Duct tape. 6/16/2004
Otherwise known as “100 mph tape”. Beloved of racers of all classes, duct tape is a known life saver. Usually sold in a roll about 2 inches wide, duct tape was originally intended for just that, taping ducts. Air conditioning ducts need sealing at the joints to prevent conditioned air from escaping, and duct tape fulfilled that need. Until someone noticed that the glue on the tape, which was formulated to hold air pressure in, would also hold up to a high speed wind blast.
And thus an entire industry came to rely on duct tape to hold vital pieces of equipment together. I have used duct tape to keep fairings on, lights, seats, fuel tanks, pipes and various other components in place, form impromptu race numbers, seal beer coolers against theiving hands, cover up torn pants, seats and crotches, blank off speedometers to minimise the ‘oh fuck!’ factor, and many other uses too numerous to mention, including restraining recalcitrant pets and small children. In my twenty some years of riding, I have never ever seen a single racing motorcycle without a piece of duct tape somewhere on the machine. Or the rider.
Another good waste of duct tape is one of seeing how many rolls it take to suspend someone from a vertical surface, like a wall. Typically, for a person weighing 150 lbs, 4-6 rolls of tape are used. Please note that removing duct tape from body hair is an extremely painful process, potentially resulting in the loss of friendship and the requirement for skin grafts.
Duct tape comes in many widths and colours, but the the best, and original, tape comes in a 2 inch width, and is a grey silver colour. The backing is a fibrous cloth, which is easy to tear width wise, but resists stretching and tearing in a longitudinal direction. Properly applied, duct tape will stay on in 100 mph plus wind, and will easily hold weights above 200 lbs.
The most famous interation of duct tape was a serious of articles by Ed Hertfelder, which first appeared in the pages of ‘Cycle’ magazine in the 70s. Ed wrote about his adventures in motorcycling, notably off road riding, and the various characters which inhabited that wonderful world. He was notorious for including the ‘pornographic’ paragraph, which was intended to be edited out before printing, but gave the editorial staff some light relief. In one case, the editor managed to miss the paragraph, and the article was actually at the printers before some called to ask if this article was meant to be included in that month’s printing. I once wrote a letter to Ed, when I was a young and new rider, and he was kind enough to send me a reply, which gave me encouragment to pursue my interest in this hobby.
Duct tape. Don’t leave home without it.