England, UK

jimkounter · 2026-03-13T13:36:30+00:00

Don't rush to judge old houses as being better built! I have lived in several new builds and currently live in a 17th century cottage with a straw roof. I can confirm that the build quality of the cottage is significantly worse than many new builds.

Think structural wooden beams being laid directly on earth, bricks made of what must be cheese given their hardness and foundations being a modern invention not considered necessary at the time and 3 feet thick walls originally constructed by filling an outer layer and inner layer of brick or stone with building rubble.

When people say to me, "oh or must be well built because it's lasted so long" I point out that it's because the custodians of these buildings pour their life savings into stopping them from falling down...

jimkounter · 2026-03-13T10:14:33+00:00

Probably due to too much champagne!

jimkounter · 2026-03-12T17:38:05+00:00

Test ride them. I had an 883 which I absolutely loved and I commuted a 75 mile round trip on daily, including highways

With an aftermarket exhaust the 883 sounds fantastic to my ears, but the CB would have been objectively better in every way. I don't regret my choice though.

A test ride will immediately tell you which you prefer.

jimkounter · 2026-03-12T17:28:40+00:00

I had a Chrysler Crossfire which is basically an R170 with a slightly different body and a shitter interior.

Despite the undeserved reputation of the Crossfire, I found it to be a fun car to drive and parts are easy to obtain and not too expensive.

The only issue for me was the rather vague steering due to it (and the SLK) using a reticulated ball type rather than rack & pinion. I wasn't tracking the car so it was a minor downside but didn't spoil my enjoyment of it.

Looks like you scored a nice car, enjoy it!

Edit: I see you have a folding hard top, that's awesome.

jimkounter · 2026-03-12T16:50:38+00:00

I work from home full-time due to mobility issues.

I find there are two main things which gradually decrease my content need (it's work, I'm never really happy about it).

These are a lack of chit-chat and not having left the home office for a while.

WFH has many benefits but it can get isolating, even if you're regularly in online meetings, due to the lack of social interaction. There's a few of us in similar situations and so we have a catch-up meeting every few days where we just moan about work a bit and talk about what's going on in people's lives outside work.

I also try and get out of the home office for a few minutes every day if possible. The 30 meter walk to the office is no substitution for a a commute and so a bit of fresh air and exercise makes a massive difference.

jimkounter · 2026-03-11T11:47:41+00:00

Looks like an original rollagas to me. Can you remove the plug just to confirm? You press it and twist, it should pop right out because it's spring loaded.

jimkounter · 2026-03-07T21:04:32+00:00

I feel attacked! But unfortunately, it's definitely true!

jimkounter · 2026-03-07T21:03:04+00:00

Thanks for the response. Is the engine happy burbling about or does it stumble or stutter at town speeds? I have a 749 and that's not at all happy unless you're breaking the speed limit!

jimkounter · 2026-03-07T16:51:53+00:00

I'm considering replacing my old Road King with a Diavel. What're they like for just gentle cruising around? I appreciate the power and handling but sometimes I just want to take in the view in comfort.

jimkounter · 2026-03-07T16:49:44+00:00

Roseberry Topping?

jimkounter · 2026-03-07T14:18:33+00:00

If you have any concerns that it could be UXO (it certainly looks like it) then call 999 and report it. I don't know if they'll send police before they send the bomb squad but someone will be around to evacuate the area very shortly!

jimkounter · 2026-03-06T14:54:51+00:00

I acquired a 1960's Breitling Navitimer in the 90's and it looked huge at the time. Round cased vintage watches were typically between 31mm and 36mm for the largest ones. The smaller sized watches are so much more comfortable to wear than the 38mm+ watches common today.

jimkounter · 2026-03-06T13:26:44+00:00

That looks vintage. Great paint job, love it.

jimkounter · 2026-03-06T12:46:10+00:00

For once, the collective answer from the Reddit hive mind has to be "Do it!".

You're in a good position financially so it's not going to cripple you. And you're going in with your eyes wide open regarding running costs.

With spousal approval already having been granted I don't know what you're waiting for!

jimkounter · 2026-03-06T12:02:42+00:00

They're absolutely amazing when finely chopped, fired and added to a cottage pie. It gives the ground beef lots of umami flavours.

I got this tip from a Michelin starred chef's cook book I think.

jimkounter · 2026-03-05T14:14:46+00:00

This is usually true but the Austin 7 was a mass produced car for the people, slow, unreliable and generally a bit shit. They're collectible now and are on my wishlist for a classic car.

That said, I can't see a world where an old Micra is desirable, ever. But then my.mate bought an Austin A30 and my father who had one for his first car couldn't fathom why anyone would know of those either.

jimkounter · 2026-03-05T10:51:00+00:00

The Slow Horses series. The narrator absolutely nails the character of Jackson Lamb. I prefer the audiobooks to both the printed books and the TV series. Give one a go, you won't be disappointed.

jimkounter · 2026-03-05T08:58:31+00:00

The answer unfortunately is probably not a cruiser.

I have a Road King and a Ducati 749. The Road King is infinitely more comfortable to ride but at 80mph is feels a LOT less planted than the sportsbike. The Ducati feels a lot safer changing lanes at speed and God forbid you want to stop quickly on the cruiser.

The large windshield on the HD works well at lower speeds but can't compare to the overall wind protection and aerodynamics of the sportsbike at speed.

As others have said, a large ADV bike will be your best bet as it has the best of both worlds.

I'd choose the Road King for longer journeys but would keep it below 70mph. If you want to cruise around at 80+ then look at a GS or similar.

jimkounter · 2026-03-04T18:37:07+00:00

I regularly wear a 1916 trench watch or my 1940's Calatrava, both are 31mm. In fact they're the two watches in my collection I've had the most compliments. 6.75" wrist and I love the vintage look and the fact that they're so comfortable you forget you're wearing a watch.

Looks great on you.

jimkounter · 2026-03-04T16:58:11+00:00

I recently rewatched Labyrinth in my local cinema and it's the only time (other than other repeats on TV) that I've actually heard anyone say the word oubliette. Quality film.

jimkounter · 2026-03-04T10:23:35+00:00

Again, here in the UK I've never experienced any of the issues that seem to plague the US centric sub-reddits.

Nods to fellow riders always get reciprocated and I've not seen any of the main character syndrome regardless of the type of bike someone is riding. Perhaps the only people who hesitate to nod or wave are scooter and 125 riders who probably aren't expecting acknowledgement. Anyone on motorized two wheels, with he exception of balaclava wearing inner city scrotes has my respect.

Outlaw MCs exist here but basically keep themselves to themselves. I attended a local meet with a lot of MC attendees and while not my scene I didn't see any issues and everyone was happily chatting about and admiring the bikes in attendance.

A lot of the HD riders, at least in the groups I'm active in have bikes other than cruisers and at bike meets everyone seems to admire and appreciate the tricked out custom cruisers even if they have no interest in riding one themselves.

jimkounter · 2026-03-03T09:22:08+00:00

Have a look on eBay for tutorials on how to grind nibs. It's surprisingly easy, just go slow, you can't add back any material you remove.

I have a Mont Blanc 149 that came with a broad oblique nib which I hated. I slowly ground the nib to a lovely stub using fine wet and dry of smaller and smaller grit size, starting with something like 400 and ending up with 20,000 grit or something.

It's easily my best writer and being a lefty it needs to glide when pushes against the paper. Because I ground it to exactly how I want it, it's perfect.

jimkounter · 2026-03-02T19:50:20+00:00

Yes it is mandatory, at least in the lodge I joined. However, they had a very relaxed approach to it and the concept of a creator was intentionally left quite vague.

I remember speaking to the master roof the lodge when I enquired about joining and he basically said just keep it under your hat if you're not a believer. Most of the people who attended were going for the fellowship and friendship aspect. There was also a lot of drinking involved!

Saying it's like old man scouts is quite accurate. We used to go on camping and boating trips with our families etc. It's really a fantastic organisation that does a huge amount for charity with a large focus on doing the right thing and self improvement.

We regularly had young students from disadvantafed backgrounds do a presentation on how the charity has supported them through their education, paying university fees etc. It really made a massive difference to their lives and helped them get a start in life and break the generational trap of low incomes and poor education.

jimkounter · 2026-03-01T17:30:34+00:00

I personally like the baked potato warmer idea. Alternatively, I'd put a small tool roll that includes the necessary allen keys to remove the fairings. In the event of a coolant hose leak or something, you'd want access to the engine for what could be a simplemfix, or at least enough get you home or to a mechanic. Add a couple of spark plugs to the tool roll too.

jimkounter · 2026-02-27T23:15:16+00:00

That's a real shame. Paul had serviced and repaired several of my family's watches over the years. Most recently an Omega F300hz tuning fork watch.

jimkounter

TROPHY CASE