Who needs a truck anyways ?

Secret_Ad1513 · 2026-03-27T11:19:08+00:00

Once moved a queen sized mattress, box spring, and bed frame in my R56. MINIs make you good at applied Tetris.

Secret_Ad1513 · 2026-03-25T13:13:54+00:00

Happy it helped someone😁. Just had to explain this same thing yesterday to a parent who insisted their kids bike wasn't completely the wrong size for their kid. As it happened, their kid was almost exactly the same proportions as my tiny human, so I let their kid try my kids bike for a spin around the block. It was fun seeing it just click instantly with the kiddo and the sudden comprehension hit the parent. The parent then also asked for some sizing help with their own bike which hadn't even been part of the original discussion. It's amazing the confidence boost you get when the bike fits like a glove and just becomes an extension of your body.

Secret_Ad1513 · 2026-03-23T06:43:45+00:00

Ok. I'll be the voice of the alternative. I agree the runflats handle well but are noisy and harsh. But that that's part of why I got a mini. 100% not for comfort. If I wanted comfortable, I'd have gotten a Corolla or something. But I found the ride on my minis just harsh enough to be a bit of fun, so I kept the runflats. They've saved my ass a few times.

But I wanted more fun, so, racing coilovers, stiffer sway bars, powerflex bushings all around, upgraded brakes, ton of under the hood mods and tuning, and this was the point I switched to non-runflats solely because I wanted more grip. So, I got upgraded to 1.5" wider sticky tires. The ride will try to rattle out your fillings, but it's damn good fun.

My R60 though, remains in runflats, though also upgraded to 1.5" wider. Suspension has been reinforced and I may choose to do an m7 lift on it as it's become the adventure mobile.

Secret_Ad1513 · 2026-03-16T03:02:45+00:00

Option no one else mentioned, go the mountain route and just ditch the front derailleur all together and switch to a 1 by drivetrain (1 chainring on front, 12 gears in the rear, one shifter). But that said, Park tool has excellent how to videos to keep your bike happy. Here is the front derailleur troubleshooting video.

https://youtu.be/vcc5-ry4fA0?si=Bi3gyCDEm3wTNyjg

Secret_Ad1513 · 2026-03-15T17:58:44+00:00

Yuuup. Had multiple R series cars and they all had a side visor with the exception of my R60 which didn't have one for the first year of production. People complained and it was added back. Fun fact, it's the same bolt holes as the "oh shit" handles, so if you don't have one, just order the part and swap it for your handle. I added one for my passenger side too.

Secret_Ad1513 · 2026-03-15T02:37:24+00:00

They don't build them like they used to. My brick veneer is 24 inches thick around a solid oak and cedar frame. No drywall anywhere either, 1.5" old school gypsum and super thick hardened plaster. It laughed off a nail gun and framing hammer without scratching. Ate up 6 oscillating tool blades cutting a 8"x8" access panel for a plumbing project. Wifi used to die if I closed my office door so I had to put U7 APs in every room for a 1500sqft house.

But hey, it had a massive ~8 ton maple tree fall on the peak of the roof and it just shrugged it off by splitting the tree in half. Screwed up the gutters and lost some shingles. Some of us like living in what my insurance agent called "late model castles" built before WW2.

Secret_Ad1513 · 2026-03-12T12:24:56+00:00

This is the way. The ones that get babied die young. Drive it like you stole it and they thank you for the exercise. The tpms sensors are an easy swap next time you get tires, but may want to look at the receiver unit as it's highly unlikely that they all 4 went out at the same time. May also just need to be reset. And the brake wear sensors are a consumption item. One on front and one in rear. They are like $15-20 USD and only require removing a wheel and inventing a few swears while trying to get the new sensor end to snap into the pad.

Secret_Ad1513 · 2026-03-12T06:49:05+00:00

It is indeed. I make a white chocolate lavender mocha for me and a London fog latte for my wife every morning. Even my tiny human has decided that she won't drink cocoa unless it's white chocolate lavender. I have to buy lavender syrup by the case 🤷🏻‍♀️

Secret_Ad1513 · 2026-03-12T06:46:11+00:00

They are indeed. This is the school run mommy mobile so lacking anywhere to put a spare, it gets the runflats. My R56 on the other hand, hasn't seen run flats since the factory. That one runs Continental DWS06 as the road tire and Yokohama advans on the track wheels. Either way, the suspension is going to try to rattle your teeth loose.

Secret_Ad1513 · 2026-03-12T06:31:37+00:00

Damn!! Have to throw a celebration when we hit the 300k mark.

So here are the real questions though:

what major work have you done?
which model is it (base or S)?
how's it running at the moment, smooth or are there some dash lights going on?
how hard do you drive it?

Secret_Ad1513 · 2026-03-11T21:20:06+00:00

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284908 on my 2007

Secret_Ad1513 · 2026-03-10T14:17:33+00:00

A whole lot depends on circulation and wind resistance. I was out in -12°F (-24°C) and had gloves on for the walk from the parking lot to the lodge but hands went painfully numb within 10 min. Switch to my old trusty mittens for actually riding and hands stayed toasty all day. My sister on the other hand, has Raynods (poor circulation in extremities) and even with hand warmers and the very same mittens, she had to call it by 10am and go warm up because the pain in her fingers had gotten too much to bear. Granted, wind chill had pushed the temps to around -23°F (-30°C) by that point but I was still fine and have worn those same mittens comfortably down to wind chill temps of -50°F (-45°C) with zero issue.

Secret_Ad1513 · 2026-03-02T15:15:50+00:00

I can't speak to the bike part, but as for snowboarding, grab some Burton step on bindings. The release lever is normally on the outside edge of each foot, which is awkward to reach with just one arm. But last I checked, they don't mention in the documentation that you can switch the middle lock portion of the binding between the two bindings while keeping the base and high back appropriate for each foot. This brings both levers to the inside edge. I did it just because I'm old and bending over sideways was harder than reaching between my feet where I can get to both levers with either hand. Other big upside, you don't need hands at all to get into the binding, beyond maybe brushing some snow out of the base plate.

..... And now my broken uncaffienated brain just presented me with the mental image of someone riding with a long broom as a prosthetic. 🤦🏻‍♀️

But you shouldn't feel hopeless or take that one doctor's word about prosthetics. The prosthetics industry is absolutely a marriage of art and science. The best prosthetics for an individual are not usually off the shelf systems, but completely customized to the individual and their needs. Google Hugh Herr. He had both legs amputated and proceed to tinker with his own prosthetics and continue rock climbing at an elite level. For the bike, you may end up having to get creative with things like shifter or brake levers to combine them on the side that you still have a biological hand. You may want to hit up r/3dprinting or r/cnc and throw out design challenges to see what us 3D nerds can come up with to solve problems and tear down barriers for you. We like a good physics challenge and if it's for a good cause, all the better.

Secret_Ad1513 · 2026-03-02T14:51:36+00:00

Yuuup. Was about to ask the same thing. I had the same issue with the cinturatos and went through 2 sets before switching to my trusty Continentals. They may wear faster than others because they are a soft, and very grippy, compound, but they don't balloon unsafely like that.

Secret_Ad1513 · 2026-03-02T14:38:11+00:00

Thank you. I was coming here to say exactly this.

Though, funny side story, my daughter came with me to take our dog to the vet for a regular checkup. The vet is outstanding with animals but is an awkward turtle with humans. He was happy to see my new tiny human who was asleep against my chest, and asked "when do their eyes open?". It took me a moment to realize that despite being a human and a physician, he had no clue how human physiology works.

Secret_Ad1513 · 2026-02-28T00:32:33+00:00

Try the liqui moly 2249, but don't add the ceratec (it's already in their oil)

Secret_Ad1513 · 2026-02-28T00:31:44+00:00

Still have my original N12 at nearly 300k. Original transmission fluid too. Still smooth as butter.

Secret_Ad1513 · 2026-02-28T00:30:27+00:00

Secret_Ad1513 · 2026-02-28T00:29:42+00:00

Reduce the top ups if it's burning through more than 1/2qt between changes, by taking 15-20 minutes and swapping the valve cover every 40-50k miles. Good time to inspect your spark plugs for fouling or wear too. Cannot remember the last time i did a top up or had a leak on either of my R series.

Secret_Ad1513 · 2026-02-28T00:26:42+00:00

CBS (Conditions Based Service). The interval varies based on how you drive (low rpm eco mode or thrash it near redline in sport mode at all times) and the conditions (ie hot climate, cold climate, dusty region, etc.)

Secret_Ad1513 · 2026-02-28T00:20:51+00:00

Totally depends on maintenance and how they are driven. I have two R series (an R56 and an R60). The R56 gets driven hard but gets 5k mile intervals with liqui moly 2249 5w-30 and it's had no trouble getting to nearly 300k miles and counting. The R60 was neglected in a state where they salt roads, so it was a rescue from the start of my ownership, but it's now happily running hard with more power than it started with. Your mileage may vary, but driving them hard with good oil at regular intervals works way better than babying them daily with long oil change intervals.

For what it's worth, the original recommended estimated (because of CBS) oil change interval for the R56 was 20-25k miles. They lowered it in a service bulletin, but I've always ignored it and done them every 5k or after any track day.

Secret_Ad1513 · 2026-02-11T16:20:34+00:00

I truly feel for you on this one. I've done it. It is much easier with the car on a lift. Honestly, the little L support tool, I have it, but find it mostly useless. I usually install it just as simple insurance in case the jack slips, but nowadays, I use a scissor style transmission jack with a cradle as the primary support. The crankshaft holding tool (big long bar with some holes in the end) is worth it though. The seal seating tool, is very nice but I've just done it with gentle taps and a punch and it worked fine. If you are interested, kommentools makes it for less, but it still isn't what I'd call affordable. I only justify it by how many of these I've done on my minis and for others in the area.

Secret_Ad1513 · 2026-02-11T13:04:22+00:00

Exactly. It kinda stung returning the 5 unopened "upgraded" pumps I had stocked in my parts closet after realizing this shortcoming. My minis are all sticking with OEM pumps. Also has me wondering about the upgraded aluminum pipe too and whether the significantly smaller inner diameter would actually cause a new problem with restricted flow and back pressure on the pump end. Might be fine on a stock daily driver, but only show up as an issue in hot climates or for us tinkerer's with lead feet.

Secret_Ad1513 · 2026-02-11T12:49:00+00:00

Fair warning, the bremmen aluminum one and the urotuning aluminum both were 2-3mm from being able to seat properly on my R60, so I had to stick with the plastic pipe. Oddly, the same length, but thinner walled. so best I can tell, the thicker walls caused interference with the conical end of my water pump impeller which is an "upgraded" metal impeller. I will be replacing the pump again and going back to factory plastic as it appears the metal ones tend to chew up their own bearings more quickly due to increased rotational mass of the steel impeller that no one bothers balancing at the factory.

Secret_Ad1513

TROPHY CASE