Like a Bullet

I took this video today of an electric start and idle. The wind was vicious.

Thanks to some mates at the Royal Enfield online forum that have been instructing me how to fix the engine idle using the throttle stop and the pilot air screw. It's a delicate balance to get it to idle at a steady rpm and to make sure that it drops back down to that setting after high throttle revs.

Of course it dies on me.

Also trying to burn out the three year old fuel (petrol). Haven't attempted the kick-start yet.

The Duchess Has Arrived

The 2004 Royal Enfield Bullet 500 ES was delivered to my house this morning. I took it for a quick three mile test ride through my neighborhood to discover that it's in desperate need of a tune-up and a new rear tube or tire. I suppose this is to be expected since it only had 234 miles on the odometer and was never broken in properly. I guess it's time to make friends with the Virginia Enfield dealer.

She's a raucous old gal:

Retro Arcade DJ

My last post got me to thinking about an oft forgotten aspect of the great video arcades of the 1970s and 80s...the music. At the Aladdin's Castle in the mall near my home in Texas, these soundtracks featured a colossal mashup of rock, r&b, punk, pop and new wave hits, coupled with cheesy DJ commentary during segues between songs. If I remember correctly some of the syndicated programs even had advertisements for new game consoles during commercial breaks.

So with that being said, and with far too much time on my hands, I created a playlist of my own. It's best listened to on random.

Enjoy:

Pinball Wizard

Bally

Flash Gordon

1980

Gottlieb

Close Encounters of the Third Kind

1978

Gottlieb

Haunted House

1982

Photos taken in 2008 at the Luna City Arcade.

Easter with the King

A couple of weekends ago, well, Easter weekend to be exact, I had the chance to check out the new Elvis exhibit at the Newseum in DC.

I am a "recovering" Elvis junkie, truth be told, have all of the greatest hits collections, seen the movies, read the books, been to Graceland, peanut butter and 'nana sandwiches, fried bacon, TCB Mama, the works, etc. etc.

With Elvis memorabilia it's easy to develop a "been there, done that, seen it all" sort of mentality. Especially if you've been away from it awhile like I have.

But then a crazy thing happens. You get sucked in. Again. Next thing you know you're buying the '68 Comeback Special on DVD for $30 at the gift store. You go home and watch the tape and realize all over again...damn he was good.

And there will never be another artist like him.


Elvis's black leather Harley Davidson jacket from the 50's "greaser" years.

Elvis's 1957 Harley Davidson.



This terrible photo is of the display containing the suit Elvis wore to open the '68 Comeback Special, the Gretsch "Country Gentleman" guitar he played in 1969 during a four-week engagement in Vegas, and the belt he wore when he met with President Nixon at the White House in 1970.

The jumpsuit Elvis wore during rehearsals for the "Aloha from Hawaii" concert in 1973.

The famous cape. The actual outfit he wore during the concert is at Graceland.

Welcome to 1955!

I am in the process of buying this beautiful 2004 Royal Enfield Bullet 500ES in British Racing Green. The bike only has 234 miles on the counter and was used as a display piece in the owner's home.

What's great about these motorcycles is that they retain their 60+ year old European style even though they're now manufactured in Chennai, India. Don't break what ain't broken. It has both traditional kickstart and modern electric start, and there are a ton of aftermarket accessories available.

There is a pretty dedicated fan base out there too for Enfield enthusiasts and I plan to become one of them.

The cruddy iPhone photos don't do it justice.

More to come as this project unfolds...

East Coast Summer Swelter

ISO50 Playlist #8 is now available on the TYCHOMUSIC Blog. It hits you like a warm summer breeze.

Click here to give it a listen.