Projects

MotoProjects

Tubeless Wheel Conversion for My Africa Twin

I go through the steps I took to convert the factory original (OEM) wheels for my 2017 Honda Africa Twin motorcycle from tubed to tubeless. The basic procedure I used was: (1) Remove the wheels from the bike and the tires from the wheels. (2)Clean the wheels thoroughly, first with soapy water and a scrub brush, then with wire brushes, then with acetone. (3) Apply 3M Marine Adhesive Sealant Fast Cure 5200 to the spoke holes. (4) Prepare the wheels for taping using isopropyl alcohol (50/50 mix). (5) Tape wheels with 3M Extreme Sealing Tape 4411N. (6) Install Drag Specialties valve stems ( #0360-0010). (7) Re-assemble wheels, tires, and put back on the motorcycle.

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MotoProjects

DIY Wireless Phone Charging Motorcycle Mount

Hacking an inexpensive wireless phone charging pad and sticking it to a motorcycle phone mount is a pretty straightforward project. Just break open the charging pad and extract the electronics and coil. Adjust the wiring as appropriate and waterproof the assemblies using nail polish and/or Silicone 2+. Wire it up (to a USB port or stepdown voltage converter) and you’re good to go!

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Projects

Vertical Ski (or snowboard) Carrying Hitch Rack

In short, the best ski/snowboard carrying solution I have come up with for a tall vehicle is to carry them vertically on a hitch rack. Simply attach clam shell style ski racks (roof racks) to the vertical post of a typical bike hitch rack using some steel angle iron and flat plate. Fasten everything together tightly with stainless steel bolts and lock-nuts.

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Projects

NASA Para Wing (NPW9b) Construction

I have been talking about building big kites for a long time. Ever since I started snow kiting in 2003. Well I finally committed to buying the materials and set off on this adventure a couple of weeks ago. Overall this project was not nearly as difficult as I thought it was going to be. That is not to say that everything came together perfectly, but overall it was a fairly painless and quite successful project.

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Projects

Points Unknown Insulated Super Gaiters

Points Unknown insulated super gaiters offer a great alternative to plastic mountaineering boots. By providing additional exterior water proofing (ballistic nylon), 2″ of synthetic insulation around the cuff and toe box, and a rubber rand that seals around the outside of the boot sole, the Points Unknown insulated super gaiters can provide a lightweight alternative to bulky plastic boots.

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