Just
about once a day I surprise someone by saying that all new Vespas are
automatic. Twist and go, nothing to it, easiest thing in the world to
ride. Inevitably it’s followed by the question of, “how does that
work?” It’s really quite simple and ingenious; first let’s get an
understanding of some of the principles behind gearing.
Tech talk: How Vespa Automatic Transmissions Work
On January 27, 2012
TTRNO's Max Materne & JT Nesbitt Begin Cross-Country Trek In The Magnolia Special
On October 21, 2011
World Famous Motorcycle Designer, and New Orleanian, JT Nesbitt & TTRNO's Max Materne began their trek from NYC to Los Angeles in the custom built Magnolia Special. Their goal is to be the first alternative fuel passenger vehicle (compressed natural gas) to make a trip from coast to coast. You can follow their progress on their facebook & twitter accounts.
NOLA Motorsports Park.....Almost Ready!
On September 30, 2011
You have heard us talking about NOLA Motorsports for 2 years now, and there is finally light at the end of the tunnel. NOLA Motorsports Park is a motorsports utopia currently under construction just 20 minutes from downtown in Avondale, LA. The facility will offer two full road courses (when combined make the longest road course in North America), kart facitily, autocross pad, high performance driving & riding schools, track days, kart rentals, driver education courses, spectator events, hot laps and much more. NOLA will rival any motorsports complex in North America.
Ethanol: the good, the bad and the mostly bad
On August 18, 2011
What is ethanol?
Ethanol, currently found in most fuel, is the same kind of alcohol in your pantry but distilled to the point where it is nearly pure. The United States ethanol industry is largely based on corn ground into “meal” and paired with enzymes to convert it’s starch to simple sugars. Yeast is added and the combination is distilled then dehydrated to produce a 200 proof alcohol (a small amount of gasoline is added to keep this undrinkable.) Ethanol is highly miscible meaning that it attracts water, and because of this is can not be transported in pipelines, rather it is added to gasoline filled tanker trucks before delivery to gas stations.
TTRNO Draws a Crowd at Magnolia Special Debut
On August 15, 2011
TTRNO's Annual Summer Open House was another successful event this year with the unveiling of designer JT Nesbitt's Magnolia Special. The hand build aluminium, natural gas powered, car attracted hundreds of admirers. The car with built with the assistance of TTRNO's Max Materne. Max desiged, and installed, the cars entire electrical system.
What is the Magnolia Special? An insight into JT Nesbit's new creation debut at TTRNO this Saturday.
On August 04, 2011
This Saturday TTRNO has the pleasure of unveiling world famous designer, and New Orleanian, JT Nesbit's newest creation, the Magnolia Special. This new, hand built, aluminium car will run on compressed natural gas. It was build with the help of TTRNO's Max Materne (who designed the wiring harness), and will be driven coast to coast this fall. Below is the description of this piece of art by JT himself. We hope to see you Saturday evening!
Debut of JT Nesbitt's "Magnolia Special" @ TTRNO's Summer Open House
On July 27, 2011
Join us for our annual summer celebration of the art of transportation. Escape the heat of Julia Street, while you enjoy Red Bull or Absolut cocktails, as we debut the Magolia Special, a hand crafted custom car powered by clean burning domestic natural gas. The first of its kind, the Magnolia Special draws on DNA from pre-war Alfa Romeo, the cars of W.O Bentley, with a dash of Bugatti and a little bit of post-war American hot rod. This car is the work of designer JT Nesbit, and built with the help of TTRNO's Max Materne.
TTRNO at New Orleans' Bull Run Event @ NOLA Motorsports
On July 22, 2011
There are some perks to being in the powersports business and NOLA Motorsports Park's opening is sure to enhance these experiences for us. Last Wednesday NOLA invited us to attend the Bull Run Live Rally as it came thru New Orleans on their trek from Las Vegas to Miami. The Bull Run is described on their website as "the most glamorous and high profile of the new breed of high-end luxury lifestyle automotive rallies". I would sum that up as "race" from Las Vegas to Miami with very expensive cars attended by celebrities and unique personalities.
Tech Talk: What's a Dyno?
On May 26, 2011
What is a Dyno?
Short for Dynamometer, a dyno is any device used for measuring force and power. Dynos can work in very different ways, but TTRNO’s Dynojet Dynamometer determines horsepower (HP) by calculating a motorcycle’s rate of acceleration as the motorcycle’s rear wheel spins a 500 lb roller. After the HP of the motorcycle has been determined, the dyno’s computer can measure the RPM of the engine and use the equation, HP = (torque x engine RPM)/5252, to determine the torque.
It is time to get YOU on the track!
On April 20, 2011
We talk a lot about track days, and there are quite a few people who ask us, "what are track days all about?". Track days are like any other motorcycle or scooter event that brings people together around one common interest, enjoying bikes!
One common misconception is that track days are races. Well they are not.... Track days are the opportunity to ride a motorcycle in a controlled environment. It allows you to let go of all of the worries of cars not paying attention to you, or speed traps and redlight cameras while you improve your riding techiques. Imagine being able to ride your bike like it was designed to be ridden.
