Ol Erns
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Everything posted by Ol Erns
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I run both electric and propane. Electric is off-peak at .026 KW. I have a split level home and we put the propane (took out the wood furnace) in when we bought the home and our kids were small. Years later it's only Mom and I and we run mainly the electric. My summer electric bill with an outdoor hot-tub runs around 75 bucks. The hot tub adds about 40-50 bucks a month during the winter months. Heating our home adds an additional 50-75 each month. December was $175.00. This month we've had two cold spells 25-35 below 0 for lows so I am expecting 200-225 this month. When we mainly ran propane it was about 200 a month just for the propane. Just a note though, as dangerous and as much work as it was, wood heat was wonderful. 30 below outside and your walking around in the house in shorts and a t-shirt AND it was a constant heat.......no varying temperatures between the propane furance kicking on and off..........but I also spent many many hours, cutting, splitting, stacking and hauling wood. Just my .02 worth. Erns PS By the way.........currently 15 below, almost t-shirt and shorts weather!!!:rotf:
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I can handle the snow.........the more there is the more fun we will have..........it's the xtreme cold I am having trouble handling. We had -36F the other morning with some wind that brought the windchill down into the -60F range. Erns
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Welcome to the one club no one should ever belong too. EVER! God Bless. Erns:337:
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Afternoon http://forecast.weather.gov/images/wtf/rasn100.jpg Rain/Snow Hi 43°FTonight http://forecast.weather.gov/images/wtf/nra50.jpg Chance Rain Lo 41°FSaturday http://forecast.weather.gov/images/wtf/shra60.jpg Showers Likely Hi 55°FSaturday Night http://forecast.weather.gov/images/wtf/nshra60.jpg Showers Likely Lo 49°FSunday http://forecast.weather.gov/images/wtf/tsra60.jpg Tstms Likely Hi 62°FSunday Night http://forecast.weather.gov/images/wtf/nshra50.jpg Chance Showers Lo 42°FColumbus Day http://forecast.weather.gov/images/wtf/shra30.jpg Chance Showers Hi 51°FMonday Night http://forecast.weather.gov/images/wtf/nbkn.jpg Mostly Cloudy Lo 33°FTuesday http://forecast.weather.gov/images/wtf/sct.jpg Mostly Sunny Hi 53°F I might be willing to trade, anybody interested? Erns
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last month southbound out of the Black hills, strong headwind and 75 MPH by the GPS........26 MPG '06 two up with a fairly heavy trailer. I look at it this way....you gotta feed the ponies. Erns
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Who's going to Sturgis and what are your plans? I thought it would be neat to see what VR's plans are for going to Sturgis. Where from, what the mileage will be, when will you arrive. Any big plans...Concerts, parties, venues etc. For me and the princess, we are leaving here the afternoon of July 31. Will arrive in Sturgis the afternon of Aug 1. No concerts or such planned. Just gonna hang out, go for a few rides, see the sites, just see what comes along. Leave on Monday, Aug. 4 towards Colorado. Hopefully by Wednesday be somewhere in Utah. We want to go through Arches Nat'l Park. Thursday start back towards home, which may include a night back in Sturgis Friday, Aug. 8th. And then home by Sunday the 10th. It is our big getaway for the summer and have been looking forward to it for way too long. Exception though will be in late July, going to Georgia to see and support our son graduate from Army boot camp at Benning. Flying for that, just not enough time to ride. For those going to Sturgis. Let me know. Maybe we can gather for a cocktail or two! Erns:thumbsup:
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Thanks for all the help. My tach is the Drag Specialties brand. Fits nice. Looks pretty good, I am happy with it. Haven't jumped into the wiring yet. The directions are pretty simple, I just wasn't sure where or which coil to use and which was the hot side. Maybe, between having to work, and if the remainder of flooring I am installing goes well, and if I get the decks stained, and if I get the driveway sealed I "might" get to work on it next Sunday........unless it rains. Can't stain the deck or seal the driveway then can I? Erns:banana::banana:
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I am installing a tach on my 06 RSV. Putting it on the right side of the bars. Can anyone tell me where the coils are at? The picture in the RSV manual makes it appear it is behiind one of the side ocovers?? Also anyone know which terminal is positive and which is negative on the coil? And does it matter which coil I hook it up to? I don't think it should matter. Thanks for your help!! Erns
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Installing factory passing lamps
Ol Erns replied to a topic in Royal Star Venture Tech Talk ('99 - '13)
When I first installed my lamps on my '04 I followed Yamaha's directions. Blew the main fuse within a week. Changed things over to relay and never had another problem again. On my '06 I did the same thing and have never had a problem. I take that back, I did have the ground wire inside the lamp break at the rivot.........what a little bugger to fix. Oh yeah, when I've ask around about other manufactures, Kawasaki and Honda particularly, I was told their kit came with the relay. Hummmmmmm. Just my 2 cents worth. -
Congrats on whatever you ride. When you think about it.....its not what you ride, its just riding... Have fun and be careful. Oh, almost forgot, the new Triump tourer is very very interesting.......lots and lots of horsy's. Erns
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I've been tasered numerous times, and I've used my Taser quite a few times. In the article, nowhere does it say that the guy was healthy. In rush hour trafic and out of control.........he's on something.......common people! Meth/Cocaine are stimulants. They will make the heart beat faster and when you get involved in a fight, sometimes the heart just can't take it anymore.........excited delerium. It's been diagnosed long before there were taser's. The Anoka Co. ME report is yet to come, but the toxicology will take a little longer. We'll see what they say. Who knows, maybe out of the 100's of thousands of taser deployments that take place every year, maybe they'll have the first direct relationship between taser use and the cause of death.(?) The Taser runs on very very very low amperage. High in voltage. Any of our VR friends that work with electricity will tell you, it's not voltage that will kill you, its the amperage. Taser international has taken the volttage and "tuned" it to the same electrical impulse that your brain sends out, thus when the circut is created, the muscle groups un between the circut receive a scrambled message. Hipshot, I 'd like to agree with you more reagrding the German Shepherd......got one of those too 'cept he's 96 lbs. Taser causes less damage unfortunately. If I knew how to do it, I'd post a picture of the best partner in the world. Erns
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You never see a motorcycle parked outside a psychiatrists office!!!! Erns
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Did he have somebody with that gave him the ol' evil eye when you started talking bikes? My navigator on one of her not so good days has left me standing there talking and I forgot who I went there with and what I went there for!!! LOL Erns
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Most bridges have an incline to them, so when you have the cruise set, the load of climbing the incline is calling for more throttle to keep the set speed. In the winter months, bridge decks usually will be the ambient temperature. Frost, condensation from the vehicle exhaust, other moisture will drip off the vehicle from hitting the expansion joint onto the the bridge deck and collect and freeze. Your vehicle, calling for throttle, hits the bridge deck, the tires will then loose traction (usually accelerating quickly), and usually cause you to loose control. larger bridges they usually hit the rails. Shorter bridges it's usually just after the bridge into the ditch or median. Here on one of the bridge decks, DOT is using an experimental compound on the bridge deck to see if it can help stop this. Only east bounds lanes were covered, wests are not. Lots of tracks leading into the ditch for the west bounders.....none for the east bound, and after last nights rain, over 70 cars in the ditch in a 10 mile stretch, none on that bridge. So it seems to be working. Erns
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Would you run it around the block a couple times for me also? I just got home from work. We had rain, then it turned to snow.....about 4 inches with another 2-4 expected and our friends to the north are punishing us for something we did or should have done.....sent their winds. Busy busy night, lots of miles, busting lots of drifts...........my squad feels like its got square wheels. So please, for me, would you roll her around the block a couple times, then pull her out on the highway.........run it with some meaning at least thru third gear, then quick shift up thru to fifth, and then let the power slowly roll on, put your feet up on the pegs, set the cruise, and turn the toons up. I better stop there........ I'll look for your post this afternoon when I get up, don't leave out any details. LOL. Be safe, have fun!! Signed, Cabin fever is already getting to me (Erns)
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I think.........if you went to youtube and searched the go fish guys you'll find the video, then there should be a link to email or share with a friend. That should work..........I think. Oh Merry Christmas
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I have a 99 with a 5.8. Over 130,000 miles. Hard on coil packs. Four so far. Same one everytime. also leaking oil from the rear right head. Nothing major, but enough to curse about when I look at the garage floor. They require lifting the body off the frame to fix it. Expensive! I'll make sure I keep checking the oil instead. Good truck overall. MN winters, lots of cold. Lots of road salt. No rust!!!!! Has never not started. Not plugged in, overnight in a motel parking lot and -40F and started on the first try. (Baudette, MN when my son played Pee Wee Hockey). I also have a Chev. with a plow for almost 170,000 miles. (a '93 and its plowed snow every winter). Comparativly, I am not sure the Ford would have withstood what I've put the chev through pushing snow. Not sure if you can tax an engine and drivetrain harder than 10-12 hours of pushing heavy wet snow (right grandpagak!!). May I make a suggestion? Google the truck and year. You'll get all kinds of responses. but understand, most (all) will be complaining, not touting its greatness. Good luck!! Erns
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On the ID for cigs thing........some of the new cash registers require they slide the ID before it will allow them to continue with the sale of the cigs. Safety measure to make sure they get 100 % compliance out of their clerks. But yes I agree we're in trouble. Couple years back on a bike trip to the rockies, we had one of our younger riders (college graduate) convinced that when you hit the Rockies...you entered a new time zone. Rocky Mountain Time. And needed to re-set your watch......you turned it back a 1/2 hour!!!! He didn't wear a watch, and for some reason his cell phone didn't recognize "Rocky Mountain Time Zone" so he'd keep asking what time it was and we'd ask him what time zone he wanted......Mountain or Rocky Mountain Time!!!!! Sitting around camp, having a few adult beverages one evening we finally decided to straightened him out..........we just about fell out of our chairs laughing so hard. Rocky mountain time.......He will never be allowed to forget it either!:rotf::rotf: Erns
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I see a reason for a new poll..........to count or not to count........ Erns
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Cold. Miserably cold. Snowed and the wind blew. Lots of black ice. I am afraid the RSV will have to be put away for the winter. Depressing thought. Ol' Erns
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try: www.americanmototire.com/ and www.motorcyclemart.com/ Ol'Erns
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2 bikers bunch more hurt.down in 6 hours here...........
Ol Erns replied to VTirelli's topic in Watering Hole
"maybe us riders should be riding at reasonable speeds so that if we see something in our way, we are able to stop. and if that isnt possible, then we shouldnt be riding at nights." the deer I hit on the bike..........3 PM, bright sunny day. It was on a full run. Never saw it until it broke the tall grass on the side of the road. No shoulders. I wouldn't have been on the road because of that it had not been for a detour I was in. By the way the tall grass is a problem here in MN. South of US 10, state statute prohibits the mowing of the ditches until August to protect nesting and brooding critters. I've worked straight nights most of my carrer. Most years between work, cage and bike about 50K in miles. Every one of the deer (by the way 8 months since the last one, knock on wood!) I've hit were on a full run. When it comes to deer, brake and aim straight. Do not swerve. Fewer fatalities that way. Did have a friend though, worked as a National Forest Ranger, drove a full size dodge P/U for work. 7 o'clock in the AM, a car going the opposite way struck a deer, catapaulting (sp) the deer towards him. The deer went through the windhield and struck him. He died right there. Yeah we can take 6 deer each here in MN , but that won't touch the numbers. I bet I see 500 to 600 deer a night feeding in the ditches. I should keep count one night. In the City they've now made it unlawful to feed the deer. Some homeowners have fancy automatic feeders to keep the deer coming in all night. On a cold winters night, some say it is nothing to have 50 deer in the backyard, all fighting for a mouthful of corn. They remind of rats and no matter how much you exterminate them, they keep coming back! Venison anyone? Ol' Erns -
Whether its a bike dealership ( Yam, Honda, HD) or a car dealership, or a computer shop. It doesn't matter. The quality of work your going to get is dependent on the boss or owner of the shop. How much they want to pay for quality employees. As tight as everything is getting and wanting to keep profits up I think a lot of dealerships are sacrificing quality for quantity. You really really need to shop around.....and keep shopping, because the dealerships have turn over of employees also. A good mechanic can almost write his own ticket becase the employer knows that it doesn't matter what flavor your sign says you sell, that mechanic can bring his customers with. These 5 star rated dealerships.......BS........maybe they have one mehcanic or had that mechanic with the experience and know how, and everyone else works under his cert's and combined with sales volume and what they sell, how many lines is how they get that rating.........most of it is BS. You need to shop around. When you find a good one make sure your service manager knows why you bring your bike there.......for quality work worth what you pay.......anything less is unacceptable. And get to know your mechanic. He'll let you know if he's happy or not, thinking of jumping ship etc. If he's got a manager breathing down his neck to put out numbers instead of quality that's a dealership that doens't care about anything but the buck. When shopping for a delaership or mechanic I've found the service manager and his honesty right from the start is a good sign. It'll be a week, 2 weeks before I can get you in or if you can leave it w/o any expectations we'll see what we can do. Just my two cents. By the way. I've got a good service manager. Not much for mechanics except good for the easy stuff. My mechanic moved to sales, better hours and he decides how hard he works........and on the weekend you can bring the bike by his place and he'll fix her up!!!! Ol' Erns
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I got the car kit with mine. It is then plugged in to the accessory on the left side of the fairing. I then bought a mount for a motorcycle radar detector so it sits directly in front of the cassette door. Instead of the FM modulator, I use the cassette. Owners manual suggests it for better sound. As far as battery life goes, I've used it when on the lawn mower etc.....with out any issues. Battery has lasted over 4 hours. It also came with the home kit, so I have that hooked into the stereo system in the garage. If you want to use it as a 'personnel XM' it comes with a case that hooks to your belt. Downside is that your body blocks the antennae and the ear buds left a lot to be desired. Pioneers fix for that is to purchase the headphones with the antennae built in. Like I said in the earlier post, downfall is the difficulty with all the combinations of buttons to push to change the channel and the display could be brighter. Got mine off Ebay from an XM dealer. There was a rebate back then so it was pretty good deal. If I remeber I'll try to post a picture. Erns
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Thom if your serious about keeping it, check the yellow pages and see if there is a nearby locker plant or meat market, maybe even some farmer in the area that might raise a few. They should be able to tell you whether they can help you out, even come and get it and for pennies on the dollar vs. the grocery store, you get back a bunch of nicely wrapped white packages marked bacon, ribs, chops, ham, bacon, ribs, chops, ham. Ummm Ummm good!! Erns