JackFlash

Out thermostat broke, and I was able to replace that for $30...

 

...it got me thinking about the...high likelihood of failure in the next few years.

We do plan to move when my daughter is school-aged, so 5.5 more years in

this house would be about the maximum.

 

I would consider the furnace a selling

point (as are our new roof, garage door, and AC)...

 

Yeah, but it's not efficient or reliable.

 

Don't judge the furnace condition by a worn out thermostat.

It's like judging the condition of your bike by the condition of

the tires.  If there are no other issues with your furnace, then

the thermostat is a very minor and easily replaced part.

Even if you are there for another 5 1/2 years, the cost of a

new furnace is unlikely to be offset by any savings on your

heating bill from a more efficient unit, in that amount of time.

As far as a newer unit being a selling point, a house is

expected to have an operating furnace.  I would not expect

a new furnace to carry much more weight in a sale than an

operating furnace.

A furnace installed today will be 5.5 years old in 5.5 years,

if you stay in your home that long.  At that point you could

say the furnace is only 5 1/2 years old, but a buyer could

still say, but the furnace is almost six years old! still

be wishing for a newer one, and not being happy with it.

I would keep it until it dies.  In less than 60 days it will no

longer be used until nearly the end of October.

Parts are easily replaced and are a lot cheaper than a new

furnace.  You have your selling points already.  One more

will probably not make much more of a difference to a

buyer.

Is it justifiable to spend close to 5k to put a new furnace in? Are you

going to save that in costs until you move out? Are you going to recoup

that when you sell the place?

Exactly my point.

.

Not sure if they make them for bikes but for snowmobiles you can get these things called, "Iso-Vibe" that is basically like a little motor that goes on your bar clamp and eliminates vibration.

Kind of expensive though: http://www.gripnripracing.com/product_info.php?cPath=41_49&products_id=137

The same company sells a product called Buzz Kill, for $35.

It's a gel formula that absorbs vibration.  

http://www.gripnripracing.com/product_info.php?cPath=41_49&products_id=168

.

I would try aftermarket bar ends.  The Bar Snake is supposed to work, too.

I'm going to use the Bar Snake on my buzzy little 500.

$40 vs $100+ makes a difference to me.  I hope it works.

http://www.barsnake.com/order/secure.html

.

Give it some time.  When the weather

warms up and videos of rides start

being posted on YouTube, somebody

is going to be interested.  I'm interested

but don't have the extra cash, and don't

know when I will.

.

Advanced Riders Course

Butler Technology & Career Development Schools (S)
5140 Princeton Glendale Rd Room 200
Hamilton OH, 45011

4 seats left

4/19/2014 - 4/19/2014
Saturday(4/19) 07:45 AM - 05:00 PM

Plenty of seats left in Columbus.

.

The chance of move up to a faster group is slim

due to the faster guys leaving first and the likelyhood

of you seeing them again is next to none.  They will

have gassed up and left the fueling point before

you arrive and finish gassing up, if you even see

them there at all.

.

I'll ride with the slow group.  I'll be leaving from

Newark in case anyone wants to ride along.

.

The course description says one day, nine hours. But the schedule is two days, a Tuesday and Saturday for the course.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk

You can do like I'm doing and wait until August to take the course.  Those are only one day.

.

Here they are!!!  The Advanced Rider Courses for 2014.
   
Butler Technology & Career Development Schools (S)
5140 Princeton Glendale Rd Room 200
Hamilton OH, 45011
 
Currently 11 seats for the following:
4/19/2014 - 4/19/2014
Saturday(4/19) 07:45 AM - 05:00 PM
 
Currently 6 seats for the following:
5/10/2014 - 5/10/2014
Saturday(5/10) 07:45 AM - 05:00 PM;
 
 
Ohio Department of Public Safety (B)
1970 West Broad St.
Columbus OH, 43223
 
Currently 8 seats for the following:
5/20/2014 - 5/24/2014
Tuesday(5/20) 06:00 PM - 09:30 PM; Saturday(5/24) 08:00 AM - 02:00 PM; (This course requires 2 days of attendance.) 

Currently 12 seats for the following:

5/22/2014 - 5/25/2014
Thursday(5/22) 06:00 PM - 09:30 PM; Sunday(5/25) 08:00 AM - 02:00 PM  (This course requires 2 days of attendance.)

Currently 10 seats for the following:

8/2/2014 - 8/2/2014
Saturday(8/2) 08:00 AM - 06:00 PM;

Currently 9 seats for the following:
8/3/2014 - 8/3/2014
Sunday(8/3) 08:00 AM - 06:00 PM

There are 17 seats available before the Gap trip in Hamilton, Ohio.

== AND ==

There are 20 seats available before the Gap trip in Columbus, Ohio.

Here you go, you three.  Before you go flying off the mountain,

take this course.

cmh_sprint

Dizzledan

Dying Shadow

.
 
 
 

We'll know Friday morning at 8:00 AM what is being offered

as long as they post everything in a timely fashion.  If an

ARC course is offered before the Gap trip, I'm sure some of

our guys will sign up for it. 

Knowing about how many are interested after that will give

me something to present as a reason for an additional

class.  I'll find out what is the minimum number of riders they

want before they will post a class and we'll beg and threaten

the rest of OR until we have enough. 

.

THIS FRIDAY...

I was driving to work earlier in the week, on one

of those cold mornings where just to breathe,

it stings your nose and causes your eyes to

water.  Six o'clock was coming fast and the

time clock was awaiting my arrival.  That means

I was zipping along briskly so as to not be late

for work twice in the same week.

This was one morning when nothing was

falling from the sky, but I noticed my windshield

kept icing up when I switched the heat from

defrosting the windshield to defrosting my cold

feet.  I had heard of it, but I had never seen it.

I believe what I had encountered was freezing

fog. 

Approaching the tunnel in Westerville, on 161

and getting onto I-270, there in the curve, I

could feel the front tires beginning to lose their

grip.  I could see tracks on the roadway and

noticed the car seemed to be acting a little

squirrely.  A slippery curve convinced me to 

back 'er down a bit, else I might find myself 

on a stretcher and being asked how many

fingers I see.

So, for you hard core cold weather riders out

there, beware of freezing fog.  It could ruin

your day.

.

That was painful to watch.  I saw a lot

of excessive speed for road, traffic,

and weather conditions.  Especially

painful was seeing two motorcycles

collide with each other.  Let's be

especially mindful when riding with

others.  We don't want to be the one

who causes a life changing problem

for one of our friends, or become the

victim of a fellow rider not as aware

of what can go wrong, or how quickly,

as one with many miles behind him.

.

I don't know what it is, but there is something about

Honda's that for me, appearance wise, they have a

generic look about them.  The wow factor is missing.

They look like bikes for the masses, with no real eye

catching pizazz.  I would like to see them jazzed up.

.

You can tell it's a long winter.

This place is getting weirder

by the post.

I think we need a poll on what color T-Shirt to get.

And it will take at least nine pages.

.

I vote for the weekend of June 21, 22 for the

Advanced Rider's Course, if we have a choice.

That will be two weeks after the trip to Deals Gap.

Any comments?

Any of those dates are good for me,

as long as I can get off work.

.

Is it common for it to be difficult to find an ARC to enroll in?  

The only ARC courses posted last year were at the Butler Technology

& Career Development Schools in Hamilton, Ohio.

A posting from last year reads: 

Connie14, on 27 Feb 2013 - 11:32 AM, said:

    I sent an email to the email address on the website. They currently

are not planning on having an Advanced Rider Course in Columbus

unless there is enough interest.

Somehow the ARC was finally posted for Columbus, much later in

the season.  I'm thinking in August, possibly, and only after someone

called them.  I can't find any details from last year, to show you.

We'll have to express an interest earlier this year so we can get

them to offer us an ARC class.

So far, the interested posters are:

JackFlash

Tigerpaw

SMcCrory

-Friend 1

-Friend 2

DizzleDan

Cdubyah

cmh_sprint

Casper

Connie14

-maybe his brother

-maybe his dad

Dying Shadow

Bakemono (cause you know you want to)

JohnG

It looks to me like we have a class right there.

After sign-ups open, we'll know more.  If a

class has to be scheduled for us, we should

make sure it's far enough in advance for

everyone to be able to make arrangements

to attend without any problems.  I think six

weeks notice should be enough. 

Anyone else interested in the Advanced Rider's

Course?  I know there are more of you out there.

.

.