Muddy's Meanderings

[Clay S]

2020/09/30
Pre-Shave: Proraso Green Crema Pre Barba
Razor: GEM 1912
Blade: Personna GEM coated (2)
Soap: L'Occitane en Provence Cade
Brush: Old Spice Boar
Aftershave: Pinaud Clubman
Passes: ATG/XTG
Result: BBS

Have a happy shave!

 

[Esox]

I tried learning to ride motorcycles. A friend had a 175 he was letting me ride in the fields around the house. Came off a little hill and pulled too hard on the frontend, resulting it landing straight up and down, breaking off the taillight.

Later that year, same friend was letting me ride his Honda 350. I stupidly tried turning from a stop, almost laying it over, overcorrected, and laid it over on the other side.

I took to them right away. I was 10 when I got my first one. A friend of my fathers told me "This is the front brake, thats the back break. This makes you go faster and when you want to go faster again, pull this in and change gears with that." I promptly rode it straight into a fence haha but I got right back on it.

I really enjoy riding but I gravitated to race bikes. That was fine when I was younger and there was less traffic and my reflexes were faster. I miss it sometimes but I know if I had kept riding I likely wouldnt be here now. I didnt "ride" I raced and the more intense the bike the more I liked it. Adrenalin junky. The most intense of which was one of these.

Just hearing that bike brings it all back, goosebumps and all lol. Drifting onto the gravel shoulder at 190km/h with a fogged up visor at 2am changed it all for me. I sold my bike the next week and have only been on three since the mid or late 1990's. One was a brand new Kawasaki Ninja 600. Nice bike. A friend is selling his ZX1300. He offered to let me ride it last year but I passed. Me and that bike is not a good match lol.

Mine was a 1979 GS850GN shafty. The only bike I ever owned, bought it new for $2,700 USD. It had 28mm Mikuni's, the last year you could still change jets because of smog laws. It got 32 mpg on regular gas. 26 if you put premium in it, and it would barely even start.
You could shift it at 10,500 all day long because it had a ball-bearing crank.

I once pushed it to around 10,300 in 5th, on the 405 Freeway, the speedo said 136 and would go no further. It was about a 10 mile stretch of my 35 mile ride to work, and I got to work 10 minutes earlier than usual. About a year later I got a speeding ticket for 78 mph on the freeway, while my speedo was registering only 62. I went home and changed my shorts.

A GS850 was the first shaft bike I rode. A friend had a 1982 I think. It was weird! I wasnt ready for the back end up rise as it accelerated lol.

My brother in law rode an old Kawasaki Triple 750 two stroke years ago. He made it to the beach one day in 15 minutes. Its normally a 45 minute drive lol. I really like the new BMW S1000RR but I know I'm not up to it anymore and I'd be way past my limit in a hurry. Given the opportunity on a track though, I'd give one a go. On the street, not anymore.

I really miss riding dirt bikes and if we had places to ride here, other than on tracks, I'd have one. I looked at a totally rebuilt 1986 CR500 a few years ago but theres just no place to ride one here.

I dont know how fast I've ever gone on a bike. I rarely looked at any gauges when I was "riding", I just listened to the engine. How fast was a 1996 GSXR 1100? Fast enough lol. A friend rides a Suzuki Bandit 1200. 60mph in first gear on it and he says the new bikes are insane lol.

 

[Rosseforp]

My brother in law rode an old Kawasaki Triple 750 two stroke years ago. He made it to the beach one day in 15 minutes. Its normally a 45 minute drive lol.

I worked with a guy that rode a Kawi 750 triple in the 70's. He would stand it up in 1st, then lay down on the tank and shift through the gears with his left hand and a blue cloud of smoke trailing behind him. Told me he outran a police helicopter once.
I can still remember walking into my friend Harry Klinzman's (HK31) shop as he was shortening a cast on his leg with a hacksaw. Seems his Yamaha TZ250 had seized in the middle of a turn going 140 mph and he broke his leg when he "stepped off the bike". Seems he had a race the next weekend and they wouldn't let him ride with a cast, so he just cut it off, said the boots would keep everything in place. The tach started at 8,000 and went to 16,000 or 18,000. His dad raised lions in their back yard for the Circus. If you ever saw a Cal Worthington car commercial with his dog "Spot" hopping from hood to hood while he held her on a leash, it was their big cat "Tonya", they had raised in Garden Grove. I saw her when she was a kitten. Harry told me they once had something like 12 big cats, a horse and a few goats in their backyard. This was in the middle of the city, a regular neighborhood, a McD's was a block from their house. He retired when he lost a couple friends during a race during the 80's and now drives a Cement truck.

I sold my bike when the DMV came for my Driver's License. Lol

 

[Esox]

I worked with a guy that rode a Kawi 750 triple in the 70's. He would stand it up in 1st, then lay down on the tank and shift through the gears with his left hand and a blue cloud of smoke trailing behind him. Told me he outran a police helicopter once.
I can still remember walking into my friend Harry Klinzman's (HK31) shop as he was shortening a cast on his leg with a hacksaw. Seems his Yamaha TZ250 had seized in the middle of a turn going 140 mph and he broke his leg when he "stepped off the bike". Seems he had a race the next weekend and they wouldn't let him ride with a cast, so he just cut it off, said the boots would keep everything in place. The tach started at 8,000 and went to 16,000 or 18,000. His dad raised lions in their back yard for the Circus. If you ever saw a Cal Worthington car commercial with his dog "Spot" hopping from hood to hood while he held her on a leash, it was their big cat "Tonya", they had raised in Garden Grove. I saw her when she was a kitten. Harry told me they once had something like 12 big cats, a horse and a few goats in their backyard. This was in the middle of the city, a regular neighborhood, a McD's was a block from their house. He retired when he lost a couple friends during a race during the 80's and now drives a Cement truck.

I sold my bike when the DMV came for my Driver's License. Lol

He's lucky he only got a broken leg. Friends that lived next door to me years ago in Saskatoon decided to go to the bar one night. A friend of his came over on a Yamaha RD350 but only had one helmet. I gave the guy next door my Bell Moto 3 to wear but the guy the owned the bike gave his helmet to him and wore mine, as a passenger. His friend let him ride it and he had never ridden one before. They didnt make it to the bar. He drifted into a steel guard rail at 120+ mph the cop said and was killed. His friend on the back with my helmet on, landed 140 feet away on grass and walked away with a sprained ankle. On the back of my helmet, about where your brain stem is, there was a chunk missing from my Moto 3, 3"s in diameter and almost all the way through it.

I never crashed a street bike. I think it was wise to end my riding career clean haha.

The friend of mine that rides the Bandit still has his RD500. Those old 500cc two strokes were fast motorcycles, but like he said, the new bikes are insane.

I lost my license once for points, 1987 I think it was. It wasnt because of motorcycles though. I've always driven fast and still do but I've only had one speeding ticket in the last 30 years. Its a good thing I didnt get clocked test driving the C5 Corvette I was thinking about buying. When I checked the speedo it said 168mph and it got there a lot quicker than I expected.

 

[Rosseforp]

He's lucky he only got a broken leg.

Well, Harry was wearing leathers and they did have hay bales in the turns to catch errant riders. HK31 was his # most of his professional career. His Yamaha TZ750 had the #1 plate before he started riding for BMW. He lost 2 friends during a race and told me he just lost the desire to race, retired. Dude was FAST!

I rode a Kawi triple 550 once, I almost came off the back of the bike when it came on the pipe! I went down a few times, luckily I always had on enough protective gear to walk away with only bruises. I would like to get a Harley someday, but there is too much congestion here.
No pocket rocket for me.

 

[Esox]

Well, Harry was wearing leathers and they did have hay bales in the turns to catch errant riders. HK31 was his # most of his professional career. His Yamaha TZ750 had the #1 plate before he started riding for BMW. He lost 2 friends during a race and told me he just lost the desire to race, retired. Dude was FAST!

I rode a Kawi triple 550 once, I almost came off the back of the bike when it came on the pipe! I went down a few times, luckily I always had on enough protective gear to walk away with only bruises. I would like to get a Harley someday, but there is too much congestion here.
No pocket rocket for me.

Thats the thing. Sooner or later every racer at some point has something happen that creates fear. You cant win a race if you're scared of going over your own limits. The lucky ones survive. I was never scared on a bike, on the street or the track. I'm not sure I'd look at the triple jumps on a motocross track now without fear though. Things hurt more when you're over 50 lol.

I was never content on any bike that wouldnt carry the front end, without using the clutch, during acceleration. Thats what I liked about the Gamma. Hit 7500rpm and up it comes, through 4 gears. It was hard to ride because it had little power below 7500. All the power came in, fully, at about 7800rpm. So all that power was only really available from 8000 to almost 12,000rpm. Come into the power at the wrong time and you're going down.

I'd be happy driving this thing, until I wasnt lol.

 

[Clay S]

2020/10/01
Pre-Shave: Proraso Green Crema Pre Barba
Razor: Gillette New Long Comb
Blade: Bic Chrome Platinum (1)
Soap: L'Occitane en Provence Cade
Brush: Luxury 10-5
Aftershave: Avon Leather
Passes: ATG/XTG
Result: DFS

Several blood spots. Out of practice with DEs and a sharp blade.

Have a happy shave!

 

[thombrogan]

Sorry to read about the blood spots, but happy to read the shave counted as DFS despite them

 

[Esox]

View attachment 1162864
2020/10/01
Pre-Shave: Proraso Green Crema Pre Barba
Razor: Gillette New Long Comb
Blade: Bic Chrome Platinum (1)
Soap: L'Occitane en Provence Cade
Brush: Luxury 10-5
Aftershave: Avon Leather
Passes: ATG/XTG
Result: DFS

Several blood spots. Out of practice with DEs and a sharp blade.

Have a happy shave!

Do you have a NEW SC Clay? I'm willing to bet there'd be no blood using one of them.

 

[Rosseforp]

Do you have a NEW SC Clay? I'm willing to bet there'd be no blood using one of them.

Isn't the New LC supposed to me milder than a New SC? I don't remember getting any weepers when I use my New SC, I do have to watch the corners of my lips, but that is with any razor.

 

[Clay S]

Do you have a NEW SC Clay? I'm willing to bet there'd be no blood using one of them.

Haven't shaved with a DE in over a year, the one DE that I have. Blood will be gone within a shave or three. Just used to angles with my Gem and Injector.

 

[Clay S]

2020/10/02
Pre-Shave: Proraso Green Crema Pre Barba
Razor: Gillette New Long Comb
Blade: Bic Chrome Platinum (2)
Soap: L'Occitane en Provence Cade
Brush: Omega 11047 Mixed Midget
Aftershave: Clubman Pinaud Reserve Whiskey Woods
Passes: ATG/XTG
Result: DFS

Still a couple blood spots. Much better though.

Have a happy shave!

 

[Clay S]

2020/10/03
Pre-Shave: Proraso Green Crema Pre Barba
Razor: Gillette New Long Comb
Blade: Bic Chrome Platinum (3)
Soap: L'Occitane en Provence Cade
Brush: Graydog Stirling
Aftershave: Lucky Tiger
Passes: ATG/XTG
Result: DFS

Down to one spot. Was laundering my hot towels, so just washed, lathered, pre-shaved without the hot towels. The shave was not nearly as comfortable as normal.

Have a happy shave!

 

[Esox]

Isn't the New LC supposed to me milder than a New SC? I don't remember getting any weepers when I use my New SC, I do have to watch the corners of my lips, but that is with any razor.

Milder maybe, but it would depend on the individual razor. When @rabidus measured several samples of NEW LC razors he found a gap variance of more than .017". When he measured seven NEW SC razors, they all measured .023" blade gap. I think, NEW SC bases were machined and NEW LC bases were stamped. As you know, machining is more precise.

The difference is in the amount of support each base lends the blade. The SC base fully supports the blade and with the proper SC cap, the base supports the blade beyond the edge of the cap. The NEW LC base supports roughly half as much blade surface area.

SC base left. LC base right.



LC left. SC center. Post war Tech right.



Chris Kirchen of Karve has said the CB razor was modeled after the Tech but he didnt say which, the pre war or the post war. To me, the Karve base is closer to the SC base.

In my mind, all modern rigid DE designs with gap are basically modifications of the design of the NEW SC.

With .023" blade gap and the proper SC cap which offers the most blade exposure, its a very smooth, mild and easy to use razor thats more efficient than many might think. I can easily shave directly ATG with mine at 48+ hours growth.

They were sold with, If I remember right, one of seven different caps. All of the NEW and Tech caps will fit the SC base but because of the squared cap corners of the SC cap, like the above picture, the SC cap will only fit the SC base.

Caps. SC left, LC right. Notice the shape and profile of the corner tabs.

Haven't shaved with a DE in over a year, the one DE that I have. Blood will be gone within a shave or three. Just used to angles with my Gem and Injector.

My thinking was, maybe, you fell victim to the floppy blade problem and it bit you because of blade flex. That doesnt happen with a GEM.

Try this with your LC. You'll be surprised.

Trying to move the blade like that in a NEW SC and you'd be more likely to bend the cap of the pen than the blade.

 

[Clay S]

2020/10/06
Pre-Shave: Proraso Green Crema Pre Barba
Razor: Gillette New Long Comb
Blade: Bic Chrome Platinum (4)
Soap: L'Occitane en Provence Cade
Brush: Graydog 10098
Aftershave: Clubman Pinaud Reserve Whiskey Woods
Passes: ATG/XTG
Result: BBS

Well, a good excuse for not shaving would be I was wanting to more fully utilized the OC, but I just wasn't in the mood. Had a jerk that caused a cut, but the spots are otherwise gone.

Have a happy shave!

 

[TinyT]

Had a jerk that caused a cut

Don't let him in the bathroom next time.

 

[thombrogan]

Welcome back, @Clay S !

 

[Clay S]

Welcome back, @Clay S !

Thanks. Will try popping in every once in while.

 

[Esox]

Thanks. Will try popping in every once in while.

Good to see you around again Clay!

 

[Clay S]

Good to see you around again Clay!

Thanks