This Pig of a Bike

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I’m tapping out.turd pic

This POS AMF-era Hardley Ableson (1980 Sportster) has beaten me. I publicly concede defeat.

The bitch will not start. Well, the shitty electric start system will not turn the engine over. You hit the starter button and the solenoid engages, the starter spins – but the engine does not turn over. Visual confirmation (with primary cover off) that the Bendix drive clutch/gear “jumps” forward as it should when the solenoid is actuated. It meshes with the big ring gear on the back of the clutch basket. But then it (Bendix) freewheels.

Yes, the Bendix is new. The second new one.

Shitty ironhead engine is not locked up. I thought of that, too. Confirmed engine rotates normally (for a Hardley) by jacking the ass up in the air and turning the rear wheel by hand with the shitty four speed transmission in gear, per the book.

I am ready to smash the ugly hateful thing to ruin with a ball peen hammer.

It has a new starter; new solenoid. Several new Bendix drive clutches. New needle bearings for the rod the Bendix gear rides up and down on. No noticeable damage/wear on teeth of gears. Everything looks right, like it ought to work. But the bitch will not spin the engine.turd 2

I have disassembled, checked, replaced everything I can think of that could possibly be causing the problem.

I’m stumped. Filled with loathing, too.

Do any of you have any experience with one of these pieces of shit?*

* Oh, it’s an appellation that’s well-deserved. Want a sample? To adjust the tension on the primary chain, there is a 5/16 stud that you thread into the bottom of the case. Turn it in to increase the tension. But then, to secure the setting, you tighten a 5/16 nut on the stud. Which rotates the stud as you try to tighten it. Increasing the tension on the primary chain. It is all but got-damned impossible to set the tension and tighten down the locknut on this effing thing.

And that’s just one example.

How about the way the rear master cylinder sits directly under an exhaust pipe, so that it is physically impossible to check the fluid level inside without partially removing the master cylinder? Did I mention the business about no way to rotate the engine without jacking the ass of the bike up in the air, then turning the rear wheel by hand with the tranny in gear? Then there’s the breakers (no fuses) that have exposed contacts just an inch or so away from the jiggling battery. No castle nuts/cotter pins on critical fasteners such as the rear axle bolt. A generator.

On a 1980 model bike.

Removing the gas tank involves a Rube Goldberg-esque sequence of disassembly that involves multiple spacers, removal of the ignition coil and getting at and removing a pair of hard to see/get a tool on bolts. Even the seat is a pain in the ass to take off. The “peanut” gas tank holds maybe two gallons of fuel. I guess the designers knew you weren’t going to get very far… .turd three

If I had the money, I’d buy it – so I could roll it out into the field and shoot the son-of-a-bitch full of lead.

I am glad this bike is not mine – and that I experienced Harley engineering without having to buy a Harley.

Never do this.

You’ll be sorry if you do.

26 COMMENTS

  1. Since nobody has offered any information in 25 comments, let me enlighten you about Ironheads. You need a Ironhead specialist like my friend, Flat Black who has worked on them for 50 years. I will forward your website to him, but I have heard him tell others it is better for him to see it in person. BTW he usually chopper wires them to eliminate the problems with stock Harley components. I have heard him talking about starter problems before. He might talk to you since he is waiting for the VA to schedule his hip replacement surgery. I will put a good word in for you because you have already had enough grief.

    • Thanks, Dr!

      I am back to the starter as the only possible issue. It’s turning, but I suspect in the wrong direction – which would explain the issue with the Bendix (which is supposed to freewheel one way, turn the engine over the other way).

      But lately, so much other grief has fallen into my lap that the bike has been sidelined.

  2. To behead, or not to behead – that is the fatwatic question:

    Whether ’tis nobler in the mind to jihad against slings and arrows of outrageous infidels.

    Or to take arms against a sea of soldiers of misfortunes, and by opposing, end them. To die- to sleep- to Allahu Akbar no more; and by a sleep to say we end.

    The heartache, and the thousand natural shocks that semitic flesh is heir to. ‘Tis a consummation devoutly to be wish’d. Perchance to dream amid four score less eight virgins on heavenly hookah couches atop magic carpets: ay, there’s the rub, and the last of today’s islamic pentameter sutra.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QOQcF4yKaYw

    The fair young hijabbed Aisha!- Nymph, in thy orisons and calls, be all my sins rememb’red.

  3. Why is it only the Estados Unidos Cloveros who have no love for cats?
    http://static.minilua.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/pets-with-wigs32.jpg

    In any other village of size in the rest of the Americas, there’s always is a nice friendly place filled with libations and feline lovelies and a simple handmade sign proudly proclaiming itself “Gatos.”
    http://photos.travellerspoint.com/403615/large_P1000685_800x600.jpg

    This pig of a nation grows tiresome. Will it never cease needling and poking the bears, and then never letting the bears poke anyone back.
    http://static.minilua.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/pets-with-wigs32.jpg

  4. I remember buying the first Mac 128K for $3,200 all those years ago.

    Such a glorious pig of box.

    I took it with me on a sabbatical year I spent “working”at a recording studio in Hollywood, where I helped mix and record all kinds of songs for artists, and churned out plenty of written and audible products of my own until at last my savings were almost completely depleted and I flew back home in near desolate ruin, once again.
    – – –

    Now here’s Bob Belleville, Director Of Mac Engineering from ’82 to ’85 who lost his wife and kids to the noble producers’ cause. Whose toil and excellence we can all take or leave without consequence with all the rest I might add.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7hP47HogmY

    Consider taking a moment to thank all the facelesss men from Bravos behind all your machines. And give them a coin whenever you can. It is truly Atlases (Atlantes) such as them, who are the motor of our modern world.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X93Mib6chCg

    Apple Shareholders Meeting (1984). Featuring Steve Jobs, Bill Gates (Microsoft) Mitch Kapor (Lotus Development Corporation) Fred Gibbons (Software Publishing) and the Macintosh team: Colette Askeland, Bill Atkinson, Bob Bailey, Steve Balog, Susan Barnes, David Beaver, Bob Belleville, Brian Berkeley, Mike Boich, Mike Boys, Jeff Bradley, Debbie Bress, Peggy Brown, Bill Bull, Tom Burt, Mike Campi, Steve Capps, Ranendra Chakarvorty, Steve Chemicoff, Mike Chisum, Debi Coleman, Bud Colligan, Mike Collins, Jerome Coonen, George Cossey, George Crow, Diane Dalton, Donn Denman, Gene Dunham, Dave Egner, Ron Egy, Bonnie Endress, Chris Espinosa, Eva Fasano, Gail Fauber, Frank Fennelly Bill Fernandez, Peter Foley, Hans Gerke, Pete Grieco, Dennis Grimm, Barbara Grisier, John Grooms, Brad Hacker, Martin Haeberli, Jim Hakanson, Meaghan Hardy, Andy Hertzfeld, Pam Hillhouse, Barry Hochfield, Joanna Hoffman, Diana Hogue, Dave Holzer, Toni Homerwood, Bruce Horn, Brian Howard, Kim Hyland, George Irwin, Lynnea Johnson, Carol Kaehler, Scott Kamins, Susan Kare, Guy Kawasaki, Larry Kenyon, Patti Kenyon, Sam Khoo, Barbara Koalkil, Dan Kottke, Jan Krappel, Kelly Laccabue, Dan’l Lewin, Liz London, Sam Lyall, Ivan Mach, Jerry Manock, Scott Marquardt, Tina Marquez, Bob Martin, Mary Ellen McCammon, Blanche McCoy, JoAnne McManus, Vicki Milledge, Rosemary Morretta, Joan Murosky, Mike Murray, Terry Oyama, Ben Pang, Linda Patterson, Susan Phalan, Chris Plank, Jimmie Quan, Steve Quento, John Rizzo, Brian Robertson, Donatien Roger, Dave Roots, Caroline Rose, Alain Rossman, Sam Sandord, Rita Schaub, Steve Scheier, Kathy Schlein, Rick Schutt, John Scull, Rony Sebok, Hasmig Seropian, Pat Sharp, Joe Shelton, Burrell Smith, Pam Stanton-Wyman, Lynn Takahashi, Paul Tavanier, Denise Tolan, Sandy Tompkins, Joe Valente, Leslie Van Winkle, Stephanie Wall, Bill Wathen, Denise Wells, Linda Wilkin, Stan Wilkinson, Tricia Willcoxon and Gary Williams.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fl2fbkSmvnk

  5. This pig of website, will not enough of us oinkers pawn our wisdom stranded necklaces at sufficient prices to keep this cybersty minimally moist?

    What’s probably wrong in a nutshell, is the actual value producers are almost never compensated for even a fraction of what they give us.

    Case in point, Eric and this website.

    Poster Child general case of getting nothing for your efforts, is Doug Engelbart, who gave us the mouse for FREEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0zxySWfB7K0

    The shamefully binned and forgotten Silicon Valley genius Doug Engelbart, creator of the mouse, who had no one who’d fund him for the last four decades of his life.
    http://www.zdnet.com/article/the-shocking-truth-about-silicon-valley-genius-doug-engelbart/

    Doug Engelbart’s Full Demo Vids From 1968 Which Have All Come To Fruition And Show Tech Now Worth Many Trillions Yet Was Given To Us All For FREEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!
    http://web.stanford.edu/dept/SUL/library/extra4/sloan/mousesite/1968Demo.html

  6. It’s nice to have somewhere to give your Zwei Pfennig wert to, thank you Iroc and Eric.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VaBbHGKLp88

    This is my second favorite site, ya know.

    My favorite site is in a parallel alternate universe where Iroc Pitirs the libertarian gamerhead author rants about archaic video consoles, has even more hate for being told what to do – and additionally a 100 million $Nintendos insurance policy with Sega Sony Lloyds of London payable on demand to any site visitor who proves he has ever tried to tell anyone what to do.

    Iroc Pitirs and Uuuurgli, Angriest Lobirteroen Nintendo Nerds and Ranteurs Flaneurs Extraoirdinaire of the Pleura Way Galaxy
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MYDuy7wM8Gk
    – – –
    Interstitial comment vacuum because 2 universe 2 galaxy antimatter quantum considerations
    – – –

    Tur Lobirteroen Sharkey’s Day:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VaBbHGKLp88

    Sun Tzu’s coming up. Like a big bald head. Poking up over the grocery store. It’s Sharkey’s day. It’s Sharkey’s day today. Sharkey wakes up and Sharkey says: There was this man… And there was this road…And if only I could remember these dreams… I know they’re trying to tell me…something.

    Ooooeee. Strange dreams.(Strange dreams). Oh yeah. And Sharkey says: I turn around, it’s fear. I turn around again And it’s love. Oh yeah. Strange dreams. And the little girls sing: Oooee Sharkey.

    And the manager says: Mr. Sharkey? He’s not at his desk right now. Could I take a message? And Sharkey says: All of nature talks to me. If I could just figure out what it was trying to tell me.

    Listen! Trees are swinging in the breeze. They’re talking to me. Insects are rubbing their legs together. They’re all talking. They’re talking to me. And short animals- They’re bucking up on their hind legs. Talking.

    Talking to me. Hey! Look out! Bugs are crawling up my legs! You know? I’d rather see this on TV. Tones it down. And

    Sharkey says: I turn around, it’s fear. I turn around again, and it’s love. Nobody knows me. Nobody knows my name. And Sharkey says: All night long I think of those little planes up there. Flying around. You can’t even see them. They’re specks! And they’re full of tiny people. Going places.

    And Sharkey says: You know? I bet they could all land on the head of a pin. And the little girls sing: Ooooeee. Sharkey! He’s Mister Heartbreak.

    They sing: Oooeee. That Sharkey! He’s a slow dance on the edge of the lake. He’s a whole landscape gone to seed. He’s gone wild! He’s screeching tires on an oil slick at midnight on the road to Boston a long time ago.

    And Sharkey says: Lights! Camera! Action! TIMBER! At the beginning of the movie, they know they have to find each other. But they ride off in opposite directions. Sharkey says: I turn around, it’s fear. I turn around again, and it’s love.

    Nobody knows me. Nobody knows my name. You know? They’re growing mechanical trees. They grow to their full height. And then they chop themselves down.

    Sharkey says: All of life comes from some strange lagoon. It rises up, it bucks up to it’s full height from a boggy swamp on a foggy night. It creeps into your house. It’s life! It’s life! I turn around, it’s fear. I turn around again, and it’s love. Nobody knows me. Nobody knows my name.

    Deep in the heart of darkest America. Home of the brave. Ha! Ha! Ha! You’ve already paid for this. Listen to my heart beat.

    And the little girls sing: Oooeee Sharkey. He’s a slow dance on the edge of the lake. They sing:Ooooeeee. Sharkey. He’s Mister Heartbreak.

    Paging Mr. Sharkey. White courtesy telephone please. And Sharkey says: I turn around, it’s fear. I turn around again, and it’s love.

    Yeah. On top of Old Smokey all covered with snow. That’s where I wanna, that’s where I’m gonna That’s where I’m gonna go.

    • Things are not looking good, Tor.

      I’m seriously considering crawling back to Google. Or just bagging it. I’m getting old, I’m tired – and it sometimes seems like there’s no point to it.

      • You’re a social media drillbitcoin millionaire at least. Millions of views and mentions bursting from all your accounts.

        Please Tip Your Cyber Tambourine Man
        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPqAvgN6Tyw

        I’ve seen the “real” demos and financials from facetwitredditpressleak amplitudemodulatedradiopodpeople of everyone who views and likes all your reposted interviews, articles, and videos.
        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aXt0_LxP6ug (Steve Jobs reads “The Times They Are A-Changin”, by Dylan at the 1984 Apple Shareholders Meeting)

        It must surely suck to be your own JobsMenckenDisneyEdisonFord two man tambourine man with such evidently non-monetizable popularity tho.

        Are your readers really going to let you die, like they did Steve Jobs?
        http://www.redjon.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Jobs5.jpg

      • eric, yesterday and I’m within 60 or so miles from the house when my phone rings. It’s a guy who provides me with work, work I’d been doing as fast as I possibly could, to the utmost of my abilities, expending much more effort than anyone else on the job to help his guys build a road. I won’t go into specifics cause nobody would understand but I was almost doing backflips making sure his guys, who nobody else gave a shit about including those who worked for the same company, wouldn’t do. I had told him everybody could be doing the same things I was doing and keeping him from being in any danger. This had been going on a week and he was a bit bent, understandably, being only a year younger than myself and having people half his age or less using him like a red-headed step child(didn’t mean to bring up my truck, Step Child). He greatly appreciated what I did and do for him and little does he know, I’m the lowest paid guy on the job.

        But pay really wasn’t what it was all about even though it works on me, esp. since I can’t save enough to buy a pickup I need since I got in a bind over a decade ago and it ruined my credit(shit happens….and I didn’t like it either).

        Today the owner of the company called me after I’d been working on Step Child all day and have another hard day left, get to replace all sorts of parts and do some aluminum and steel welding both, something nobody else can do(not both)and nobody else Will do. But I need the work and he knows, since he asked yesterday on my way in if I’d haul The Last Load that hadn’t been counted on. It was late and I was tired, tired tired but I never hesitated to say Yes sir, I’ll take care of it while all his employees streamed in and headed to the house.

        So I get home late, as usual, underpaid and tired beyond words. But he calls me this afternoon telling me the job was back on tomorrow and he needed me if I could be there. I had to tell him about what I still had left in front of me mechanic wise and he said Certainly, it’s got to be done. But I’ll be one of those always called and called late cause I take those loads. I recently hauled tickets to two of the last big jobs that had Last Load on them.

        I’m going to change my handle to Last Load, that is if the radio guy gets my Midland fixed. But that’s life and it’s what I do.

        You, are some of the same thing in your way. You can give up your dream and be monetarily better off. I’m not saying you won’t get to the point where you can no longer stand it, but you’ll be like me, the Last Load guy, a bitter end sort of fellow.

        I wish you the best and wish to hell I could help to some great extent. I’m still playing catch-up from what the govt. did to us. I’ll most likely do it to my dying day but so what?

        I buried my cousin Saturday who was my age and at the funeral, an old schoolmate approached me, trying to figure out who looked most like her friend, my sister. We spoke a while and she couldn’t believe I had been trucking my whole married life. She asked me when I was going to retire. I said “When one of my steering tires blows and I can’t stay out of that bad canyon”(I have managed to jam in the door and hang on to a stop in prior situations such as that). Shit happens. But follow your heart.

        • PtB, all things are relevant eh? I can remember feeling old at 50…..but it passed. There is something about that age that works on you and you probably felt it once too. Now, it’s those simple victories in life, like waking up….3-4 hours after going to bed and knowing that’s all there is but still, it was a bit of sleep and I have woken up every day…….. so far.

          This is something I think about quite a bit. I really think the people on this site, for the most part, work harder for what they get than the butt lickers who have no moral compass or staunch values, the clovers who’ll take the easy and dishonest way out any time they get a chance. I don’t steal or lie even though I could do both and be better of financially. I may not have a lot but I never stole. Yep, I’ve lied, just like everybody, but only those sorts of lies that keep you from what Mencken said people wanted, Getting what they deserved……good and hard. There are people, esp. those with some power over you who make you lie. I can tell a DOT occifer a lie and pass a polygraph test afterward. It’s that fishhead/sex factor.

        • I’m getting there.

          And I’m tired.

          Looming divorce, contributed to by financial problems that arose as a result of going off the MSM reservation to try being an independent.

          It does not pay.

          I have said – and will say again – that I am not interested in being rich or even well off. But I am not interested in being broke and homeless, either.

          It is a source of great frustration – and disappointment – that one (not just me) can build a media outlet (I fucking hate the term, “blog”) that has thousands of readers visiting it every day yet can’t generate enough income to support even one person (forget a staff).

          I’ve mentioned this before, but for those who didn’t catch it: This site has a readership/circulation that’s about 75 percent of the circulation of my old paper, The Washington Times. Which employed a full-time salaried staff of editors, reporters and so on.

          This was due to the fact that if you wanted to read the paper, you pretty much had to buy the thing. EPautos, on the other hand, is “free.”

          Most people just take it.

          And therein lies the rub.

          Libertarians complain (with justification) about the Pravda-style mainstream media. They say they want news, info and commentary that’s not bought-and-paid-for by the corporate-government nexus. But – in the main – they are not willing to support it. Which leaves those who try to provide it in an impossible situation.

          What’s happening is that economic pressure is forcing independents like me to throw in the towel and go back to whoring for the corporate-government nexus. What choice do we have?

          How many of you would work for free?

          Lord, I’ve been trying. I just feel boxed in – and, increasingly, desperate.

          • Eric:

            What you experienced at the Wash. Times was based on it suffering continued losses!!!! In other words, your enterprise is significantly more successful than it ever was (see http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/oct/14/washington-times-reaches-profitability-after-33-ye/).

            All that being said, you could be much more financially successful with your website than you are. I’m not exactly sure how to do it, but these guys could probably give some guidance:

            https://www.garyvaynerchuk.com/

            http://www.internetbusinessmastery.com/

            http://www.smartpassiveincome.com/

            • Hi Mr. Liberty,

              The problem is that people want free.

              It really is that simple.

              They want “free” music – and “free” articles. They just assume the music and the articles will continue to be produced – without the producers being compensated.

              Which it will. In general. There will always be people who can afford to work for nothing (or can accept having their work taken without compensation).

              But those of us who can’t will have to go do something else. If that means becoming a whore for Team Red or Team Blue, then that’s what we’ll have to do.

              I know some of those people, incidentally. They tell me I am a fool. That I ought to take a hint and do as Hannity and Coulter and el Rushbo have… and get rich by peddling that ol’ time GOP elixir. Start bashing the fags. Talk up “values.” Find Jesus – maybe start crying.

              • Eric:

                I think what you might be missing is the business model that gives away razors to sell the blades. To translate that to music, I think most non-superstar artists nowadays have no choice but to give away their recorded music so they can sell tickets to their live appearances and t-shirts at the show.

                In your case, you “give away” your articles to get people to come to your site. That the “cost” of potential customer acquisition. You need to now offer something with additional value for sale. You could certainly convert your site to paid members only, but you might find that not enough will be willing to pay and your audience would shrink considerably (that would be sad). If you’re truly bothered by “giving your articles away for free,” I would say try paid membership then. On the other hand, I would cherish your site visitors and look to other sources of income incidental to it. These could be:

                -Selling a hard copy book to your readers on topics such as cars (which I know you’re in the process of), or a motorcycle repair manual (you could be the expert on Kaw triple or KZ restoration), or libertarian ideas, etc.

                -Selling the same books in e-book format for a significantly lower price (say $3.99) -these are easy to publish nowadays and cost almost nothing to produce and sell (aside from writing, which you are particularly talented at).

                -Much improving your youtube channel (look at channels: The Smoking Tire, That Dude in Blue, Chris Harris on Cars, etc.) and monetizing it through adsense, sponsorship (“the following video is sponsored by Amsoil”) or by product placement or product review (of course be honest with viewers that it is a sponsored product). Maybe do an in depth review of a motorcycle oil change using Amsoil extolling its virtues. That might sound like selling out, but you know Amsoil is good and you might help somebody preserve his engine a little bit longer (and get compensation from Amsoil for doing so -everybody’s a winner).

                -Trying some affilliate marketing such as directing your viewers to Amazon, rockautoparts.com, etc. and you’ll get a percentage of the sale -this costs your site visitors nothing.

                -Selling ad space on your site (I know you do this a little, but you need to do more and require advertisers to provide a discount to your viewers (10% of Amsoil purchase, etc.) to give them an incentive to purchase.

                -Maybe star a podcast and seek sponsorship as well: http://podcastanswerman.com/learn-how-to-podcast/

                There are so many opportunities out there for you. A combination of all of these ideas (and I’m sure many more) could likely give you a very good income. Take a look at look at Pat Flynn’s efforts (click on each month for a detailed breakdown of his income sources and expenses): http://www.smartpassiveincome.com/my-income-reports/

                We love you, brother. You have a real talent for writing and it sounds like you have a lot of visitors to your site. It would be sad to see you go away or limit it to paying members only to reduce that number (or frankly listening to you kvetch all the time -lol). Keep doing what you’re doing but take some advice from the websites that I provided to you. There is so much good free info and ideas on them. I’m begging you to spend a day or two perusing them. I know they will help.

                One last thing, as far as Google’s demands. Can you just replace certain words that they don’t like with a graphic of the same word so that it won’t register with its bots? Just a thought. If you’ve got to try some tricks or even play the game as they tell you a little to maintain your income sources, that’s ok. We’ll all understand.

  7. Note: On Topic Responses are currently to be found at the bottom of this post. Trigger Warning; Occasional Capslocks to follow. Your forbearance of this behavior is appreciated.
    – – –

    In the recent past, local corporations, governments, and religions, were still conceivably moral institutions, at least if author Clifford Goldsmith is to be believed.

    Old Time Radio, OTR Wartime, OTR Sitcom, OTR Comedy
    97 Episodes. Best Situational Comedy of ALL TIME.

    “The Aldrich Family” is one of those really GREAT and TIMELESS Old Time Radio sitcoms that make you laugh every time you listen to it. The main characters – created by Clifford Goldsmith – never age.

    Henry Aldrich (portrayed by Ezra Stone, Vic Jones and Bobby Ellis) is one of those types of teenagers everyone has met at sometime during life, as is his best buddy, Homer Brown (Jackie Kelk, Jack Grimes, Johnny Fieldler).

    Mary (Henry’s sister); Alice and Sam Aldrich (his parents, played by House Jamieson, Katherine Ross and Barbara Robbins); Aunt Harriet; Dizzy & Herbert (Henry’s buddies); Joe Graham (Mary’s boyfriend); Homer’s girlfriend (Agnes – May 1949). Henry’s girlfriends: Constance Marshall , Barbara Pearson (Oct 1939, played by Betty Field); Nancy Adams (Sep 1940), Eleanore Wentworth (Oct 1941), Cynthia (May 1948), Kathleen(Jan 1949), Gladys (Apr 1949) Are also EPIC.

    The words: “Hen – Reeeeeeeeeey! HEN – REEEEY ALD – rich!!!! – “COM – miiiiing Moth – er!!”… immediatly bring to mind a pimply-faced, squeaky-voiced teenage boy – the junior high school science nerd. … the boy who wants to be everyone’s best friend … so, he generally ends up with a whole heap of people upset with him over something he has done, to make that happen. The scene opens ….
    – – –

    The Vintage Radio Shows. The Aldrich Family. Open iTunes to preview, buy, and download music.
    https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/the-vintage-radio-shows/id480950180

  8. The hivemind of a clover is always abuzz with important thoughts. He is an inert drone unless he meets a female that puts the common good and the colony first.

    He only swipes right when he sees a potential pretty Pandora with the right politics. Who doesn’t smoke. Hates fast drivers, hates anyone who enjoys triggering exclusionary music, hates any woman who rides with intolerant rightwing anarchist mayhem type blokes.

    Are you a clover, take a look at this, and record your first thoughts on the image.

    SAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAFETY!
    https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/0a/9e/03/0a9e0349892a022250aec8a811be5604.jpg

  9. Anathem, is a magnificent creation: a work of great scope, intelligence, and imagination that ushers readers into our emerging amazing future world.

    Fraa Erasmas is a young avout living in the Concent of Saunt Edhar, a sanctuary for mathematicians, scientists, and philosophers, protected from the corrupting influences of the outside “saecular” world by ancient stone, honored traditions, and complex rituals.

    Over the centuries, cities and governments have risen and fallen beyond the concent’s walls. Three times during history’s darkest epochs violence born of superstition and ignorance has invaded and devastated the cloistered mathic community.

    Yet the avout have always managed to adapt in the wake of catastrophe, becoming out of necessity even more austere and less dependent on technology and material things. And Erasmas has no fear of the outside—the Extramuros—for the last of the terrible times was long, long ago.

    Neal Stephenson Discusses “Anathem” at Googuhl
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lnq-2BJwatE

  10. Assuming that internal spline is engaging the bendix clutch, the engine has to be requiring more torque to turn than the starter pinion clutch allows, but why? that makes no sense.

    Now how about this idea… what if the speed of the electric motor is playing a role. What if it is going too fast or too slow, more likely too fast. What if instead of using a motor of a desired speed Harley did something silly and had a circuit in there to reduce or increase the voltage seen by the starter motor. Now with the wiring all hacked up that circuit is no longer doing its job. That’s a long shot it requires looking at wiring diagrams to figure out. Such a thing shouldn’t be, it just should not be. It should not be designed that way. It would be stupid to make it that way, but what if they did?

  11. When they engineered this bike, and I mean that in the crudest form you can think of, it was “hey Charlie, we need a new bike by tomorrow. Here’s a bunch of parts……see what you can do”. Good thing he has some of the most basic pieces like washers, a few bolts and nuts and a drill and tap and die set, some leftover parts from other bikes, and a bin with some electrical parts from decades past.

    Good thing he had some righteous weed and some 1970’s era leftover bennies that didn’t work very well but gave him enough buzz to get some good action going with a shop hammer. I’m sure he smiled when he found the washers to get the tank looking halfway straight.

    I understand why fender washers exist……and I’ve always tried to stay away from brands that required the greatest number. I’ve been tempted to get a 25 ton bottle jack and use it between frame rails to not have to tape a bunch of spacers together to get the front end aligned properly. I always thought that was mass production voodoo engineering at its finest/worst when the alternative would be to make the frame the right dimensions to begin with…….but what do I know, I ain’t no engineer and dang sure ain’t one a car company would hire.

    Hey guys, wanta hear a good one? This guy here says if the frames were made right we wouldn’t need all these shims my BIL’s company makes….ha ha ha ha

    I wrecked my pickup when the ABS brakes failed to let me stop, like trying to stop on ice but the pavement was dry and the brake pedal pushed back as hard as I pushed on it. So the body is off and it’s on that computerized machine that will straighten it “better than original”……to within a thousandth of an inch. Not really meaning to be a smartass or make a joke, I observed with the right settings the front end wouldn’t even need a shim, it would be within a thousandth of an inch. The frame machine operator said with a strange look at me, Yeah, I guess you COULD do that. Some things in life aren’t meant to be understood……shims and women. Say, hand me that 1” impact, I need to make a fine adjustment.

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