Saturday, May 31, 2008

Thierry Mugler's motorcycle dress.

Go Baby Go!..Thierry Mugler's famous motorcycle dress/corset for his 1992 Spring line

Wiki:
Mugler's early training was as a ballet dancer, but he also studied design and created garments for friends at the same time. He moved to Paris in 1970 and worked as a window-dresser, designing clothing as a side job. He launched his first line Café de Paris in 1973, and founded his own label for women two years later, to be followed by designs for men in 1978

Mugler's work over the next two decades had a style that was very much of its time: it was strong, angular, sometimes almost cruel. Shoulders were wide and padded; waists were wasp-like. Prints were banished: Mugler's clothes came in solid, dominating colours. Collars had exaggerated points, or flamelike cutouts. The insect kingdom was a constant influence, as were the ladies and gentlemen of film noir. In his most extreme runway garments, PVC was often used, as were space and robot themes. Mugler's fashion house did not survive the 1990s, though vintage versions of his more wearable clothes are still popular on auction sites like eBay.

Thierry Mugler

1997 saw the start of a lucrative partnership with the French cosmetics and skincare company Clarins, the most well-known Thierry Mugler fragrances being Angel (the most popular perfume in France) and A-men fragrances.The Thierry Mugler company is now known best for its perfume division: the couture division was closed in 2003, and all Thierry Mugler ready-to-wear is now produced under licence agreements, as is a line of eyewear.


Meanwhile, Mugler turned to other artistic interests. He published two books featuring his fashion designs and photography, controversially inspired by Stalinist propaganda: Thierry Mugler (1988) and Fashion Fetish Fantasy (1998). In 1992, Mugler directed the video for George Michael's "Too Funky," featuring a parade of Mugler fashions including the famous motorcycle dress.

More recently, Mugler collaborated with Cirque du Soleil on its 2003 show "Zumanity" at the New York New York Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. Notably, this is Cirque du Soleil's first show for mature audiences."
External link: thierrymugler.com

Home tweet home.

Via: motorbiker.org

"A starling sits near one of the birdhouses made from old motorcycles' gasoline tanks in village Pyatskuny, 150 km (93 miles) northwest of the Belarus capital Minsk, on Saturday, May 3, 2008". (AP Photo/Sergei Grits)

Etsy: Scooter illustration card and handmade envelope.

Via: bombus

"This little scooter card is a print taken from a painting in one of my sketchbooks. On my travels in Greece this clapped out rusty scooter was all I could afford but was loyal & scooted me round the islands.

Paired with a handmade envelope from recycled world atlas this makes a fun combination. Its is perfect for a someone traveling or departing or for you to send home from your travels.

Each card comes with an address label"

Command and Conquer: Tiberium Wars concept bikes.

"Command & Conquer: Tiberium Wars is the long awaited sequel to Command & Conquer: Tiberian Sun. The is set during the Third Tiberium War with the Brotherhood of Nod, now with the support of the world's population within yellow zones, launching a major offensive against the Global Defense Initiative.

Tiberium Wars is currently a working title, orginally titled Incursion when it was a concept, it may yet be named something else entirely. The game uses a 'heavily modified and improved' version of the Sage Engine from C&C Generals and Battle for Middle Earth 1 & 2."

Friday, May 30, 2008

deviant Art: Calron.


"Phineas climbs into his newly constructed steamcycle, it's fires warming the seat behind him. With one last check of the boiler pressure levels he takes a nervous breath, this is it... Hands shaking with excitement he pushes up on the lever to start the engine. The pistons hiss into life accompanied by the deafening clatter of whirring gears. A second lever brings the brakestands up and sends the machine lurching forward. For a fleeting moment Phineas considers adding a periscope to allow him to see directly in front of the wheel but the idea is fast forgotten as the cycle picks up speed and the rush of success sets in."

Touring the "surreal siberia" by motorcycle.

By Jane Keeler Via: everywheremag

"In May 2006, my friends and I were able to travel to Siberia. During part of our trip, we journeyed to Olkhon Island located on Siberia’s Lake Baikal. Baikal is the world’s deepest lake (over 1600 meters at its deepest point) and it contains around 1/5 of the world’s fresh water – that’s more water than all the water of America’s Great Lakes combined. The lake is an amazing habitat, home to large numbers of aquatic plants and animals found only in Lake Baikal, including the delicious omul fish and the adorable and endangered nerpa seal. Olkhon Island is the largest Island on Baikal, stretching roughly 72 kilometers, and running north-east to south-west (although it’s only 15 kilometers wide). It is the traditional home to Buryats (the indigenous people of the region) and although it was discovered by Russian explorers in the 17th century, it was only colonized by Russians in the Soviet era. Currently the island is home to ethnic Buryats, Tatars and Russians. Only about 1200 people live on the island year-round, although as many as 300 people per day visit the island during the summer tourist season. Our arrival at the shores of Baikal preceded the arrival of the tourist season by roughly three weeks. As such, we were the only non-locals in sight.

During the winter, the waters of Lake Baikal freeze. The ice is thick enough that an ice road is opened between Olkhon Island and the Baikal shoreline, allowing for regular traffic of heavy vehicles, back and forth between the island and the mainland. During the summer, the island is accessible by ferry. In the spring months, the weakened ice is no longer strong enough to support the weight of cars and trucks. In order to reach the island, one must cross the island on foot – or, if one is brave, by motorcycle. This was the state of the ice at the time of our arrival in early May 2006.

We arrived at the shore, where we could see the Island of Olklhon rising up against the horizon approximately five kilometers away. Soon we saw a small red motorcycle with a sidecar approaching us from across the ice. It turned out that the passenger of the car was Valeriy, the owner of our hostel. The driver of the motorcycle set off with two Russian girls who were returning home to Olkhon, while Valeriy reassured us. He told us that he was a Buryat, and had lived on Olkhon all his life, and had crossed the ice many times. We figured that if he would be our guide, we would be okay.

We put on our coats and backpacks and set off across the ice on foot. Walking on the ice was incredibly slippery and difficult for all of us. I was terrified that if I fell, I would go right through the ice. Luckily, Valeriy (who is a pro when it comes to walking on ice) noticed that I was having trouble, and gave me his arm.

We had walked approximately half a kilometer or so across the lake when the man with the motorcycle returned. I climbed into the sidecar, and many bags and a fur coat were piled into the sidecar with me. Two of my friends were instructed to climb onto the motorcycle behind the driver. We were all quite skeptical, but as the driver and Valeriy seemed confident, we figured that it would be safe. Our ride across the lake was thrilling in a somewhat frightening way, although I didn’t feel at any point as though I were in danger. The driver of the motorcycle let us off about half a kilometer from the shore, and went back to collect the rest of our small group.

Soon the motorcycle arrived bearing our companions. Misha and Joanna were pale as sheets and clearly ecstatic to have reached the shore. Apparently, Valeriy had told them that the motorcycle was safe as long as the ice was slippery, as slippery ice = hard ice. When they began their ride, they started off on hard, slippery ice... but soon drove into areas of mushy, slushy ice. Valeriy began to yell at the driver, saying things like, “What are you doing?” and “Don’t drive over your own tracks! That’s weakened ice - we’ll fall through!” The driver’s response? “I’ve never fallen through yet!” No wonder they were terrified! But, I guess the driver knew what he was doing after all – we all crossed the lake without injury or death! (Later, several residents of the island told us we were crazy for having crossed the lake when and how we did!)

We were quite relieved to be on dry land, and quickly loaded our bags into an ancient van, and bumped our way along a dirt track to the only sizeable settlement on the island, the village of Khuzhir. After arriving in Khuzhir and settling into our hostel, we immediately set out for a walk along the shore of the lake, where we took many photos, climbed several trees and played on the ice. We made our way to the nearby rock formation known as Shamanka in Russian and Burkhan in Buryat. Burkhan is incredibly beautiful, and we were lucky to reach it just as the sun began to set. Burkhan is a sacred spot to shamanistic Buryats, and is supposedly a focal point of shamanic energy. The cliffs surrounding Burkhan were littered with offerings of rubles and cigarettes, left to appease the spirits.

The next morning, we set out on an excursion arranged for us by Valeriy. We piled into yet another ancient van, and set off into the wilds of Olkhon with Ilyas, our guide. Ilyas was an ethnic Tatar from the area, with an incredible history: He had been in the Soviet Army and a Communist Party Apparatchik who quit the party in the mid-80s because he was tired of being lied to and having to lie to others. The man was incredibly smart and knew a lot about the history of the island and was very interesting to talk to in general. He was an exceptional guide; although the entire tour was conducted in Russian... so non-Russian speakers would need a translator. None of the roads on Olkhon are paved, and when you go north of Khuzhir the “roads” become little more than deep ruts through the wilderness... which our guide took at a frightening pace, quite frequently while looking back over his shoulder at us, narrating.

Our first stop was a holy totem, consecrated by Buryat Shamans. The totem is located in the center of two stone circles (not standing stones, but flat stones, embedded in the earth), which are approximately 100-150 yards in diameter. The inner circle represents earthly life, and the outer circle represents the cosmos and spiritual life. It is tradition for the locals to leave offerings at the totem, either by tying something on the totem itself or by leaving money, wine or cigarettes at its the base. Ilyas left a cigarette, and then we traveled on. We came to another site with four totems, each of which represented a family in the nearby farming collective. Passersby left offerings of a similar nature here too, in order to honor those families and the spirits of the ancestors of those families.

Ilyas drove us as far north as possible, from where we could see Khoboi, the northern tip of the island. While Ilyas drove to a small glade to prepare our lunch, we explored the north end of the island. There were very few signs of spring, although the entire tip of the island was littered with small, fuzzy purple flowers; the first flowers of Siberian spring.

While we were exploring Khoboi, Ilyas whipped up fresh ukha for us. Ukha is a simple Siberian soup, consisting of little more than fish, potatoes, onions and a few spices. We each received a whole fish in our bowls, and learned that when the fish eye pops out of the socket, that means the fish is cooked. It looked terrifying, but it was actually quite delicious.

The next morning, we arose and decided to explore the village of Khuzhir. The village is tiny, crisscrossed by wide, dusty streets. After lunch, the weather grew cold, damp and unpleasant. We didn’t want to spend too much time outside, so we decided to see if the local museum was open. We had been told by Valeriy that the museum was excellent for a museum covering life on an island with such a tiny population. The museum is named after a Mr. Revyakin – a teacher and founder of the museum – and it contains exhibits representing the traditional lifestyles of the Buryats and the original Russian settlers, as well as exhibits on the plant and animal life endemic to Baikal. To be honest, the best part of the museum was its docent, a tiny woman in her upper sixties, who was passionate about the museum and its contents, and who turned out to be the daughter of Revyakin, the museum’s founder. After hearing how and when the five of us had crossed the lake, she had us gather around an old motorcycle that was on display, and she told us the following story:

The motorcycle belonged to Mr. Revyakin. One day in early May, Revyakin and a friend decided to cross the ice on his motorcycle, as the ice seemed thick and firm. The friend was carrying a large and heavy bag of fish, which was strapped to his back. They were in the process of crossing the lake when suddenly the ice broke, and the two men and the motorcycle fell through. Revyakin was able to climb free, and then he had to cut the bag of fish off of his friend’s back in order to pull him out of the ice. The two men were lucky to reach the shore alive. Two years later, a fisherman “caught” the motorcycle in his net. Revyakin cleaned it up, put some gasoline in the tank, and it worked! The moral of the story for us was that under no circumstances were we to cross by motorcycle on our way back to the mainland. Luckily for us, she told us that the ice at the narrow Olkhon Straits would be melted enough for us to cross the following day by boat.

And she was indeed correct; the following day we left the Island of Olkhon by boat."

S.R. Braun's Techno Fetish Bike.

Via: elfwood- S.R. Braun is an animation student specializing in conceptual art and the macabre. Full portfollio is available here.

The Sound From Wind.

Via: trendhunter

"The Sound From Wind is a bicycle accessory that lets you hear beautiful music played by the wind instead of listening to your MP3 player and risking your safety on the road.

The Sound From Wind consists from a pair of flutes that attach to the bicycle’s handle bar. As the air rushes through them, it produces beautiful sounds similar to an ocarina. You can adjust and manipulate the sounds by pressing keys on both flutes. Riding faster produces a fuller, richer and stronger sound."

The Sound From Wind is designed by Joseph Kim.

Wednesday, May 28, 2008

Game on-Full Throttle.


(link)

By Jeffrey Adam Young Via: gamespot

"Featuring a superb story that borrows from the cult films Easy Rider and Mad Max,
Full Throttle is arguably LucasArts finest graphic adventure creation made in 1995. While the graphics are only slightly better than they were in Sam & Max Hit the Road and Day of the Tentacle (the company's latest additions to this category), Full Throttle does feature 3-D rendered objects on its familiar jagged and blocky screens.


The engaging, film-quality script unfolds with the confidence and grace of its square-jawed main character, Ben. All the ingredients of a great story are here: murder, deception, greed, lust, unrequited love, honor, and of course, motorcycles. Surprisingly, despite all these elements, the plot doesn't ever seem forced or melodramatic; it just flows. Even in the face of adversity, Ben's gravel-voiced one-liners supply laugh-out-loud comedy that Schwarzenegger and Van Damme would envy. And while the game easily could have depicted biker gangs as a motley group of violent, remorseless criminals, it presents a clan of honorable loners who talk tough but don't hurt anyone without a really good reason.

Fitting into this tidy world of cause and effect are the game's logical, challenging puzzles. No great leaps in puzzle design were made from LucasArts' earlier adventure products, which usually involved finding and using specific items in the right place at the right time. Still, these puzzles are well-integrated, drawing you into the tale, rather than making you step back from the character and the story.

Although Full Throttle is as close to a perfect graphic adventure game as I've seen, it still has a few flaws. One section, where you drive your hog through a canyon and join an action-packed beat-em-up fest involving other biker gangs, uses a scaled-down version of the Rebel Assault game technology. Even with unlimited tries, an action sequence that requires twitch reflexes and mouse-eye coordination seems out of place in an adventure game that otherwise relies on your wits.


The second flaw, inherited from the company's earlier games, is the hunt-and-click problem. In a number of locations, the secret to discovering a hot-spot on the screen lies in clicking around aimlessly until you discover an unmarked hot-spot. Rather than measuring your deductive reasoning skills, this tactic tests your patience for mashing the mouse button.


(link)

Although many gamers have criticized this title as being too short, Full Throttle's amusing story and well-developed characters make this shortcoming easy to overlook. I am eagerly awaiting a sequel"



(link)

Anime: SoltyRei and The Blue Comet.

1/12 scale Model picts via uselessthoughts
Wiki:

"SoltyRei (ソルティレイ Sorutirei?) is a Japanese anime series by GONZO and AIC combining attributes of drama and sci-fi, about the inhabitants of a city where an Aurora prevents aerial travel. It is directed by Yoshimasa Hiraike and co-produced by TV Asahi, GONZO and AIC with music by Toshiyuki Ōmori.

Secondary character in the series Rose Anderson is vain, attention-seeking bandit who calls herself "The Blue Comet". She is honest, yet unyielding, proud, and selfish. Although she and her brothers donate their spoils to the Unregistered Citizens clustered in the city's underground and outskirts, they often cause large amounts of public damage in the process. She is armed with a laser-based hand pistol, and she rides a large motorcycle with three spherical wheels in front, driving wheels behind, and a cannon hidden in the frame. She occasionally hums the song "Return to love (Jazz version of the series theme music)" to calm herself."

The bike was designed by anime artist Range Murtata




deviant Art: lastscionz.

lastscionz's dramatic interpretation of Kamen Rider.

Gone but not forgotten-The Phueled Type 1.

Via: Jalopnik
"Whither the mad inventors? Right hither. Part motorcycle, part four-wheeler, the Type 1 prototype was influenced by Star Wars speeder bikes, Japanese manga and Elf enclosed-motorcycle prototypes of the 1990s. Its builder, an automotive engineer, set out seven years ago to create a new automotive construct for urban areas. Drawing on a combination of digital and real-world modeling, he fabricated the result primarily using common shop tools. Powered by a 1990 Yamaha FZR 600 cc liquid-cooled, DOHC engine, fed by Mikuni carburetors (stage 3 jets), producing around 91 hp, linked to a six-speed tranny, the rear-drive Type 1's wheels are set at 60-degree angles and offers (for what it's worth) integrated side-impact protection."

Zen Moment: Probotics America Bike-Bots.

"Extremely lifelike, Fascinating, and just plain FUN, our Bike-Bot series is perfect for police, fire, medical and safety education. Ideal for entertainment and Trade Show promotion."

The Snowjob.

Via: the kneeslider
"Sold by Advanced Recreation Equipment of Mountain View, California in 1973. The conversion is a twin track assembly that your motorcycle bolts into after removing the wheels and it looks like the chain is used to drive the tracks. The motorcycle tilts within the tracks which would give the front ski the ability to carve through the turns. From the coupon in the magazine ad, you fill in the blank and indicate what kind of motorcycle you have and they would make one to order."


Milton John's Hoverbike.


Check out Milton's full resume and web portfollio at anim8life.com

Josh Tulberg's MotoLuge.


By Mira Reverente Via The Camarillo Acorn

"Part motorcycle, part sports car, part go-kart, the MotoLuge is in a class of its own.

Created by Camarillo resident Josh Tulberg, the lowslung motorcycle with its elongated black bar frame and four wheels looks as if it were something out of a science fiction film.

But for the 20-year-old Tulberg, the MotoLuge is a very real, very fast machine that's ready for the open road.

"It is street-ready and can go up to 125 mph," Tulberg said.

The MotoLuge was unveiled recently on the tarmac of an abandoned runway at the Camarillo Airport. Local motorcycle enthusiasts, car hobbyists and curious locals visited the MotoLuge's unveiling to see what it was all about.

Tulberg said most of those who came to see his machine asked the same question: "Does it work?"

Built around a 1985 Honda Interceptor 700 motorcycle in mint condition which Tulberg purchased for $1,600 in 2007, the MotoLuge not only works, it roars.

With the help of 3D computer graphics software, Tulberg spent two months drafting hundreds of blueprints designing the vehicle.

Josh Tulberg

For the next eight months, Tulberg spent 70 to 80 hours a week making it a reality.

"I wanted to do it simply because it has never been done before," Tulberg said. "You could call me an innovator."

Tulberg said it took quite a bit of time- and online research- to find all of the parts that make up the MotoLuge. The steering wheel, for example, is the type used for go-karts.

He admitted a big part of the process included trial and error to figure out what size the additional wheels should be. A four-point harness was also added for safety.

He said family members pitched in and rallied behind him. Paul Weal, Tulberg's uncle and owner of Weal Bros. Molding Inc., gave the young inventor access to the tools of his Camarillobased machine shop.

Tulberg's dad, Carl, helped his son contact Motion Inc., a New Jersey-based company, to donate linear actuators used to keep the MotoLuge from tipping over.

Along with creating his newest invention, Tulberg attended classes at Ventura College, wrapping up all his core subjects. He even found the time to experiment with his skateboard, transforming it into a motorized, rechargeable machine. In the fall, Tulberg will head north to attend the Academy of Art University in San Francisco and will major in transportation design.

"Transportation design is a very competitive field," Carl Tulberg said. "There are very few people who can design vehicles well, and this early I think Josh wants to distinguish himself from the rest of the field. I know he can easily do that with his dedication and tenacity."

Thinking out loud, Tulberg said he believes the MotoLuge may need some more work with its steering mechanism. He said it could also use a body and a storage trunk, but he may not tackle that until it's time for his senior year project.

In the meantime, he is content zipping around town, simply enjoying the ride."

Charles F. Taylor's One-Wheel vehicles.

Charles F. Taylor and his vision of the One-Wheeled Vehicle

Via: Make
Charles F. Taylor (1916-1997) was an American Engineer and Inventor. He spent two years of undergraduate study at the University of Colorado at Boulder.

During the Second World War, Taylor worked on VG recorders at Hathaway Instrument Company in Denver. Previously, he had worked at International Harvester at the start of the 1940's. In the 1950's and 60's he worked at Coors Porcelain in Golden Colorado. For Coors, he developed a ceramic ball press. As this was a device that their competitors, Champion Spark Plug had tried and failed for years to develop, it was an invaluable machine for Coors Porcelain. The extremely hard ceramic balls created by the press are still used today, especially in industrial grinding, particularly white pigment for paint, which metal balls would mark or stain. In the late 1960's, Taylor left Coors to work at Morse Chain (which became a division of Borg Warner) in Denver, where he stayed until the mid 1970's. Here, he worked on drive trains and transmissions, and even developed two patents for automatic transmissions in 1971 and 1973.
(above)The first step in studying the one-wheeled vehicle, was to model it. Using Soldiworks, it was modeled to gain a better understanding of how the one-wheeled vehicle works.

Taylor's passionate hobby from 1939 on, was the development of several working prototypes of a one-wheeled vehicle. The vehicle was patented by him in 1964"

Monday, May 26, 2008

deviant Art: Rob-Cavanna.

(click pict to enlarge)-See all of Rob's great drawings at his Deviant art gallery here.

The motorcycle in cinema-Warrior of the Lost World,

"THE NUCLEAR WAR HAS BEEN FOUGHT!!! THE EARTH IS IN RUINS!!! ALL GOVERNMENTS HAVE COLLAPSED!!! AN EVIL DESPOT NAMED PROSSOR HAS ORGANIZED A DEADLY MILITIA TO RULE, CALLED THE OMEGA. IN THE WASTELANDS SURVIVE A SMALL GROUP CALLED THE OUTSIDERS. THEY STRUGGLE AGAINST THE EVIL PROSSOR AND HIS OMEGAS. INTO THIS CONFLICT RIDES ONE MAN, ON HIS SUPERSONIC SPEEDCYCLE.. HE IS DESTINED TO BECOME THE WARRIOR OF THE LOST WORLD

Wiki:
"Warrior of the Lost World, also known as Mad Rider, is a post-apocalyptic science fiction film written and directed by David Worth starring Robert Ginty, Persis Khambatta, and Donald Pleasence. It was created and first released in Italy under the title Il Giustiziere della terra perduta ("The executioner of the lost earth") in 1983 during the wide popularity of the Mad Max films and many subsequently created post-apocalyptic films of the 1980s. Later the movie was given another italian title for VHS and Tv markets, I predatori dell'anno Omega ("Raiders of the Omega year")
No talking in front!-the boys from MST3K ruin a perfectly bad movie...
The Rider arrives in the land on his technically advanced motorcycle with its loyal intelligent computer Einstein. He crashes and manages to pass through the wall of illusion and is found and healed by the Enlightened Elders who have chosen him to lead them in their fight against the evil Omega, an Orwellian state run by the evil despot Prossor. The Elders are allied with the resistance movement, the Outsiders. The Rider first helps Nastasia and the other Outsiders by rescuing McWayne, father of Nastasia and professor and leader of the Outsiders, from Prossor's clutches. While the Rider and McWayne successfully escape, Nastasia is captured and tortured by Prossor.


The Rider gains acceptance from various groups of Marginals (amazons, martial artists, truckers, punks, soldiers, Omega defectors) by winning in their ritual brawl which determines who among them is the strongest. The Rider and Outsiders launch their final attack on Prossor's regime, but are intercepted on the road by the Omegas and a giant armored truck called Megaweapon. As the rebels terminate the Omega patrols one by one with their cars,

helicopters, and tankers (with very few losses), the Rider manages to destroy the Megaweapon sending it in short circuit, not before having his speedcycle heavily damaged under the wheels of the truck. The Rider and McWayne storm Prossor's headquarters where they are confronted by the dictator and a brainwashed Nastasia. She wounds the Rider, but when ordered to kill her father, she turns on Prossor and shoots him dead. The Omega has been overthrown and Outsiders and Marginals celebrate as the Rider prepares to move on with the repaired speedcycle. Only in a last-minute twist, it is revealed that the man Nastasia shot was actually a clone, and the real Prossor is still alive. He flies away with an unnamed traitor of the New Way (Fred Williamson) plotting revenge against the "animals" that defeated him.
When Warrior of the Lost World was featured on Episode #501 of Mystery Science Theater 3000, Joel Robinson, Crow T. Robot, and Tom Servo found the Rider to be so unlikeable a character that they cheered for Megaweapon instead. At the episode's end, they called Megaweapon by telephone, and Megaweapon (voice of Michael J. Nelson) revealed "he" had survived apparent destruction in the film and, like the crew, could not remember the name of the actor who played Rider (As a running gag throughout the episode, the actor (Robert Ginty) was referred to by the crew only as "the Paper Chase guy." Megaweapon claimed that Ginty's fellow actors used this nickname as well). Megaweapon was occasionally referred to in the riffs of later episodes"

Brian Zoll's hoverbike.

Via newtekpro-Created using LightWave 7

Whitehouse's Ryūjin and The Skullman.

Always one to come up with something interesting, Japan's Whitehouse created the Ryūjin. Based on the Honda Valkyrie, the 1500 cc bike made its debut as costumed antihero The Skullman's choice of transport in the 2007 live action short film.


The story closely focuses on a journalist name Hayato Mikogami who returns to his hometown at Otomo to investigate strange rumors of killings done by a man wearing a skull mask. Tailed tightly by a young photographer, Kiriko Mamiya, the two soon uncover the many strings of connections between the victims, a local pharmaceutical company, a mysterious new religious sect and strange half human, half animal creatures which roam the night streets out for blood.

The Ryūjin remains a one-off for now. But rumors from whitehouse show that a small batch of the sinister bike may be created for a select few.

flickr: Fear No Snow

brrr, a elegant shot via minimum's photostream

Building a Gas Powered BMX Bike.

Step 1) Find a unloved BMX bike. Step 2) Locate a running lawnmower motor. Step 3) Read this.

The Art of Manabu Ito.



Everyones happy in Manabu Ito's plastic-clay world-His blog can be found here, and website here.
Go out, Be happy and play with clay-words to live by.

Zen Moment.

Words fail me-pict via oliepeil

Friday, May 23, 2008

The motorcycle in cinema-THX 1138


(link)
Wiki:

THX 1138 is a 1971 science fiction film directed by George Lucas, from a screenplay by Lucas and Walter Murch. It depicts an Orwellian future, featuring three residents of a dystopia in which a high level of control is exerted upon the populace through ever-present faceless, android police officers and mandatory, regulated use of special drugs to suppress emotion, including sexual desire.


It was the first feature-length film directed by Lucas, and a more developed, feature-length version of his student film Electronic Labyrinth: THX 1138 4EB, which he made in 1967 while attending the University of Southern California, based on a one and a quarter page treatment of an idea by Matthew Robbins.


THX 1138 shares themes with The Machine Stops, Anthem, Brave New World, Nineteen Eighty-Four, The Giver, Ira Levin's This Perfect Day and Yevgeny Zamyatin's We, and was inspired in part by the short film 21-87. The film was produced in a joint venture between Warner Brothers and Francis Ford Coppola's then-new production company, American Zoetrope. A novelization by Ben Bova was published in 1971.
The tunnels used for the car and motorcycle chase scenes, were the Broadway tunnel in San Francisco, and the Alameda tunnel between the Oakland, CA. airport, and downtown Oakland.

The jet cars were actually Lola T70 Mark 3 race cars that had plastic bodywork added to look like they were jet powered. The same was true for the Triumph motorcycles witch had Avon fairings added to create a more futuristic look.

Jake Loniak's Deus Ex Machina


Via: Hell for Leather
"Challenged to rethink motorcycle transportation, Art Center College of Design student Jake Loniak decided the idea of a machine as an extension of the body should be taken literally. Inspired by Biomechatronics and called the Deus Ex Machina, (not to be confused with that other Deus Ex Machina from Australia), Loniak's concept is an electric vertically parking motorcycle controlled by 36 pneumatic muscles with 2 linear actuators.
The Yamaha-branded Deus Ex concept is worn as an exo-skeleton with seven artificial vertebra as well as the pneumatically attached helmet. The motor is in-wheel, powered by ultra-capacitors and doped nano-phoshpate batteries similar to those already used in hybrids, and is capable of 0-60mph in 3 seconds. Top speed is 75mph with a recharge time of 15 minutes and cycle time of 1 hour."