The Small Engine Shop

She Devils on Wheels is a 60's biker movie about an all female motorcycle club called The Maneaters. The film was released on May 7, 1968. The movie cost $50k to produce, and according to Wikipedia it's an exploitation film, which I think means a low budget film that relys on trends instead of marketing and quality to sell the film. She Devils on Wheels is one of the worst movies I have ever seen. Everything about it is bad. In fact, it's so bad it makes it kind of interesting to watch. Many of the actors were real bikers recruited from the Iron Cross motorcycle club.

One redeeming part of the film was a very clean and nice, brand new 1966 Harley Davidson FLH Electra Glide used by one of the characters. I say brand new because the film was probably made in 1966 and 1967. The bike is powered by a 1200cc Shovelhead engine, which was just released in 1966. If you look at old Harley marketing material from 1966 you realize the name 'Shovelhead' hadn't been coined yet, and all print material referred to the new engine as having a new carburetor and new heads for increased power. The color quality of the film is poor and the bike appears to be all white, but I think it's actually a two toned white and light pink color.  See photo's below.

The original Fright Night horror movie was released in 1985 and starred Willian Ragsdale, Amanda Bearse, Roddy McDowall and Chris Sarandon. In the movie Amanda Bearse character, Amy Peterson, rides a light copper metallic1984 Honda Elite 125 scooter. 1984 was the first production year for the Elite scooter models. I believe Honda named this scooter 'Elite' only in Canada and USA, and in other countries it was called 'Spacey.'

The 1984 Honda Elite 125 scooter is powered by a 4 stroke, overhead cam, water cooled, single cylinder engine with a displacement of 124 cubic centimeters. The Elite 125 seat height is 29.9 inches and the scooter weighed 216 pounds with a top speed of 55 mph. The scooter had a wheelbase of 47.2 inches and was equipped with 10 inch rims. The model colors available for the 1984 Honda Elite 125 were candy ruby red and light copper metallic. The Honda Elite 125 was only sold in 1984. In 1985 Honda bumped engine displacement to 153cc and in 1988 this generation of Honda Elite scooters was discontinued.

Some unique features found on the early Elite scooters was the popup headlight and digital dash used on the 125 and 150 Deluxe versions. The 1985 and later standard versions of the Elite 150 used a traditional mounted headlight and analog instruments.

Interesting note: I thinik the 1985 and 2011 versions of Fright Night are both entertaining movies, but there is something better about the older version that didn't rely so much on CGI. I noticed the same thing in the older version of the movie The Thing starring Kurt Russell. There is something lost in computer imagery.


Amanda Bearse riding a 1984 Honda Elite 125 in the movie Fright Night


Amanda Bearse riding a 1984 Honda Elite 125 in the movie Fright Night


The digital dash on a 1984 Honda Elite 125

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Here is a good representation of the older 1984 Honda Elite 125 and a newer Elite 110. It also shows the candy ruby red color offered for the 1984 Elite 125 scooter

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This video shows the pop up headlight used on the 1984 Honda Elite 125 scooter

Roman Holiday is an old black and white movie released in 1953 and stars Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn. It's a romantic comedy, but not too sappy. The movie was nominated for an Academy Award and it really is pretty good. It was produced back when Hollywood was regulated by the Hays Code, so movies had to reach a moral standard unlike today, it is a family friendly film. Roman Holiday is available on Amazon Prime for free for members, and Amazon does offer a free 30 day Prime trial for anyone that wants to sign up.

I really had no interest in seeing this film at first, but it did have a 1951 Vespa scooter used by the main characters to ride around Italy, so I watched it. See video below. The scooter has become famous over the years for appearing in this film. It's powered by a 98cc two stroke engine, and that exact same scooter still exists today. It recently sold at auction for $250,000.

Interesting note: In a few years, this movie will not meet the new rules to be nominated for an Academy Award because it is too white. Nolte: Oscars Announce End of Artistic Freedom With ‘Diversity Requirement’

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Harley Davidson's new brand of Serial 1 electric bicycles are feature rich, premium electric bicycles. Harley Davidson didn't seem to hold back on fitting the bicycle with quality components. All bicycle models achieve a lower center of gravity by using a frame and battery constructed in a way so the battery sits lower in the frame creating a lighter more agile feel for the rider. All bicycle models are fitted with wider, bigger tires to provide cushion, but are not so big that they interfere with handling. All bicycle models use a belt drive that doesn't require lubrication and has a life span several time longer than a chain and doesn't get your pant leg dirty. Premium hydraulic disc brakes are found on all models. All models use a Boise electric mid-drive motor that produces 90Nm of torque and all multi-gear models use a Nuvinci internally geared hub. The higher end model(s?) are fitted with automatic shifting.

Serial 1 electric bicycles are a bit pricey though, and start at $3399 with the higher end model having a MSRP of $4999. Is it worth it? It depends on the rider. These bicycles are designed and marketed for urban city riding. They excel in areas like New York City where owning a car or motorcycle to get around is not practical for many people. For example owning a Serial 1 electric bicycle doesn't require:

• A Drivers License
• Insurance
• Registration
• Parking on the street
• Gasoline
• Oil
• High Maintenance

A Serial 1 electric bicycle can be parked inside your home and charged every evening using a standard electrical outlet in about 3 to 6 hours. No need to worry about parking tickets and moving your vehicle to a different parking spot to avoid the meter maid. However, Serial 1 bicycle aren't worry free. The high cost makes them a prime target for bicycle theft, so you might want to think twice about parking outside. Having theft insurance might be a wise choice. Be sure and not skimp on security and buy only the best mechanical locks to secure a Serial 1 bicycle.

So yes, I think the high cost is worth it for some people living in congested urban areas. It will be interesting to see if Harley Davidson uses their motorcycle dealership network to stock and sell the Serial 1 bicycles. It would be nice to stop by and take one for a test ride.

Several different technologies have been used over the years to lock your car and prevent someone from driving away with it. From the very beginning up until around 1986, all cars and motorcycles used simple mechanical keys to lock and unlock mechanical locks installed in your vehicle. The keys were either single sided meaning cuts were made on the key on only one edge and could only enter the lock one way, or the key was double sided meaning cuts were made on both edges of the key and could enter the narrow key way in one of two different positions. The double sided key made it easier for the user and was often referred to as a convenience key.

The mechanical lock technology varied depending on the make of the vehicle. The types of mechanial locks used on cars and motorcycles are either wafer or pin tumbler locks. Often times a side bar was added to make it more secure as seen on many General Motor's vehicles. These type of mechanical locks are still used today.

Around 1986 General Motors added an electronic resister to the key blade on keys used for several different GM models. The resister could be 1 of 15 different resistance values and the car was configured to recognize only one value. If you used a key with the wrong resistance value the car would not start even though you might be able to turn the ignition lock. This system was called VATS, Vehicle Antitheft System. The VATS system added another level of security and was successfully used for more than a decade to help prevent car theft. The VATS system was in use from around 1986 to 2002 and was only found on General Motors vehicles.

In 1995 European insurance companies succeeded in pressuring countries in Europe to pass laws requiring all new cars sold in Europe to be equipped with a transponder system. The requirement forced auto manufactures to use transponder systems on cars sold around the world, which is why you see transponder systems used on all cars and trucks sold in the United States today. A transponder is an electronic device usually installed in the key and has the ability to communicate with the vehicles computer. The cars computer and the key can pass information between each other to verify that the right key is being used to start the car. If you insert a key into the ignition lock that can operate the lock in a transponder equipped vehicle, but has the wrong electronic information, the vehicles computer will tell the immobilizer system to disable the car and not allow it to start. The immobilizer is an electronic part of a vehicles antitheft system that disables the car when the wrong key is used. There have been several different algorithms used over the years with ever increasing complexity to make transponder systems a more secure. The transponder system is still in use today and has allowed auto and motorcycle manufacturers to almost eliminate the mechanical key and lock in some higher end vehicles.

Even though electronics is becoming more popular in automotive and motorcycle security, the simple mechanical key and lock are still in use today. Many single and double side keys have been replaced with another type of mechanical key often referred to as a high security key. The high security key has the cuts milled into the side of the key instead of on the edge. I'm not sure why the key is referred to as "high security." Maybe because it's new and the knowledge to defeat the technology isn't as widespread? I believe barrel keys and locks used on so many candy and coke machines and also on Harley Davidson touring motorcycles were once called "high security" when they first appeared, but are no longer called that. I guess every new antitheft technology is considered high security until someone figures out how to defeat it.

Below is a list of descriptions and their definitions used to describe modern day electronic vehicle antitheft systems:

Passkey Systems

I think "Passkey" orginated with General Motors and was primarily used to refer to the GM VATS system, which I described earlier. I've also seen it used to refer to a transponder system or key.

Keyless Entry Systems

Keyless Entry is used to describe automotive remotes used to unlock and lock your car doors and trunk to gain access to your vehicle. Some remotes also have panic buttons to set off the car alarm, and a remote start button to start your vehicle at a distance. Keyless Entry is also used to describe a key pad placed on the car door which allows the driver to input a code and open the car doors. I've seen these key pads on many Ford vehicles.

Smart Keys or Proximity Key

Smart Keys look like remotes and have the same remote features, but are also equipped with a transponder used to communicate with the cars computer. On some smart key systems a person inserts the smart key into a slot in the dash and presses a start button to start the car. On other higher end smart key systems the person with the smart key simply needs to be within a certain distance from the car for the computer to recognize the key and allow the person full access to the vehicle. Smart key systems eliminate the need for mechanical locks and keys. Smart Keys use radio frequency signals to communicate between the smart key and the vehicle. A car can be divided into zones allowing the car to grant access to different areas of the car depending on the location of the driver and smart key. I believe later model Harley Davidson touring motorcycles use some type of smart key. Often times the vehicle manufacturer will place a mechanical door lock on the drivers door and hide a mechanical key blade in the smart key to use in case of an emergency.

Alarm Systems

Some cars and trucks come equipped with alarm systems from the factory. Most motorcycle models don't have factory installed alarms, but I believe it is an option on Harley Davidson touring models. Alarms can be passive or active. Passive alarms switch on and off automatically and active alarms require input from the driver. When someone tries to break into a car and the alarm goes off it usually beeps the horn on and off while flashing the high beam headlights and hazard lamps. Some alarms have a built in siren that goes off. Alarms can come with different features such as ultrasonic sensors to detect movement inside the car or motion detectors to monitor the vehicles tilt.

Click on image to enlarge:

The first key is GM high security key with cuts milled into the side of the key, and a keyless entry remote. There is a transponder chip embedded in the key head or bow. The second key is a Ford double sided key with cuts on both edges of the key. It is a regular key with no transponder. The third key is a Chrysler single sided key with cuts on only one edge of the key. It is a regular key with no transponder. The fourth key is a Mercedes Benz smart key that is also a keyless entry remote.

Click on image to enlarge:

This is an aftermarket VATS key for GM vehicles. This key is a single sided key, but they also make a double sided VATS key. You can see the resister embedded in the key blade.