CBBaron

Because it pumps heat from outside to inside, or from inside to out.

Maybe a little more power, 55hp is not a lot, but also alot more weight. Looks like I have little excuse for not going. phat fingered from my phone

2010 Equinox had some issues with the 4 cylinder engine that appear to be fixed on later models. Otherwise we really like ours. Comfort, quiet and roomy compared to Rav4 and CRV of same age. The 4 cylinder gets better gas mileage than them also. That said if it was my choice I would get a Subaru. They seem to be the most reliable with a great AWD. Craig Sent from my KFTT using Tapatalk 2

The Versys is of similar weight and power to the Vstrom 650. If you thought the Vstrom was a pig then the Versys is likely to seem similar. As mentioned comparing a liter 4 cyl to a 650 twin is completely different animals.

I had the same problem with the magnet. I just glued it back in with a new cover from some scrap fabric I had laying around. An annoying little failure in a helmet I really like. The magnet is held in by 2 pieces of fabric tape. The magnet is quite strong so once the adhesive ages a little the magnet pulls the tape right off the strap if it sticks to something metal like a tank. Craig

Thats great. How about coolant? Not a big deal to drain and add water if needed, just want to know if I need to. I guess now I just need to get some new treads this spring and come out to the track Craig

So after reading this thread I am seriously considering taking my Vstrom to Nelson this summer some time as a chance to improve my road riding skills. What do I need to do to prepare the bike? I have Givi crash bars installed currently, would I need to remove these? Do I need to wire anything or is some silicone on the drain plug and filter sufficient? I don't own leathers but I see Motoseries says you can rent some. Is that a reasonable option (I'm 6'2 about 210lb)? I have good boots and gloves. I know the DL650 is going to be a little slow even compared to an SV650 but that doesn't sound like its a big deal. I don't think I have any ego and definitely nothing to prove. I just would like to get more comfortable and confident with curves and improve my technique. It helps I'm about 20miles from the raceway so getting there is easy Craig

Covered bridges are mostly east of Geneva. Ashtabula has easily the most covered bridges of any Ohio county but Geneva is on the western edge of the county. Here is a couple maps I found. http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msid=210129375708033258866.0004514d5594684b97d75&msa=0 http://www.coveredbridgefestival.org/2013map-web.pdf Craig

Pretty cool amphibious vehicle but as mentioned still slow on both terrains and does not look to be real capable off-road unless you want to break things. As a concept cool. But it will fail in the market as you can probably buy a quad and jetski that is each more capable for less. Craig

Look at the list again. The top half of the list is cold weather states including Alaska at 10 and Maine at 12. Its not until you get down to the 20s do you start to see states with long riding seasons. I guess the long winter makes you appreciate being outside more. Craig

On the other hand Alaska is seeing record warm temperatures. http://www.usatoday.com/story/weather/2014/01/23/alaska-warm-weather/4798481/ Also messing up the transportation. Much of Alaska depends on frozen lakes and rivers for transportation of bulk supplies during the winter months. That combined with avalanches and land slides is causing a significant problem up there. Craig

I assume you vote in Ohio, where your vote for president actually might make a difference. Previously I lived in MA and voting in the presidential election was meaningless. MA always gives its electorates to the Dems. I never voted for a major party while up there. Here I try to find the lesser of 2 evils..... OK maybe that is worse Craig

Ever here of sarcasm?

This winter has been great for snow sports but most years ohio is too warm. Even in the snow belt there are not many weeks with snow on the ground. Alot falls but it melts off nearly as fast. The more northern states like Maine, UP, and Minnesota will see months of snow build up. And there are miles of groomed trails. There it makes sense to have a sled. I am enjoying my fatbike. On the trails this winter. Most of my riding before this winter has been during the summer. Craig Sent from my KFTT using Tapatalk 2

$50 is a pretty minimal expense for a 9 hour class. In my experience it was mostly a refresher of the Basic Course with a chance to test/practice safety skills in a controlled setting. There is alot less talking and more doing that the Basic course and we did look at some more advanced skills like riding a course with one hand. I thought is was worth the day. Craig

I went to the show Sunday morning. Not much traffic but not surprising considering the SB, and crappy road conditions at that time. Little too much attention from the sales people because they were bored though. FZ-09 was very nice. Would be my first choice of all the streetbikes I saw. The Grom was tiny to look at but didn't seem too bad when I sat on it. I'd still have to swing my knees out the the way to make a tight turn though Still want a WR250R. Seemed a better fit than the KLX or CRF and more refined, but without the stratospheric price tag of the KTM, DRZ was nice too. I realized the XT250 is tiny by comparison. Obviously designed for a smaller (and lighter) rider. I would think a short inseam rider would have no problem with one. The Ducs are sweet but I cant handle being folded up onto the racing platforms. The Hypermotard and Hyperstrada were the ones I like best. I'm still drawn to the Diavel but dont see any reason why I would buy one. The F800GS, Triumph Tiger 800XC are nice machines but the Vstrom still seems like a better value for most people. I'll keep mine for a while. Still runs great and does everything I need even if it is 10 years old. Craig

Did you see the diagrams of the system. It is a mobile platform. Designed for rapid deployment. This is just a trial. Location of trial is probably more about for which division lead the development. They would ofcourse want easy access of such a high profile system for the brass. So close to DC makes sense. Still this area does cover a large number of high value targets. Both military and civilian. Can they find and track you driving from Columbus to DC? maybe But I dont think that is the goal of the system. Craig

A single AWACS does not have that kind of endurance so the AF rotates aircraft on duty. This is a long term test of the system at Aberdeen Proving Grounds. A location close to DC which is ofcourse the top priority for defense. The risk is ofcourse very low but there are a number of countries capable of launching from sub or low altitude air craft. And some of the cruise missles have ranges of over a 1000 miles. I expect the real target application to be in a situation like Iraq or Afghanistan or any foreign located army base. This system could provide airborne early warning without the cost of AWACS or constant negotiation for flight patterns from local air control/governments. The South Korea deployment would seem to be an ideal use of this. It is much easier to tap into the phone carriers networks like NSA does than to snoop the radio traffic of modern cell phones. Especially on such a broad scale. Not a likely application. Craig

um..... AWACS and other surveillance planes have been flying overhead for decades now. Nothing new here. This platform just provides the Army similar capability that is cheaper to deploy, much cheaper to operate and not controlled by the airforce. Craig

I'm dying laughing. Best thing posted here.

The backup cameras on my wifes car are worthless 90% of the time in the winter any ways. Any time there is wet roads, road spray covers the lens and makes the picture worthless. I only use it to better judge distance when backing into a spot with a object directly behind. Otherwise the mirrors provide better information. Sure its only a few dollars, but its money I would rather not spend. Requirements like these have greatly increased the cost of entry level cars over the last 40 years and that is where it really hits the pocket book. Especially because it also adds more items that can go wrong, and may need repaired. Craig

It was a good game. Down to the last minute. And I dont feel like the refs helped decide the outcome which has been somewhat common this post season. Unfortunately I missed much of the 2nd and 3rd quarter while I cable went flaky but it came back in time to see the end of the game. Craig

You are crazy choosing to go out in this weather. A couple days and will be back to normal in the 20s. I can do teens no problem but have a hard time keeping extremities warm below 10F. Sure I know there are places where is stays that cold for weeks but Cleveland is usually much more mild. Craig

Im trying to do the same this winter. The fatbike is alot of fun in the snow, but I am not going to ride in negative temps.

Yes, Neighborhood park has a paved but unplowed multi-use path and some unofficial hiking/MTB trails. I am riding on both. With the nearly a foot of snow we currently have either is a significant challenge. The packed walking trails provide a good surface that is not too challenging. But lightly tracked paths create plenty of challenges to keep upright and going in the right direction. Untracked paths are nearly impossible to get started from stopped but if you can keep pedaling its not too hard to keep upright. Still I spend all my time in my lowest gear (32x34) pedaling at near redline. Tons of fun Craig