paulblez's blog

Identifying the FFs in the FortNine FF video (May 2022)

This is a lengthy series of comments and identifications regarding RyanF9's (Ryan Kluftinger's) video on FFs on the FortNine YouTube channel: 'Feet Forward Motorcycles are Technically Better' which was uploaded on 16th April 2022. This one:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uk2ou5gt_94
I’ve watched RyanF9’s FF video a few times now, and there really is a lot of good stuff in it. Amazingly, it was viewed more than a *million* times in just four weeks and 4,607 people had commented on it!

TTzero regs revert to FIM, so no-FFs allowed, shock [Or NOT!]

When I last attended the TT races, in 2016, I had a discussion with the University of Nottingham TT Zero team about taking advantage of the more relaxed TT Zero regs to run a bike with better aerodynamics than all the conventionally-faired bikes. They said they'd discussed it and wanted to try it, but had been put off the idea by the powers-that-be who had implied that they probably wouldn't allow such a creation to pass scrutiny, so it wouldn't be allowed to race.
(They got on the podium anyway, which was great, after John McGuinness had trouble with his Mugen, relegating him to 4th).

Cedric & PNB's Electric FF Challenges! (In BDN, Feb 2018)

Below is the text of Cedric Lynch’s letter to British Dealer News, printed in the February 2018 edition of BDN and illustrated with a John Mockett cartoon and a photo of Cedric with his electric streamliner, (built in 1991 and on the road since 1992). It is reproduced here with Cedric’s permission.
You can also see a reproduction of the letter and cartoon, along with photos of the TT winning Agni and many photos of Cedric and his streamliner in the Cedric Lynch folder here: http://www.bikeweb.com/image/tid/57

UK-reg Peraves Monotracer for sale

UPDATE 13th April 2018 David HAS SOLD his UK-registered PERAVES MONOTRACER

These are the details: 1st Registered 2009 - 1 Owner - 16,000 miles. Powered by BMW K1200 engine.

Air conditioning, ABS, electric start, electric tilting roof, heating, radio/cd player, traction control, windscreen wipers.

Enjoy exhilarating performance and still talk to your passenger! Top speed: 150+mph; 0 - 62 mph in 4.8 sec and up to 60 mpg!

RIP Dan Gurney. 1931-2018

RIP Dan Gurney. 1931-2018. One of the all-time greats of American and World Motorsport has passed. But what a great life, lived to the full for 86 years. Among countless other victories, Dan won the 1,000km race at the Nürburgring with Stirling Moss in 1960; in 1967 he became the only American to win a Formula 1 race in a car designed and built by his own company and the same year started the tradition of spraying the champagne when he won the Le Mans 24 hour race with AJ Foyt. He introduced full face helmets to both Indy cars and F1.

New Additions in June: Pix from Beaulieu 2005 & Voyager to Vence

For photos from the latest gathering of UK FFers, go to 'Events and Meetings' in the Image Galleries section and click on Beaulieu 2005. On a blisteringly hot weekend in June, this entertaining annual event at the historic village of Beaulieu in the New Forest saw most of 'The Usual Suspects' turn up, along with some welcome newcomers. Most notably, Beaulieu 2005 was the first public appearance of Andrew Gibbens' ComforTmax and its superb level of finish was much admired. Originally transformed to FF mode by Royce Creasey way back in 2002, Andrew has spent much of his spare time over the last three years making top-quality bodywork and seating to make a 'proper job' that almost looks as if it could be an official Yamaha option. (For pix of how it looked back in 2002, go to 'Royce Creasey's creations'.)

Blez's FF History (Updated January 2019)

Paul Blezard's potted FF history
I've been riding scooters and motorcycles for over 40 years and writing about FFs for more than 30. I was 'turned on' to FFs by reading Royce Creasey's HighTech articles in Bike magazine in 1979-80 and by meeting Malcolm Newell with the Cibie Z13 Phasar at the first NEC motorcycle show in 1981. I have ridden a very high percentage of the FFs to be seen on this site, (something like 50 in all), and had articles published about most of them.

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