ReconRat

I've designed a lot of parts for aircraft, and I was constantly going out to the factory to check and find and point out the out-of-tolerance parts that were stopping the production line. Parts that passed inspection. On the other hand, Boeing tried to manufacture wing assemblies in Japan, and it was rather difficult. Aircraft riveting is closer to an art, and required resourcefulness on the part of the mechanic. Sort of "just knowing it's right". That doesn't work in Japan, where workers work per strict instructions and guidelines. example: a rivet drawing will call for a number of rivets between spars. So six -5 alum rivets between spars, and you wing it. It's done with an elastic tape measure. You pinch off at 8 marks, and stretch it from point to point and use a sharpie to "x" the locations of your six drill points. You're expected to drill correctly, and install rivets correctly, with proper centering and edge distance on the mating parts. that's winging it, and the Japanese mechanics flipped out when they saw American mechanics do that.

crap, now you ask... I wish there was a single source of info, but there doesn't appear to be any that I can find. Just stuff scattered all over the internet. I found one pdf that lists the 60 Japanese locations in the US. That's the only thing found so far that's worth anything. http://www.docstoc.com/docs/30127001/Japanese-Automobile-Manufacturers What's the point though, it's pretty clear that Japanese motorcycle production is gone. Go find me one.

Ok, a little research... As of 2008, there are 60+ Japanese automotive manufacturing facilities in the USA producing 2.97 million vehicles and 3.28 million engines. And no motorcycles... all the motorcycle production by Japan in the USA has ceased. This is unacceptable... Some watercraft, ATVs, and stuff are still made here.

Yup, so sad it's gone. It would still be there if GoldWing sales hadn't dropped off. The Kawasaki plant in Lincoln Nebraska is the only big one left that I know of. And it stopped making motorcycles also. It might move to Brazil, Kawasaki just built a new plant there. Yamaha still has marine sports manufacturing in the USA. I think there's still a Japanese suspension manufacturing somewhere in the USA, but that's to make parts for Harleys or whoever else wants to buy them. edit: I just read that Victory is moving to Mexico for assembly in 2011. Everything except the engine.

Or assembled in Brazil and shipped back. And the way money is tight for manufacturers, I wouldn't be surprised at assembled in India, Indonesia, Korea, China, etc... don't laugh, a couple of BMWs are assembled in China. The odd part about Japanese bikes, is that with manufacturing plants and assembly in the USA, It's close to being an American bike.

There are only two types of bike riders that don't wave. The type that glare at you like you are a freak, while they drive into the back end of the vehicle in front of them. And the type that determinedly won't look, while they drive into the back end of the vehicle in front of them. I've pulled up at stop lights a couple of times, next to HD or metric bikes on the way to work. I wave. Most wave back. Some just sneer at me, and one just jolted upright, turned his nose up, and looked away. Took me a while to figure out why... I ride this road every day, rain or shine, cold or hot. These other guys ride maybe a few times a year. I've been passing them in their cages every day of the week. They recognize me, I don't recognize them... The ones I see every day, all the time... They wave...

Yeah, I had a friend make a pair of lowers for his Star, and it was a world of difference when they were positioned right.

Charter Arms .44 Special Bulldog, 5-shot, stainless, 2.5" barrel That's a favorite wheelgun

I was pretty sure most had switched. The ABS prevents wrecks. edit: And in case anyone is wondering, the insurance companies considered trying for mandatory ABS on bikes. (Didn't work out on cars.) Too late mostly, the manufacturers are headed that direction already.

True, except in the cases where the fleeing individual is considered a serious threat to society at large. Or perhaps has already committed a capital crime. Still hard to prove and/or justify for a citizen's actions. Particularly for the "get-away driver". Note that military personnel will shoot at fleeing enemy, if they are still armed...

Very cool. I though about doing this, and wondered why no one had either thought of it or tried it. Sounds like a good idea to me. It wouldn't be too hard to build a transmitter either, to hide on the bike. That could be tracked as well. The GPS phone is a way better idea. edit: I hope the toolbox isn't metal, the signal would have trouble with that.

For the most part any home owner will pay for fire protection one way or the other. Either in a fee based assessment or a tax structure. And there will always be extremes where fire service is unavailable. If anything, the tax structure is the welfare/charity. If I lived on a mountain top maybe 100 miles from a fire station, I'd be on my own. But if I was smart, I'd spent the 75 bucks anyway and build a small water tower in case of fire. And I have no idea why anyone would actually believe that they wouldn't lose a job, suddenly have no income, have a fire or other calamity. Such is life, and should be expected. Lack of such planning, is a personal choice. Enjoy your life as you choose to live it.

ummmm, I think you're looking at it backwards....

A favorite random... mowing the lawn with an old lawnmower, muffler is shot. Muffler on order, but I stuffed the can with steel wool for the day. I spill the gas on the mower. I start the mower. The steel wool blows out, red hot, and sets the lawn mower on fire. I look around, gosh, there's a faucet and hose right behind me... I calmly start the hose and put the fire out like nothing happened.... I'm replacing a heater core on a '74 Camaro. I read that I could just take out two or three fender bolts and prop the fender open far enough to get the heater core out from the side of the car. I do this, and with both hands on the heater core, I watch the 2x4 fall out. The fender clamps down on both arms like a bear trap. I sat there for a while, looking around for help, and then contorted around to pry the fender open with a foot. Thinking that if the foot got trapped also, I would be in deep do-do. One Winter I parked out on the street at the curb. I was cleaning the ice and snow off to go to work. I remember standing on the curb thinking how slippery the curb was. And then becoming aware that I was looking straight up along side the car. I had slipped off the curb, straight under the car all the way, till only my head was on the curb. Hands, arms, feet, legs, all under the car. Tight under the car. I wiggled out like a worm... BTW, it's warm under a car in the Winter...

It's all about predators. If you paint eyeballs on the front of your car or bike, the deer will most likely flee. It's something their weak brains understand. Likewise, if you paint your car or bike to look like police (predator), other vehicles will steer clear. I've seen the loud thing work and not work. So I'm not sure. But I do know that 90%+ of human perception is visual. All other senses account for the remainder. And that's after the brain seperates what it wants, and does not use 90% of the visual. (It becomes subliminal, subconscious, or ignored as nothing.) Visual perception is the number one human sense, in terms of the amount of raw data available. I did once have a motorcycle in the right side blind spot of a van on the freeway. No windows, but I could hear it. And it was just a normal bike, not even loud. The fool was sticking with me, I couldn't accelerate or slow down to shake him. I finally just hit the brakes, when there wasn't anything behind me. I wanted to get off the freeway before we got to Pittsburgh... On the other hand, I had a sport bike filter me on the West side outer belt. (Yeah, that happens a lot out there.) I sure didn't hear him, but I saw a flash in the right side van mirror, just as I was changing lanes to the right. I hesitated, and he ripped past up the middle of the two lanes. That's visual.

Hmmm, apparently he must have liked your.. arms... Shoot girl, you coulda gone over to his place to see his psycho arm collection... (insert creepy horror flick music here)

Oops, shot a neighbor's house? Well, he had one guy on the ground fighting over a pistol, another one on his back beating him with a pistol, and one running toward him probably armed. Not the best situation in the world. He needed to kill, disable, or disarm them all as quickly as possible, as long as any of them were armed and continued to fight. I don't think I would have missed a shot, even under pressure. Nor shoot a neighbor's house. But most people would. Simulators I've gone through, I've always managed to hit the target, even under surprise and duress. Not good shots sometimes, but good enough. But real world encounters are entirely different. Either way, practice makes for a better and quicker reaction. And no, if there is something at risk behind your target, you should not shoot. Houses are flimsy, most of them, and a round can go clean through several. I'm going to guess he missed two or three, hit one or two, and maybe they never even found one of the shots. He never even dealt with the number one threat. The guy with the gun beating him. Sort of odd that he ignored him. It all happens too quick under duress. Must practice.

I'm voting... well... independent. Who the heck knows who I'll vote for. Often it's vote them all out. Other times it's vote for some obscure third party candidate, just to scare/piss off the other two parties. But at the moment, I'm leaning toward those burritos...

Another "Scariest Roads" website. More great pics. http://elcirkulo.multiply.com/journal/item/272 Most impressive, try to find the road in this pic of the Pan American Highway: Pan American Highway Road I'd like to ride (in the rain): Halsema Highway, Philippines

And they said 2nd gear was dog legged to the left off reverse, lol... find that in a hurry...

Check the pics on this website. I'm going to have nightmares tonight. Worlds Scariest Roads Trollstigen in Norway

Yeah, Sabella isn't so skinny in some of her other pics.

Yeah, some of youse guys are gay/blind/sick puppies... Sabella Shake edit: it helps if you've previously had an Italian girlfriend...

Bike? What bike?

Ecosse Titanium Limited Edition - $275,000 - only 10 made