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Other marques / Re: BSR/xpro/vitacci Raven 250 dual-sport
« Last Post by him a layin on Today at 05:00:56 pm »you'll be tearing' up the terrain in no time w/ that dirt-quad!
Recent Posts
2
350 J Platform / Re: Ear protection without earplugs?
« Last Post by wspollack on Today at 04:51:46 pm »Don't buy bike show type plugs.Yep, I may not have made this clear: the purple and green ones were a couple of pairs of the bubblegum-in-your-ears-is-the-final-product ones that I got over a few years at bike shows.
The plugs I have are not hard at all. They are firm silicone but flexible and inserting them is easier than Bill explains, helped by a very small smear of vaseline on the portion that actually goes into the ear canal, (the clear portion on the ones in my photo), not on the part that sits around the outer ear. Mine just slip right in with some mild pressure on the outside facing surface and you can actually feel when they are fully and correctly seated into the ear canal.
Quality ones, unlike those very crude looking black and green ones in Bill's photo, will last for several years and the only time you may need to change them happens as your ears change, for they do change shape as we age.
I have had two sets in the last 20+ years.
The smaller ones in the lower left are the expensive silicone ones that I got at my hearing-aid office, made remotely somewhere in the country from earlier hearing-aid-office work. I vastly prefer these -- absolute comfort -- and have had them for at least eight years now, and they show no signs of wear (at least that I can see); I haven't worn the bike-show plugs -- I don't even know if I still have them -- since I migrated over to the silicone pair.
I wash them with soapy water very rarely, but unlike you I don't apply anything to them to put them in. I suppose I could just sort of shove them in, but I've developed this habit -- it's completely muscle memory now -- of doing the twist as I insert or remove them; it just seems to be easier for me that way.
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350 J Platform / Re: Ear protection without earplugs?
« Last Post by Dexter on Today at 04:42:15 pm »What a beautiful piece of advice! There is an audiologist close by and I shall pay them a visit this week.
Appreciate the advice 😊
Don't buy bike show type plugs.
The plugs I have are not hard at all. They are firm silicone but flexible and inserting them is easier than Bill explains, helped by a very small smear of vaseline on the portion that actually goes into the ear canal, (the clear bit that goes in the canal on the ones in my photo), not on the part that sits around the outer ear. Mine just slip right in with some mild pressure on the outside facing surface and you can actually feel when they are fully and correctly seated into the ear canal.
Quality ones, unlike those very crude looking black and green ones in Bill's photo, will last for several years and the only time you may need to change them happens as your ears change, for they do change shape as we age.
I have had two sets in the last 20+ years.
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Campfire Talk / Re: ישראל כחזית השלישית
« Last Post by AzCal Retred on Today at 04:15:58 pm »Iran moving some high-value chips off the playing field?
Iran Ship Linked to Houthi Attacks Goes Home Amid Tensions
Vessel named Behshad allegedly helped Houthis target shipping
Israel is weighing a response to Iran’s unprecedented attack
By Patrick Sykes ; April 18, 2024
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-04-18/iran-behshad-ship-linked-to-houthi-red-sea-attacks-comes-home
An Iranian ship that’s been linked to Houthi attacks in the Red Sea is returning home, removing a prominent asset in the area as the Islamic Republic braces for a potential Israeli attack.
Behshad, which Iran calls an “intelligence and logistics” vessel, left its position near the coast of Yemen on April 4, then stopped broadcasting its location until it reappeared near the Strait of Hormuz early on April 18, according to tracking data compiled by Bloomberg. It’s signaling it will arrive at Iran’s Bandar Abbas port later Thursday.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Angola all over again.
US agrees to pull troops out of Niger
20 April, 2024 ; By Natasha Booty,
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-68860092
All US soldiers are set to leave Niger, ending their role in the fight against Islamist insurgents.
Military leaders in the West African nation have sought closer ties with Russia since seizing power in a coup last year.
On Friday the US also announced than it had agreed to close down its drone base near Agadez, in the Sahara desert.
Niger is in Africa's Sahel region, which is considered the new global epicentre of the Islamic State group.
The US has relied on Niger as its primary base for monitoring regional jihadist activity.
An American delegation is to head within days to Niger's capital, Niamey, to arrange an orderly withdrawal of its more than 1,000 troops.
Friday's announcement follow talks in Washington between the US deputy secretary of state, Kurt Campbell, and Niger's Prime Minister Ali Mahaman Lamine Zeine.
It is seen as a blow to US President Biden's administration, which had resisted the move.
The US's $100m (£80m) military base there was built just six years ago, and has played a key role in the US and French strategy to combat jihadists in West Africa.
But Niger's relations soured with both Western countries last year following the coup and the military leaders have sought closer security ties with Russia.
Dozens of Russian military instructors have arrived in Niger in recent weeks, bringing with them a state-of-the-art air defence system, according to state media reports.
Niger has also distanced itself from local democracies and sought stronger regional alliances with fellow junta-led nations Burkina Faso and Mali.
Iran Ship Linked to Houthi Attacks Goes Home Amid Tensions
Vessel named Behshad allegedly helped Houthis target shipping
Israel is weighing a response to Iran’s unprecedented attack
By Patrick Sykes ; April 18, 2024
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-04-18/iran-behshad-ship-linked-to-houthi-red-sea-attacks-comes-home
An Iranian ship that’s been linked to Houthi attacks in the Red Sea is returning home, removing a prominent asset in the area as the Islamic Republic braces for a potential Israeli attack.
Behshad, which Iran calls an “intelligence and logistics” vessel, left its position near the coast of Yemen on April 4, then stopped broadcasting its location until it reappeared near the Strait of Hormuz early on April 18, according to tracking data compiled by Bloomberg. It’s signaling it will arrive at Iran’s Bandar Abbas port later Thursday.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Angola all over again.
US agrees to pull troops out of Niger
20 April, 2024 ; By Natasha Booty,
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-68860092
All US soldiers are set to leave Niger, ending their role in the fight against Islamist insurgents.
Military leaders in the West African nation have sought closer ties with Russia since seizing power in a coup last year.
On Friday the US also announced than it had agreed to close down its drone base near Agadez, in the Sahara desert.
Niger is in Africa's Sahel region, which is considered the new global epicentre of the Islamic State group.
The US has relied on Niger as its primary base for monitoring regional jihadist activity.
An American delegation is to head within days to Niger's capital, Niamey, to arrange an orderly withdrawal of its more than 1,000 troops.
Friday's announcement follow talks in Washington between the US deputy secretary of state, Kurt Campbell, and Niger's Prime Minister Ali Mahaman Lamine Zeine.
It is seen as a blow to US President Biden's administration, which had resisted the move.
The US's $100m (£80m) military base there was built just six years ago, and has played a key role in the US and French strategy to combat jihadists in West Africa.
But Niger's relations soured with both Western countries last year following the coup and the military leaders have sought closer security ties with Russia.
Dozens of Russian military instructors have arrived in Niger in recent weeks, bringing with them a state-of-the-art air defence system, according to state media reports.
Niger has also distanced itself from local democracies and sought stronger regional alliances with fellow junta-led nations Burkina Faso and Mali.
5
Campfire Talk / Re: 南中国海
« Last Post by AzCal Retred on Today at 03:57:54 pm »This is a bit "in your face", eh?
Warning To China! US, Philippines To SINK Chinese-Origin Naval Vessel In South China Sea Military Drills
By Sakshi Tiwari -April 18, 2024
https://www.eurasiantimes.com/warning-to-china-us-philippines-to-sink-chinese-origin/
Warning To China! US, Philippines To SINK Chinese-Origin Naval Vessel In South China Sea Military Drills
By Sakshi Tiwari -April 18, 2024
https://www.eurasiantimes.com/warning-to-china-us-philippines-to-sink-chinese-origin/
6
650 Interceptor & Continental GT / Re: Weird “pop” sound after shutting INT650 off..
« Last Post by Tuh on Today at 03:54:39 pm »Like others said: Normal sound for me, same ever since i have the bike.
7
650 Interceptor & Continental GT / Royal Enfield touring mirrors
« Last Post by BlackdogADV on Today at 03:44:49 pm »$55 on eBay. Is it an upgrade from the stock mirrors? I’m trying to tone down my bike a bit and prefer the black finish. How do they compare to the stock mirrors? I don’t want bar-end mirrors for this project.
8
350 J Platform / Re: Classic 350 Reborn - Handlebar Riser?
« Last Post by Ton1959 on Today at 03:42:47 pm »The touring handlebars
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350 J Platform / Re: Ear protection without earplugs?
« Last Post by wspollack on Today at 03:04:57 pm »I'm with @Dexter on this.
That is, I think you ought to try custom-molded devices, instead of off-the-shelf plugs. You might find that such a change would work for you. If not, then you'll be out some money, but maintaining hearing is pretty important, so I feel that some experimentation is worthwhile.
Oh, maybe c. two decades ago, I started wearing custom-molded ear plugs. These are the kind that you get at bike shows, hunting shows, etc., where there are often a couple of vendors. You get a bubblegum-like substance injected in your ears, and you sit still for 15 or 20 minutes. Then, the mixture having hardened, it's pulled out and trimmed up a bit, and those are your plugs.
I did this for, I think, two or three sets, every two or three years, as after a time they start to crack. I live an hour from the huge Americade rally, and a couple of hours from the (formerly) annual NYC motorcycle show, so it was no problem for me to find a vendor (often the same one as before).
However -- it must be about eight years by now -- the last set I got was from my audiology office. For far longer than that I've been wearing in-the-ear hearing aids. These are hard plastic devices -- I get new ones, with the latest and greatest technology, every four years (it's an insurance thing) -- that were originally molded pretty much the same way as the rally/show plugs. However, that hardened bubblegum stuff was then sent to a factory somewhere else, and the hard plastic hearing aids were made from a laser-scan (or something) from that.
In any case, that last set was based on that same data that was already on file at the hearing aid factory. And this set of riding plugs is, as Dexter noted, made of silicone. These are smoother than the bubblegum plugs, and a little harder ... although still with some give to them.
They are super comfortable, and may outlast me. And, yep, they were expensive: I think I paid $160 for the pair, back then whenever it was, and I'd certainly do it again if I lost one or both. That's compared to, um, I think I was paying c. $40 for the on-site bubblegum plugs at rallies. I'm sure all prices I'm quoting have increased a bunch by now.
I'm attaching a pic here that I see that I took about seven years ago. It was for a discussion on a Victory bike forum, as I recall. Anyway, the top row are two pairs of my former bubblegum-made-while-you-wait plugs. Bottom left is that pair of silicone plugs, the ones I had made off-site somewhere and which I still use and love. The bottom right shows my hearing aids at the time (since superseded, at least once).
Oh, one last thing. There's a quarter- to a half-turn trick involved when putting either of these types in or taking them out. That is, as you're inserting the right one, twist it counter-clockwise, starting from 1/4 to 1/2 ahead of where it will actually wind up; the left is the opposite, clockwise (as if looking into your ear, from that side). Removal is the reverse, i.e., twist the other way, during the quick removal process. This makes the whole process easier, and insures that they're seated all the way (and is something that I don't have to do with my hard plastic hearing aids).
No, one other last thing. There may be higher-DB-reduction stats for some of the top-shelf OTC plugs available these days, but that assumes that those OTC plugs fit perfectly (and they're not nearly as comfortable). The custom-molded plugs reduce noise enough that you're not fatigued or nearly deaf at the end of the day because of wind noise, yet you can still hear horns, sirens, etc.
I think that's all I got. Here's the pic:
Edit Additions:
I've been wearing modular/flip-up helmets (always locked in place when actually riding) since they came out, which was also around the same time that I started wearing the custom-molded bubblegum plugs.
I wear my silicone plugs every ride, unless I'm just going 10 minutes to a hardware store, etc., in which case I just set my hearing aids to mute. Oh, and like Dexter, I wear them for lawn mowing, weed-whacking, leaf-blowing, and snow-blowing.
That is, I think you ought to try custom-molded devices, instead of off-the-shelf plugs. You might find that such a change would work for you. If not, then you'll be out some money, but maintaining hearing is pretty important, so I feel that some experimentation is worthwhile.
Oh, maybe c. two decades ago, I started wearing custom-molded ear plugs. These are the kind that you get at bike shows, hunting shows, etc., where there are often a couple of vendors. You get a bubblegum-like substance injected in your ears, and you sit still for 15 or 20 minutes. Then, the mixture having hardened, it's pulled out and trimmed up a bit, and those are your plugs.
I did this for, I think, two or three sets, every two or three years, as after a time they start to crack. I live an hour from the huge Americade rally, and a couple of hours from the (formerly) annual NYC motorcycle show, so it was no problem for me to find a vendor (often the same one as before).
However -- it must be about eight years by now -- the last set I got was from my audiology office. For far longer than that I've been wearing in-the-ear hearing aids. These are hard plastic devices -- I get new ones, with the latest and greatest technology, every four years (it's an insurance thing) -- that were originally molded pretty much the same way as the rally/show plugs. However, that hardened bubblegum stuff was then sent to a factory somewhere else, and the hard plastic hearing aids were made from a laser-scan (or something) from that.
In any case, that last set was based on that same data that was already on file at the hearing aid factory. And this set of riding plugs is, as Dexter noted, made of silicone. These are smoother than the bubblegum plugs, and a little harder ... although still with some give to them.
They are super comfortable, and may outlast me. And, yep, they were expensive: I think I paid $160 for the pair, back then whenever it was, and I'd certainly do it again if I lost one or both. That's compared to, um, I think I was paying c. $40 for the on-site bubblegum plugs at rallies. I'm sure all prices I'm quoting have increased a bunch by now.
I'm attaching a pic here that I see that I took about seven years ago. It was for a discussion on a Victory bike forum, as I recall. Anyway, the top row are two pairs of my former bubblegum-made-while-you-wait plugs. Bottom left is that pair of silicone plugs, the ones I had made off-site somewhere and which I still use and love. The bottom right shows my hearing aids at the time (since superseded, at least once).
Oh, one last thing. There's a quarter- to a half-turn trick involved when putting either of these types in or taking them out. That is, as you're inserting the right one, twist it counter-clockwise, starting from 1/4 to 1/2 ahead of where it will actually wind up; the left is the opposite, clockwise (as if looking into your ear, from that side). Removal is the reverse, i.e., twist the other way, during the quick removal process. This makes the whole process easier, and insures that they're seated all the way (and is something that I don't have to do with my hard plastic hearing aids).
No, one other last thing. There may be higher-DB-reduction stats for some of the top-shelf OTC plugs available these days, but that assumes that those OTC plugs fit perfectly (and they're not nearly as comfortable). The custom-molded plugs reduce noise enough that you're not fatigued or nearly deaf at the end of the day because of wind noise, yet you can still hear horns, sirens, etc.
I think that's all I got. Here's the pic:
Edit Additions:
I've been wearing modular/flip-up helmets (always locked in place when actually riding) since they came out, which was also around the same time that I started wearing the custom-molded bubblegum plugs.
I wear my silicone plugs every ride, unless I'm just going 10 minutes to a hardware store, etc., in which case I just set my hearing aids to mute. Oh, and like Dexter, I wear them for lawn mowing, weed-whacking, leaf-blowing, and snow-blowing.
10
350 J Platform / Re: Random intermittent jerks - high RPM, 4th gear
« Last Post by AzCal Retred on Today at 03:03:11 pm »Don't forget that fuel can have water contamination. Maybe trying some fuel dryer isn't amiss.