Nixie Clock!

Not that I need more projects, but one of my Christmas presents this year was a Nixie Clock kit. Pretty sweet. A Nixie Clock is a clock that displays the time through "nixie tubes" a primordial electronic display technology. Nixie is short for: Numeric Indicator eXperimental No. 1. If you're a fan of old Sci-Fi, NASA, Or perhaps 60's James Bond movies, then you've seen these rad little guys. After I finish snapping this guy together, I'll post some more. Happy New Years!!

Swamp Thing Progress

I should probably just finish this bike already. Cables, wiring, exhaust mods, jetting, and I should probably back off of the 20t/35t sprocket ratio. Only 50cc, I still hope it hauls ass.

The Mexicana 400: Part 2

This is making me so nostalgic / homesick right now.

Mexicana2012.mov from Clark Deringer on Vimeo.

Clark Deringer: Full of Win!

Gabbiano / Careless Whisper / Victoria

So I don't EVER do this? but I was totally impressed with this build, from the sharp rear tank, the slick gas cap -for its many clever ideas and well-finished craft. Being a obscure marque didn't hurt either. Check it Out:

1977 Moto Gabbiano

Well Done!

Also, Thanks! to everyone who purchased a Careless Whisper Clear Flywheel Cover for their Puch. The website really blued it up and online sales have been super strong, a big wholesale order is pending... (?) Even as many as have sold, they're pretty scattered, it may be awhile that any two are spotted outside Portland, Seattle or well, Nashville. I hope to see a few out at Whiskey Business though. Small tweaks continue to speed up production and I've even found the time to start developing ANOTHER clear cover for a different model bike. If history teaches us anything, it's that I should probably keep that under my hat until its ready. -Maybe someone else has been working on it for 20 years??

Last weekend was my birthday. (I'm old) My foxy girlfriend and I went to Victoria B.C. by Clipper for a couple of days. Thankfully the weather was actually completely gorgeous instead of the record-breaking crap it's been lately in the PacNW. Victoria has a rep for being more British than Canada is usually. This was maybe so? I would definitely recommend The Bengal Lounge at The Empress Hotel. Most people go for the High-Tea service, but we went for an afternoon cocktail instead. The place is an authentic British Colonial / Safari Gentlemen's Parlor (re: SWANK) There's an actual Tigerskin rug hanging on the wall, which is sad for the Tiger, but rad for everyone else. They make drinks with frothed egg-white. BRITISH. I could go on here, suffice it to say I was jazzed to get lit there. I hope to return someday when my handlebar moustache comes full-term.

The other thing I'll mention here was unexpected & shockingly rad, as an Art School grad and lover of silliness. We saw the flier on the boat and laughed, but then we were in between things to do and went kinda as a joke. HOLY. SHIT.

MINIATURE WORLD.

Basically a team of model railroad builders lost their G'Damn minds and constructed a VAST miniature Canadian universe, past, present & FUTURE. -even fantasy fiction gets addressed. Oh my god I can't express how brilliant it was. We missed the Puddle Cutters anniversary ride that weekend, but at least we found some scooters and a lone moped somewhere in this alternate, tiny universe.

In All, Victoria was a great time. Thanks Liz!!

The Careless Whisper : Launch!

Website is LIVE !!!

http://nerdspeed.moonfruit.com

If you're just now seeing my blog, I've been working on Clear Plastic flywheel covers for the Puch E50 / ZA50 moped.

...and then That Happened!

So testing on the flywheel covers continues, but the initial word is that they aren't melting, distorting or cracking so I decided to put one up on 'The Bay.'

This is my first production-grade quality example, that was otherwise slated to head out to one of Team Nerdspeed's elite test pilots. I'm still not sure how to manage the sale of these, but just the same I know I need to crank out as many as possible. They are starting to look REALLY good. Some new techniques have shown dividends. Also, while I will offer them in crystal clear acyrlic; equally clear, impact & scratch resistant polycarbonate is becoming my material of choice. The one on eBay is made of Polycarbonate. The decision here really hinges on cost. Poly costs about twice as much as acrylic, but in my opinion is worth the cost as mopeds tend to live rough & tumble lifestyles. -But I will leave that assessment to the Test Squadron. Perhaps acrylic can take the punishment??

That Just Happened.

So... If you're a Moped Army forums regular reader, you might've noticed this epic thread at some point in the last T W O Y E A R S. It started in February, and after much fizzling and farting I decided to take a crack at the project myself in late August. Within a week I had a mediocre result that I could at least take a picture of to indicate progress. I then moved to Portland. A few weeks later I produced my first real result. Then I broke my rig trying improve the extraction process and got a job. After that I basically just forgot about the project -but I kept all the original doo-dads. One year and five months fall off the calendar. Thinking about it every now & again, somebody bumped the thread and I decided to take another swing.  This time around is going much better.

Super Stocks Bocks!!!

 Thanks to the efforts of Nak'd Dav, my first ever moped (and racer during the '03-'06 Circleville days) is on the way from the Buckeye State. This bike will find its way into the forthcoming SUPER STOCK class of PSRA racing in 2012, likely powered by a ZA50 equipped with the swamp-thing cylinder. I'm jazzzzed.