uncledj

As I'd mentioned elsewhere: What's good for the goose is good for the gander"

That smells political...You, of all people should know better.

A load is good. I've found that when dealing with electronics, it's very possible to register voltage on a meter without potential. At the risk of revealing that I don't know much about electronics, I think it's called a TRIAC or something like that, where the aforementioned voltage closes the "gate" which allows the current to flow. When testing a circuit being controlled by electronics I do make sure there's a load. Keeping in mind a load is typically a solenoid coil, but the "phantom" voltage does not have the potential to energize the coil. Hope that helps more than cornfuses.

Most of us know the pain of losing a "fur baby", and I know that with time, the bulk of the memories will be happy ones. It's been years, but I still grieve for Ted and Kodi...and Rudy, Peanut, and Digger and Little Dog and Morgie.... But when I think of them, it brings smiles and fond memories. I'm so sorry for your loss.

I had a friend of a friend who owns an auto-body repair shop do some work on my Expedition...That's a story of it's own.....but when it was done, and I went to settle up with him he said the total cost was $4500, or, if I'd prefer I could install a complete HVAC system in a house he was building on Kelly's Island. Labor only. So I opted to put the system in. As the house was just being built, I figured that since he had already took all the materials on my list to the site, I could load up the motor-home with tools and our mutual friend who was willing to help, and sleep in the motor-home as I expected the job to take at least a full weekend. So I load up and Friday after work we head up to make sure to catch the ferry before it shut down at 9:00. It's about a 2 hour ride. Left at 5. Halfway there I heard the boom...and rear end felt a bit squishy. Blew one of the 4 rear tires....Crap.....pulled over at a wide spot on a two lane, only to discover I didn't have the correct socket to change. Called AAA and an hour later I was back on the road with the spare. Got about another half hour up the road and heard the same boom...but this time there happened to be a truck towing a parade float with a cannon on it. I couldn't tell if the sound was me or the cannon....lol...funny thing is that when I pulled into a parking lot, the truck pulled in right behind me to check his cannon....he said something was leaking in it an it sometimes fires on it's own. What were the odds of that....turns out it wasn't the cannon....I blew the other rear tire on the same side. Now, with not much time to spare before the ferry left, I'm wondering where the heck I'm going to find a replacement tire. I told my buddy to call his friend to let him know that we weren't going to make the ferry. I take out my phone and google tire places and choose one that was a 24 hr truck and trailer tire service shop and, looking at my phone....it was pretty close....really close....I turned around and saw that it was their parking lot I was in....again....what were the odds of that? Long story short, an hour later and $950 shorter I had 2 new tires on that side and we made the ferry as the last rider. Pulled up to the ticket house at 8:58, Completed the job Sunday afternoon and headed home to find that due to high winds they were only running the large ferry and had a 3 hour wait to board. The guy we were working for had his pickup parked at the very front of the ferry and had a wave come over the bow and swamped his truck....lol....It was a pretty hairy ride....they sure do pack 'em on that ferry like sardines. There was about 4" between my motor-home and the fenders of the trailer next to me and with the rockin' I was worried that I'd rock into the trailer, but at least THAT didn't happen. All's well that ends well as I made it home safe....matched the two replacement tires with two more for the other side on the rear. Front tires at this point are 8 years old, but still have good tread. I'll likely replace them next year. I'm happy with the work he did on my Expedition....he's happy with his HVAC system....it's all good. As a side note I since had him paint a gas tank for my 85 Nighthawk S and, as payment, I made him a switch over device where if power goes out he can run his fridge from a couple of golf cart batteries...at least until the batteries die. Enclosure, relay, trickle charger and inverter. He supplied the batteries. I even put a muffin fan on the enclosure to remove heat. It'll be interesting to see what our next project will be.

Just had quite a rash of bike droppings..... Rode up to the cabin with 5 friends. Had a great, long weekend with lots of riding in North / Central Pennsylvania...visited the Zippo lighter factory and the Straub brewery. Decided to beat the rain and head home Saturday. One of the guys injured his leg just before the trip but went anyway....Right by the cabin, as he was turning a not too tight circle with his Cavalcade, he went down.....I was just getting my bike started and situated to roll when I heard him yell for me....ran over and got the bike back up...checked him out and no new injuries to him or the bike...just damaged pride. Ok ...so lets try again to get going.....Began up the 1/4 mile long, bumpy dirt road from the cabin to the paved road.....Saw one of the other campers there, outside his cabin and stopped to say "hey" and ask if he was going to attend the annual campers meeting. Heard yelling again and looked back, and my cousin had dropped his 87 Goldwing...softly,...but was just lifting it back upright.....Geeze......OK....let's try again.....Got to the blacktop, which required a not too tight circle to head up the mountain...with an incline as turning the circle. We've all done this several times before....I did it and was starting to roll and heard some fuss and stopped and turned around to see my buddy with his Harley on it's side....barely...it was a soft fall...I saw no damage. This was 3 bikes dropped within the first 300 yards. We decided that it may be best to just hit the interstate and make a bee line for home. Everyone got home safe. 200 mile ride for them...350 for me. Been riding with these guys for 35 years and I can't remember any of them ever dropping a bike before,,,,now 3 within 10 minutes. Weird. Just glad nobody got hurt, and the bikes seem ok too.

I really wanted the Honda CB 900. The one that had the dual speed hi/low trans. I thought that would be a good tour bike. Got one of those in the garage waiting 'till I have time to do a resto. Doesn't need much other than fluids changed and the head replaced. An exhaust stud pulled out and someone did a poor job of trying to repair,....that pulled out too. I have a good head....(for the bike...not on my shoulders)....and figure that bike and a 69 Chevelle I have sitting in the garage will be the focus of my first year of retirement. As far as bikes go....I have too many old bikes already, but have always wanted an old V-Max, along with a V65 Magna, ...and I'd REALLY like to have an 83 Honda CB1100F Supersport....only made 'em one year and many considered it the first superbike. Good looking, good running and upright seating position.

I saw this posted on Craigslist. I wanted to post it here in case anyone was interested in this innovative, well built project vehicle. All for only $300. What's a Polaris Razor got that this little gem doesn't have anyway.... https://columbus.craigslist.org/snw/d/ostrander-go-kart-unfinished-project/7162926688.html?lang=en&cc=gb

One Q for the OP, did you buy ANYTHING bicycle related on that trip or did you Google search anything about bicycles recently? Did you text/email anyone about the bicycle seat? Google and Yahoo do scan your emails and use that to advertise to you. I would love to know if and how they got you on the bike seat. Nope, nope and nope. Last thing I bought bicycle related was a tire for his bike...maybe last April. (From Amazon) Had no reason to search anything so related since. Just happened to be walking through the bike aisle and noticed the seat,...and thought of Jeff. When I put the tire on and test rode the bike, I thought this is an awful hard seat, and hadn't thought of it again until I saw that big, cushy seat....kinda like the pillow-top on my second gen...lol... Went to it, took it off the rack and inspected for maybe 10 seconds, then decided I could get him one when I got home. Then when I logged onto the 'puter, that ad came up for an over-sized, cushy bike seat. Scary.

​WOW.....me no likey.

Lisa and I were down in Myrtle Beach since Saturday. When we were there we went into a Wally World to pick up a few things. I happened to walk through the bicycle aisle, and saw bike seats....there was an over-sized seat that looked comfortable, and I thought of my brother, who we care for ...(Autistic)...and thought that looks like a much better seat for his bike than the one he has on it...I picked it up and examined it...then decided that this wasn't the time to buy it and put it back. I hadn't searched for bike seats, or any other bike related things....I just happened to see it and examine it in the store and that was the end of it. The next time I signed onto my 'puter, .....an oversized bike seat ad (Amazon) came up on the side of the screen. What are the odds that out of the blue...by chance....they decided to send me such an ad...??? Not a common thing to look for, but there it was. How could that possibly happen....No web search....don't even remember mentioning it to Lisa... This is blowing my mind.

Lisa and I just rolled in from Myrtle Beach....Planned on heading up to the Rally tomorrow, but been hearing stories about the horrors we'd encounter, being from OH....If they found out we just came back from myrtle beach, we'd likely be thrown in jail... So, as you've probably guessed, we're gonna have to wait until next year. Just not worth the chance...I've too many people counting on me down here....not the least of whom is my brother that we care for.....he's been calling every day to get confirmation of when we'd be home. .....I think he missed us.....can't leave him hanging due to quarrantine. Will call the resort tomorrow to see if I can get any sort of refund on the deposit. Big Tom: My most sincere regrets on missing what I'm sure was / is going to be a great event....They always are... If this lunacy ends before the riding season is over, I may (again) try to arrange a small get-together going up at the cabin....we'll see. Hope those of you who were able to make it have a great time.....wish we were there.....

Aside from the obvious implications...is this going to have any actual affect? [h=2]New York[/h]Gov. Andrew Cuomo's state, which was the U.S. epicenter of the pandemic early on, is also requiring visitors and residents returning from from out of state to quarantine for 14 days. This will affect anyone coming Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Idaho, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Minnesota, New Mexico, North Carolina, Nevada, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah and New Mexico.

Best cease and desist right there.

Interesting / informative read. Looks like it can have some REALLY deadly effects. I just don't understand why I still don't know anyone who's been sick from it. Seems like everyone I talk to knows someone, or knows someone who knows someone who's had it. I'm down here in Myrtle Beach for a few days, and there are mask requirements, and threats of fines, but I'd say only about half the folks are wearing them. I'll put mine on if required to enter a facility, then notice that I'm one of about 3 people wearing one, so I'll take it off....can't breathe well in those things. Sanitize hands when I think I need to, try to keep my distance when appropriate, and try to enjoy life. Crazy times we're livin' in.

Most forums consist of a bunch of folks with a similar interest. I haven't come across one yet where the members are so civil to one another. On top of that, it's a great resource for info for the Venture, and just about anything else. Beyond that, the get togethers make us much more than forum members...it makes us friends...and beyond that, family. I've been a member since I bought my first Venture in 08, and I can't see myself ever leaving. Thanks Don for putting this together, and thanks to all my Venturerider family for being the great people you are.

I hear ya !!! Lisa and I are leaving Saturday Morning for Myrtle Beach to spend a few days with friends, then driving home Wednesday, then loading up the motorhome and heading to Rally at the Shores on Thursday. Should be there around dinner time. And, being an Air Conditioning guy, work has been nuts lately. Not just from service calls, but we've a program going on where we're focusing on demonstrable improvement in efficiency for our customers. I have a guy from AEP going around with me documenting the results of improvements we're making. I'll be glad when this week is over.

This kind of stuff scares me. Not so much for myself, but when I have Lisa on the back. It makes it even harder to maneuver these big beasts in a bad situation. Had a rear tire blowout on the freeway at speed a few years back, and I doubt I'd have been able to keep it up with her on the back. That's one of the reasons we're considering a Can Am for two up riding. I'm VERY pleased that your incident didn't turn out worse....hope it doesn't sour you on riding.....Law of averages says you should be good for a while.

Might be time to consider a trike or a Can-am. I love my Venture, but wife's pushing me hard to get a Can-am.

I had a 01 Ram for 13 years and had pretty good luck with it. It had the 5.9 which was not a horsepower monster, but adequate, and still towed pretty well. Gas mileage sucked though. It was fairly comfortable, and the extended cab, although having a small back seat area was adequate as well. There were a couple of times 6 guys rode up to the cabin in that truck. I kept it maintained and never had any real issues with it, other than the rust that kept creeping up. That shouldn't be as much of a problem for you.....it's a SWAMP here where I live. (Humid) It was sad to see her go, but it was time. I went with another Dodge, and so far I'm LUVIN' my 2017 Ram. Best of luck with your new truck.

Was the lower "neck race" (outer race?) worn to where it had to be replaced? I'd guess it's a tapered roller bearing? It's hard to imagine there being that much wear just from the steering....triple tree.

I would think that Rally at the Shores IS essential.

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY !!!! Let's hope for 50 more.

INSURGENCY... What you’re seeing isn’t new, and is bigger than just grievances with the police department—taking shape is a communist-style revolution disguised as protests. We must view it from a strategic perspective so that we may understand, contain, and ultimately defeat it. An insurgency is an organized rebellion aimed at overthrowing a government through the use of subversion and violence. The objective of most insurgent groups is to control a particular area or country, which differs from that of terrorists who aren't looking to form an alternative government. An Insurgency typically begins before it is recognized by the government in power. It is by no means an instantaneous movement. Insurgent leaders learn about local issues, and then teach communities to blame those issues on a particular class and the government. Over time this builds an anti-government sentiment that insurgents use to fuel their rebellion. However, grievances alone are not enough to spark an uprising. Insurgents must find a compelling issue they can use to create a narrative to justify their use of violence. When a narrative is linked to grievances related to a particular ethnic or religious group, it is politically and socially persuasive. Insurgencies have always been a tool for regime change and capitulation. Three conditions must be present for an insurgency to be successful. A. Vulnerable population - the federal and local governments’ inability to provide security for property, and it’s people. Insurgencies grow in areas where police are reluctant to patrol, giving the Insurgents freedom to become tactically and operationally more effective. B. Leadership available for direction - A leader that can shape, mold, and direct the frustration of the population. C. Lack of Government - Failures of government to provide basic services, such as health care, justice, education, a stable economy. Moreover, when these three things exist simultaneously, an insurgency can operate in the open. The use of kidnappings, extortion, assassinations, and other forms of terrorism to advance political agendas become common. There are five elements of an insurgency—leaders, guerrillas, political cadres, auxiliaries, and supporters. 1. Insurgencies are often headed by leaders who are charismatic, rank high in public esteem, and posses a relatable personality. 2. Guerrillas are the forces who do the actual fighting for the insurgency. This can include unemployed youth getting paid to conduct acts of terror, to the criminal gang leader exploiting a state of lawlessness. Members can also include people seeking an escape from boredom. 3. Political Cadres - These are people in positions of power that are at best sympathizers of the movement, or at worst, members of the insurgency. They do not report insurgents to counterinsurgent forces, usually out of sympathy for the cause, and anti-government sentiment. Political Comrades work to implement policies provided by the insurgency leader. They often continue in their regular position in society, but lead a second, secret life for the cause of the insurgency. 4. Auxiliaries are active sympathizers who provide essential logistical support such as funding, communication, transport, supplies, weapons, early warning, housing, creation, and spreading of propaganda. Still, they do not directly participate in combat operations. 5. Mass Base supporters - The followers of the movement, the people who mindlessly repeat and disseminate propaganda that the other elements have fed them. This is the neighbor down the street who watches mainstream media and believes the narrative. Insurgent groups can organize dozens of front organizations, in such a way, that seemingly independent entities are simultaneously advocating the same things. This is done to give the impression that the cause has the support of the majority and to force widespread compliance. An effective insurgency can be waged with the support of only a few individuals, but requires the inaction and compliance of a majority of the population. Shunning and shaming are used to apply pressure to individuals not participating in the insurgency. A defining event is needed before an Insurgency can began to operate in the open and rationalize the use of violence.