uncledj

I'm kinda neutral on that one, but I'd say it has the best car chase i've seen.

Did the dinner and a movie thing last night before going to a friends for a New Years get together. Saw most of Hateful 8. I couldn't take it. Wife and I walked out 2/3 of the way through. I love most of Tarantino's movies, but this one was a bitter disappointment. Movie drrraaagggeddd on. I asked the wife if she thought it was bad too and she said..."yeah...it sucks". Then there was a point where it got offensive, and we got up and walked out. That's $23 and 2 hours of my time I'll never get back.

Most 2 strokes are a pita. I've an old Shindaiwa that's been rock solid though. I keep Sea Foam (of course) in the gas and it always starts and runs. 24" bar.....it's a beast. Haven't had great luck with Poulan saws, I think a Sears is actually a Poulan. I've a Husky 16" that's been ok...a lil' touchy if I let it sit for a year, but I've always been able to get it started. I also have a Stihl backpack blower that's a strange setup. It's called a 4 mix. 4 stroke engine but you still have to mix the oil & gas, as that's how the crank gets lubed. Weird, but works pretty well. Happy New Year to all my friends at Venturerider.

​ Another reason to stay outta Cali......

I commonly wear earbuds to listen to the stereo, but if / when I ride without a helmet, if I'm not wearing earbuds, I'll have earplugs in to keep the wind off my eardrums. My buddies that I ride with do the same thing. I'll continue as I have, and if I get cited...so be it.....I may even contest the ticket should I get one.....

How true. It seems like back in the 70s they were junk at 100k....if they made it that far.

Hadn't used the Taurus for about a month now, so, while I was outside I thought I should fire it up and let 'er run for a bit while attending to some other things. She fired right up, but started squealing, with some smoke starting coming from the engine compartment, so I shut her down and took a look, finding that the alternator had locked up. 157k on this car, and that's the first issue we've had. OK, no biggie....until I see that on this model, 3.5 DOHC motor it's a major pain to change. Lists as a 6 hr job for an equipped shop. Gotta pull the tie rod and cv shaft to change. ARRGGGHHH. I'll do both belts while I'm at it, but this will end up being a cold job. (outside) I love that car for it's performance, comfort and (up to now) reliability, but it makes me long for the good old days when this stuff was a lot easier to do.

I don't know that any of it's necessary. It was always my understanding that a collector would help to muffle and even out the pulses to smooth out the sound. Kinda like an anti-Harley effect.,....plus it equalizes back pressure to all cylinders so they're all running under identical conditions, assuming all other functions are synchronized. But that's just what I've always thought.....I'm sure someone here will explain why I'm wrong....

The cliche' is that Opinions are like buttholes......everyone's got 'em. At least I hope so.

It's an opinion piece, and you know what they say about opinions.

I remember when I was a kid....maybe 5..???...we used to leave milk and cookies for Santa and some lettuce and carrots for his reindeer. I got up early Christmas Morning, before we were allowed to open gifts, and noticed, as usual that the goodies for Santa and the Reindeer were gone. So, starting to question the existence of Santa, I figured Dad probably downed the cookies and milk, but what happened to the lettuce and carrots? I looked in the trash, in the fridge and even in the yard to see what Dad did with them but couldn't find them. That was about 47 years ago, but still has me wondering. lol.. :confused24: Favorite gifts.....A 5 speed banana bike. A Crossman 760 bb gun. Back in the old days when they were really well made. A 45 cal muzzleloader for deer hunting. I was probably 16 then. A Ruger Super Blackhawk .44 magnum. I was probably 20 then. Don't know what brought that on. I was very pleasantly surprised. Must have been payback for spending half my Summer helping build that family room. We used to have GREAT CHRISTMASES back then. I still love Christmas, but some of the youthful luster has worn off. My Mom really made the season special. Decorating, cooking and gifts. God I miss her. Love ya mom. ...sniff.. MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL MY VENTURERIDER FRIENDS.

Wishing you all the best with the surgery and rehab. Hoping that you'll be up n at'em for next riding season.

Welcome !!! You've joined the most knowledgeable, friendly, helpful group associated with the Venture, .....or anything else for that matter. What a great gift your dad gave ya. Glad to have you aboard.

Great story with a happy ending. I'm very pleased to hear you're both doing so well. Sounds like you have a Merry Christmas well in hand. Take care and may God Bless you and your family.

A winch for my truck. Wife want's a sleep number bed. $$$

That's actually my niece. The cooks are me (yellow smiley pants) and my older brother (far right). Outhouse is heated and custom ventilated. Absolutely no odor. I used a small combustion blower off a rooftop hvac unit to draw air in through the seat, so NOTHING escapes into outhouse,....all stinky is blown up and away. Heck, folks may want to hang out in there.

The old outhouse up at the cabin lasted 25 yrs, but all good things must come to an end, so I built a new one. Pics of the new outhouse, and the gang up the camp for buck season.....just wish there were still deer to hunt. Saw more elk than deer. Saw two deer first day, a nervous ? 6 point and a doe. The buck must've been lost to be in that county.

I entered ten of my best jokes, or puns in a contest, hoping to win....but no pun in ten did........

Joined when I bought my first gen in 08 and have had no regrets. I've been irked a few times, but hey, when you're dealing with different personalities, that's gonna happen. I can't imagine a better Venture forum, and when I've compared it to the "other" Venture site.....I made my choice to stick with this site. Great info from knowledgeable folks, and when I've met them in person at rallies and the like, I've always been impressed with what a great bunch of folks they are. I wouldn't change a thing. Membership may be down a bit, but the main players are still around. How many members do ya need to keep it viable???. I come and go on the site depending on what's going on in my life, but I'm lurking daily, or perhaps only a few times a week if I'm too busy to play on the 'puter. The $12 yearly membership fee has never even been a consideration for me. You'd have to increase it tenfold before I'd use that as a reason to reconsider membership. The money saved through the info / help received more than covers the membership cost, plus the opportunities for get togethers and general entertainment are also more than worth the cost. Heck, gettin' to meet Puc at MD was worth the fee in and of itself. I guess I didn't add much other than to say, I'll be here as long as you are. No plans to sell my Ventures in the foreseeable future although I gotta admit I never took the First gen out this year. Great old bike.....runs great, but with little time to ride, I chose Black Cherry.. (06) Keeping it just the way it is works for me. Thanks for all you do.

I've never been in the service, but Dad was in Europe in WWII and my older brother was in the thick of it in Vietnam. Everyone says it changed him. As I type I'm feeling a bit emotional, feeling thanks to the powers that be that they both came back in one piece. God bless our vets, and our serving servicemen / women.

I use a parking lot sweeper and it helps a lot. It's a big blower on wheels with an 8 horse Kohler engine on it. I blow them until they're too high to blow any further, which is usually a line about 2 1/2 feet high, then rake them onto a tarp and drag them into the woods. The trick is to do as much as possible while they're dry, since they're a lot harder to blow when they're wet. At this point I'm about 3/4 of the way through this painful Fall chore. Still wouldn't go back to the 'burbs for anything. At least for as long as I'm able to keep doin' it. I love the seclusion. As far as the chain saw goes....have plenty,....from 14" up to a 24" Shindawa beast. I love the trees when they're not messing up the yard.

I live in an A frame in the woods, with maybe a half acre of yard, and 700' of driveway. If I don't keep on top of it, I get BURIED. They'd literally be 6" deep all around the house. Probably my least favorite chore.

Yeah, it could get a lot of hotel rooms, but the nice thing about your own motorhome is it's like taking a bit of "home" with you. I'm more comfortable in my motorhome than in a motel room, plus, you can take a bunch of stuff with you. Downsides are poor fuel economy...you need to tow a car or a bike if you want to explore the area once you get there....rv parks are expensive, so unless you're gonna stay in wally world parking lots, you'll need to research places to stay for free, which usually means you're "dry" camping,...without an external power or water source. Not a problem, but it'll mean you'll have to dump waste tanks and fill water tanks often. Again, not a problem as many travel centers allow this for a small fee. If you're willing to buy a used one, they're really not that expensive. I bought my 01 in 12 for 18K, with 35,000 miles on it. I only have 45 on it now, but have had no problems worth mentioning. Slide outs are a big plus if you're gonna spend much time in it. Mine doesn't have 'em and I wish it did. I don't use it as much as I'd like (no time) but when I do get to use it, I enjoy it thoroughly. I'm planning on keeping the one I have until I retire, ...it oughta be pretty used up by then....then get a newer one, with slide outs, preferably diesel, to do a bit of travelling when I want. Class C motorhomes seem a bit easier to drive, 'cause it's like a big van, but I prefer a class A because you don't feel so boxed in while travelling. With the wide open front end, with the big windows,...I really think it adds a lot to the travelling experience. I'd say go for it. I really have no regrets about buying mine. Best of luck to ya

Great idea. I'll discuss it with the wife.

I've been selected twice. I got out of the first one as it would burden my employer, ...went for the second one only to find I wasn't needed. Case dismissed or delayed or something like that. I just sent in another registration for it, so I'm guessing I'll get called again soon. I know it's supposed to be our duty and all, but I don't see how in a "free" society it can be compulsory. Heck, my wife is thrilled when she gets called. She's hoping to eventually get called to be on a Grand Jury. The one I got out of WAS a Grand Jury, so there's no telling how long that could have taken. Imagine if you were on the jury for the OJ trial or the like. The loss of income could put you into bankruptcy.