Vertically Challenged

Click for bigger image

This was in the April 78 Road & Track magazine that I got the other day.

Carlsbad Mogul Maze. And hey look I found the picture here too.

Looks like Bryan Beardsley on the right and Ty Page on the left? Both wearing Free Former team shirts so I guess so.

Project Death Trap part 4

During research into the motoboard I discovered that US car mag Roar & Track ran a feature and road test on it in the April 1978 issue, I managed to track a copy down on eBay.

I've scanned it here. (click on pages for supersize readable pics)

There's some great ad's and articles in the mag too, I might scan some of them at a later date.

Project Death Trap part 3

No work on D-T today.

Here's a picture from Skateboard! magazine issue 5 (January 1978).

I've also discovered that mine is a pre 1979 board dated by the two addresses, Sunnyvale and Carlsbad on the sticker.

Think I'll swap the ACS 500 on the front for something a bit wider, the original in the ad looks to be Fultrak size, I've got some ACS651 knockoff rollerskate hangers so think I'll bung one of those on until I can track down an original Motoboard International front truck.

Original price tag was a hefty $650

Project Death Trap part 2

Started to strip the board down today.
Non-drive rear wheel is a Motoboard International branded 63.5mm (2") diameter, it had no bearings but a strange arrangement of washers, spacers and locknuts.

The back has a moulded in metal insert which is threaded, look like at sometime somebody has attempted to fit the sprocket to it.

The drive wheel is a Blue 65mm Kryptonic (2nd gen) which is worn down to 59mm.

This had bearings in it (gasp) but they were a slightly unusual size. Should have dug out the vernier calliper and had a proper measure up but look like 10mm internal diameter, 22mm outside diameter and 8.5mm thick. As opposed to normal bearings 8x22x7.

Now obviously I'll need some 10mm internal bearings to fit on the axle. I see Octane sell some for £18.50 a set of 8, can probably find cheaper from a non skate supplier I reckon and I'll only need 4 anyway.

Screwed to the back of the Kryp is the sprocket, fixed in place with 4 x 1.5" self tappers. As you can see I started loosening them before I remembered to take the photo.

This sprocket looks in okay condition but the one on the engine end has a tooth or two missing. The chain is fairly knackered too.

The engine is fixed to the rear truck so that it leans meaning that the chain runs straight as you turn.
It had a bottom bushing which had been compressed to death and no top bushing. Kingpin nut is oversized.

I had planned to fit some Hang Ten wheels that I purchased a while back from ebay but they are only 59mm diameter so a bit on the small side. I have some old Powerflex 5's which I turned down years ago to use on my rollerskates. They have a flat back which is good and at 65mm a nice size.
I'll have to keep an eye out for other options I guess.

Realised as I was packing everything away this evening that I haven't checked to see if I've got a spark at the plug yet, turns over okay so hopefully if I've got a spark it should run.
A friend at work has a petrol strimmer engine which may have to be brought in to service as a very last resort.

Project Death Trap

A few years ago I saw something bulky for sale on ebay which was collection only in Nottingham, got in touch with TonyG from MAS ( a man I've never met but knew he lived in Nottingham) and asked if he could pick it up for me if I won the auction, he said of course he could.
Well, I won the auction and he duly picked it up for me, after photographing it for me he passed it on to MonkeyLegs Pete from MAS so that it could make it's journey further south towards me, and it then sat in Pete's garage for a couple of years as we couldn't get our arses into gear to organise anything.
Recently I realised that a guy from work was making regular trips to the vicinity of Petes house and mentioned I needed to pick it up, he offered to collect it for me and delivered it to work for me.

Ladies and Gentlemen I give you the Motoboard...

Obviously mine isn't in as good nick as one in a 33 year old advert and will be an ongoing project for some time I should think.
Got the original stickers on the bottom though.

Handy as it's got the 2 stroke mix ratio on it.

Lots of work to do on it, wheel bearings have collapsed for a start, front truck is a replacement ACS500 with no name wheels and strange looking bearings. HT lead is cracked, pull start missing, carrying handle missing, air filter box missing (?) the list goes on.

More Spooky Tweaking

Finally got around to putting the Spooky back together after the recent repair.

I'd also recently ordered a drop through mounting kit from Octane Sports which contains some thin rubber shockpads which sit between the baseplate and the deck, in fact they are so thin I don't think they'll actually do much and some funky rubber backed washers for the underside.

Whilst I was at it I also installed my new carbon fibre baseplate covers.

That griptape and sticker job is still bugging me though.

Day Off To Skate

Went up to XC again today

Took a few photos, this chap was good.

Bloody Shrink Wrap

I hate it, why do this to wheels?

The people at Abec11 are tormenting me, they know I can't bring myself to open it.

Snot Shots and Big-Zigs

Alex Barton

I took this at XC on the 3rd October.

I like it.

Taken with the Canon from a distance with the 28-200 zoom, 79mm f5 1/200.

Alex Barton - Lovenskate team rider.

Project Spooky

The Spooky had a small chunk out of the tail when I bought it.

now thanks to one of my mates at work it doesn't, carbon fibre implant bonded in.

thanks Russ.