Trump’s war – on behalf of the Zionist Project – is already costing the average American more than $700 annually and that’s just the increased cost of gasoline caused by the increased cost of a barrel of oil and the speculation going on over what the cost will be tomorrow, depending on what Trump says or does today.
Americans will shortly be paying more for everything else, too – especially food, as the upticked cost of diesel fuel is reflected by the upticked costs of the food that is trucked to the supermarket. Trump’s war is probably going to end up costing the average American thousands annually – and that may be the least of the costs.
How do we deal with this?
One way is to drive your car, truck or crossover less – and a motorcycle more.
You may not have one. You may not know how to ride one. You may want to think about learning how to ride one – and getting one, before they also kick up in cost to spiking demand.
Just about any motorcycle uses a lot less gas than just about any car, even a hybrid like the Prius. But the bike you want – if you want to offset the cost of Trump’s war (at the pump, at any rate) – is a particular kind of bike. Something like the Kawasaki KL 250 dual sport I stupidly sold about five years ago and wish I had back. A bike in this class – there are many models – typically has a single cylinder engine (ideally, air cooled and carbureted, for simplicity’s sake) that’s around 250 cc and weighs around 300 pounds. A bike like this is very easy to ride and to learn how to ride, which is important if you have never ridden a motorcycle before. It has the great virtue of not being heavy, so you’re less likely to drop it and even if you do, it won’t do any significant damage to the machine because unlike the bigger (and much heavier) street bikes, dual sports are designed to be dropped. They generally do not have relatively fragile exposed and shiny parts. Even more important, perhaps, they are specifically designed to be ridden on grass and dirt – which is much better than pavement when you’re learning how to ride and even more so if – when – you do drop the bike.
Almost everyone does during the process of learning how to ride.
Many people who ride learned to ride “off road’ – on dirt bikes. A dual sport is a dirt bike – with a brake light and turn signals and side mirrors that makes it legal to ride on the street. But it’s basically the same bike. This dual purpose is a huge advantage in that you can ride such a bike almost anywhere – including through the woods. This can be very fun. But it is also very practical, for the same reason that having a lifted 4×4 can be practical sometimes, only for a fraction of the cost.
Especially at the pump.
A small cc dual sport like my ’00 KL 250 is capable of going 100 miles on a gallon of gas. That means five gallons – in a jug – gives you about 500 miles of driving range. Three five gallons jugs in the shed or garage will keep you mobile for 1,500 miles – which might be enough to weather a couple of months of No Gas For You, should that become a thing (and it very well might, as the consequences of Trump’s stupid, evil war continue to elaborate). The bike will also vastly reduce what you have to spend on maintaining your four wheeled vehicle, as by reducing the miles you drive the latter, the less wear on expensive things like brakes and tires. Bikes, of course, also have maintenance costs but they are vastly less. A 250 cc bike needs about one quart of oil when it is time to change the oil – vs. the usual four or five for most car engines. You don’t need to jack up a bike or crawl around on the floor to change a bike’s oil, either.
There is very little else a dirt bikes needs – and when it does need something, such as brake pads or an air filter or a new spark plug – the task is easily done with basic hand tools. As opposed to handing it over to the dealer – who charges $100 per hour. 
Small cc bikes are also inexpensive to insure relative to what it costs to “cover” just about any car.
Obviously, it may not be feasible to ride a bike in lieu of a car – as in all the time. There are rainy (and cold) days and also days when you need to be able to carry passengers or stuff that can’t be carried by a bike. But if you have a bike you can ride as often as feasible, it can offset what Trump is costing you (and me, too). Bikes like my KL 250 dual sport are readily available for $3,500 or less in good condition, mechanically sound and ready to ride. You can probably still find one for around $2,000 or so on Facebook marketplace or Craigs.
But probably for not much longer – the longer this stupid, evil war goes on.
. . .
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I’d like to throw a couple other considerations into the ring, if I may.
1: Scooters. Think: Vespas and whatnot. They may lack the “thrill” of a traditional motorcycle, but in terms of fuel consumption, a Vespa is to a motorcycle, as a motorcycle is to an F150.
2: E-bikes. Whoa, I know, mentioning e-bikes on an automotive website is probably the one thing that’ll get me crucified here, but hear me out…you can get really fast, decent performing e-bikes for less than $2,000, and the cost per mile is laughable. No insurance, no license, no nothing. If all you’re doing is running errands around town or going a short distance to work (short distance being less than 20 or 30 miles, generally), I think if you discount getting an e-bike, you’re being an elitist snob, lol. Not to mention the fact family e-biking is really becoming a thing.
Food for thought.
Those e-bikes are getting noticed around here because kids are running them like we used to on mini bikes, basically being snot nosed little idiots swarming around the streets. I don’t blame them, they’re just having fun, but they seem more popular than mini bikes were and it’s getting to be kind of a nuisance.
Some might want to consider the Kawasaki Versys x-300.
I bought one for an Alaska trip (never made it due to Covid closing the Canadian borders and a broken foot).
Pros:
Lightweight and easy to pick up when dropped
Large 4.5 gallon tank will get you a 250 or so mile range
OK for mild off road riding
Will do 70 MPH all day long
Has the ninja motor so is fun to keep in the higher RPM range
Cons:
Tubed tires – I detest changing a tubed tire on the side of the road – Its either 100 degrees out or raining every time.
Runs out of juice at around 80 MPH
Gets buzzy at those high RPMs
Seat is like a 2×4, but so are most stock seats out there. Put a Corbin or Russel Day-Long on it for long rides.
If I could find a GL500/650 like yours that has had the quadruple bypass done, it would be sitting in the garage right now.
Anon
I love all your motorcycle articles. You describe The Ride so well.
Iowa ain’t kind to motorcycle practicality/ 5 or 6 months of the year we can ride. And, WTF is that required anti-1980’s insurance B.S.?!!!!
I wish I was rich, and could afford a motorcycle AND a 4×4 pickup/SUV.
…ANd, a live-in maid.
I digress.
Meanwhile, ‘ Virginia is allowing 22-year-old grown men to enroll in public high school… ‘
https://www.lewrockwell.com/political-theatre/virginia-is-allowing-22-year-old-grown-men-to-enroll-in-public-high-school/
Bat-Shit-Bonkers!
Make sure the maid is f***able. You sure as hell can’t get a g/f or WIFE to do shit around the house anymore.
Ha!
YMMV. One & the same, or both? Idk.
Thanks, Helot!
It’s born of my love of bikes and riding them. We took a freedom ride the other day – no helmets, on the backroads – and it was rejuvenating in a way that is hard to convey to people who do not ride…
RE: “– no helmets, on the backroads – and it was rejuvenating in a way that is hard to convey to people who do not ride…”
YES! I know the feeling,… AND, – It IS – GLORIOUS!
Absolutely!
Very few things in life compare to riding a motorcycle without a helmet on a nice day.
Sex – and being young – may be the only ones above it. Toes in the sand on a nice beach comes close, but I suppose it depends on if the fire, food, and friends are good?
Did 124 miles on my Yamaha XT250 yesterday, refilled the tank, 1.545 gallons of 92 octane. 124/1.545 = 80.25 mpg
much of it was 1st 2nd 3rd gear up steep grades in the mountains,
best tank on my XR150L last summer 108 mpg
those figures a low if you run on the flat steady state 45mph
if gas goes another buck higher I will be riding the bikes while the car stays parked. Out here in Oregon gas is $4.44 lowest price, most places it is right around $5, CA is a buck higher
————-
I can remember back in the 1990s, gas was $1.19, my Geo Metro got 52 mpg. So how far could I drive my Metro back then for a $10 bill?
$10/$1.19 = 8.4 gallons x 52 mpg = 437 miles
Morning, Jack –
Yesterday, I pumped about 13 gallons into the TA’s tank. $54 for that. The tank holds 22 gallons.
A 4000 lb car with a 455 “Sooper Dooty” (that’s what, 7.5 liters?) doesn’t pass the gas pumps, even if it’s able to “breathe free” sans smog controls, the way “Gawd” intended the internal combustion engine to be.
Thats true, Douglas – about the TA’s appetite. A 455 (7.5 liters in the gay-speak that’s been forced on us) has a healthy appetite. But – with the overdrive automatic my car used to have (plus a lock-up converter) the car could manage 12-15 MPG, with a light foot. Now – with the four speed manual and no OD – the thing is just voracious! Of course, the main reason why is the 3.90 rear end. I hope to be able to change that out to a 3.23 or 3.08 sometime in the next year or so.
Trump’s Way to Deal with $5 Gas
‘The US will start to dilute our gasoline with corn juice.
‘Lee Zeldin’s EPA announced “approving nationwide E15,” pitching it as “fortifying the domestic fuel supply.” What that means exactly is that the federal government will allow more stations to cut gasoline with ethanol, which, yes, makes it cheaper, but it also yields less power and worse fuel economy in your engine.
‘What is E10? Most gas in America is 10% ethanol (distilled corn alcohol) and 90% gasoline. It’s the “Standard Edition” fuel.
‘What is E15? It’s the “Value Pack.” It’s 15% ethanol. It’s usually about 25 cents cheaper per gallon, but because it has more alcohol, it’s slightly less powerful.
‘Why is there a “waiver”? Normally, the EPA bans E15 from June to September because ethanol evaporates faster than gas. In the summer heat, that extra 5% of corn juice turns into smog-forming pollution faster than standard gas.
‘Enshitfication to ensure enough supply meets demands because of the current crisis.’ — KillerDoll at Moon of Alabama
‘Lee Zeldin’ freed us from the EPA’s notorious ‘endangerment finding.’ But now, in support of Trump’s War for Israel, he shoves ethanol up our ass.
With the J***, you lose.
I have heard that Illinois wants to make all gas in the state E15 year round (never mind many cars can’t run on it).
RE, “Illinois wants to make all gas in the state E15 year round”
Once again, I’m reminded of, ‘Peaky Blinders’.
Ethanol adulterating our gasoline is the boondoggle that enriches not just Iowa corner growers, but more, Cargill and/or ADM. While it’s OK as an anti-knock compound, it’s hell on vintage autos, and one needs special compounds for fuel lines gaskets, stainless fuel lines and tanks, and so on. Bring back tetraethyl lead, which, BTW, the reputed problems with lead in general, like in paint, has been excused to ‘splain the poor scholastics of most “Knee Grow” children…that they got exposed to leaded gas fumes, ate leaded paint chips, and so on. Well, save for AvGas, lead has been fairly much GONE for over 40 years from automotive gasolines, and the “darkies” are more stupid than ever.
Everything is stupid expensive where I’m am was considering buy a old vespa to fix upand play with people want 4k for a not running beaten up POS
And don’t try to ride a bike in west Virginia Ohio Pennsylvania fucking roads are so bad it’s like a war zone not counting the amount of idiots on the road around see all the time someone killed on a motorcycle
Since USA jews support israel so much, it is long overdue for them to provide total support for israel…
The “leader” of israel’s military, the IDF is now complaining that the israeli military is running out of conscripts and reservists.
Here is a golden opportunity for ALL jews who presently live in the USA and are loyal to israel over the USA to be conscripted and serve in israel’s military.
Congress (Knesset West) should pass the “Israel Defense Forces Military Conscription Act of 2026” which would require ALL jews within the borders of the USA to register with the “Israel Selective Service System” pending an inevitable future draft.
USA military aircraft could be used to transport jewish conscripts presently living in the USA to Tel Aviv.
This would have the result of getting israel supporting jews who live in the USA to “put their money where their mouths are”.
Please notice that I did not use the term “American jews” as jewish loyalty is to judaism and israel first; loyalty to the USA being either secondary or nonexistent.
To paraphrase President Lyndon Johnson’s famous remarks about Vietnam, “Why should American boys have to fight and die for jewish boys?”
A draft of jews who reside in the USA would be a win-win for the American body politic. We could (finally) get rid of the jewish parasites and provide the middle east with jewish cannon fodder–a good thing.
They never fight their own battles, they got the Romans to kill Christ.
Jesus forgave the Roman soldiers that carried out the crucifixion and mocked him, figuring they had no idea of what they were doing. He didn’t mention that sort of leniency towards the Pharisees and the Sandhedrin.
Amazing the leftists aren’t encouraging motorcycle driving as it reduces your carbon footprint even more than a Prius or Tesla.
The really curious decree this week was the ban on new models of WiFi routers made overseas.
I wonder what the Feds saw in WiFi 8 that has them concerned.
Is there any wifi routers even made in the US?
Honda has their XR150L dual sport that looks nice enough – $3400 – that I’ve been looking at. This is comparable in price with electric bicycles, and it provides a hell of a lot more utility than a e-bike does. Anybody have one?
I suppose if Trump had actually followed through with his Kei cars for America plan, we would be able to buy a $10,000-ish Kei car that gets 40-50 mpg soon, however . . . .
Hi AC, I have an XR150L Paid $4000 cash otd new in early ’24. It is a fantastic machine. Runs 55 with ease and goes as fast as I need to go. Toured the Adirondack mountain region on it last summer 3up, me my girl and our Pomeranian pup and got 76.6 mpg.
https://freeimage.host/i/honda.qZzHKmP
Its big but super lite quiet and very comfortable. Purrs at first touch. Seems bulletproof.
I have 5 bikes.. highly recommend the XR.
Hi AMC Guy, thank you. If gas gets to $6/gallon or so, I may need to get one. I’m not in a hurry to get anywhere, so I don’t need a fast bike. I think the break even point in gas savings for me is going to be just a bit under a year or so at $6/gallon – I get about 18 mpg in my truck – so the bike would pay for itself pretty quickly.
A sweet bike for sure… but I can’t imagine riding 2-up on it (with a dog!) I weigh 180 — I’m not fat. I still can’t imagine 2-up on a 150 single it even with a petite 100-lb woman. Hell, I thought that guy who wrote “Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance ” was nuts for riding cross-country on a 450 twin.
Are you guys midgets or something?
Hi X, Yeah a lot of people have that mindset here in America.
Over in Asia you will see families of up to like 7 people riding these together as daily transportation.. lol
I’m not one to hold up traffic. XR works well for us.
What is your definition of touring here? Are we talking a trailer or hitch rack on the back of a larger host vehicle or are you an iron butt? To my mind this makes a difference. To give some idea this is the sort of touring I do with my DRZ, the BDR backcountry discovery routes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rxRN7j9Bvtg
HA! “Are you guys midgets or something?”
…Make me read the whole thread, will ya.
Also, RE: “Toured the Adirondack mountain region on it last summer 3up, me my girl and our Pomeranian pup ”
You linked a photo of a Very beautiful bike, … but, where’s the photo of how the Pomeranian pup rode?
…I can’t even imagine that BJ & The Bear setup.
Also, also, where’s the hot GF on the bike photo?
Great bike for the $. hard if not impossible to beat.
Might want to look for used too. Lots of people buy them, and either never use them, or find out they need/want something else. Save about $1K? in out the door dealer stuff.
The next $ size up is $5-6K and Honda’s 300’s are top of their game, but also Triumph 400’s are pretty awesome (i have a Triumph 400X and really like it).
Yes used is the way to go and save a bundle. Often buyers don’t realize smaller engines can be a little ‘rustic’ at first and then tend to smooth out nicely after a few hundred miles. That’s often enough for some to say ‘it’s not for me’ and put it right up for sale. The Honda XR150L is all analog with easy starting and smooth performing carburetor. It also has a fantastic Halogen headlight that really lights up the road in front of you at night. These classic options are getting very hard to find new these days even on the mini-bikes. New tech isn’t necessarily better in my experience.
Thanks, good advice. I’ll take a look at used bikes, too. Third person to tell me that, lol 🙂
One way to deal with $5 gas is buy an economy car
One way to deal with $8 gas is buy a motorcycle
One way to deal with $10 gas is ride a bicycle
One way to deal with $20 gas is to stay home and clean your Kalashnikov
One way to deal when there’s no gas, join a militia and start a march toward D.C. with intent to kill all our elected official with extreme prejudice.
Cuba out of fuel and no lights
Australia Has Run Out of Fuel
Postal Service to Impose First-Ever Fuel Surcharge
Thailand Has Run Out of Fuel
The Philippines has declared a national energy emergency as the conflict in the Middle East threatens fuel supplies
Mossad agent and tranny Larry Jewmer (one of Trumo’s handlers) says:
Laura Loomer
@LauraLoomer
Soon, there will be a massive Islamic terror attack in America and the perpetrators will likely have financial ties to podcasters and those who are sowing discord for foreign nations in America.
I predict there will be many casualties and only then will it maybe set in that people have been conned into supporting a terrorist psyop to distract you from the threat of Islam while the enemy plotted to destroy our country from within with botted conspiracy theories.
It will likely be 10 times worse than 9/11.
https://x.com/LauraLoomer/status/2036437237022281981
Chutzpah is when the Jew tells you he is going to attack you in a false flag for the benefit of Israel.
In related news Madonna prefers black child meat:
“Epstein Files Reveal Madonna Suffered Near-Fatal Overdose Eating ‘Black Child Meat’ During ‘Reset Ritual’”
By Baxter Dmitry
Madonna suffered a near-fatal overdose following a secretive “reset ritual” that allegedly included the daily consumption of child meat sourced from young black boys, according to Epstein files released by the Department of Justice.
In several partially redacted emails, Jeffrey Epstein and members of his inner circle — including Hollywood publicist Peggy Siegal — openly refer to Madonna as a cannibal and discuss her well-known preference for black child meat.
Madonna showed a particular preference for how the child meat was prepared, specifically requesting it be cooked into classic Italian dishes.
The emails suggest the singer viewed the ritual meal as a gourmet experience as much as a spiritual one, blending her love of fine Italian cuisine with the occult “reset” ceremony.
Disturbingly, insiders reveal the multi-platinum singer was hospitalized in critical condition after a near-fatal overdose during a secretive “reset ritual” in the Hollywood Hills — and multiple leaked emails now link the 67-year-old star to the consumption of a large amount of child meat at the multi-day event.
In related news, Joe Rogan says he heard Erika Kirk has a dick.
Laura Loomer has a dick
Madonna (aka mandonna) has a dick
Erika Kirk alleged to have a dick
I think I have detected a trend, female pop stars have dicks
And that is a problem because…?
I just bought a worn out Jetta TDI to deal with fuel costs, I figure even with the ridiculous cost differential of diesel it will save me $4-8 every day with my 200 mile/day travels.
Here in American Siberia bikes are toys that realistically only get used 5 or 6 months per year. And I figure if I was riding 200 miles a day I’d get really tired of the experience, and I prefer to ride 100 miles/week for pleasure.
diesel here in the NE is 2$ more than gas! Never seen that much differential. Normal is 60c to $1 more than gas. I remember when diesel was a lot cheaper than gas, until big gov demanded they take ALL the sulfer out. It was a massive reduction.
I don’t see diesel truck owners saving anything over gas now.
from AI:
“Diesel fuel sulfur content has dropped drastically, from over 5,000 parts per million (ppm) before the 1990s to a maximum of 15 ppm (Ultra-Low Sulfur Diesel) today, driven by EPA and international environmental regulations. This 99.7% reduction over 15 years was designed to reduce air pollution, sulfur oxide emissions (acid rain), and enable cleaner engine technology”
So from 5000ppm to 15ppm, hahahahaha…………. what a disaster we live in. It also made diesel engine Manuf. have to redesign a lot because sulfer is a lubricant too. and those high pressure fuel pumps don’t like the new stuff.
Yes, it is no longer just a good idea to run fuel dope, it is now a necessity. The de sulfured fuel is “dry” to the point that it’s hard on old mechanical diesels, much less the new common rail stuff.
The price is ridiculous, one of the many attractions of diesel is how much more of it there is in a barrel of crude vs gasoline, it should be cheaper. Here in the upper Midwest the price is all over the place, from 10 to 70 percent higher than pump gas.
On the insurance issue, if you ride the bike often enough and reduce the mileage on your car enough, it could make sense to switch to an insurer that offers lower rates for people who drive less, like mileauto. I only drive my sports car about 3,000 miles a year and its fully insured with $100 deductible for less than $60 a month. Yes, the cost per mile is still higher than I’d like, but its much less than the rest of the insurance mafia. (Their rates can go up if you drive more, and there is a per mile charge that increases the cost in any month that I do a road trip.) They say it probably saves money for people who drive less than 10,000 miles a year. They have saved me at least $500 a year for the past 3 years. I had one ‘claim’ for towing and I was reimbursed in about 2 weeks. (I get no financial benefit for recommending them.)
I had a CRF250 kind of like your KL, a street legal XR400 and way back a KLR650 (great bike, not a ton of fun to wrestle on dirt). Really regret selling the XR. Getting a new job and then being stuck in a few traffic jams did it for me. This before lane splitting was legal in Colorado, although it was not just keeping the engine cool but me. Replaced it with a DRZ400 and that’s been a great bike for me as a plain Jane all around. Liquid cooling isn’t really -that- much extra complexity and has some benefits. Oil doesn’t get cooked as fast (but honestly, any dry sump dirt bike goes through oil fast) and has enough pull on the highway with a weekend of camping gear so you have a fighting chance not to be a cement truck hood ornament. I didn’t like the width on trails but as I get older and doing less dumbass stuff on singletrack that’s really not a problem anymore.
Honestly, the only wrong way is to not ride a bike at all.
That should have been lane filtering, not splitting, which is still illegal.
Hey Eric: Another spin on this are those 250cc beginner street bikes, ala Honda Rebel, Yamaha Virago. (Dunno what the Suzuki variant is called) Agreed that if SHTF, then the off-road capabilities of the dual sport win out.
Roger that, Tom!
I am glad I have bikes. Even though my GL650 is larger/heavier bike than the 250 KL I used to have, it still gets 60 MPG, which beats the Prius and pretty much anything else on four wheels!
Eric, I just read that the EPA is going to save us by allowing the sale of E15 gas. Wonder how many more engine problems that will create…
Gary, that’s probably why their pushing E-15 Gas.
Project Farm did a video where he showed that gas stabilizers don’t do much for stabilizing ethanol gas however the Stabil brand did prevent corrosion on aluminum.
I’m hoping the lack of/increased cost of fertilizer and diesel due to Trumpenstein’s evil war for Israhell will shrink the corn crop such that it will only be available for food. Up yours, Big Ag.
My MC riding days are done. That was for when I was young and invincible. These days I go out of my way and at some inconvenience to avoid highways and crowded places. I cruise backroads as much as I can, even on my daily commute to work.
Drove the Charger today to work. 9-10 MPGs baby.
Hi Philo,
I hear you! The TA has become a true “gas guzzler” with the non-overdrive T10. I used to get about 12-15 MPG. Now it feels more like 9! I am already conspiring with my mechanic buddy to swap out the 3.90s with a 3.08 ring and pinion. (This is a job I won’t do myself as setting up a ring and pinion is precise work best left to someone who does that kind of stuff regularly.)
If my car had been a manual car from the factory, it would have come with a 3.23 rear. I think a 3.08 will be plenty for my wants. The 455 is not stock and probably makes aorund 320 hp and 450 ft. -lbs. of torque. Nunzi Romano was running 12s in a Pontiac Wagon with a worked 455 and 3.08 rear!
>a job I won’t do myself as setting up a ring and pinion is precise work
You can do it, Eric. Just RTFM, and make sure you understand it, first.
BTDT successfully, twice, and never did auto mech for a living.
I’ve read that process, on a GM rear end you could go thru many crush collars getting it correct. For Eric’s situation I’m voting for his shop bud to do this job.
Nah, if you’re on your game it only takes one or 2 tries. All that’s required is to assemble, coat the ring and pinion with Prussian blue (machinist’s dye) and roll it over to see where the pressure points are. Lots of times it’s good enough the first time, otherwise disassemble and add or remove shims to move the pattern. But it is vastly easier with a lift.
Hi Adi,
I probably could! Maybe I’ll give it a go. I can always have my heavy truck mechanic friend (who does ring and pinions all the time) look it over before I finish. I do the same with electrical work in the house. I think I know what I’m doing, but I always have a pro check my work before I cut the power back on!
>my heavy truck mechanic friend (who does ring and pinions all the time) look it over before I finish
Maybe pay him to coach you?
Always satisfying to learn new things. 🙂
If you “go to school” you could always write a “how to” article for your web site. AFAIK, the “prime directive” is to properly set up the “contact pattern” between the ring gear & pinion gear. Maybe ask your mechanic friend to confirm that concept.
Caveat: setup procedure may vary by make of vehicle.
I have only done this on IH 4WD, so cannot offer anything specific for a Pontiac.
Bonus: 3.90/3.08 = 1.27 increase in top speed, ignoring wind resistance.
>I think I know what I’m doing, but I always have a pro check my work before I cut the power back on!
I hear you. 🙂
The easiest ring and pinion setup to perform is on the Mopar 8-3/4″ “pig” (center section. Out of the vehicle and on the bench, it is a breeze.
Don’t forget you’ll probably need a new speedometer gear set when you change the rear end gear ratio.
You can do a quick comparison using your phones GPS.
Hi Eric,
The 3.09 gears will be much better for cruising. My Charger has 3.23 gears and the RPMs get up there at 65 mph, don’t like to go much faster than that for any length of time.
My Firebird on the other hand has true highway gears at 2.76 I believe. I love it. I can sail down the highway at 2600 RPM when I need to. Can still burn rubber too, plenty of power to do so. Supposedly the Firebird rear end is weak and can be broken with too much horsepower, but I haven’t done so yet, and I’ve squealed tires at 1-2, 2-3, and even 3-4!
The Gas you “save” will still take years to pay you back for the ring and pinion swap cost. Especially if you drive for fun and not mileage. Just drive and enjoy.
Hi Auto,
Yes, of course! It’ snot gas mileage I’m worried about but over-working the 455. It’s a long stroke engine and buzzing it at 3,000 RPM probably isn’t good for it!
What sort of CAM are you running in that “Sooper Dooty”, Eric? Is is the factory original? My condolences if it is, although may it means the engine (and car) doesn’t have a lot of miles on it. I believe that during that period where “Generous Mother” was putting Chevy engines in Pontiacs and Oldsmobiles (the mid-sized and “compact” ones based on the Mali-Beest and “No Va”, and they got either that awful 262 that put out just 110 ponies, or the first iterations of the 267 and 305, IDK about the Chevy 350s in favor of that division’s version), they put some Pontiac 400s in GMC trucks as both Buick and Olds had discontinued theirs years before, so that engine got a “truck” cam that was for low end. Put that in your 455 and it’ll still be OK to rev to 3,000 RPM!
Morning, Douglas!
The TA’s 455 has a cam patterned on the old RA III stick, which has a nice lope but remains very “streetable.” It also has the slightly higher CR 6X heads, cast iron RA III headers and an aluminum intake with a tuned Qjet. It pulls hard – especially now, with the four speed T10 – and I haven’t even gotten on it yet, due to the break in period for the clutch, etc.
In stock form, the ’76 455 was rated 200 hp! My modded 455 probably makes at least 100 more than that.
Actually, higher RPM can be quite beneficial for an engine. The combustion chamber temps climb, helping to burn off carbon, and the oil pressure increases as well, thanks to the oil pump turning a faster rpm along with the engine. It’s running RPM consistently too LOW which is actually bad for an engine.
Every engine, combined with whatever tranny (oh, how that word’s been BESMIRCHED!) and rear axle, plus weight, roll resistance, and aerodynamics, has it’s “happy spot”. For even a non-descript vehicle like my 2020 Ford (con)Fusion, it’s “happiest” at about 85 mph on the freeway, which is “technically” not legal on the rural parts of Interstates in “Yew-Tah”and “Tejas”, but the cops don’t usually bother.
The increase in top speed will serve you well when, on a two-lane road, you’re passing some slowpoke who, like 95% of people who realize that they’re being passed, speeds up and tries to kill you and the soccer mom in the oncoming lane.
Control-Freak Squirrels that get pissed when they can’t “herd” you, and deliberately speed up so you won’t continue to try to pass them, should not only be stripped of their licenses, they should be horse-whipped within an inch of their pathetic lives!
Amen. Those, and left lane cruisers that refuse to get out of the passing lane.
My next up will be a smaller lighter bike “back to the beginning” as such. My first bike was a 1972 Honda CB 450. Enough zip for 70-80 on the freeway but lightweight.
The current bike is a 2018 Harley Road King, if it stays upright all is good. Foot slipped on the lawn last year over it went. Son in law and grandson helped me pick it up. These latest gen Harleys are way too heavy I couldn’t do more than wiggle the handlebar once it went over. At 71 the big bike years are getting fewer. We’re joking about “when they take the Harley keys away”.
Wish they made more of the diesel KLR, its got a full size engine and gets better than 100mpg. My problem with a 250cc is its slow, especially with a 2nd person or a bunch of equipment on it if you want to do neighborhood patrol. But it does the job none the less. There is also the 90cc Honda CT trail bikes that are great on gas if getting somewhere is the concern without speed
I know a guy who won one of those ex-USMC diesel KLRs in an auction. Once he got it running (that took some effort) he gets about 80 MPG in normal mixed pavement and dirt. It’s got a 6 gallon tank, which sounds great but moving the center of gravity that high teaches you how to be a great technical rider. My DRZ has a 4 gallon Acerbis and I barely get half the range he does. For low RPM on trails a diesel thumper is insanely perfect.
I doubt we’ll hear many people advocating buying a motorcycle to offset high gas prices. Instead, we’ll likely be hectored, particularly by corporate media and cliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimate change zealots, to buy an EV if we’re worried about high gas prices. Ironically though, electricity has also gone up the past few years, particularly in areas that have gone ALL IN with demented climate change policies or where AI data centers are being or have been built.
I dunno Eric. The point is well taken, bikes are cheaper to commute with than passenger cars, trucks, etc. But the idea of a bunch of new riders in the heavy traffic where I live just doesn’t seem like a good idea.
We in the EP family have discussed many times that riding doesn’t suffer fools. Just yesterday I got passed on I-65 by a young buck on a crotch rocket going foolishly fast. My first thought was “there goes an organ donor”.
They say there are two classes of motorcycle rider:
1. Those who have been down.
2. Those who will go down.
Heard that long ago from a CHP motorcycle officer, who also said CHP puts 5% of their road miles on motorcycles, whose riders suffer 95% of CHP serious injuries. CHP does have a well respected MC training program, so it is not lack of training.
Bottom line: MC riding is dangerous. If you are not prepared to accept the risk, stay off the bike.
We call ’em “Suicycles” here in the formerly Golden State.
‘The longer this stupid, evil war goes on.’ — eric
This morning’s headlines say that Israel delivered an airstrike, attempting to assassinate Iran’s navy commander. Whether Commander Tangsiri survived is unknown.
Israel’s action came while Trump is attempting to re-establish negotiations with Iran. Obviously, another deadly Israeli strike on Iran’s leaders is a hostile move to sabotage any talks. It continues a pattern going back decades, in which Israel sabotaged US policy by expanding settlements, snubbing US diplomats, killing American citizens in the West Bank and Gaza, and on and on.
No ‘ally’ behaves this way. Israel, in fact, is America’s worst enemy. Its AIPAC lobby subverted our elections with $221 million of dirty money since 2021. Israel possesses nuclear weapons, in defiance of the Symington amendment prohibiting US aid to nuclear proliferators.
Donnie Fubar attacked the wrong country. If Donnie wanted to stop illegal nuclear proliferation, he should have attacked Israel, not Iran. Donnie Sawbones is a surgeon who amputated the wrong leg. Donnie’s exit from office is overdue. And if he doesn’t watch out, the murderous Israelis will remove him, simply for their twisted convenience.
Israel is our misfortune.
Russia has already put israel and the USA on notice that if a nuke is detonated in the middle east, israel will flat out disappear. Judenrats are already spreading their cancer by escaping occupied Palestine and emigrating to the USA and elsewhere–not good. These judenrats are in the process of attempting to purchase two Greek islands which will be declared for judenrats only. Not good. Greece shoud put a kibosh on this…
If they were actually to buy a couple of islands that would be preferable to getting someone else to steal the land for them and abusing the actual owners.
Now that you mention it, Greenland might be perfect…
Even if (((they))) legally purchase the Greek islands, (((they))) would insist on NOT being subject to Greek laws. THAT is a major problem. You see, according to jews, judaism (and judaic supremacy) supersedes every country’s national laws. Once (((they))) take over the islands, (((they))) will declare their independence from Greece–israel 3.0 anyone??.
Greece should pass laws restricting foreign ownership of ANY property within Greece, not just the islands.
Judaism is a cancer that WILL spread. Not good for Greece or any other country.
The best course of action is to keep the jewish cancer out of Greece entirely…
To be fair, the same supremacy over a nation’s laws is asserted by Muslims also, once they gain power. It seems to be an overall Semitic trait. Why they should ALL be kept OUT.
I fully support Russia obliterating “Israel”.
I really don’t want to live (or die) in a radioactive wasteland because the Repukes refuse to put country before party and impeach the Orange Bastard.
It’s only going to get worse.
https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/trump-tells-iran-get-serious-about-negotiations-or-no-turning-back-wh-mulls-plans
I always go straight to the comments where one sees hope that more are waking up to the BS:)
Morning, MQ!
Me either. I don’t think it’s likely we’ll get nuked, per se. But economic nuking seems increasingly likely. I agree with you and others who can see (it’s so obvious) that Trump is what Biden was – a liability. Like Biden, he’s an angry, incoherent/demented old man who really ought to be in a rest home someplace as opposed to the White House.
The whole thing’s become a large-scale PISSING contest. I thought OM was supposed to be some great “negotiator”, especially with avowed enemies. Oh well, with our Israeli “friends”, why would we need “enemies” when we’re already following Don Corleone’s advice to keep our worst enemies the closest?
A nuclear war would disproportionately affect American big cities, infested with minorities, especially Negroes, Homosexuals, and Jews. BRING IT ON.
Now THAT’S looking on the bright side.
Said Colonel George Taylor, USAF, commander of the Icarus, now sans the blonde hotty, but still with Landon and Dodge, when they encounter a gaggle of primitive humans, apparently who don’t even speak, who took their clothes as they’d taken a dip in a local spring.
At this point, they don’t realize they’ve returned to Earth, but do know they’ve gone about 2,000 years into the future, per Dr. Otto Hasslein’s theories. They still think they’re on a star some 300 light-years distant from Earth in the constellation Orion. possibly Bellatrix: Landon remarks: “Looks like we got off on the wrong stop!” Taylor responds: “Look at the bright side. If they’re the best this planet’s got, in six months, we’ll be running the place!”
What the Quran Says About Mercy:
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/FuiykM3peJU
“The only just war is a defensive war.”
Guess which country in the Middle East is *NOT* attacking other countries, only defending itself when attacked.
Speaking of assassinations, in looking up Suez ’56 (since many were saying this War is US’ Suez) which was precipitated by Britain & US pulling funding from Aswan Dam causing Nasser to nationalize the Suez Canal in contravention of a treaty he had with Britain and France (or so Eden believed) found out a number of things (quotes are from Wiki: “Anthony Eden”):
1) Eden, UK PM, wanted Nasser assassinated: “What’s all this nonsense about isolating Nasser or ‘neutralising’ him as you call it? I want him destroyed, can’t you understand? I want him murdered, and if you and the Foreign Office don’t agree, then you’d better come to the cabinet and explain why.” When Nutting pointed out that they had no alternative government to replace Nasser, Eden apparently replied, “I don’t give a damn if there’s anarchy and chaos in Egypt.”
2) UN was not possible due to Soviet veto. Egypt refused diplomatic proposal where 18 nations including Egypt would govern Suez Canal. So: “At a private meeting at Downing Street on 16 October 1956 Eden showed several ministers a PLAN SUBMITTED two days earlier BY FRANCE. ISRAEL WOULD INVADE EGYPT, BRITAIN AND FRANCE WOULD GIVE AN ULTIMATUM telling BOTH SIDES TO STOP and, WHEN ONE REFUSED, SEND IN FORCES to enforce the ultimatum, separate the two sides – and OCCUPY THE CANAL and GET RID OF NASSER.” Apparently France and Britain didn’t want to appear colonial–but 1st use of Israel to justify European/US war (Trump admin staff was saying they wanted Israel to attack first so easier for US to attack Iran).
3) “Eden narrowly avoided assassination by the Stern (Lehi) Gang via a letter bomb sent by Betty Knouth and Yaakov Levstein.[115] Eden carried a letter bomb in his suitcase for a whole day, thinking it was a Whitehall pamphlet that he would read later in the day. He only realized it was a bomb after being warned by the police, who were informed by MI5.[116] In September 1947, a Belgian court sentenced Knouth to one year in prison and Levstein to eight months in prison for illegally transporting explosives with intent to commit a felony.” AI: In Britain: “The Stern Gang (Lehi) targeted British officials in England in 1947 with letter bombs sent to high-ranking politicians, including Prime Minister Clement Attlee, Foreign Secretary Ernest Bevin, and Anthony Eden. These letters were discovered before causing casualties, but the group also sent a letter bomb that exploded at the War Office in London on September 3, 1947.” In Palestine: “The Lehi (or Stern Gang) famously assassinated Lord Moyne (Walter Guinness), the British Minister Resident in the Middle East, in Cairo on November 6, 1944. They also targeted British officials and personnel in Palestine, including three failed attempts to assassinate Geoffrey Morton, a senior British police officer.”
4) Stern/Lehi tried to murder TRUMAN. “Mrs. Margaret Truman Daniel writes that “a number of cream‐colored envelopes, about eight by six inches, arrived in the White House, addressed to the President and various members of the staff.” They were found to contain “powdered gelignite, a pencil battery and a detonator rigged to explode the gelignite when the envelope was opened.”
“But the White House mail room, alert to the danger of postal bombs, discovered the letters and had them defused by Secret Service bomb experts…As far as could be immediately determined, Mrs. Daniel is the first member of the Truman White House circle to confirm that the letter‐bombs arrived, although the report also appeared in a 1949 book, “‘Dear Mr. President . . .’ The Story of Fifty Years in the White House Mail Room,” by Ira R. T. Smith, with the collaboration of Joe Alex Morris.
“Mrs. Daniel notes that the British police had determined that the bombs were powerful enough to “kill, or at the very least maim, anyone unlucky enough to open” them….Mr. Smith, in his book, reported that the gang had claimed responsibility for having sent the letters to England from its “branch in Enrope” and notes that, they were postmarked from Italy.”
https://www.nytimes.com/1972/12/02/archives/letterbombs-mailed-to-truman-in-1947-truman-was-sent-bombs-book.html
All Jewish groups did assassinations: Wiki “Lehi (Militant Group). According to a compilation by Nachman Ben-Yehuda, Lehi was responsible for 42 assassinations, more than twice as many as the Irgun and Haganah combined during the same period. Of those Lehi assassinations that Ben-Yehuda classified as political, MORE THAN HALF the victims WERE JEWS.[53]”
AI: “Following the assassination of UN representative Folke Bernadotte in 1948—which was ordered by Lehi leadership (including Shamir)—the group was declared a terrorist organization by the provisional government. However, members were later granted amnesty.
Yitzhak Shamir: After the group disbanded, many members joined the Israeli Defense Forces or entered politics. Shamir, who had directed Lehi operations, joined the MOSSAD before entering politics and becoming a key figure in the LIKUD party, which grew from the same right-wing tradition as Lehi and the Irgun. Shamir served as Israel’s Prime Minister from 1983–1984 and 1986–1992, representing the Likud party.”
AI: At least six prime ministers served in key pre-state paramilitary roles:
David Ben-Gurion: Leader of the Jewish Agency, which controlled the Haganah (the largest paramilitary group).
Menachem Begin: Leader of the Irgun (Etzel), a militant underground organization.
Yitzhak Shamir: A leader in the Lehi (Stern Gang) paramilitary group.
Yitzhak Rabin: A commander in the Palmach (the elite striking force of the Haganah).
Ariel Sharon: Served in the Haganah and later as a commander in the army at its birth.
Shimon Peres: Served in the Haganah.
Some analyses suggest that up to seven or eight early prime ministers, including Moshe Sharett and Levi Eshkol, had direct ties to pre-state militias, as participating in these groups became a common credential for leadership in early Israeli politics.
These organizations—the Haganah, Irgun, and Lehi—later formed the foundation of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) after 1948.
WRT Isra-Hell: With a “friend” like that…