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Early 1980s Ishiwata Bicycle Tubing

I have a 1982 Bianchi made using Ishiwata Magny. However, there isn’t a lot of information on Ishiwata framesets. So I thought I would share what I’ve found here. Ishiwata was a company in Japan that made lightweight steel alloy tubes for framesets until 1993. With the arrival of aluminium frames, the late 80s currency […]

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Fun Journal

Backcountry Skiing in the Monashees

Years ago I cycled a Gran Fondo from Coldstream to Arrow Lake. The route took us over the Monashee pass. A mountain range connecting the West Kootenays with the Southern Interior of British Columbia Canada. Passing the sign on a bicycle, I remember how cool it felt seeing that we were at the summit. I […]

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Essays On Horology

Mido Ocean Star Tribute

In 1959 Mido released the Ocean Star line of watches with a completely novel monocoque case design, pressure fitted crystal, cork crown sealing system and an astonishing 300 meters of water resistance. The nineteen-forties and fifties were a time of incredible innovation for waterproof watches. And the release of the 1959 Ocean Star marked a […]

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Essays On Horology

A brief timeline of waterproof watches

In 1927 Miss Mercedes Gleitze successfully swam across the English Channel. It was her eighth attempt. However, a rumour began that another woman had swam it first. So she attempted it a ninth time, but failed due to the cold. Rolex had asked her if she would carry their new Oyster watch. Which she agreed […]

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Essays On Horology

Mido, A Rich & Storied History

I’ve been on the search for a watch and made the decision to go for the Mido Ocean Star Tribute timepiece. 4 years ago my wife and I set out to renovate our home. It’s been an enjoyable journey. This year we finished the exterior deck (the last of the jobs) and my wife suggested […]

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Essays On Brand On Horology

Brand & Watches

What can you learn about building a brand from watch manufacturers and enthusiasts? I’m on a journey to buy a watch. An automatic mechanical watch to be exact. I’ve been fascinated by the beauty of self-powered mechanical machines for as long as I can remember. I bought my first wind-up clock on a family trip […]

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mac Tutorials

How to clear your scratch disks on your Mac

Here’s how to free up space on your Mac scratch disks. Have you seen the message when opening Adobe Photoshop? “The currently selected scratch disks are full. Please modify scratch disk preferences that will come into effect in the next launch.” This means that your internal hard drive is full, or almost full. And some […]

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Honda CB550 Journal

Honda CB 550 Motorcycle Build

In 2019 I purchased a Honda CB550 motorcycle. The year on the front plate is 1974. Which happens to be the first year the CB550 was introduced. Honda had raced the 500cc in the World Grand Prix. But in 1969 the FIM introduced new rules (including weight minimums, a maximum number of cylinders and a […]

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Essays Honda CB550 Journal On motorcycles

Unearthing the history of a 1974 Honda CB550

Hints of the story behind a Honda CB550 that is what it shouldn’t be. When I went to look at a cb550 after it caught my attention browsing through the classifieds, I saw a rugged, characterful and misused motor with some semblance of charm. It was icy outside, so after taking the bike indoors to […]

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On Motorcycles Resource

Tuning a Honda CB550 carburetor with pods

Here’s how I tuned my 1974 Honda CB550 motorcycle with pods. My bike came with pods when I purchased it. I will share the full story in another post for those who are interested. And here’s the post on the build. But in short, the choke didn’t work. The carburetor was a mess. One of […]