Zero Knievel

Odd...every tire I've had, car or motorcycle, no exception, up to now had the TWIs where the indicator was on the sidewall. I know what TWIs should look like, but Continental does things in a weird way. They, honestly, are now implementing holes that, once gone, indicate the tire needs replacement. I had to Google images of Continental motorcycle tires to see what types of TWIs they use...eventually finding what I found.

Those things are supposed to align with the indicators on the sidewalks. Not one was in the right position.

Okay. After some serious searching, I finally found the tire wear indicators. For some reason, they do not align with the markings on the side walls, so I kept missing them. Both tires are not quite down to them, but close enough that I might as well replace them. Given the savings, I'll try the Dunlops. Worst case is that I don't get the mileage out of them to justify buying them again. I liked the Road Attacks. 10K+ out of a tire is doing well in my book.

In tires designed for a specific application (e.g., touring), one expects the one rated for longer life to cost more than one rated for less.

No. BMW.

Near me, bike shops don’t want to install tires they didn’t sell. In part, they worry about being blamed for a bad tire they never ordered. In part, if it’s a bike they don’t service, they worry about damage to the TPMS sensor. As one shop said, if they damage it on a bike they service, parts and labor is a cost they eat…if not, they have to take the bike to a dealership with the tool and play for them to do the replacement and recalibration.

Don’t have the means to DIY. Most all shops will not touch tire installs they didn’t sell. So, unless they will hold the tires and install them later, I’d have to do this before 12/31…and I have no long trips anytime soon.

My quandary is if I’m changing my tires too prematurely…and what to go with. Last tire change, I gave the Continental Road Attack 3 a go because it was (then) the best rated tire for longevity. Installed 8/7/21 at 11,431 miles. Currently has 21,880 as of last fill up (getting home from NCNEXXT). I don’t see wear indicators. This is how the front and rear look in places. FRONT REAR So, this with a total of about 10,500 miles. On my last set of tires (BMW normal choice), I got just over 7,300 miles before those were needing replacement. The BMW shop in Salem, VA quoted me this for replacements…. Continental Road Attack 4 GT - $561.18 total - carry in wheels Dunlop Roadsmart 4 - $467.46 total - carry in wheels More so, I have a rebate coupon from the Dunlop rep at the last BMW rally for $50 per tire (maximum of two). I normally would wait until it’s clear I need new tires, but the coupon requires I buy the tires by 12/31/2024. So, Dunlop would be just over $200 cheaper, but I don’t know what mileage to expect out of them. I expect the Continentals to be more expensive if I’m getting more mileage out of them. Thoughts?

I don’t see springs on that build. Part of why my folding trailer isn’t a keeper is that the frame is hard mounted to the axle. Every vibration gets passed to the bike. This makes strapping down a challenge because the bike’s suspension gets all the work…damaging the tie down straps needlessly. The later generation of the same trailer has a leaf spring axle. Every trailer I’ve used with a sprung axle never posed an issue with strapping down, nor did I have a strap fail like I experienced with the folding trailer.

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=weight+training+for+dummies&hvadid=694038350114&hvdev=c&hvexpln=67&hvlocphy=9059880&hvnetw=g&hvocijid=5612348952862029703--&hvqmt=e&hvrand=5612348952862029703&hvtargid=kwd-298869814302&hydadcr=24627_13626751&tag=googhydr-20&ref=pd_sl_2e01wln3gm_e_p67

Thanks. That confirms my bias to have redundancy in the system.

AC went out again. AC guy commented that he went with a whole house surge suppressor and it was the best investment he made. We normally don't have issues with "clean power" but when there are disruptions, all the 220v appliances are at risk. I'm looking for both a WHOLE HOUSE surge suppressor. I'm also considering installing 220v surge suppressors on key circuits (e.g., AC and clothes dryer). Recommendations please. I understand I likely will have to pay an electrician to install them.

How much will you use it? I have a professional pneumatic one (my dad's), but I didn't want to fire up the big compressor every time I used it. Bought the cheap electric one from Harbor Freight. It has good reviews if you only use it occasionally. Don't know how well it would work on really stuck on bolts/nuts.

A quick Google search indicates that there is nothing wrong with coffee with the Atkins diet. What you do not want to do is use sugar of any form in your coffee. You do not want to use diet sodas because most all of them use a sweetener that only makes you crave more sweet and can damage your gut bacteria.

I got lucky when my AC compressor took a dump. I just disconnected the sensor switch so it doesn’t cycle. No need to pull it and replace it with a dummy wheel for the serpentine belt.

Dead Doctors Don’t Lie. Soil for farming in the USA was depleted of nutrients by the mid-20th century. We put back in only the essentials to get good crop yields, but all of the valuable nutrients in the plants aren’t there because they aren’t in the soil. Even for home gardens, this issue replicates. The healthiest people on the planet have crops grown in water runoff from glaciers (glacial milk or mineral rich water). That gets into their crops which they then consume.

Dead Doctors Don’t Lie. There are nutrients we can only get by consuming meat. Nutrients we need for good health. Plant based protein cannot provide these.

Cheese comes from milk. Milk comes from cows. Cows eat grass. Therefore, cheese comes from plants. 😘

Whatever you call the damn cover at the top of the engine where the valve springs are located. Geez.

I used AMSOIl in the XX the whole time I owned it. Don’t know if Phil kept with that practice. When I took off the rocker arm cover to check clearances, the engine was spotless.

How “nasty?” For what a replacement bladder costs, I’d not bother trying to salvage it. Soap and water with some bleach and throw roughly air dry might do fine up to a point, but if it’s in the plastic, just replace it.

Bought it...sounds perfect. I can spray around the house, around doors and windows and the whole attic and still have plenty left over. The ant problem started in the last few months...maybe a year, so I think they've found a way in and are setting up shop.

We're having a reoccurring issue with tiny ants in the kitchen. Each time, they are coming in from one of the ceiling lights. Clean surfaces, spray, it goes away for a while. The attic is an open, unfinished space with the HVAC ductwork and open insulation. Front and rear of the house has perforated soffit which works in conjunction with the ridge vent at the peak to allow heat escape/air circulation. Will a bug bomb/fogger work in a space like this? If not, what's the best way to apply pesticide to kill any ant nests in the attic I can't see? I'd want one that's pet safe so we don't have to clean stuff off after application so the dogs aren't affected. It would be nice to be able to use the same thing both in the attic and the house. I've been in touch with extermination companies, so I have an idea of what it would cost to hire a professional to do it versus DIY.

I would really scrutinize HOW the meat is made and WHAT it is made of. I know the synthetic meat Gates is working on is full of garbage (arguably worse for the climate impact-wise than real beef). Any meat product produced with medical intervention (gene splicing, drugs, etc.) I'd be concerned about what residuals are in the end product. It would be wonderful IF we could make synthetic meat that was real meat.

Depends on what you mean by “erratic.” Last time I had an issue, removing and cleaning the mounting screws holding the gauge to the cluster solved all issues. It is stored indoors (not shielded from outside temperature and humidity)? Maybe the gunk is coming back. I think we’d cancel each other out.