Yup, I have to say that the anticipation of this drink in its original form for a moped kid was that of a child awaiting Christmas morning. Unfortunately the FDA shit in our stockings and we got stuck with this crap. Sparks Red is like drinking red antifreeze it’s sweet and nice at first but then the ending flavor tastes like crap. The initial taste is ok, but the aftertaste is like sticking your tongue in brake cleaner, it’s just gross. I like sparks original very much and had high hopes for this drink but in the end it tastes like shit. The alcohol content is high so that’s a plus for some but I can’t stomach the taste of this crap. In my opinion this drink is a total letdown in more ways than one. On the Josh Jones Scale of Moped beverages I would give it a 4 out of 10. Maybe I am being harsh but that’s my opinion. This drink would have been better had the FDA not got a hold of it. Either way the after taste of this drink is enough to make me want to barf. The best way to describe the aftertaste is like drinking sparks v.2 out of a rubber glove that was worn while cleaning a moped engine. Enjoy…..

Next up, Four Max Yellow Original.

If Willy Wonka Brewed Some Booze it would most likely be very close to this crap that my fellow MF brethren love to drink. Joose, 4 loco, sparks, 4max, blah blah blah. We who ride mopeds all drink it at one point or another and since that is true I have decided to take it upon myself to give an accurate and unbiased opinion of these tasty beverages. So today for our sippin chuggin pleasure is this blue beast of a drink. This my friends is Blue Raspberry Flavor Four Loko, and that’s the actual color in the pic. This stuff is ok tasting for what it is.  It’s got good aftertaste and at 12% alc/vol it does the trick as far as buzz goes.  The flavor is fairly good compared to others I have tried but the color and smell remind me of formaldehyde which is a bit of a turn off. Either way It’s the highest alc/vol I have seen which is why I reviewed it first. On the Josh Jones Scale of Moped beverages I would give it a 7 out of 10.

Next up on the chopping block (red sparks alc/vol 8%)

Remember drinking and mopeding is for experienced riders only.

So it has rained here in Seattle pretty much nonstop for like a month. We have had some super nasty weather which is bad for moped riding. I am also a pussy when it comes to rain and mopeds, go figure. Anyway due to the fact the I was bored as hell and that I am an aspiring hipster I decided to give sewing a whirl this week while trapped indoors. After a quick crash course in sewing machine operation from my wife I began a little Project.

I have wanted a roll up tool bag to organize my emergency moped tools for some time now. I have been just letting my tools fly all over my bag which kinda sucks when I am on the side of the road digging for a plug wrench or 10mm socket. So after some thought I made this little tool-baggy-pouch-roll-up-thing.

I have named it the Tool Burrito for some unknown reason, Other than it looks Like a burrito full of tools.

I used a material made by Filsons here in seattle. It’s their waxed flax oil cotton which also happens to be really rain resistant. I dumpsterd (Hipster thing) about 5 square feet of it a few months back and have been trying to decide what to do with it ever since but when you don’t sew there aren’t really many possibilities. Anyway here is what I ended up with. It looks like an ewok might have made this and then dropped it in the woods of the forest moon of Endor. Either way I think for my first sew job it turned out pretty cool.

enjoy

So I have always loved how electronics from the 50’s and 60’s worked. They are simple and efficient machines to say the least. I remember taking apart an old fan from the 60’s when I was a kid just to see how it worked. I recently acquired an old school late 50’s 16mm projector from my friend Ian . The projector is in really good shape but doesn’t work. To be honest I dont have any film lying around but I would like to make this work again as it has become an interesting conversation piece in our home. After several beers and sheer boredom I decided to open the projector up and have a look. The problem is actually very simple, after testing the switch (Ian Hinted It could be this) I discovered that it was toast. So I removed the switch and will try to source a new one at Radio Shack tomorrow.  Here are a few pics.

So my magnum project has been creeping along at a turtles pace due to my lack of free time. I have been busy with work and other junk. I did however manage to get the front wheel mounted up correctly on the magnum and figure the spacing for the rear this weekend. I also replaced all the bearings in the wheels. I decided not to paint this bike until I have it together and running. Either way I like how it is evolving so far.

So I wonder at times about what other people who are into mopeds houses and work areas look like. So I decided to make a video of my moped space for your viewing or spewing pleasure. I will make version 2.0 of my garage later on.

Yup the sweet Trimags arrived today from ebay! The reason I wanted these wheels is because they are fairly unique looking. They also  came factory with sealed bearings and 12mm axles. Did I mention they look amazing? Anyway the rear wheel needs new bearings and I think I might actually powdercoat these puppies black. Got any good wheel color suggestions? The snowflakes that are currently on the magnum project will just get swapped over to my wife’s maxi project, so no loss.

Speaking of her maxi project……I have a dilema. GG (Grocery Getter) as my wifes maxi will be called has a bit of weird aluminum oxidation on her e50 cases.At one point it looked likestalactites where growing off the case. I decided to try and boil them a bit to clear some of the gook off but they still look like crap and scrubbing only does so much. Maybe I will try some CLR or oven cleaner, although oven cleaner seems a bit harsh for the aluminum.

So I got my intake finished today!, It’s not the prettiest  thing I ever created but I think its good for doing it by hand with a dremel. Anyway Here are some pics!

So I have been building a magnum in my living room for a few months now. I am in no rush to finish it and am trying to just take my time. It’s nice to have a clean build in my apartment during the rainy season here in Seattle. Last weekend I went to Naz’s shop and fully assembled the motor. I had it together once already but was unable to get one of the clutch circlips to pop into place. After a little coaxing from the press on my crank and a lot of shiming my clutch was perfect.
This bike is going to be receiving the tillotson carby. It’s a 20mm diaphragm fed carb that requires no jets. I loath removing float bowls over and over again during jetting, so this should be fun. Currently the intake I have is a little off so I am making a transfer spacer for it. To bad all my dremel bits are toast. This is a really rough example of what it will kinda look like. Oh and one more quick thing, the black snowflake mag wheels pictured above are going to be removed and placed on my wife’s puch maxi. My wheels will be a set of 16in tri-spoke korado rims that I purchased off ebay. Lots of fun in threes!