straycatt
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Everything posted by straycatt
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Some things are just set in stone........
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Well, this should be interesting. Most hat manufacturers will tell you that after five years, the materials in their lids has become so degraded that it can no longer be warranted as safe. While studies may exist to back up this claim, I have not seen anything conclusive to this end. I say that unless you store your helmet out in the yard hanging from a tree 24/7 it'll last a lot longer than 5 years. They will also try to tell you that if you drop your helmet more than a few feet, replace it. I believe that as long as there was nothing in the hat when it dropped and there is no obvious damage, you're good to go. Helmets, at best are an iffy solution to a complex problem and as such do a far better job of making their user feel safe than they do of actually making him safe. If you feel safer replacing your hat every four years, by all means do so. But I feel there is nothing like planned obsolescence to perpetuate an industry.
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No, my sight glass is totally empty when the bike is on the side stand. a little better than half way up the glass when the bike is straight up. I use a small mirror on a flexible stick. Check the oil while sitting in the seat with the mirror. $4 at most auto parts shops.
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.....is worth over doing. Or the title could be, yea but it's still white. Anyways, my new to me low $$ trailer cleaned up pretty well but it was still white. I thought that it should probably match my red over dark red scooter a little better, and I also figured that I just didn't have enough money into a toy that I may not even use that much. Sooooo. I picked up two new tire/wheel combo's and checked/re-packed the wheel bearings. Then I noticed that the chrome on the coupler was looking a tad shabby. Another trip to the trailer shop solved that little problem. I had also went through all of the wiring and rearranged the tail lights from red running/stop with amber turns signals, to all four red running/stop/turns. (thanks for all of the help guys) After the light re-wire I decided that all of those conventional lights were pulling a lot of power and leds are the way to go. One more trip to the trailer store (and way too much money lighter) and I have the full compliment of tail lights/clearance markers/license plate leds awaiting install when the paint is done. 60 total leds. Well, you can't go that far without going even further, so the two tone paint to match the scoot is in process. It was a huge pain getting the factory graphics/pin stripping off. All of the rust was ground (grinded?) off of the trailer frame and a couple of coats of Rustoleum applied. Did I forget to mention the seven tie down loops that are going inside to make it easier to keep things inside in place? Maybe I should start working on a design for a cooler carrier and a spare tire bracket??? I really hope I don't dislike pulling a trailer behind my bike. I've never pulled one with two wheels before. pics so far
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I remember getting out of bed........yesterday morning. But only vaguely.
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I had several new dirt bikes and a couple of used ones before I got my drivers license and my first road bike. In 1975 I picked up two 1970 Kawasaki Mach III 500 triples at an auction. $300 if I remember right. I made one runner out of the two, spent almost an entire winter rebuilding the motor on my mothers kitchen table. (we didn't have a garage) Had a few other used road bikes in there, a BSA Lightning, Kawasaki LTD, Suzuki GSL and then in '84 I bought my first new street bike, an 1983 Honda 650 Nighthawk. I want them all back, but I miss the Kaw triple the most. Here are the only pics I could find of any of them, except the Nighthawk. Got lots of pics of that one, and most of the ones after. But the Nighthawk pic posted is from '84 and a trip to Michigans UP, taken at the 45th parallel on US-23. Who is that handsome young guy?? He seems to have changed a little in my mirror.
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They have a website, and a contact page. http://www.adventuremotorsports.net/index.htm It's always good to recognize someone when they make the extra effort that they didn't have to make.
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Randy, I owe you an apology. I dismissed your theory out of hand as being.....less than realistic, so lets examine your thoughts. A thoughtful father parks by the door so he can keep watch over his offspring as she learns independence. No, I had to walk to the windows back towards the bathrooms to see where the girl went when she left the building. (please note, most Tacky Macs are built the same so you can visualize scene) Loving dad, wishing to accept his daughters generosity, asks for a cup of cold tea or a soda rather than the hot coffee he would like because he knows the lesson learned will be better for her than the risk the burning hot coffee he would rather have may pose to his little girl. Again no, he demands hot coffee. When his child returns without the coffee, does dear old Pop offer to accompany her back inside to retrieve his prize and salvage his youngsters feelings? Yet again no. He, to my eye, with temper flaring tossed his kid back into the mix. To do what? Demand in her five year old voice "GIVE ME MY DAMN COFFEE" Sadly, even if (big if) this jerkwad had good intentions he fell way short in either protecting or teaching his child anything other than "dads a wanker". It should be noted that the only person that said a word to this guy was the McDonalds clerk. Had the other guy and I not been there, do you imagine dad would have exited his car just to put a friendly arm around the clerk and offer her thanks for bringing out his brew? By the way, she did hand him his drink through the open window before starting in on him. Being as I still type by the two finger hunt and peck method which lends itself to brevity of detail, I take the burden of omitted detail in this encounter to myself. On reflection, I see your point. But I hold to my original opinion. Dad was a jerkwad.
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I'd be up for that.
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And yet again, the mark gets pushed a little higher.....
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I get to work this AM to find that I'm out of cereal. Bummer, no breakfast. So I decide to take a ride over to the nearby MacD's for some fast junk food. Inside at the counter me and another guy are waiting for our orders when in the door walks a 5 or 6 year old girl. She approaches the counter and orders a large coffee. What???? Both the other guy waiting and I look at each other and at the same time say, "did she just order........?" The counter girl takes the kids money and tells her that she'll have to go out and get an adult as she can't give hot coffee to her because she may get burned. (three cheers for MacD's) I watch the girl go out to a newer four door Cadillac, and to the drivers door. The window goes down, and shortly the 30something guy behind the wheel motions her back into the store. She makes it to the foyer and stalls out. Obviously, she knows the counter girl isn't going to give her the coffee and dad/big brother/jerkwad isn't coming to get it himself but she's been sent back. The little girl hovers by the door when the MacD's clerk shows with the drink and heads for the door with several expletives under her breath, followed by the other guy who was waiting for his food and myself. We get to the car and the drivers window goes down again to the clerk, the coffee, and a (likely) mothers scorn. The dad/brother/jerkwad gets defensive, puffed up and starts to exit the cadillac 'til he notices me and the other guy, now flanking the still loud MacD's clerk. He seemed to suspend motion for a moment while he re-calculated the odds from one testy woman to two decent sized guys and one testy woman, and sorta melted back into his ride and rolled the window up. With no one to yell at, and our food cooling inside, discretion wins out and we all go back into Mac's as the Caddy pulls away. Never mind the fact that someone could be off with a child that size in a heartbeat.....what kind of brain dead weasel would expect a little girl to shuttle scalding hot coffee around for him because he's too lazy to drag his worthless butt out of his car? Every time I think that I've witnessed the height of human stupidity, some douchebag sets the mark a little higher.
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Finally got my lowers back from powder coating, Ruffy. The first time they were done I refused them, they had some pretty obvious debris in the finish. The second time they were great. $45 total, but I do a fair amount of business with this shop. Normally they have a $75 minimum. The color is a pretty good match but not perfect. We must have went through fifty paint samples before we found a close match. I really like it.
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OK, I'm back. Photo's as requested. The first pic is running lights only, the bottoms and third eye lit. Second is brakes, all four bottoms bright and third eye normal. When the turns are on, both the top and bottom on the turn side blink bright and the two opposite stay bright, and third eye normal. I like it.
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Uh oh, my bad. I'll be right back......
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I finished with my lights today. All of the work was on the trailer only. What I did was change the amber lens to red and wired them into the left and right turn / stop circuits when I changed the 5 pin connector to the 4 pin. This gives me four red lights on the back of the trailer. Two running lights, two red turn signals on each side and four brake lights. It's different enough that it really stands out when you look at it from behind. Again, thanks to all for your help. :happy34:
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I finally understand this system. That simplified wiring diagram helped lots Gary, thanks. I still don't know which way I'll go, until I get the existing lights apart on the trailer to see what kind of shape they're in. Plus I may go all LED on the trailer anyway. Thanks for the help and the offers of in person help, now that I understand how it actually works I've got it covered.
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Gary, thanks. But that diagram is for a conventional four wire trailer with the combination stop / turn / running lights. I suspect that I'm going to have to either re-wire the bike as Carl says or replace the four individual trailer lights with the two combo stop / turn / run lights. Maybe it will just be easier to re-do the bike.
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You're right Carl, that's exactly what I have, but there are only four wires coming off the converter.
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I really didn't want to re-wire the bike, it's a lot easier to re-work the trailer as it needs some other clean up while I'm at it. I'm fairly certain this is the only trailer this bike will ever tow. I have isolated each circuit on the trailer. I'm having a hard time understanding a way to make the individual single element bulbs of four different light assemblies function properly with only three wires. (the fourth being the ground)
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My bike was wired for a trailer already when I got it. It has a converter under the seat and a four wire pig tail for the trailer hook up. The trailer that I just picked up is an Cycle Mate brand. It has two brake / running lights and two amber turn lights hanging off the back. The trailer is wired with a five wire hook up. And now we get to H E L P. Can I re-wire the trailer to still use the red brake / running and amber turns, or am I going to have to replace the light assemblies with combo brake / turn / running units? Thanks for the help, I have zero experience with five wire trailers.
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OK, thanks gang. I've been trying to justify putting tires, led lighting, and a paint job into this trailer. It sounds like even with that cash outlay, I'll still be ahead in case I don't like dragging a trailer around behind my scooter and decide to peddle it. Sorry Mike, you can't have it.................................yet.
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It's a Cycle Mate
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Since I dislike having things that I don't use......and since my Venture came with a trailer hitch....... It's an older trailer, and needs a little work. I may have to paint it red, but I think it's going to be an easy resto. Opinions on what it's worth?? I paid $175 for it.
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I've read quite a few of Card's works. I own and have enjoyed the "Ender" series. (really liked Enders Shadow) Another good sci-fi series that I've rear and reread is The Vorkosigan Series by Lois Mcmaster Bujold. There are 12, I think, different books, and I've been able so far to only find and buy 8 of them. I'm on a first name basis at our local used book exchange. I usually buy them in groups of 10 or so around once a month. I don't pay much attention to authors, going instead by title and jacket blurb. I'll be on a western kick for a while and then move to sci-fi, then go to suspense for a month or two. Of course as an Inspector I spend a gob of time in Code books and trades manuals.
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Agreed, thanks Ruffy. As much as I appreciate the effort it took to polish these things........mine are out for powder coating and should be done any day now. I'll post up some pics when they're done.
