ReconRat

Not much, looking at suppliers for space launches, and military aerospace, specifically the unmanned wing man stuff. There's been some advancements in the military AI programming for unmanned aircraft. I'm just an aerospace nerd. I'm switching to a broker that invests quite well, and gonna forget about it. And he researches my recommendations and mostly agrees and buys in. He doesn't know much about space and military and aerospace stuff. edit: I need more silver... I just like to have it around.

NASA is trying to invent a dual electrolyte fuel, that you can pump and go. Two fuels, two tanks, one is positive and one is negative. Plus two waste fuel tanks that you pump back at the fueling station to reclaim (recharge). These inventions don't always work out, but if it does, all the electric vehicles will be obsolete. Suddenly, just like that.

Haven't tried it yet. I've noticed good performance from American Eagle. Which is Winchester made cheaper.

When the brine or road salt is distributed on the road, just forget it till springtime after a couple of hard rains wash it away. That stuff gets in everywhere and everything on a bike. It's bad enough to want to get a beater bike for riding in the winter.

I think bolt action is a good choice. Probably doesn't have to be new. My most accurate 22LR is an ancient Mossberg bolt action tube feed with an old 4x Weaver scope. It easily places all shots within the size of a quarter at 50 yards measured. (Prone w/bipod) Ammo selection is critical, find what works. For me, it's Winchester 22LR SuperX that works.

The left and right combined are a minority compared to the independents. But the left and right has the money and power. Fix it.

I left Verizon when I retired. Using Google Fi. Pixel3 is a winner. Black Friday price with a rebate. Didn't pay usage fees for a year. Using it only at home on wifi mostly. If I'm out somewhere and bored, I kick on the access, and I haven't yet run into a lack of coverage. I understand the limitations I might run into, but haven't seen them. There are a surprisingly large number of free wifi access. Sometimes have to ask the guest password. The object was to dump a minimum coverage of $60 from Verizon, and cut costs to $20 with Google Fi. With usage rollover, and pay for data as you use it without penalties. And so far no throttling of anything. All the usual, free unlimited phone and text, and the phone works world wide. And I hacked my old Verizon DroidX to work wifi and text on the Verizon image. Verizon killed the ability to use the phone without their service, with their last update. Not that I couldn't hack the hackers with yet another way around it, but I lost interest. An old phone can have quite a few capabilities and uses. So yes, I think Google Fi is a bargain and works well for me. edit: the old Verizon phone wouldn't even work with wifi phone dialer apps. As soon as the phone sees you dialing, it switches you to a Verizon operator who asks you for money. I sorta kinda hate them. edit deux: There is an option with Google Fi for one or two free SIMM cards. For your tablet or computer, but I suppose it would work in a SIMM phone. Data usage goes on your existing account. Oh, and tethering is free too. So I can run a Waze map on a tablet in the car, and use the phone for other. Which I never do, I just run the Waze on the phone like everyone else.

does not apply to this, but for prostrate cancer, ever heard of the new proton beam therapy? I think there's one up in Detroit. Definitely sounds like some one was playing with your balls while you were unconscious. And they left you with that Chinese malady... Won Hung Lo.

no no, he said bike cranks but won't start. Don't bother, it takes two or three jumpers to do it right with a schematic. Take your registration and ID to a good key shop and they can make a new key from the vehicle number. Usually... If not, take the ignition lock in to the key shop for a new key. Last resort, buy a new ignition lock and install. (or find the freakin' key) I've done all 3 over the years...

Not in Florida, they don't care. They also don't allow those silly little "no guns allowed here" signs. I've never seen even one.

I picked up stock cans on ebay, cheap. But shipping is rather high. Dude had pulled his stock off to install after market, and sold them.

I like my Ventura rack. I have a Krauser wing on the other. Too bad Krauser doesn't seem to be in operation anymore.

lol, and now for something entirely different... I change mine when it's dirty or no longer has viscosity. You can see that if you look. So I like oils that hold their viscosity and filters that filter longer. Exceptions are if I decide to ride off for a thousand or two miles, I'll change before I go. In Ohio, I changed before storing in the Winter with cheap oil, and again in the Spring with good oil. Or just once in the Winter with good oil for a year. There's always contaminants in used oil, so it's not good to just let it sit over the Winter.

I worked till 65 and really didn't want to retire. But I did. Two retirements coming in, and waited on social security till 67-68 because I didn't need it. At some point other things happen when you sign up for social security, so I did. IRA disbursements start soon, I'm not sure I need that either, but I'll take it. Retired can be super bored or super busy. Not even counting hobbies on that, just things to do around the house. If you're like me, I'd rather do it myself, instead of paying some one else to do it. So far it's quite nice. No rush, no hassles, lots of lazy days. Everything except that one tall palm tree in the front yard. I don't like climbing up there to trim that one. But I do it anyway.

Also, some helmets are really good at knocking the noise down. At least while they are new, and fit correctly. Some helmets don't do much at all. There's two types of noise, the engine/road noise and the "wind in the helmet" noise. Most cheap or moderate priced helmets don't seem to deal with the wind very well. I bought a new Bell helmet, and found it didnt need earplugs. Not quite as good, but close enough.

And the clutch cable too. It degrades over time so slowly we tend not to notice till a problem pops up. A new clutch cable can do amazing things for smooth shifting.

I will admit I've had to cut a few things off. It can just be crazy sometimes.

I normally just shove a rag in-between the chain and sprocket, so it can't move. Squishy, but then I use a long breaker bar, and tap it with a hammer.

I was looking at that same assembly. There's some return springs in there to check also. And a pivot pin to make sure it's secure. Also noticed a loose bolt or fit on the shifter lever itself can do this too. 2009 Kawasaki ER6N service manual page 311 thru 314 edit: One concern is reported gear grinding. That isn't supposed to happen in a constant syncromesh transmission. Nevertheless it does happen for a wide variety of reasons. The most common would be type and temperature of the oil. A cold transmission won't always sync up. Motorcycle transmissions can literally get confused, and not operate properly. Newer is better, the older motorcycles could really goof up. Usually working through the gears up and down will set everything straight again. One old bike I had, when it goofed, it was best to stop and shut the engine off, and find neutral and re-start.

unburned fuel in the exhaust can be a backfire when and if it detonates. Or in the case of old Toyotas, it can fragment the catalytic converter into little pieces and lift the car several feet off the ground...

That's true. Maybe I got that backwards. Now I'll have to look it up. I do remember using those special beveled washers for special bolts. edit: Yup, sharp side should be down. Rounded side always against bolt or machine screw radius. Keeping the bolt from breaking is more important than the surface below the washer.

Get a pair of plugs too. Might need them for getting it all back in order. You can always put the old ones back in and keep the new ones as spares. Also check to see if it's the right plug, you never know... edit: If you're really cheap like I used to be, and it's only one plug looks bad, swap the plugs between cylinders and see if the problem moves. Then it's either a plug or the firing of a plug.

Not the first thing I'd try. If you can smell the fuel, it's flowing but it isn't igniting. Might be electrical problem, might be the spark timing. Check the plugs first. See if both are the same (for a Harley with the rear cylinder hotter) correct color. See if one or both are wet from not fully firing fuel. How many coils it got? One? Might want to check the coil with a VOM for correct resistance on both sides. edit: an easy way to see if one cylinder is goofed is to check the temps of the exhaust right after it starts up. Don't touch it, but put hand up there and see if one warms up way faster than the other.

Dunno, never thought about Euro metric. And yes, the JIS bits with a T-handle set is a must have, for a Japanese bike.

Not too sure about some of that "engineer" list. Kinda strange. Aerospace has it's own rules. The list of rules was long (Two big manuals full of rules and requirements). We didn't use common lock washers. We did sometimes use inside or outside star washers, in electronics, for grounding. We used a lot of safety wire. We used self locking nuts, especially self locking nutplates that rivet into place on sheet metal. No one puts threads in shear, that's a failure waiting to happen. A minimum of 4 threads in bearing required, 6 to 8 preferred. We never ever put a bolt (some types of bolts are ok), nut or lock washer against a part without a plain washer in-between. Plain washers are punched out of sheet metal, and have a sharp side vs a rounded side; put the rounded side against your part and the sharp side up in the air. (edit: Backwards! sharp side goes down, and the rounded side goes under the bolt or machine screw to prevent contact at the radius under the head and trying to break it.) The torque from the bolt side isn't the same as the nut side, if it's a through bolt with a nut, torque the nut. Torque requirements are strict, and doesn't include "torquing to yield" or " turn it an extra 90 degrees". Hardware of all types is never re-used more than 4 times, and then it's replaced with new. It slowly deforms to failure. Zero cadmium plate, we used zinc plate. All steel hardware was zinc plated. Certain metals never contact each other, it generates di-electric corrosion. The common error is stainless steel and aluminum in contact. Titanium and aluminum in contact is a disaster. I don't remember using chromed hardware anywhere. That's a few of the highlights. Note: Japanese motorcycles use a different type of Phillips (JIS). Striping (cam-out) is common, when using SAE phillips tools. There's special JIS screwdrivers and bits for them. I don't always use them, but I've got them. You can find them on Amazon, or motorcycle tool websites. Or replace them all with socket head cap screws. Read aircraft hardware: https://www.flight-mechanic.com/category/aircraft-materials-processes-and-hardware/