Call me

You can call me if you like! Click on the link. Enter your phone number. Google voice will call your number and then connect you to me. Pretty cool, eh?

Heated riding gear

Unfortunately, that didn't seem to be the case at all when we first tried the liner. We eventually found out, through a tip from a webBikeWorld visitor, that the liner draws a lot of power at 77 Watts, so the liner really only works best with an alternator of over 250 Watts (or so) output.

The first two motorcycles we tried had a 200 and 250 Watt output and, combined with the lights and other electrical draw on those bikes, the liner barely threw out enough heat to notice.

After howls of protest from webBikeWorld visitors (and Gerbing's fans - there are many of them for sure!) we borrowed another couple of motorcycles and tried again.

Our opinion is that at least 300 Watts of output is needed to power the liner while still having enough electrical capacity for the rest of the bike. At 300 Watts, we could definitely feel the heat and on a bike with a 400 Watt alternator, it was no problem at all.

UPDATE: We put a Voltmeter on the bikes and found that when the controller was turned up to maximum, the 200 Watt alternator was in a negative state (discharging the battery) at anything under 3,000 RPM.

The meter barely registered in the positive (i.e., charging the battery) when the engine was running over 3,000 RPM. The bike with the 250 Watt alternator was even at anything under 3,000 RPM and in the positive side over that.

http://www.webbikeworld.com/r3/heated-jacket/

Alternator power output will vary with the engine rpm.

Factory manual I have says output wattage of the later models is roughly 280 watts at 5k rpm. ... mid 80's model's are 225 watts :| Subtracting for ignition, headlight, etc. one probably has around 150 watts or so at 5,000 rpm., definately less at idle.

If "run some electrics" means a heated vest, should be no problem.

http://archives.bengrosser.com/virago/2005-10/msg00068.htm

An article by Mary Stein

Romania Reborn

Written by Mary Stein, a sophomore at Patrick Henry College majoring in Journalism.

http://brleader.com/?p=2463

Apple influenced by radical minority

Apple pulls the Manhattan Declaration app from its app store.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/12/07/ED7I1GML59.DTL

FCC Peddling Fake Net Neutrality

Chairman Schedules Dec. 21 Vote but Appears to Abandon Title II, Key Consumer Protections

http://computerdoctor-mitchel.blogspot.com/2010/12/fcc-peddling-fake-net-neutrality.html

No Freedom in China

This year's Nobel Peace laureate Liu Xiaobo can't attend the ceremonies to receive his award because he is in jail in China.

The only other time (this has happened) was when German journalist and pacifist Carl von Ossietzky, who was locked up in a Nazi concentration camp, could not travel to Oslo for his prize ceremony in 1936.

http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-world/nobel-peace-ceremony-to-hail-liu-amid-china-fury-20101210-18t0o.html

SWEDISH GOVERNMENT JAILS HOMESCHOOL FATHER

Purcellville, VA—Christer Johansson, the father of 9-year-old Domenic Johansson, and husband of Annie Johansson, was recently jailed by Swedish authorities after taking his son home for a short but “unapproved” overnight visit.

“The Swedish government has created an intolerable situation for this family, and have overreacted to Mr. Johansson taking Domenic home for the overnight visit,” said Michael Donnelly, HSLDA staff attorney.

One-and-a-half years ago Swedish police boarded a plane where the Johanssons were leaving the country for Annie’s home country of India. The police had no warrant and did not charge the Johanssons with a crime.

http://www.hslda.org/docs/media/2010/201012060.asp