#Precious cargo transportation solutions facebook series

We see the PBoC announcement as just the latest in a series of bearish events: 1. Bears say that gold buying by China will probably only be offset by selling elsewhere. Gold bulls disregard the PBoC report as misleading, believing China's holdings to be larger still. It's the macrofundamentals of the global economy that are driving down the price of gold, which Price et al refer to as the 'Last Bastion, Besieged': For some entertaining examples, check out photographer Hans Kemp’s book, “Bikes of Burden,” which shows some very creative load-carrying in Vietnam, or just Google the phrase “bikes of burden” and then click on the Images tab.Gold investors have been crushed over the past few days after China disclosed that it held far less gold in its central-bank reserves than was widely believed, and after rumours that a major Chinese investor liquidated a large bloc of gold very suddenly on Monday.ĭon't blame China though, Morgan Stanley says. But in developing countries, where-for many people-the only reliable mode of transportation is a wheezy, smoky 50cc two-stroke motorcycle and transporting goods or family members from home to market or wherever is an economic necessity, carrying comically large and unwieldy loads on a small, underpowered motorcycle has risen to the level of acrobatic art form. And when we have to carry something really big, we take our four-wheeled grocery getter, or we just use Amazon Prime to have it shipped to our front door. Of course, we Americans, with our big motorcycles and our high-dollar, purpose-built luggage and our DOT regulations, are generally good and safe and sensible when it comes to moto cargo. Photos from Hans Kemp’s book, “Bikes of Burden,” about the creative ways folks in Vietnam carry cargo on their small motorcycles. Usually I criss-cross two ROK Straps over a box so it can’t slide out, or with duffels I run them through D-rings or carry handles to add even more security. The bungee segment stretches to keep the adjustment tight, and believe me, you can really crank down on a ROK Strap and feel confident it will stay put. You secure the loops on opposite sides, you connect the two halves of the buckle and then you pull the adjustment strap. Santa’s helper: ROK Straps used to secure a couple of Priority Mail boxes to the passenger seat of our Yamaha FJR1300ES. Each strap has two parts-one part is a wide, stretchy bungee segment with a webbing loop on one end (for wrapping around a footpeg bracket, passenger grab handle, luggage rack or other solid part of the bike) and the female part of a quick-release buckle on the other end the other part is a long strap made of non-stretchable nylon webbing that is adjustable for length, and it also has a webbing loop on one end and the male part of the quick-release buckle on the other end. If you’re not familiar with ROK Straps, they’re a little pricey (about $22 a pair) but they’re the gold standard for securing something to your bike. I always keep a pair of ROK Straps in my tank bag, saddlebags or backpack. The duffel and dry bags on the back of the BMW in the photos above were secured with ROK Straps. I never leave home without a pair of these in my tank bag, saddlebag or backpack. Remember when most folks just used a milk crate lashed to the rear of the bike? This is a ROK Strap. Besides solidly mounted saddlebags or a trunk, having a luggage rack on the back of your bike provides a good place to carry items and have them be securely fastened to the bike. Out of desperation (and a lack of straps), I’ve balanced a few FedEx or Amazon boxes in my lap for short, in-town distances, but trying to carry loose items or anything that can interfere with steering, braking or other motorcycle controls is just asking to be nominated for a Darwin Award.