Whats The Last Thing You Bought?

I'd not heard of packrats so a bit of googling tells me they are very similar to their European cousins.
We also have several bird feeders and a two tier bird table which is like ringing the dinner bell for Mr Rat. A .22 pellet takes care of them when they appear, the last one two days ago. I've put down traps in the past, in places I thought birds couldn't access and they've caught rats but also killed a couple of small birds which was upsetting so I don't use them anymore.
Occasionally, a Sparrowhawk puts in an appearance and takes one of the small birds.
Grey Squirrels are our nemesis here with the back garden adjoining woodland. I'm reluctant to shoot them so I've rigged up an electronic "deterrent" which gives them a bit of a zap, much like an electric fence. It certainly makes them JUMP but having very short memories (I mean, they forget where they've buried their nuts don't they!) they're back again a day later. Little b*stards!

 

@Pegscraper, I'd get rid of the traps too if they caught birds. We get lots of birds in our back yard because Steve made a lovely little fountain out of a big ceramic pot. Lots of types of birds show up there to drink and splash about. Our fountain water source draws finches and doves and hummingbirds and lots of other types of birds. But my favorites are the hawks the glide in and perch on the edge of the fountain looking very regal and for all the world like the kind (or queen) of the land.

Growing up in rural Minnesota, we always had loads of squirrels around. They were quite pesky but didn't seem to do any real harm so (as far as I know!), no one in our family tried to run them out of town, so to speak. I think I mentioned that a couple of lizards have wandered into the packrat traps which I find upsetting. Now, if the traps caught a rattlesnake, I might feel differently!

 

The license plate base and lighted frame I ordered for my Street Glide arrived in the mail yesterday. It's from Custom Dynamics--a very respected company from whom I've ordered many motorcycle lighting components over the years. Plus they have a lifetime warranty on their parts!



In doing a bit of research, I learned on a Harley forum that Custom Dynamics had (finally) come out with an alternative to the stock setup which one guy posted looked "like an aardvark nose". Hmmm, I think he's right! Whatever it actually resembles, I've disliked the stock license plate arrangement ever since I bought my bike.






Here's what it will look like installed. Much lower profile, curved, WAY better!

 

I received my first self-designed T-shirts today. In comparison to the "buyable" ones they were really cheap! Some T-shirt shops offer T-shirts with an similar design and take about €30-40.-/T-shirt without delivery. I designed them online, ordered and payed inclusive delivery €24,47.- for my two T-shirts.

 

LED licence plate frame, you're such a poseur Sandi!. I concede that it does look much better than stock though.

 

Well, @Pegscraper, the LED lighting isn't what I was after. The low profile, curved base and frame were. And at this point there still aren't that many available choices of parts for 2024 bikes!

 

I bought a Bell helmet. I never worried about the old one being stolen. It was a piece of crap. I figured I'd better buy a helmet lock to protect my investment.
I did. It is junk. The problem was that only the bottom hex screw actually screws into the other half of the handlebar clamp. The top one threads into one side of the clamp, but not the other. It doesn't tighten the clamp. WTF???

I should have sent it back and bought a better one. But, noooooo,"Mr. Fix It," (one of my other alter egos) couldn't let it go. Mr. Fix It can make it better!

So, Mr. Fix It went to work.

The lock. You can see the gap on the top of the clamp. The lock side of it isn't threaded.


So, I tapped the lock side of the clamp.


Now the original screw was too small. So, I bored out the one half of the clamp and got a larger bolt that would fit the threads I tapped.


The curvature of the clamp prevented the bolt from being tightened.


Easy fix! I'll just make the bolt a slotted screw.


Bolt rounded off.


Slot cut


Why I wear safety glasses


Tightens up nicely now.


So, I spent two hours, did a lot of cursing and risked personal injury when the cut wheel disintegrated all to get a piece of cheap, twelve-dollar, Chinese crap to do what it was supposed to do in the first place.

But Mr. Fix It was placated. He will let me sleep now.

 

The only time I lock my helmet on the bike is with a cable lock through the visor aperture, full face helmet of course. It seems to me that all anyone has to do when it's secured by the strap is just cut the strap and sew on another one?

 

Just bought this an hour or so ago,and a years extended warranty,,wee run back from Edinburgh, no dramas, no rain and now a space in the garage sorted beside my restored 400four,,Tiger feels great,

 

Did you miss attaching a photo @Pedro1340

 

I got excited lol.

 

I haven't bought one but Lidl have a Plasma Cutter with built in compressor for £150, cuts up to 10mm steel. Just sayin'.

 

Got the Dealertool so I can do a proper fluid change/bleed of the ABS for the Tiger 1050 SE. Wish me luck

 

I'm still waiting for Dealertool to release the updated version for the 2024> bikes with the new 6pin diagnostic plug. I'm beginning to think the new software is locked down too well for them to sort it.

 

Is it just me or does anyone else really miss not having an owners manual. I hate having to go online, pdf or whatever it's called,Stop penny pinching and make it simple for old guys.i used to enjoy the 1st couple of days going through everything.just spent 30mins looking to see if there's a auto setting for the tft to change from light to dark,, heeds bursting

 

I bought a Fodsports FX8 Pro motorcycle helmet intercom.
FX8 Intercom Bluetooth Headset
8-10 riders group intercom, with noise-cancelation microphone and speaker, IP65 waterproof, music sharing function, voice assistant function, etc.
I cannot accept spending $200 to $300 to buy a Cardo or Sena.

After several tests, I think it is truly impressive. Its sound quality is perfect.

This headset has been very impressive I would definitely buy again fits well in my helmet and sounds great . I have chatted with other people that have other brands headsets and they paired fine.I drove in a torrential downpour for 2 hours while listening to my favorite tunes and taking phone calls I am very impressed at how well this thing has worked through a rainstorm it is now 3 days later and it is still working fine.

 

Another free advert by the look of it.

 

A Tiger 850

 

I recently took my 1970 hi-fi system from the attic, where it has been for over 35 years. The speakers and the turntable were in need of a significant amount of TLC. So for the speakers I bought these.

Here are the before and after pics mages.




The turntable needed a new stylus and stripping down and some lubrication.

The full system is now up and running with the tuner, tape deck and turntable for the vinyl records all producing awesome sound quality. I’m loving playing my old LP’s and 45 singles.