abstract, experimental sounds. Their recordings are often peppered with sound bytes from forgotten science fiction films and TV shows. I just got myself a copy of EEVIAC... on ebay for 1p!!! yes 1 brand new English penny and it still has their trademark 60s surf rock guitar sound coming through strongly.

 

Man Or Astro-Man? on stage at this years SXSW music festival at Austin, Texas, USA.

Incidentally, the group took its name from the poster for the American version of the film "Gasu Ningen Dai Ichigo" or The Human Vapor. (see below)

Ariel time

My Ariel Hunter Scrambler and Dag`s `32 Ford.

Prepping Knuck Heads for Big Valves

I intended to post something entirely different, but at the moment, Blogger is not letting me cut and paste, so rather than rewriting something I have saved in another program, I will do something fresh.

Some time ago I started a series on installing bigger intake valves in a Knuckle head. This will be the second part of that series. When I left off, I had finished installing new exhaust seats. The seats from Rowe machine nicely (something that cannot be said for the 60+ year work hardened original seats. This also allows you to set the stem protrusion of the new valves, avoiding mis-matched depths.

If the intake nipples were removed for replacement (and in most cases they should be), now is the time to re-install them. I like to use JB Weld on the threads of the nipples, along with a stock type rivet. The epoxy is particularly important when porting, since some of the inner threads inevitably will be ground away. Here's a tip: from here on out, keep a set of used intake nuts screwed on to the nipples to protect those nice new threads.

Now that the new seats and intake nipples are installed, it is time for porting work, if you plan to do so. Doing this before new guides are installed allows you to do the best possible job. Disregarding the area just below the seat and the short side radius, the remainder of both ports should be shaped and finished as per the final product. I like a 50 grit on the intake, and a polished exhaust. However if the exhaust port is to get a thermal barrier coating, there is no point in spending extra time doing a fine polish.

With the majority of the porting work done, it is time to paint the heads. This needs to happen before guide installation, since the spring cups are held in by the valve guides. For a stock look, I use a semi-gloss black, and bake it on at about 200 degrees. Many of the hi temp paints available need this heat cycle to enable them to stand up to standard parts wash fluid. Nothing worse than keeping the new paint looking good through the whole process, only to have it get sticky and wipe off during the final wash prior to final assembly.

While the paint is drying on the heads, it is a good time to make sure the spring cups are ready to go. Often you will find a small crack just below the return tube. Be sure to weld these before going any further. Next, all of the gasket surfaces on the cups should be attended to. I use several purpose built forms along with a small hammer to return them to their original shapes. Don't forget to re-flatten the bottom portion that the guide will seal against. Once the cups are all in shape, they can be Parkerized if you are going for a stock look.

Guide installation, cutting the seats, and final porting work will be covered in the next installment.

the honda

changed it up a bit with some old bicycle bars so I could put the clutch back on the bars so its more stopping friendly

MOTORCYCLE ART; No1

I love the art of vintage motorcycle posters, especially the stylised depictions of speed featured on many of the continental racing and advertising posters. Here's a first selection of some of my favourites...

Marco Raymondin/Brooklands Motors

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Many of us here in France have heard of Marco Raymondin. Marco is the founder of Brooklands Motors near Paris that he started in the late 70's as a Triumph dealer, eventually selling Ducati. Today Marco is back to his roots with dealing, adjusting and restauring British vintages machines. Here is his personal motorbiking route.

I was born in 1949 like the boss: Bruce Springsteen but in France and more important
of all, in 1965, one month after my 16th birthday, I obtained my motorcycle licence. Glad to ride my first bike, a 125 cc Gnome et Rhone R4C, then a 175 followed by a 200 LX, that converted soon as trial bike.

In those days , there was a most important Trial comp. in the suburb of Paris: " Le Trial internationnal de Saint Cucufa"The president of the organiser club (ARSC, Amicale motocycliste de Saint Cloud) was Jacques Charrier a very famous racer and moto-crosser after the war.
He used to run a motorcycle shop named "Rapid moto" where he was selling trial bikes(Triumph). He soon gave me his enthusiasm and I became an Off Road and britsh bike addict!


So, after a couple of BSA, Triumph, Triton, I bought a beautiful Vincent Rapide, the best bike you could dream about. With it I used to travel mainly in France and England specially Scotland where the roads and the people are fantastic!



Riding in open road is one thing, but the thrill of motorcycle competition( racing, scrambling, etc...) was something even more exciting.
So while I was still riding in trial ( now with 125 Sprite and 250 Montesa with special frame) we created the AFAMAC (association Française de Motos de Competition) for promoting the vintage racing motorcycle. And we started tuning pre-war Norton ( push-rod ES2 who became faster than purpose built, Camy Norton Inter) and then very fast pre-unit Triumph, which of course were sometime faster than the legendary Manx Norton.


At that time I even had a go at drag racing with a big blown pre-unit Triumph running on Nitrous. That was the top for rising adrenaline.


By that time modern trial was changing and the nostalgia of old british bike came along, and we created AFATA (Association Française des Amateurs de Trial à
l'Ancienne) for pre64 machines ( Triumph,Ariel, Norton, Greeves, Dot, Françis Barnett etc...)

After several years we opened to Bultaco, Ossa, Fantic etc...) the rules being: twin shocks, air cooled engine and drum brakes.
And as the vintage movement was in the air, we did the same thing with moto-cross and enduro.

Now there are plenty of clubs running events for those bikes of yesterday and I'm proud ro have been one of the persons who started the movement in France.
But it's not nostalgia, I. Just like bikes that looks and sounds nice.


Marco is currently preparing his 1956 Triumph for the Bonneville Speedweek , and I hope to meet him over there.
Thank you Marco for opening your archives and share with us.


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Marco Raymondin/Brooklands Motors

.




Many of us here in France have heard of Marco Raymondin. Marco is the founder of Brooklands Motors near Paris that he started in the late 70's as a Triumph dealer, eventually selling Ducati. Today Marco is back to his roots with dealing, adjusting and restauring British vintages machines. Here is his personal motorbiking route.

I was born in 1949 like the boss: Bruce Springsteen but in France and more important
of all, in 1965, one month after my 16th birthday, I obtained my motorcycle licence. Glad to ride my first bike, a 125 cc Gnome et Rhone R4C, then a 175 followed by a 200 LX, that converted soon as trial bike.

In those days , there was a most important Trial comp. in the suburb of Paris: " Le Trial internationnal de Saint Cucufa"The president of the organiser club (ARSC, Amicale motocycliste de Saint Cloud) was Jacques Charrier a very famous racer and moto-crosser after the war.
He used to run a motorcycle shop named "Rapid moto" where he was selling trial bikes(Triumph). He soon gave me his enthusiasm and I became an Off Road and britsh bike addict!


So, after a couple of BSA, Triumph, Triton, I bought a beautiful Vincent Rapide, the best bike you could dream about. With it I used to travel mainly in France and England specially Scotland where the roads and the people are fantastic!



Riding in open road is one thing, but the thrill of motorcycle competition( racing, scrambling, etc...) was something even more exciting.
So while I was still riding in trial ( now with 125 Sprite and 250 Montesa with special frame) we created the AFAMAC (association Française de Motos de Competition) for promoting the vintage racing motorcycle. And we started tuning pre-war Norton ( push-rod ES2 who became faster than purpose built, Camy Norton Inter) and then very fast pre-unit Triumph, which of course were sometime faster than the legendary Manx Norton.


At that time I even had a go at drag racing with a big blown pre-unit Triumph running on Nitrous. That was the top for rising adrenaline.


By that time modern trial was changing and the nostalgia of old british bike came along, and we created AFATA (Association Française des Amateurs de Trial à
l'Ancienne) for pre64 machines ( Triumph,Ariel, Norton, Greeves, Dot, Françis Barnett etc...)

After several years we opened to Bultaco, Ossa, Fantic etc...) the rules being: twin shocks, air cooled engine and drum brakes.
And as the vintage movement was in the air, we did the same thing with moto-cross and enduro.

Now there are plenty of clubs running events for those bikes of yesterday and I'm proud ro have been one of the persons who started the movement in France.
But it's not nostalgia, I. Just like bikes that looks and sounds nice.


Marco is currently preparing his 1956 Triumph for the Bonneville Speedweek , and I hope to meet him over there.
Thank you Marco for opening your archives and share with us.


.