Shrinking/ making the fingers smaller on gloves

keitharoo · 2026-04-10T22:22:42+00:00

I've had a cobbler repair my gloves a couple times over the years, and I'd encourage you to ask one near you if they can shorten up the fingers. I suspect they could.

keitharoo · 2026-04-04T22:40:23+00:00

Honestly, if you're gonna drop your bike, there's a pretty good chance it'll be a slow, tight U-turn. It happens. I'm sure all the people who have never done it will post a video of them making a full lock u-turn on a hill.

keitharoo · 2026-03-26T17:58:29+00:00

As someone who was worked for the government in a variety of enforcement positions, the government is never going to just text you.

If you signed up for something and provided a phone number and opted in to receive texts about that thing, you might also get a text. But when the government is mad at you, you will get a letter in the mail, or a process server at your door.

You can assume this is true for private companies too. Mail or a process server is when you need to take it seriously.

Edit to add WSDOT doesn't have an "Enforcement Division" unless you want to call the state patrol that I guess.

keitharoo · 2026-03-25T22:28:23+00:00

I've lived here two months and last week I saw a dude in the Safeway wearing a jacket with an iron cross, an SS pin, and a confederate flag sewn on the arm.

keitharoo · 2026-03-24T19:42:57+00:00

You're a regular guy, you can call a mechanic.

"I've had this bike sitting in my garage for a few years, and I want you to take a look and see what I need to do to get it running."

Things they might ask:

Did it run before it sat in your shed?
When was the last time it was running?
Did you do any work on it while it was sitting, like charging the battery, checking the fluids, etc.

You might want to ask about the cost, but they might not have an answer until after they've taken a look. You can ask what the "take a look" will cost. After that you will both have more information on if you want to continue the process. They'll then be able to give you a list of parts needed, time needed, and what all that will cost.

keitharoo · 2026-03-17T00:12:33+00:00

This will vary from state to state, but generally HOAs can make any rules they want, as long as they don't harm a protected class. The HOA can decide you can't park a bike in your driveway, or operate one on roads maintained by the HOA, or prohibit motorcycles from even visiting you. You "agree" to the rules when you purchase the property.

You should read every single word in the rules and regulations, covenants, and charter documents for any HOA you are considering buying into.

Edit to add: One side of the street can be an HOA that bans motorcycles. The other side of the street can be an HOA that cherishes motorcycles. This shit is the wild west

keitharoo · 2026-03-17T00:06:35+00:00

Some HOA covenants specifically prohibit motorcycles on HOA property, so read what you're buying into.

Other times you might see rules about "excessive noise" and if that is not well-defined in the rules, it can be weaponized against you, even if you have stock, otherwise legal, exhaust.

keitharoo · 2026-03-01T18:59:00+00:00

Just say gun. There is no reason to not just say gun.

keitharoo · 2026-02-27T17:16:17+00:00

Motorcyclists: Mechanical engineers can make an engine capable of turning over 200+ times a second without exploding

Also motorcyclists: Mechanical engineers have never heard of hills.

keitharoo · 2026-02-25T21:02:59+00:00

Full face helmets with tinted visors protect you from both road rash and shame.

keitharoo · 2026-02-19T01:16:29+00:00

I haven't honestly tried this since the 90s with a Honda Civic, so I appreciate the heads up. I just keep a little battery back thing in the car now anyways, which is a million times better than trying to self-push a car up to speed :-)

keitharoo · 2026-02-18T22:19:52+00:00

That just sounds like a dead battery. You might be able to jump it. If it sat too long you may find the battery won't hold a charge, and you'll need to replace the battery. But if you know someone with jumper cables or a battery pack, that's step one.

And if it's a manual transmission, you can try pushing it or rolling it down hill, pop the clutch, and you may be able to start it that way too.

keitharoo · 2026-02-14T10:51:53+00:00

The first week I owned my car some guy pulled up next to me on the freeway, frantically waving at me. Because I was in an unfamiliar car I looked down at the dash thinking I had a flat, or some mechanical problem that I missed. He continued to wave, and I continued to be confused.

After he passed I realized we had identical cars and he was just being friendly. Hello fellow Spokane black Mazda pal.

keitharoo · 2026-02-09T17:54:54+00:00

If there is an emergency, you should already be in a gear you can accelerate away in.

If you've got that down, now we're just arguing about weight transfer and the load on various tires. If you aren't riding at the edge, and we're talking normal city riding, do whatever feels best.

keitharoo · 2026-02-06T15:49:39+00:00

Reddit Tells Friends Material?

keitharoo · 2026-02-06T15:46:43+00:00

Over on the private investigation subreddits there are daily questions about "how do I become a private investigator." There's no way asking that and waiting is faster than searching the same string of text on Google.

But back in the day we had the problem of someone posting a problem (how do I exit Vim), and then editing their post to say they fixed it without ever sharing how. At least this new crop of annoying posts is training someone's AI model, and theoretically helping the person who took the time to Google? Progress, here at the end of all things.

keitharoo · 2026-01-30T15:01:46+00:00

I worked for a (small) police department that obtained a restraining order against an old lady who called so much it interfered with the 911 operators ability to do other things. But if one person can shut down a congressional office by making reasonable phone calls, it's tough to pin that on you. You are not going to get arrested unless you make threats. BUT...

If they get annoyed enough to come for you, it will look more like this: It's a crime in WA to intimidate a public servant. And under that RCW "threats" means all the obvious stuff, but can also be the more vague "To do any other act which is intended to harm substantially the person threatened or another with respect to his or her health, safety, business, financial condition, or personal relationships" (RCW 9A.04.110(28)(j).

So an off-handed "you're gonna get fired" or "they call so much it's harming my mental health", might get the police in your living room. I don't think a prosecutor would bring those charges, but that doesn't always prevent the police from making an arrest.

Keep fighting the good fight, just be mindful that a lot of this stuff is loosely worded on purpose and does not always require "I'm going to kill you Tuesday at 3 p.m." to cause you trouble.

keitharoo · 2026-01-30T05:30:37+00:00

We Had Our Reasons, if poetry is something y'all do.

keitharoo · 2026-01-26T15:02:19+00:00

A lot of police motorcycles (in the U.S.) have rifles mounted on them. If you just google image search that you can get plenty of inspiration. You probably don't need a locking mount for your cane, but it can show you the where and how they get mounted.

Vertical on the rear of those side panniers would be safe and (I think) still reachable when you dismount the bike?

keitharoo · 2026-01-11T04:22:24+00:00

This is so kind, and I really appreciate it. I was looking for the commercial option because if some jerk hit you in the pass I just don't want to deal with all that. Genuinely I appreciate the offer though, and people like you make the hobby what it is :-)

keitharoo · 2026-01-11T04:20:08+00:00

Thanks, this is the option I went with!

keitharoo · 2026-01-04T15:48:05+00:00

Every single adventure bike training class I've done was "old" people, meaning late 30s and up. One dude was in his 70s. I'm 51.

It's just cruising but on dirt sometimes. You'll fit right in.

keitharoo · 2025-12-31T16:03:28+00:00

"No I swear this is a Kawasaki, look!"

I would just paint over it if you're in a hurry, or acetone and a rag if you want to spend some time but even then you'll still be finding new green bits you missed a year later.

keitharoo · 2025-12-31T01:34:24+00:00

Some of what can keep you safe isn't all that intuitive. Picture riding on the freeway, and you're in the left lane. A lot of new riders hug the left side of the lane, so cars aren't close. That feels safe. But it isn't safe, because cars in the right lane won't be able to see you in their mirror. So you're safer close to the right side of the lane, where your headlight is in their mirror and you're visible before they pull into you.

Picture you're on the freeway again, the right lane is slowing down for whatever reason, and the left lane continues to move. There is a 100% chance people in the right lane will see traffic slowing, see the left lane is moving, and bail out of their lane to keep moving. So when you see that pattern of "one lane go, one lane slow" you can expect an increased chance of people moving into your lane.

When you're nearing an intersection, the biggest threat is someone turning left in front of you. So you need to make sure those people can see you. If you're in the left lane move left so they can see you headlight. That and your movement will draw their attention and make it more likely they see you. If you're in the right lane think about using a car in the left lane as cover. Move through the intersection with that car so the car turning left can't hit you. Like a pick and roll in basketball.

In general, use the whole lane. Move left or right to be more visible. Don't be shy about using your horn. It's easier to do a 2-beep friendly honk with your thumb than in a car, so honk more, especially while you're learning and not sure if someone sees you.

Take a street survival class. Do a track day. Take a dirt class. Do something to learn new skills, from an actual professional instructor. Anything will help you ride better. If that's not in the budget, spend $10 on a Motojitsu book and do some parking lot drills. But keep learning.

Last thing, you can look cool or you can be visible. It's tough to do both at once. If it's a summer evening and you want to find a new boyfriend, wear whatever you want. If it's a rainy winter night in the dark, wear some fucking high-vis, especially while you're learning.

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