<![CDATA[ - NewsBlog]]>

<![CDATA[ - NewsBlog]]>Tue, 22 May 2012 09:26:01 -0800Weebly<![CDATA[CASTINGS! Pretty enough for the casting couch!]]>Thu, 01 Mar 2012 17:16:21 -0800http://www.musketvtwin.com/1/post/2012/03/castings-pretty-enough-for-the-casting-couch.htmlHullo there! Great news! Those wooden patterns you saw here not long ago yielded some really nice castings!
Sorry for the delay in updating the blog, have been working hard on figuring out the CNC machining setups. Also, have been posting stuff on the Facebook page, neglecting to post an update here. But...here goes!

Can you spot the difference :-)

Two complete sets on the foundry floor, fresh from the shot blasting cabinet, still warm!
Machining has begun on one of the sets, currently figuring out the best sequence of operations for efficiency and accuracy and the machining fixtures required. This is moving a LOT quicker than me learning as I went along on the old manual Bridgeport three years ago! Stay tuned!
Best wishes,
Aniket

]]><![CDATA[The Musket V Twin finally has a Facebook page.]]>Mon, 23 Jan 2012 15:57:13 -0800http://www.musketvtwin.com/1/post/2012/01/the-musket-v-twin-finally-has-a-facebook-page.htmlhttp://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/The-Musket-V-Twin/176515752448366
Disgustingly overdue. Had to be done. ]]><![CDATA[Happy Birthday Musket! May you grow bigger...into a 1000.]]>Mon, 23 Jan 2012 15:53:13 -0800http://www.musketvtwin.com/1/post/2012/01/happy-birthday-musket-may-you-grow-biggerinto-a-1000.htmlJust remembered that it was the wee hours of Jan 23rd three years ago that the lump fired up for the first time. I suppose it's Happy Birthday Musket! Remember this....

http://youtu.be/vjZJfr2QkZA

]]><![CDATA[A VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL OF YOU!]]>Sun, 01 Jan 2012 00:00:50 -0800http://www.musketvtwin.com/1/post/2012/01/a-very-happy-new-year-to-all-of-you.htmlMay 2012 be your best year yet. ]]><![CDATA["The Horse" magazine has a 4 page article on the Musket!]]>Tue, 27 Dec 2011 00:00:05 -0800http://www.musketvtwin.com/1/post/2011/12/the-horse-magazine-has-a-4-page-article-on-the-musket.htmlHi guys! Check out the current issue of "The Horse"! They were kind enough to honor the Musket with a lovely 4 page spread! THANK YOU!

]]><![CDATA[Merry Christmas and Happy New Patterns!]]>Sun, 25 Dec 2011 00:00:18 -0800http://www.musketvtwin.com/1/post/2011/12/merry-christmas-and-happy-new-patterns.htmlHi there! Long time, I know! But, time spent with the nose to the sandstone...errr...grindstone. Phew...that was a LOT of tricky nooks and crannies to sand and blend in smoothly. Worked on Christmas eve too...and will keep at it even today, applying finish coats.
Things which caused delays - biggest one was a modification which will allow *left side shift* with the newer 5 speed transmission. I had never seen one of those transmissions up close until I saw Chumma's. Discovered that the left side shift lever is mounted on a shaft that runs through a hole drilled right through the crankcase. This ofcourse needed a new boss to be accurately located and placed right where this drilling would be. Don't ask me how annoying that was and how long it took :-( Then there was a change in the timing cover for machining reasons, had to completely remove and rethink the bosses for the oil feed banjo bolts. Better now in wood than later in metal. Some of the features of the new design:
1. V angle is now 59 deg. This was arrived at after considering feedback on the original Musket engine, making it more compact, reducing length and making frame fitment much easier while allowing both 350 and 500 top ends. The original 70deg. angle was tricky to fit in the frame. The narrower angle looks nicer, though this is a matter of taste.
2. The oil filter is now housed in the timing cover- the smaller and lower of the two holes visible. This needed a lot of relocation of the internals but simplified the oil circuit (the original motor has an external filter housing which needed more plumbing). The larger and upper hole, at the 'peak' of the timing cover is the ignition/points housing, which is now a part of the casting, as opposed to the bolted on housing in the original engine.
3. Cooling fins sculpted onto the timing cover. Just HAD to do this :-) Pretty! The timing cover is much more in keeping with classic air-cooled aesthetics. It is overall a much more sculpted, smoothly radiused form which recalls fondly the beautiful castings from our favorite vintage engines. Took a LONG time!
4. New motor will allow left side shift with the 5 speed gearbox.

All in all, I think this is an improvement. Let's see how it goes.
Forgive the *slight blurriness* of some photos, after so much sanding, my hands are just a bit shaky :-)
Don't miss the very last photo which shows the two complete sets of identical twins :-). Yup, everything had to be done twice over to make a backup pattern. After the disaster last time....

]]><![CDATA[MID OHIO 2011 ]]>Sun, 24 Jul 2011 12:54:50 -0800http://www.musketvtwin.com/1/post/2011/07/mid-ohio-2011.htmlMy god, it was a HOT day. But, met with some great people! I finally managed to meet PAUL CROWE of THE KNEESLIDER! And, as is my tendency, was so excited that I completely forgot to take a picture of him. I'm going to have to take a "calm-the-heck-down" pill soon. It was GREAT to see you Paul! Here's some pics from later in the day, when I finally remembered that I did have my camera.

Chumma, Tom, Aniket, Fireball 1, Musket. Brothers in arms!

My friend Al on left, who's planning to build a vintage sidecar Musket, Tom and Chumma. This gorgeous machine is the very first Fireball built with the combined efforts of Tom and Chumma. It is FAST! I'm lusting after something just like this. Understated, purposeful, timeless. And an exhaust note to die for.

Justin (whose immaculate Tiger 750 can be seen in the background) and the three of us. Justin is also a Fireball rider.

The BADGER! Mouthwatering machine.

I had a delightful chat with this interesting gentleman on a fantastic MotoGuzzi Falcone. Just have to love that external flywheel!

]]><![CDATA[THE MUSKET AND THE FIREBALL WILL MEET AT MID OHIO!]]>Sun, 10 Jul 2011 20:31:52 -0800http://www.musketvtwin.com/1/post/2011/07/the-musket-and-the-fireball-will-meet-at-mid-ohio.htmlGuys, Mid Ohio Vintage Days is getting close- just a couple more weeks!
I'm planning to ride the Musket there. Chumma will also be there with the Badger racer team as well as the No. 1 Fireball Bullet. Hope to see you there! I will post later about when and where.
Thanks!
]]><![CDATA[SUPPORT THE BADGER VINTAGE RACER-THE EVEN WILDER FIREBALL BULLET PROJECT!]]>Sun, 10 Jul 2011 20:23:08 -0800http://www.musketvtwin.com/1/post/2011/07/support-the-badger-vintage-racer-the-even-wilder-fireball-bullet-project.html

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1694121599/project-badger-the-film

Check out this beautifully shot teaser for a pulse-racer of a project!
The best thing is that the motor for this 500cc Bullet based vintage racer is being built by my terrific-madcap-engine-building-geniusFireball buddy Sumanth aka CHUMMA! You guys must have seen the Kneeslider article on the performance package for the 500 Bullet, called the Fireball, developed by the combined forces of Chumma and Tom Lyons, the learned sage of ACE Performance:
http://thekneeslider.com/archives/2010/09/09/ace-fireball-535-royal-enfield-high-performance-kit/
The Badger racer project is a bike that you can ride on the street, ride hundreds of miles to the racetrack, race it and ride it back home. Quite a project!
Please support it as much as you can, you will be acknowledged in the end credits in the DVD movie on the whole story!

]]><![CDATA[WATCH THE MOVIE "DELHI BELLY". NOT BECAUSE MY BROTHER WROTE IT! ]]>Sun, 10 Jul 2011 20:03:13 -0800http://www.musketvtwin.com/1/post/2011/07/go-watch-the-movie-delhi-belly-my-brother-wrote-it.html

Not a motorcycle related post.
Have to put it here because it's the biggest thing to happen in my life.
"Delhi Belly" is the most atypical, un-bollywood, funny-as-shit movie ever. If it's playing anywhere near you and you have a taste for a wacky, well written, mild-expletive-sprinkled comedy, WATCH IT!
My brother Akshat wrote and 'assistant-directed' it!
And here's the kicker- he wrote this script FIFTEEN YEARS ago, as a student at UCLA film school. As always happens in the movie business, it takes a LOT of time and effort and tweaks before a script turns into a movie.
Even more impressive that after all that time went by it still seems so fresh and made the impact it did, the world over. Positive reviews from the NY Times, LA Times, and a bunch of other places and a NINETY ONE on rottentomatoes.com!
I just can't get over it, the whole thing is surreal, unreal, fantastic.

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