erikminman on Instagram

Instagram

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Fame hits you in the strangest ways.

Goofing off at the end of the day at work, and I cam across the blog of Murilee Martin, on of the organizers of the 24 Hours of Lemons series. This link will bring you to the direct page where my misfortune is brought to light. The game was The Mopar Small-Block Pushrod Drop, and I was punished with this penalty for running of the the race track at full speed. I think I pissed the judges off by completing this penalty in less than five minutes. Seems I figured out the trick to this tricky game. http://murileemartin.com/wordpress/?p=1068

Monday, March 28, 2011

Spoken Art

http://vimeo.com/21016797 Pretty cool idea using the stroboscopic effect or strobe effect. At first I thought this was a well timed stop motion video, you dont find out until the end the secret on how this was created.

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Monday, March 21, 2011

http://vimeo.com/20601448

Definitely worth checking out.
The bit from 3:42 to 3:46? I can totally do that.
From this day forward, all of my mountain bike rides will seem to be somehow lacking.

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Rolling a Reliant Robin - Top Gear - BBC


Top gear is now into the teens in amount of seasons it has produced, however I am just finding out about it. This is one pretty damn funny episode I have come accross. I can also recomend the "rental car rodeo" and the episode where the host takes the smallest car ever produced out for a spin through the office, into the elevator and out into the streets. I about wet my pants when I watched the one above!! beware..

Blind Bike Trials Video 1


On a trials bike kick... Some more SiK trials riding from this guy Matt. Not as "extreme" as old Danny boy, but uhhh HE IS BLIND?!?!? Talk about inspiration, he can only see about up to a foot in front of his domepiece. Incredibad!!!! This isn't his best video, as he has a few out on the webs, but it is the one with the Star Wars style intro explaining his situation. Unreal, might have to add a trials like and some serious body armour to the fleet for this summer....

Monday, March 14, 2011

Inspired Bicycles - Danny MacAskill April 2009



That link below got me thinking about this video. Even after showing everyone I have ever met this video, and watching it over 20 times I am completely speechless. You don't have to be into bikes, or extreme sports to know when you watch this that it is TRUELY F-ING AMAZING. Call this kid MacA-Skills. How he handles a bicycle with surgical, weightless precision, is more magical than any basket Jordan has ever made, more beautiful than any 100ft putt Tiger has ever sank. The somewhat slow and then upbeat soundtrack of Band of Horses is the perfect backdrop when watching someone on a bike start by riding across a wrought iron fence and then to doing 20ft high back flips off of a tree. With over 24 million views, I know I am not the only fan. You will now see Danny on countless US commercials flipping and spinning while doing an endo in the background; including this VW commercial....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O4fs8gS7ANA
Here he is the star of the show, and preforms what I will call "the revers endo escalator," and makes it look completely effortless!?
So share my friend Danny with 24 million of your friends, and watch this video one more time.

flippin' sweet

This video is pretty amazing. Check it out, its the works of an aerial ballet. Looks like I have some practicing to do to keep up with kids like this!


http://sports.espn.go.com/action/fmx/news/story?id=6198957

Saturday, March 12, 2011

Charlotte Representin

According to the Bleacher Report, the Charlotte Bobcats Ladycats are the 3rd hottest dance squad in the nation. From what I have witnessed, I can see why they would be in the top ten. They could just stand at the 3 point line and make 9Th hottest dance squad without even moving. Speaking of 9Th, the New Orleans Hornets just squeaked int other top 10. Maybe after this news the hard feelings about loosing the hornets will finally be put to rest. Maybe.http://bleacherreport.com/articles/631356-nba-power-rankings-who-has-the-hottest-dance-squad-in-the-league#page/29

Dual Sport

They should make dual sport motorcycle tags out of Teflon. I think this is going to be the new look for the green monster. Why pay for custom plates? Use you finger to make it say what ever you want.

Found some local mud




As promised, I took out the KLX. Surprisingly, I was able to find trails, nasty, muddy, rocky, torn up, trails within about 3 miles from my house. Back in the woods, I met up with 2 dudes and a chic sitting on four wheelers, and ended up following them through the muck for several hours. A few mistakes were made. First don't follow 3 four wheelers that are all equipped with snorkels. Second don't follow four wheelers while riding on a dirt bike. they completely destroy the trail and fling mud and stinky swamp goo all over you. Third, don't follow four wheelers, unless you want that small clear creek your about to cross, to turn into a huge, stinky brown pea soupy mess. Fourth, do follow 3 four wheelers if you want to "break in" your new ride that you just detailed, and want to have one hell of a Saturday. The weather could not have been more perfect, and besides the bent shifter (huge stump hidden in muck) the bike ran flawlessly.
Lets see what next weekend have to offer. So far with this bike under me, it has seen 3 paved miles, and 26 miles of dirt, mud, muck, and UNCC area trails.
It seems that i may have just have outgrown my garage. Just picked up this sweet 2006 KLX250. This little green machine is all ready to go hit the streets or the woods. It came with a modded/upgraded air box, jet kit, and about $1000 worth of riding gear. The only thing I can think of that I am going to do is swap the front sprocket down to a 13 tooth, and find a reasonable exhaust system or stocker from a KLX300. The 13 tooth cog will make this a wheelie machine but will also increase the top end. Seems like magic for all of fifteen bucks. I cant wait to see where it will take me today. The next mission will be to find some cool local trails in the Charlotte area. Anyone know of any shoot me some info, and if you want to ride, do the same.

Friday, March 4, 2011

FINISH HIM!!!

Seemed like a good idea at the time...
Any in need of a full size commercial Mortal Kombat II Arcade machine in a genuine Midway cabinet?? I just don't have the room for it anymore. My house is closing in around me with all my toys. Seriously, come and get it.



Orange nightmare

I am trying to convince a coworker to let me borrow her Harley Davidson Nightster for a week or so. Yes I said HER. She has been trying to get me to buy this thing for almost a year now. It is pretty bad ass, and a lot faster than I have ever imagined a Harley could be. Last summer I took it screaming across our work parking lot. It literally blew the contacts right out of my eyes.
I have never been a Harley guy, but this bike has really changed my opinion in general. They look good without all that extra blingity-bling chrome everywhere. Well I think I will continue to pretend that I might actually buy the thing so I can take it for an extended test drive around the Queen City.
This one isn't her actual bike, but is sure is identical. I think her exhaust is chrome, but if it were mine, I would get the flat black set of pipes that I have seen on a few others around town. God I love the two wheeled toys!!!!

Thursday, March 3, 2011

Givi Crash bars

The crash bars came in today!! Put them on in less then 30 minutes. Overall awesome upgrade in the look of the bike and great protection in an accidental drop. From what I have read from the V-Strom websites, people caution you away from the Givis' because of vibration issues. I took it for a quick test drive and didn't notice any vibration or noise coming from the bars. Two thumbs up so far. Lets see after I put some more miles on this thing....



The new daily driver

I bought this about a month ago and sold my Aprilia Pegaso. I was sad to see it go, but I needed something a little bigger, stronger, and more reliable. I travel to three area nuclear plants in the spring and fall for their outages and my truck just wont make it. So far this thing has been great. It is a 2008 Suzuki V-Strom 1000, or DL1000. it is the quickest bike I have ever owned and super easy to maneuver through traffic. I have a few plans for it this summer including a high fender mount, rear rack (that will incorporate a bicycle rack), Givi crash bars, and a graphics kit for the front ferrings. I will post more pics as the work gets done.

Vespa Bianchi Bike


Selling this on eBay...
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=250777618639&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT
the auction ends in a little under 5 hours with no bids :(. I thought 300 bucks was a steal for this Italiam made bike. Oh well we will see what happens.