Just a brief note as we approach the close of a momentous year for the Dukes of Flatbush. With Marathons run, beasts roasted, countless delicious meals/beverages prepared & consumed and many, many road miles logged together; it’s fair to say that 2007 may be the best year yet.
Looking ever onward, 2008 looms large and Baja preparations are in full swing. It looks like we have the riding team pretty much set and in the coming weeks there’ll formal announcements on the team, equipment package(s), pit/support strategy and evolving sponsorship and partnering relationships. All in all - it’s already beginning to feel like 10 months isn’t going to leave a whole lot of time for anything but work and preparation for the race.
For those who have been keeping up with the evolution of DOFB and our various exploits - we wish you the safe and relaxing close to 2007 and look forward to prosperity and great deeds in the coming year; cheers!
This is a 2006 Ducati Paul Smart. One of a limited run of 2,000 bikes made to commemorate Englishman Paul Smart’s historic Imola 200 victory in 1972 on the 750 Imola Desmo. The race that put Ducati on the map.
I’ve had this bike since January 2007 and have put around 200 miles on it. It is essentially a race bike. It takes about 10-15 minutes to warm up and use the 100hp spread across its 375lbs. It is very, very fast, and by far-and-away the best handling bike I have ever ridden. The brake discs are so large that you can barely add air to the tires. It truly is meant for speed. The downside is the riding position - completely ass up. It really wants a track, not a lap around the neighborhood.
The best part: you cannot ride The Duke and not smile. It’s just too much.
As soon as I wrote the title to this post, it occurred to me that your three intrepid writers on this site have each run the NYC Marathon twice. Unreal!
Sorry to pat ourselves on the back but it is pretty mind boggling considering the number of 6am nights logged by this team.OK, back to the purpose of this post
For those of you interested in running the NYC Marathon there are three ways too gain entry:
Well I wanted to discuss option 1 and explain the quirks in the system. For eligibility for guaranteed entry to the 2009 New York City Marathon runners must become members by January 31 of 2008 to qualify for the following year’s New York City Marathon. Then run 9 races during the 2008 year.
So - for those of you thinking about running in 2009 join the NYRR by January 31st 2008 and maybe one of these will be around your neck
Here for your perusal are a couple pics of the much loved, (and occasionally cursed) SuperBad. 1978 Kz1000A, 1075 Wiseco Piston kit, 10:1 compression, stage 3 DynoJet, 4-1 V&H, double disc up front, hydraulic clutch conversion and air adjustable front end.
Love this bike. It has, at times, been known as the SuperBusted and has forced me to learn what little I know about wrenching. Recently rebuilt top and bottom end and, at one point or another, most critical components of all major systems have been replaced She’s running like a dream at the moment and hauls the frickin’ mail.
Just put the Viper cafe faring on recently - think I like the the cut of it’s jib and it definitely breaks the buffeting up front. Stay tuned for more adventures in antique motorcycle ownership…
19 Dec
Posted by Birch as Baja 1000, Electronics, Gadgets, Motorcycle
One of the amazing things about preparing for the Baja 1000 is how many disparate and interesting require
ments there are. Solving them in enlightened ways is definitely going to be half the pleasure of involvement for some of us. As touched on below in the SPOT Satellite post, there are a raft of communication issues surrounding a team’s entry in the race. One is purely the relaying of rider/bike coordinates and the potential for emergency notification. We’re hopeful that the SPOT unit will do a good job of at least the emergency beacon portion, and hopefully the GPS coordinates piece as well.
There is, however, a larger issue to be solved. Command and Control. How does a team, potentially comprised of one race bike, as many as four chase vehicles, and a fixed-location Command and Control center, stay in constant communication with one another?
Effective real time communication, the ability to relay accurate and timely information between all parties, lies at the heart of logistical success or failure for an effort like this. Cellular and Satellite phones are not a realistic solution; cell service is non-existent and there are is a finite amount of Sat. spectrum bandwidth available to support a drastically increased regional user population during race week.
The Dukes Baja 1000 team, in conjunction with our systems partner SpecialAI, are currently investigating a number of promising avenues for solving this problem. SpecialAI are experts at engineering flexible communications systems and have serious experience with mobile, survivable and platform integrated solutions engineered around the Asterisk Open Source IP PBX. Currently, the most promising area of focus involves deploying some manner of AVRS (Automatic Voice Relay System) interfaced with Asterisk.
This solution would likely mate a vehicle based APRS (Automatic Packet Reporting System) web with an IRLP (Internet radio Linking Project) gateway, thus allowing for the rapid & reliable exchange of rich information, via commonly available relayed radio transmission, with a centrally (local) deployed IP soft switch. The goal is to provide a head’s up view of all elements and translate that information, via VoIP codec, for transmission back to NYC based mission control.
Obviously this is a very rough sketch; experience dictates that the final system will, in all likelihood, bear only passing resemblance to what we’re thinking about now. There are countless variables yet to be nailed down, but It’s an exciting project and we’ve every confidence that we’ll be able to deploy a system which will give the Dukes of Flatbush a greater chance of safe success in a harsh operating environment.
Birch Shambaugh, a founding member of the Dukes of Flatbush, is one of the drivers in our bid for the Baja 1000. We were talking about the race and he mentioned “wouldn’t it be great if we got Mexican Wrestling masks painted on our helmets?” I thought it was such a great idea that I surprised him with one for Christmas. These pictures really don’t do them justice - they are amazing. Many thanks to STD Customs who did the work.
After a great year that has been partially documented by this blog, some of the members of the Dukes of Flatbush are heading off for vacation. This years destination is Bocas del Toro, Panama, a location that has undergone reconnaissance by other DOFB members.
Bocas del Toro is a a province on Panama’s Caribbean side, near the Costa Rica border. It includes a forested inland area, a lengthy strip of coastline, and the Bocas del Toro archipelago, with Isla Colon and its capital city, Bocas Town, at the helm.
The plan at the moment is to spend a few days in Panama City and then head over to Bocas for Christmas through New Years Eve to surf, scuba dive, snorkel and relaxinate.
Look for details on the trip this week on Bocas del Toro and expect many pictures upon our return. Here are some teaser shots of where we are heading.
I’ve noticed all of the Motorcycle and Quad riders in the Baja 1000 sport a Camelbak hydration system. Given that you’re crossing a desert, it certainly makes sense to carry a water supply. I got a gift certificate for Christmas so I went ahead and picked up a Camelbak Havoc. It has some really nice features:
In all, it seems like the ticket. I’ll be testing all of this gear in a motorcycle trip across Baja in March so I’ll let everyone know how it holds up.
Camelbak Havoc Hydration System
Amongst our membership there are all kinds of rides…big, small, new, old, fine & ratty. The first shared here is the most recent addition to the stable….a sweet sweet ‘74 Moto Guzzi Eldorado. And yes - she sure does run as nice as she looks. Former Cali cop-issue scooter with all the bells, whistles, horns and flashers; a full dresser chock full of I-talian chazz-o. There’ll be many “character building” experiences with 70’s Italian engineering down the road….but for now just drink it in folks. Drink. It. In.
By the way - this bike was restored by Cycle Garden in Huntington Beach, CA. They are great guys and obviously, do great work. If you are into Guzzis, check them out.
1974 Moto Guzzi Eldorado
We plan to use my Toyota FJ Cruiser as one of the chase vehicles in our bid for the 2008 Baja 1000. It will definitely require new electronics (GPS, Radio, Satellite Phone), but right now my attention is on modifications to the exterior. One of the meanest things I’ve seen in a while is a WARN bumper with built in winch. I mean good god man. Look at this thing! Making it look mean…
WARN Off-Road Winch Bumper
This is Papa Johnson’s main ride, a Heritage Softail named the Black Widow. My father has logged some serious miles on this American classic. It’s not the fastest on the road, but it is far and away the most comfortable. My father rides a lot - he thinks nothing of a 500 mile day. He rode 1,600 miles in 33 hours on this bike to gain entry into the Iron Butt Association, the premier long-distance motorcycle riding group.
Harley Davidson Heritage Softail
Harley Davidson Heritage Softail #2
The Dukes of Flatbush have a number of bikes on the road. We publish “Stable Reports” to highlight the heavy metal.
This 2003 Yamaha FJR1300 is known as the Silver Surfer and the Grey Ghost. It’s my father’s bike, but I’ve managed to hold onto it for a few years. I’ve taken this bike across the entire Southwest and Eastern seaboard. It’s very comfortable for two, holds a lot of luggage and hauls serious ass. It’s definitely not a bike for beginners - it’s very heavy (over 600lbs) and has somewhere around 160HP. I’ve taken it up to 160MPH in the desert and it still had room to go. More surprisingly, I once floored it off a light and promptly pulled a wheelie - with luggage on the back! Anyway, you get the picture. Tread lightly. A friend of mine is buying this bike from my father so I’m sorry to see it go, but we’re keeping it in the family. A good thing…
2003 Yamaha FJR1300
2003 Yamaha FJR1300: In Utah
2003 Yamaha FJR1300: Girls Love Bikes
I ran across these pictures from the Derek Daly Academy (now American Racing Academy) at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. I went there for my 30th birthday. My father said “bring a book, we’ll be in class all day”, but they immediately put us in F2000 race cars and set us loose on the track - it was an absolute blast. Learned about threshold braking, how to heel-and-toe, the whole McGilla.
My favorite memory: one of the instructors took all of the slowest people aside (myself included) and drove us around the track in a 15 passenger van. He basically matched our times. At that moment, it all clicked. My next lap immediately dropped from around 2:00 to 1:40.
Derek Daly Academy: The Pack
Derek Daly Academy: Ready Freddy
Derek Daly Academy: At Speed
The Dukes of Flatbush will be riding a Honda CRF450X in the 2008 Baja 1000. This bike has won the race every year for over a decade. While we’re young (and reasonably fit), we’ll rock vehicles that cost 7k versus millions of dollars for a Trophy Truck.
Honda CRF450x
Honda CRF450x Action Shot #1
Honda CRF450x Action Shot #2
Honda CRF450x Action Shot #3
I’m a huge fan of all things electronic and mechanical like most guys. A good thing since the Dukes of Flatbush bid for the 2008 Baja 1000 is going to require a truckload of equipment to get us across the finish line safely. A really cool gadget that we’ll employ in the race is a SPOT Satellite Messenger. This is a small portable device, weighing only 7 oz. and measuring 4″ x 3″.
The unit has three primary functions: Check-in, Help and 911. Each command automatically sends your contacts an SMS text message including GPS coordinates, or an email with a link to Google Maps showing your exact location. Check-in lets everyone know that things are OK, help indicates a mechanical issue and 911 a medical emergency.The 911 command leverages a GEOS International Emergency Response Center that notifies the appropriate emergency responders based on your location and personal information - which may include police, our country’s embassy or consulate, or other emergency response or search and rescue teams - as well as notifying your emergency contact person(s) about the receipt of a distress signal.
SPOT also acquires and sends your GPS coordinates to your account every 10 minutes. This information can be ported to Google Maps so everyone with access to the Internet can keep up with our progress. Ideally, we’d be able to port this information to the GPS units in our chase cars. Our good friends at Special AI have expertise in the specialized area of communications so we’ll see what we can sort out. We’ll give updates as we experiment over the coming months.
SPOT: Satellite Messenger
SPOT: How It Works
DOFB
