Manila-Matnog v.v. in 24 hours - Man and Machine Endurance Ride (1)

As early as September, I've been following a thread in MCP Rides and Touring section titled Manila-Matnog in 24hours Extreme Ride. Last year, they had a similar feat which I missed because a few days prior to this ride, I completed my solo ride to Caramoan also in Bicol region. Needless to say, I am very much interested in joining the challenge this year.
For rides like this, careful planning is required especially for those on small bikes. Since I'll be riding my Honda Bravo for this challenge, there is really no room for mistake like getting lost. As part of the planning, I studied the maps and the start and stop points which is both located along C5.
Never been to C5 on two wheels and the mentioned places in the forums where the challenge starts and ends is really unfamiliar. Three weeks before the ride, I went to the two Petron stations along C5 where the ride is supposed to start and end.
This is the Petron station after Market-Market and this is the place where we will start the long trip at 12 midnight of November 28.


And this is the Petron where we should be at before the 24 hour countdown ends.

Malabrigo Lighthouse

Malabrigo lighthouse was a surprise when I did the Lobo-Laiya loop ride.

Voltage Stabilizer for Motorcycles

I was lurking in MCP electrical forums and came across with a gadget called voltage stabilizer or VS.

Looking into the schematic, it is nothing but capacitors and wires of course.  A variation is to put a safety feature by inserting a fuse.
Some users claim of better horn performance, easy starting and even fuel economy to mention a few of the benefits.

I tried installing my version of a VS in my motorcycle.  This is how it looks like.  It fits nicely inside the U-box.  Now I have to figure where to put my other stuffs.  Things such as spare tube, wrenches and rain gears.

Unfortunately, I didn't really have the chance to test or gather data to verify the claims above.  I prefer the peace of mind having a spare tube, tools and rain gears.  Perhaps when I can afford to buy a Givi box.

Log Periodic Antenna (1)

The antenna motivation

Who needs an antenna when there's cable TV available?  What is log periodic and why log periodic?

I live about 90 kilometers from the capital Manila and TV signals are weak.  We have two local relayed channels of the biggest TV networks, GMA7 and ABS-CBN2 broadcast on channels 12 and 10, respectively.  A simple dipole is enough to watch these two channels and that was our setup since moving here.  But then there is an emerging power in the Philippine TV network wars and it is Channel 5.  I believe the guys behind this channel is quite aggressive in designing their programming and it is also refreshing to watch an alternative.  I like channel 5 and the kids like it too which is enough reason for me to construct an antenna with a better reception.  To answer the first question, I don't think we need cable TV.  Some news and a little of those documentaries is enough for me.  The kids are happy with Ben 10, Sponge Bob, etc.  Why pay when all of these are available and free?

The log periodic antenna

So what is a log periodic antenna?  The complete name for this type of antenna is Log Periodic Dipole Antenna (LPDA) TV channels are in the so-called VHF and UHF segment of the RF spectrum and each channel has its own transmission frequency.   A dipole antenna can be optimized to receive one channel if cut according to a known formula but it won't be able to give you a good reception when you change the channel.   Since it is quite impractical to cut a dipole for each channel, a log periodic antenna is a good option.  Log periodic are wideband antennas and thus capable of receiving multiple channels.

Why part 2

Since long posts are somewhat boring,  I'll be posting another installment on the same subject.

Tricycles in the Fast Lane

The tricycle issue

Ask any motorcycle rider in the Philippines about their sources of frustration and grief while being on the road and tricycles will definitely be one of them.

What are tricycles

Tricycle is a common mode of public transport in the Philippines.  As the name implies, it has three wheels, two for the motorcycle that propels the whole thing and one for the sidecar attached.  Most are powered by two stroke engines due to its torque characteristics but there was a law passed that requires all motorcycle manufacturers to produce four strokes only.  I haven't read that law myself but the effect can be verified by simply observing the traffic in the Philippine roads.

Usual encounters

For the old two strokes, the power plant is usually 100cc and having said this, the tricycle is severely underpowered. It is therefore not surprising that a tricycle cruises at about 40kph.  You can imagine running at twice their cruising speed and then at a certain junction, a tricycle driver decided to join your lane, you can't help but feel bad about your helpless situation.  It could've been better if there's no traffic on the other lane which is not always the case.  I could cite more equally stressful situations but I won't because a familiar reader might get a heart attack.

Adding more power

Being underpowered is one of the problems of these tricycles.  Fortunately, manufacturers are now selling motorcycles with higher capacities like the Barako 175.  I personally saw tricycles that can cruise at about 80kph which is an acceptable highway speed.  Safety wise, I am not sure and I believe even the government don't have an answer for this.

The main problem

Another problem with the tricycle and much more potent than the lack of power is the attitude of its drivers.  I am finding it really hard to describe how these guys drive but one thing is sure, most of them drive dangerously because they are like drivers from hell.  They would turn without signaling first, accelerate and decelerate erratically, ride during the night without headlights, tail lights or both just to name a few.  If the government would be competent enough to conduct a study to find out the real root causes of accidents on the road, tricycles would be one of the top ten in the pareto.

Blogger Templates

If you are using Blogger from Google and editing your template, you need to be careful specially if you have meta codes inserted into the html.

In case you are not aware, meta codes are used by some if not most of the search engines when indexing web pages.  The words or phrases used needs to be optimized both in meta and page content to get a better ranking in search engine searches.

Fortunately, Blogger allows one to save the current template first before any edit is done.  Another way is to save the meta codes into a text file.

Honda Bravo Topspeed

Whenever a new motorcycle model comes out, one of the most asked question is the topspeed.  Even my Honda Bravo with its puny 100cc engine is not being spared from the curiosity.  Motorcycle and even non-motorcycle forums are full of arguments about the subject.


I have to admit, I am a speed freak myself but when I ride, I would constantly ask myself if the speed I'm running is safe or not.  The road itself has a certain beat and you need to follow its rhythm.  What I would like to say is that there is no sense in finding out your top speed when you're on a busy and crowded road full of pedestrians and motorists alike.


Too often, people would say the numbers they have achieved and will swear that it is indeed their top speed.  Later in the discussion, you'll find out what they have modified in their motorcycles.  On most underbones, speed is detected on the front wheel and therefore it is quite easy to "improve" your top speed by carefully choosing your front rubber.


But the question still remains.  How to determine that elusive top speed?


My suggestion is to learn first how your motorcycle measures speed.  Afterwards, find a more accurate measurement device like a GPS to calibrate out the error.  There are actually other methods which can be learned by doing some research.  Google is everbody's friend.


So what's the top speed of my Honda Bravo?  If the stars are aligned, this 100cc motorcycle can hit a good 100km/hr  based on its own speedometer and using the stock front tire.  In comparison, the handheld GPS reads just over 90km/hr.


Case closed!


Related Topics:
Honda Bravo Motorcycle
Modified Honda Bravo
Honda Bravo Review

Honda CB110 Twister

The Honda CB110 Twister is the latest addition to what Honda Philippines has to offer to the motorcycle riding public.

Unlike the venerable XRM and the other follow-up models which has so-called underbone chassis, the latest offering has the Advanced Diamond Design.  It also comes with a bigger gas tank at 8 liters which is good news for riders with the same trip as mine.  Another plus is the manufacturer qouted 70kms/L consumption.

Below are the complete specifications from Honda Philippines.

Engine Type	4- Stroke, Air Cooled Over-Head Cam (OHC)
Displacement	109.1 cm3
Bore X Stroke	50.0mm x 55.6mm
Starting System	Electric / Kick
Compression Ratio	9.0:1 "1.4Mpa"
Max Power	6.41kw @ 8000 r/min
Max Torque	8.97Nm @ 6000r/min
Gear System	Down UP
Dimension (LxWxH)	1967mm x 742mm x 1075mm
Seat Height	794mm
Wheel Base	1257mm
Steering Angle	Left = 43 deg  Right = 43 deg
Dry Weight	100 kg
Ignition System	DC-CDI / Battery
Brake System	:Front      Hydraulic Disc
	:Rear       Mechanical Leading Trailing
Tire Size	:Front       70/100-17M/C 40P
	:Rear        80/100-17M/C 53p
Tire Type	:Front       Tubeless
	:Rear        Tubeless
Battery	Maintenance Free
Fuel Capacity (Reserve)	8.0L (1.6L)

This bike first came out in India and probably was designed there.  News of this bike started around early September and I can now see this bike being driven in the highway.  The model was formally launched at the Mall of Asia on September 18, 2010/

Personally, I think I have now found a worthy successor to my ever reliable Honda Bravo.  Hopefully, God-willing and by December, I'll be riding my own Honda CB110 Twister.

Modified Honda Bravo

By design, the Honda Bravo motorcycle is meant to be modified.  When it was initially released, some "standard" parts were missing but was added back in the revised version.

Since no other motorcycle in the Philippines has something like the handlebar installed in the Honda Bravo, it is one of the immediate parts that will be changed by their owners.  Difficulty and cost depends a lot on how the end product would look like.  As an example, cutting the original handlebar, bending it up such that an aftermarket "Raider" handle can be attached is less costly than replacing the whole handle bar with an aftermarket one.  For the second type, most often that not, these are imported or custom made.

Another way to modify the Honda Bravo's handlebar is what is now called Bravo R conversion.  This means more work done on the head, fork is replaced with one that has longer tube, addition of butterfly would be necessary and sawing the fairing will be required.  After the job is done, the headlight now moves as you turn the handlebar and converting the front brake to disc brake should take less time and effort.
Below is a Bravo R from a member of PBRC.

The next modifications are similar to how people would modify other undebone models.  Also, since there's a lot of things common to Honda Wave 100 and Honda Bravo, there's a good chance that there are interchangeable parts between these two models.

Calamansi Powered LED

I recently completed a very simple LED circuit powered by calamansi battery.  Yes, you're reading it right, electrical energy from that sour little thing.

Calamansi if I'm not mistaken is translated as Philippine lemon in English.  It is used in cooking, in making sauces or dips, juice for lemonade, medicine for cough, etc.  What I did is a strange application for calamansi.



The circuit is composed of 1 LED (light emitting diode), 1 pushbutton switch, the calamansi battery and wires off course.  Everything is held together either by quick setting glue or solder.  The base used is a piece of illustration board while the small box used to contain some electronic gadgets transferred elsewhere.  When the button is pressed, the LED should light up as shown in the picture.



So how come those calamansi was able to light up the LED?

Normally, a battery has two electrodes, one negative and one positive.  The third element is the electrolyte.  For our battery, I used 1 inch iron nails as negative electrodes and solid copper wire cuts (about 2 inches) as positive electrodes.  Now it should be obvious that  calamansi would serve as our electrolyte.

To create a single cell, a single calamansi gets a nail and copper wire pair pressed into it.  Each cell generates about half a volt which is not enough to light up the LED.  I ended up with 7 cells connected in series.  The LED started to glow with about 5 cells and I added two more to make it brighter.  I don't know how much current this battery can produce but it will not be so much.  That's for sure!

With 7 cells, the open-circuit voltage of the calamansi battery is 3.2V.  It drops when loaded to about 1.6V which is more or less the forward bias voltage for the LED.

The Rider's GPS

I bought a GPS unit at Circuit City in California when my previous company sent me to the US for a training.  Regular price was $150 but the sale price was reduced to $100.  Not a bad deal plus the fact that I really like to own one.  Another thing is that the rental car I used while I was there is GPS equipped and I found it really cool.



The unit a bought is a handheld Magellan GPS.  Not much help if you're on the road because the default map is very basic.  If I want a detailed map, I would need to shell out some cash.  It also unfortunate that the default map with main roads and points of interests are in the US.  The map of the whole world is there but is not very defined especially the coastal areas.  As an example, when you're on a seashore, the GPS would indicate that you're actually in the water but in actual, you are a good 10 meters away from getting wet.

So what do I use this gadget for?

Well I use my GPS when I do long rides.  With a printed map, it is a good tool to show where you are.  GPS units usually plots your location every second or depending on how you set it to update.  Comparing the map and the GPS track, you'll know if you made a wrong turn, etc.

This unit is also good if you're trekking.  I live at the foot of a mountain called Makulot.   Me and my son would do a climb whenever there's a chance.  We can then be a bit adventurous by not following the trail without fear of getting lost.  It is quite easy to do trackback.

This unit is powered using two AA batteries.  In my case, I bought 2500 mAh rechargeables.  Battery life is about 6 hours.

Solar Power In The Philippines

In a sunny country like the Philippines, solar power can be an ideal source of energy.  It is therefore quite ironic that there are still very few households or individuals with solar panel installations.

Much has been publicized about the pros of using the sun as the source of energy.  Foremost of which is the idea that this is free and renewable.  Scientists calculated that the sun has been in existence for quite sometime releasing great amounts of energy.  The good news is, it will continue to do so and we can be rest assured that it will keep on doing what it has been doing until our last days here on earth.

Is the energy that comes out of those solar panels really free?  The answer is yes and no.  The companies that manufactured the solar cells spent time and money in research and production before it is available in the market.  It is a common knowledge that businesses are there to make money and in order to do so they would sell those solar cells to us at a certain price.  Solar energy therefore is not free but you can probably classify it as an investment.  It earns money ( not online :D ) since you don't have to pay the power provider for your energy usage.

Here in the Philippines, solar energy  hasn't really caught on simply because of the prohibitive cost.  For example an advertised 20 Watt solar panel costs 10,000 pesos.  This is too much for an average Juan but this might be cheap to expatriates or well-off Filipinos.  Personally, I'd like to install one in my house but in order to do so, I have to save-up first.  I am aware of the benefits of solar cells powering my house but then shelling out this much would definitely strain our budget.

Solar panel advertisement in the Philippines

Solo Rider's pre-Ride Check

So what needs to be checked before hitting the road for that once in a lifetime ride?

This is my personal (ideal) list but if you think something needs to be added, feel free to drop me a message.

I usually start with the goal. If I wanted to go to a particular place, I would first do a research about it. Google is my friend. I would dig the web for ride reports, travel destinations, etc. I would list down the towns that I will be passing along the way, places of interest, road and traffic conditions as well as gas stations and of course places where I can eat and rest. Afterwards, I would plan on the itinerary. A map is a must!

The next thing I would prepare is the motorcycle. Normally, I start with the tire. Most often than not and especially for long rides, buying a new rubber is the best option. When you're hundreds or thousands of miles away from home, having a flat tire should be the least of you're worries. New tires would give you added peace of mind but that doesn't mean you shouldn't prepare for the worst. I also check the chain looseness and lubrication, brake adjustment and all lights should be functional. I always carry spares with me such as inner tube, plug, bulbs and even spare chain on long rides. Aside from this, I also bring tools inside bike's compartment. Although probably not really a must, I would normally change the engine oil as well.

After the bike is ready, I would then prepare the stuffs I need such as things for personal hygiene, first aid kit, rain gears, etc. Don't forget to bring cellphone/s. More ways for contact, the better. Cash is also better than cards and of course, you should have enough. Bring something to identify you, something that cannot be taken so easily in case something really bad happens.

And last but not in any way the least, if you're like me...pray before you leave.

Ride safe!

Solo Rider on Venus Raj

You're a refreshing face amidst the gloom of what happened right in the center of our motherland. I hope you continue to stay humble.

I wasn't able to watch the competition as it unfold thus I didn't jump like crazy as those guys on Youtube. But that doesn't make me lesser fan of yours. I'm a big, big fan actually.

I wish you continued success in all your endeavors.

Note: The picture is not mine. If you're the owner, drop me a message so I can give you the proper credit.

I plan on putting English captions for these videos. Thanks GMA7 and hastdudick for uploading.

The Quirino Grandstand Hostage Crisis

As a Filipino, I am very much ashamed with what happened. I am terribly sorry for the lives lost. It is traumatic for me and for sure for most Filipinos. We feel the pain of those who lost their loved ones. I know it is only a fraction of what you feel but please believe me when we say we feel the pain.

To the authorities, how many more lives to be taken before you shape-up? You should remove the "FINEST" word in those decals. It definitely doesn't fit. I am tempted to recommend that you put "WORST" instead but I won't because everybody deserves another chance. Sadly, those who died won't get any...

A sad day for Filipinos and for those who care around the world.

My Honda Bravo After A Year

Honda Bravo 100cc Review

This is some sort of a review after a year of using my  Honda Bravo.  So far, this 100cc motorcycle has traveled about 25,000 kilometers. Based on this figure, it will take me another 3 years before the counter resets to zero. The odometer only has 6 digits with the last one for the decimal. I plan on doing a review of this motorcycle every year.
For the previous year, below is the list of what happened....

Suspension
I've dropped the bike several times and there's one major accident I had with a jeepney. Due to this, I needed to change the steering stem assebly and paid a machine shop to straighten the fork tubes. I don't know where to buy the original fork oil used on Showa forks and I experimented with 2T oil, ATF and finally settled with Repsol fork oil.

Rims and Tires
Bravo came with 1.2x17 rim and 2.25x17 tires in front. Stock setting for the rear is 1.4x17 rim 2.5x17 tires. Both are Inoue brand.
I prefer wider tires and to have this, I transferred the rear rim and rubber to the front. Rear now have 1.6x17 rim and 2.75x17 tire. At the moment I am using Leo Laser tires for both. This tire is low cost but it somehow exceeded my expectations on dry and wet surface.

Electricals
Last month, the headlight was busted and I bought a yellow halogen bulb as replacement. It cost 10x times more compared to ordinary H6 bulb available in motorcycle parts store but I am happy with the performance. The only drawback is that the high and low beams are reversed. I've read before that headlight bulbs made in China for motorcycles are like this because the Chinese are using a different standard.
Earlier, the left turn signal in the front was also busted. It cost me a few pesos.
For the ignition, I am using a side-gapped plug. The Bravo seems to be quite happy with it. I usually carry a spare plug for emergency purposes and this is an unmodified plug. One day, I installed this one instead and the motorcycle felt sluggish. So it seems sidegapping really works.

Overall, I believe it is a good decision for me to choose this bike. There are better looking models and cheaper Chinabikes as alternatives but my Honda hasn't given me a single headache so far. Inspite if the daily wide-open-throttle moments, deep ruts in the Philippine road networks, rough roads of Bicol, Batangas and Mindoro as well as one Bagiuo climb, this little bike has proven its worth.

I am a proud owner of this ugly, puny 100cc Honda Bravo motorcycle!

Related Topics:

Honda Bravo Topspeed

Modified Honda Bravo

Honda Bravo Motorcycle

Mangyan Rider's Blog Resurrected!

Starting today, this blog will be once again alive. In the first place and with last year's four posts, I wonder if we can really call this a living blog. Probably 'barely' would be appropriate, but anyway...

Yeah, past is past and it is all gone so why dwell on it? I always remember the saying, yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery but today is a gift that is why it is called present. If you happen to see the movie Kung Fu Panda, this was spoken by the master.

Now, as if everyone in the world hear me, I declare this blog.... RESURRECTED!!!