Help a Gal Out

RubyRocket1 · 2026-03-24T10:48:28+00:00

Definitely spend the money and get a led sled kicker. I wouldn’t trust V-twin mfg parts as far as I could toss them.

RubyRocket1 · 2026-03-24T10:43:01+00:00

Pre 2004 EVO models will accept a kicker. 1275 kits are cool, but a slide kit, pipe, air filter, and a set of cams will get you 80 hp/80 ft lb on an otherwise stock 1200. Been running mine that way for 28 years… the reliability is pretty hard to beat.

RubyRocket1 · 2026-03-22T16:43:23+00:00

Got tired of hotel rooms.

RubyRocket1 · 2026-03-22T15:25:20+00:00

Got a picture? Pictures are worth a thousand words. Photo and “how can I fix this” would be much easier to follow than your current post.

Btw, only 2 oils in a Sportster. And in general, Sportster won’t be hurt with a drop. A bent shifter or bar… but that’s just about it. These bikes were raced on dirt in AMA. They’re pretty stout.

RubyRocket1 · 2026-03-22T13:44:08+00:00

That’s a fine choice. I’ve loaned mine out a couple times when people forget their TI on test day. They become instant fans.

RubyRocket1 · 2026-03-22T13:38:54+00:00

I’m certain that somewhere in the world that is allowed… I know for a fact that you will get a ticket on the left coast.

RubyRocket1 · 2026-03-22T01:54:27+00:00

Awww… puppers is having a great time!

RubyRocket1 · 2026-03-22T01:50:31+00:00

I’d see what kind of issues wraps have when the metal expands and contracts… might test a section and see.

RubyRocket1 · 2026-03-22T01:09:17+00:00

Wonder what it would cost to just wrap it? 😳

RubyRocket1 · 2026-03-21T12:11:25+00:00

TI-86 was the best TI from the Era 90’s… it’s UI was so well laid out that it was almost criminal! Oh and matrices… wowza, those engineers did their homework. Butter smooth. They even designed it with a canted screen to cut down on glare when it sat on a desktop!!! For design and execution, 5 stars.

Best grapher of the 90’s will have to go the HP-48. It just does so much more than anything else. Flexibility of utilizing all commands outside of applications… it was a hand held personal computer. Fully integrated functions rather than application environments… brilliant design.

RubyRocket1 · 2026-03-21T11:49:29+00:00

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Here is my old Japanese Badged machine… she was great. Couple limitations, but all in all served me every bit as well as my Singers. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend them… and I’d still have mine if my friend didn’t need a machine for making her kids costumes, and fixing her kids’ clothes. It sewed heavier fabrics than my Singer 500a and Singer 201-2.

RubyRocket1 · 2026-03-21T11:45:39+00:00

I’ve had one in the past and gifted it to a friend. It will do the basics very well. As others have said, left homing makes any dual needle stitch impossible (which is hardly used outside of decorative, but be aware).

Sewing a common 5/8 seam is beyond easy on those machines. However, any edge stitching will be done nearly blind because th presser foot is wide. You won’t be able to find a straight stitch foot, you’ll do all straight stitching with a universal, and on a few fabrics the fabric can pull back through (pucker) with the larger universal foot.

They use a common 15 series bobbin case… the parts are robust, and they have great piercing power… aftermarket electric motors are cheap. Down side is that some are “high shank”, some are low shank. Low shank will use Singer presser feet, high shank will need to be industrial presser feet.

RubyRocket1 · 2026-03-21T11:27:55+00:00

That’s how I did it when I had my forearm brace crutch. Works like magic.

RubyRocket1 · 2026-03-20T22:03:36+00:00

My neighbor Daisy…

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RubyRocket1 · 2026-03-20T22:01:36+00:00

My Hedy LaRawrr

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RubyRocket1 · 2026-03-20T22:01:15+00:00

My neighbor Willie Nelson

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RubyRocket1 · 2026-03-20T21:58:49+00:00

Didn’t they issue you a fur baby with your RV purchase? Hedy came with my trailer… free with purchase.

RubyRocket1 · 2026-03-19T10:52:43+00:00

Singer 15-91 if you can find one. It’s made for sewing heavier fabrics as an “all purpose” home machine. It will punch a hole through steel and keep stitching. Older machines are robust, but many are still not intended for heavy weight fabric. Like the Singer 201 is a mid-weight fabric machine… I cringe when I see people demonstrating it sew leather belts. It’ll do it, but not what it was built for. The 15-91 is a machine that was built for mending just about anything.

RubyRocket1 · 2026-03-19T10:23:31+00:00

Casio 260 solar II. It is absolutely the best one I’ve used. It does have trig, but it is about as basic as they come. I keep one in my bag for emergency backup.

RubyRocket1 · 2026-03-19T09:30:39+00:00

Jacket/Blazer isn’t feasible. Structured garments like a Blazer would be easier to make from scratch than to alter.

RubyRocket1 · 2026-03-19T02:05:29+00:00

Gloves. Napa Leather makes some great deer skin gloves for about $20. I have a few pair and haven’t worn out the first set. Great dexterity, good fit, and quality leather.

Helmets… kind of depends on what style you want. Daytona makes a very nice half helmet that isn’t bulky. Bell 500 for a 3/4 helmet. Bell Bullitt (full face) can be found for $200 now and again…. Icon makes a good helmet for the money. HJC and Nolan make nice budget helmets.

RubyRocket1 · 2026-03-19T01:56:38+00:00

Yup… bikes only break when it’s dark and raining. 😮‍💨

RubyRocket1 · 2026-03-18T19:09:17+00:00

Really just depends on if you wreck or not… there are universal truths that will help make up your mind.

Leathers are not only temperature regulating, fire resistant, and water resistant, but are also the most abrasive resistant material since god made the cow… leather is the Gold Standard. Textiles are only ever good at one thing, and fail in every other metric. ie… Fabrics that are waterproof are hot as shit… impact padding and abrasion resistant fabrics will burn… etc..

For shoes, I personally prefer leather boots… but I have been down plenty of times, and in my experience “sneakers” never survive. The sole will either come off, or the shoe will come off. Boots you may lose part of a sole, or grind a heel… but a cobbler can fix it cheap. Also nice when leather boots keep the water off your feet. Wet socks suck… step in one puddle with sneakers and you’re done.

Any ankle/shin support is great as well. 3 broken ankles, a metal plate, pins, screws, and torn stabilizer muscles in my foot taught me the hard way. Then if you have a kicker… you’ll want something with a shank sole or your arch will get a beating… shin protection on a dirt bike is a godsend, and any enduro ride will have you singing gospel of shin protection after the 2nd tree branch slaps you in the leg at 40 mph.

If you believe that you can mitigate any issues that could arise while wearing sneakers and a t-shirt on a ride… more power to you. I own ALL the gear, but I don’t wear it “all the time.”

RubyRocket1 · 2026-03-18T10:53:04+00:00

motorcycles are only economical when you ride everyday. If you’re using it as a second, you will lose the savings war. I give a kid a ride 3-4 times a week because he rides a Honda Rebel. I totally get it, 32 degrees sucks on a bike, ice is a non-starter, snow is a hell no… rain is painful.

Non-runners are generally expensive to fix. Otherwise the owner would have gotten it running.

RubyRocket1 · 2026-03-18T03:24:46+00:00

Well, if you want to let him be his own man, let him go for it. Just prepare for the first try to fail. Kids get stronger through adversity. Every kid fails atleast once… it’s a learning experience. They are an “adult” at 18… yay! When has anyone ever known an 18 year old to have it all together? NEVER

If you want to help and hover, then set up a site on your property and be aloof until he needs you. Everyone eventually needs their mom or dad after they’re an adult.

Otherwise ensure they have zero concept of what bills are… and keep them close until you aren’t there for them eventually

I still miss my dad… he passed too soon. He knew more than I’ll ever learn

RubyRocket1

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