The Epic an electric tri car.

[fasteddy]

The tale of two heads. Engine heads that is. Rick {Indian22} gave me the name of the company who sold him the great looking heads on the new Harley Davidson track build, Boy go Fast is their name. Great items and the prices are fair.

Fair that is until you live in Canada. The heads are $38 each, then you add shipping at $30 each and always there is more. That is U.S. dollars and the total landed in my door yard is $97 Canadian for each head. The border is on lock down except for necessary travel and going down to my U.S. mail drop off store isn't included. That way I get a U.S. address and save the shipping costs and clear the customs myself without eBay's shippers sticky hands on it.

I did get in touch with the chap that sold me the magneto for the Indian tri car and he has a Jacobson engine head to match the spare head I have for $20 U.S. plus shipping. He's getting the final price with the shipping for me now.

I just keep smiling because it worries the forces around me. They are worried that I know something they don't.

Steve.

 

[Tom from Rubicon]

Steve, one wonders why you don't move South of the border. UP of Michigan for example, Mind you it does snow a$$ deep to a tall Native American. Winter is not as bad as Tromsø Norway. And the exchange rate for purchases is a non.
Tom

 

[fasteddy]

I lived in the U.S. for close to 25 years Tom. Only moved back over the medicine line was because of my deteriorating health and that I didn't have anyone to look after me while I recovered. Most of that time was in New Hampshire and up state N.Y. so I did see my share of snow and did I ever envy the tall fellas.

Spent my first 40 years in Ontario, Canada when winters were worse than they are today. Like all of us old timers the first years were fun then it became less and less fun until it was just plain annoying.

Steve.

 

[fasteddy]

The second head to match the spare one I have from the Indian tri car is on it's way. It was $9.95 U.S. and cost $20.75 to ship for a $30.70 U.S. or $45.00 Canadian.

Steve.

 

[Ralph hop]

A friend had a Canadian park his fithwheel camper on his lot while the man was here to visit in the central U.S. The man brought down some fine maple-cured smoked salmon in a vacuum seal and gave it as a gift. It was a taste of home for him but for us it was so rich and full of flavor. Can still remember it.

 

[Ralph hop]

The second head to match the spare one I have from the Indian tri car is on it's way. It was $9.95 U.S. and cost $20.75 to ship for a $30.70 U.S. or $45.00 Canadian.

Steve.

Steve, the Queen needs her payment.

 

[fasteddy]

Hi Ralph,
There is something about smoked salmon that can't really be matched by anything else. I was gifted some years ago by a chap I worked with who was a tribal member. In Canada indigenous tribes are referred to as First Nations People or just First Nations.

He was from a coastal First Nation. Salmon is both a food source and part of their religion and sacred ceremonies. He had gone home for the salmon run and brought back salmon that was smoked in the traditional way. It was an honour and a privilege to have received it.

The reason things cost so much here is that we have the second largest country in the world. Only Russia is larger but California has a larger population than Canada does. The cost of keeping all this going and our rather comfortable living standard going is by taxes.

To add to the mix 90+ percent of the Canadians live within 125 miles of the U.S./Canadian border. That's where the trains tracks went and the cities followed the train tracks. Most everything North of that is moose pasture. The basic wage here is usually $15 and hour and it's hard to find people who will work for that not that they are lazy but the wages payed are higher.

Americans are allowed to bring in up to $800 in purchases at a time if shopping on line before taxes and duty are applied. Canadians are allowed $20. This is to protect Canadian businesses against Canadian shoppers shopping in the U.S. and by passing Canadian businesses.

Doesn't matter so much now that our dollar is worth about 70 cents against the U.S. dollar or your dollar is worth a $1.30 in Canada so if we could cross the border it would be expensive to shop.

We are allowed a $200 personal exemption if out of the country for 24 hours and $800 if out of the country for 48 hours. I'm not sure how many times a year you can do this. There is a limit on the amount of alcohol and tobacco you can bring in at that time. Both heavily taxed here.

Sales tax in British Columbia is 14% on most things other than food. I don't know where food is taxed in Canada if it is.The health care we get is for the most part is excellent but it isn't free. Sort of a pay as you go plan. My recent ambulance ride to the hospital and the stay I won't see a bill for. Ambulance trips are $50 if you are over a certain base income level.

The Queen, God Bless Her. A toast when glasses are raised in her honour.

Steve.

 

[Ralph hop]

U.S. in simple terms, about half or more income goes to taxes if fuel cost is factored in. Fuel is one of the highest taxed goods here. Add health insurance you get less than 40 percent earnings a year to pay off bills and keep afloat. Sales tax is kept local unless online. Fuel, tobacco and alcohol is per state. Income tax is state, fed, Med, social security. The folks who paid into social security are being robbed their dollars through inflation over time. Most elderly who go into nursing homes have been loosing their assets. Ambulance ride three miles is 1200 and emergency check up 800 for no insurance around here. In America the government is on welfare.

 

[indian22]

So the Jacobson's it is since protectionism is prohibitive. Are bike parts direct from China hit that hard?

Rick C.

 

[PeteMcP]

Not sure about Canada, but let me jump in here with my two penn'orth so far as UK buyers are concerned when it comes to importing bike parts from China.
Few, if any of the umpteen components I've ordered from the Far East attract Customs charges. That's because China sellers - without having to be asked - are always happy to under-declare shipments. I always look at the customs declaration forms attached to such parcels and am pleased to confirm the value of goods I've received from the Orient are never declared over US$20. Even large box shipments such as the first frame/tank/forks I bought and the latest eHub kit I recently sourced from China slip in under HM customs radar. Same goes for India too. Thank goodness....

 

[MEASURE TWICE]

Closest I had to show was to the value and receipts from bike parts was to a CHP officer. The DMV was very busy so that I set up an appointment to have the bike looked over by CHP for my OHV offroad build. This is required by either the DMV or CHP officer to do before I can get a title, registration, and sticker. This for the bike without peddles (deemed off-road motorcycle). Declaring the value I put something like 500. I think I could have put less by valuing my time doing the build less. Anyway it is 50 dollars for 2 years to get a registration now and ride legal.

 

[indian22]

That's a bargain for certain.

 

[fasteddy]

As Pete said parts from Asia usually arrive via the Post Office and they don't very often apply the taxes. The claimed value when they are shipped is to say the least,"interesting."

I've bought parts from companies who proclaim in large letters in their ads that they "will not" undervalue the price of your purchase for the purpose of avoiding taxes and duty which are your responsibility. Then the $40 part shows up with a $9.95 declared value.

You wind up with the bearcat when Fed Ex and The Big Brown Van people get a hold of the package. Even if it is supposed to be duty free they still apply duty costs. Want to get it back? There isn't an app for that and they aren't sorry.

eBay has their shipping company working for them and they are very generous when it comes to shipping and it favours them usually. They also collect the duty and a service charge for their efforts.They have a handy little box below the shipping charges that tells you the costs for the duty charge. That's when you find out the cost for the $10 part you want to buy suddenly rockets upward with the $32 shipping and duty charges. I rarely buy from eBay any more because of it. I can only guess how much the eBay sellers lose by signing on to the service.

Steve.

 

[fasteddy]

The China Girl slanted spark plug heads arrived yesterday and the Jacobsen snow blower head arrived today. As Rick {Indian22} said the China Girl heads won't work well so it's the Jacobsen heads for the build.

I am going to get the Indian tri car out tomorrow and get it running. I think the problems are solved with it. Then I'll have a go at getting the crankcase made and the cylinders cut for the Epic so they can be checked with the heads on them to make sure they fit.

Hopefully this will go together quickly since it isn't a copy of another bike.
and there is no historic guide lines to follow.

Steve.

 

[PeteMcP]

The big day has finally arrived. Your Tri Car's debut will become the stuff of local legend! We're wanting pics as evidence.

 

[fasteddy]

The tubes for the cylinders and the mounting plates for the cylinders to crankcase are now cut out. The metal to form the crank case is cut out as well. I'll try and roll the metal for the crank case tomorrow.

Steve.

 

[indian22]

Start for your e-twin initiated Steve. I hope you have as much fun with yours as I have with mine. I hope to have access to the plasma table late next week if our local work ban is lifted or modified by city council. Is stuff entering going through the border more smoothly?

Rick C.

 

[fasteddy]

Still have a personal travel ban at the border but essential goods are still moving across the border but a little more slowly than normal. Post offices are over worked and short staffed and the delivery companies are swamped with work but that's on both sides of the border.

Looking forward to seeing how the faux twin engine will turn out New territory for me. They are talking about letting some of the businesses open here in British Columbia. The ones that will be allowed to open are being very cautious about doing so.

It was 65 and sunny here yesterday and today looks good so far.

Steve.

 

[indian22]

Thanks Steve. Lots of discoveries to be made in electrics for old gear heads to wrap around, but making mistakes and learning is a part of what I love about this hobby.

I'd like to see people get back to work, but also like to see a bigger decline in positive tests and mortality numbers.

Nice here as well but 95 to 105 degrees forecast over the next three day and that's really hot for May here in Indian Territory. I've heard that Corona don't like hot so there's that to consider as well. We can take the heat better than the virus.

Rick C.

 

[fasteddy]

I was able to get the crankcase shaped today. I used 16 gauge steel to make it. I took a piece of the 3" tubing I used for the cylinders and clamped a length of angle iron on top of it with 1/8" steel spacers under the ends to allow me to move the crankcase steel through it as I formed it over the tubing.

I had the form I used to make the Indian tri car crankcase which was fortunately 7". I used this to make sure that the crankcase was as round as possible. Tomorrow I will try and get the cylinder crankcase mounts done so they will be at the proper angle for the cylinders to fit.

Once the motor is as far as I can get it I'll start on the smoothing out the frame where it was welded.

Steve.