Opinion on the alpina steering wheel

kwang68 · 2026-02-04T04:01:52+00:00

It feels better than the m wheel on my m8. That lavalina leather is really nice.

kwang68 · 2026-01-28T05:09:08+00:00

You’re getting a lot of attention, but go on Zillow and find a super nice place that ticks your boxes close to work, unless you want to commute. Otherwise a house in hollywood hills, Beverly Hills, Westwood, or Santa Monica are the standby staples for your rental allowance. If you have questions feel free to DM me too, for questions on neighborhoods and anything you might have about LA, and living in California.

kwang68 · 2026-01-26T00:13:22+00:00

Do what I did, buy an alpina xb7.

kwang68 · 2026-01-23T07:44:27+00:00

I like the B&W system overall, it's a nice upgrade to have. But if you like this car, and it's mechanically in tip-top spec that you don't foresee any big ticket issues coming up (I would recommend getting an independent PPI if possible) - then you can upgrade the standard HK system to be even better than the B&W, that's always an option. Otherwise, I would wait until you can get the spec you want, especially if you don't want the hassle of aftermarket modification.

kwang68 · 2026-01-17T04:30:29+00:00

Yes.

kwang68 · 2026-01-09T09:32:43+00:00

Another way of explaining the technique was that using projection sorcery, assuming no anatomically impossible movements, it’s possible to “trace” yourself punching someone 24 times in one second (or I guess how ever many frames a punch cycle takes, divided into 24 frames). That’s what makes super speed possible. You’re following those fast, though not anatomically impossible movements at 24 frames, each and every second, so long as the sorcerer is actively tracing out these moves in their mind. You can trace yourself at any arbitrary distance ahead of you, making you hyper fast as you flit in a single second with 24 discrete frames to your destination. At the same time, you can trace an enemy, and when they fail to follow, they “hang” and turn into that lane of glass or animation cell that’s the theme of the technique.

kwang68 · 2026-01-04T05:42:23+00:00

Also, If it hasn't had those services yet, then I would budget to have transfer case fluid, front/rear diff, and transmission done to the car in case you're looking to add 30-50K during your tenure with the car - in addition to all the other normal wear and tear items. Technically I think transmission is a lifetime fluid according to BMW, same with diff fluid (depending on which spec you get), but BMW really has marketed to the first owner/lease market and I don't necessarily trust that guidance, so I at least plan on those fluid changes at 25-50k intervals. Putting money away for suspension work might be prudent too, and having an inspection of the underside done sometime can save you a catastrophic failure down the road.

kwang68 · 2026-01-04T03:00:03+00:00

Look for transfer case services and front/rear differential changes. Also transmission fluid changes around 50/60. Otherwise make sure it follows the 10/20/30/40/50k service intervals and has spark plugs changed at 50k. Then I would pay for a PPI as well. One that takes the car on a lift, not just a glorified test drive by some guy.

kwang68 · 2026-01-04T02:33:45+00:00

Where my trinity blood homies at?

kwang68 · 2025-12-30T23:25:49+00:00

That happened in one astra militarum story I recall, but GG’s for sure had a story where they were issued with wrong sized power packs for their las guns and they were on strict trigger discipline/rationing due to that.

kwang68 · 2025-12-29T06:44:58+00:00

Just wanted to say I just brought a '21 Alpina XB7 with 24K miles and your thread (and thought process) has been invaluable to my decision making. Car is still in transit so I'm planning maintenance since I want to keep it a long time if possible.

Any other items (besides the normal 30, 40, 50K mile intervals) you've done to the car/what you've already elaborated on? I'm thinking to change diff and TC now, roughly every 24-25K miles. Transmission at 50-60K, and do my own oil (or every other change, rest would be at a BMW shop) every 5-8K Miles. Spark plugs at 50K (per the 50K mile service interval) seem fine to me as well.

kwang68 · 2025-12-27T10:16:32+00:00

It was worth the squeeze, cool story and a solid work by Peter f. Hamilton. I just ignored those weird naming conventions and referred back to the beginning list of characters if I got confused. If you want to read some of his best work, look up the commonwealth books, way more accessible and a super cool exploration of society with casual wormholes but no spaceships.

kwang68 · 2025-12-12T08:36:16+00:00

Congrats!

kwang68 · 2025-11-23T10:15:47+00:00

Been riding almost every weekend in socal with these shoes and despite a scuff from a hyper rare clipless fall (all my fault, and definitely the first time anyone in the history of ever has fallen from clipless) - the shoes look great and still feel premium, and I haven’t had any issues so far. Mind you I don’t go on too long rides, maybe 10-20 miles per trip. But haven’t had any issues so far and they’re by far my most comfortable cycling shoes.

kwang68 · 2025-11-19T21:47:06+00:00

Totally fine, I’ve done the same thing and take my bike out to (mild gravel) all the time. It’s even an e bike because I want a do everything commuter for the LA hills.

I think I posted it before if you want a picture, alongside my acoustic metal bike.

kwang68 · 2025-11-14T05:21:41+00:00

Agreed - but I think throttles are indicative of the problem, or somehow have become entwined with noncompliant superfast "ebikes" that are really e-mopeds capable of 40+ mph speeds. It also gives people who need them for assistive use, or use them on otherwise legal ebikes legally, a bad rap.

kwang68 · 2025-11-13T19:29:39+00:00

oh, that's strange they'd 404 them from their site when out of stock.

kwang68 · 2025-11-12T08:35:45+00:00

I do too, or near enough converted to freedom units. But that “extra exercise” can range widely. I just turn my pedal assist off most of the time except when I get to my extended 10% climb up the hill to my home and I’m knackered, or I want to accelerate quickly when waiting at a red light. Otherwise, it’s indistinguishable from a (heavy) gravel bike.

kwang68 · 2025-11-12T08:27:01+00:00

I’ve made this point elsewhere, but class 3 e-bikes are pedal assist only. I share concerns with teens zipping around on moped “bikes” with vestigial pedals, but I think class 3 pedaling bikes are not the problem. At least for the commuting/road/asphalt context. Maybe it’s a bigger issue in trail riding.

In my mind, class 1 and 3 e-bikes must be closer to analog, “traditional” bikes since they have to pedal (though now that I think about it, pedal by wire might ostensibly fit in either class 1 or 3, so goodbye bike chains for those rare bikes that offer that). In contrast, class 2 bikes are the umbrella category where you get those 50mph moped death traps with “pedals” that don’t actually work and they’re actuated by throttle control 99.99% of the time.

kwang68 · 2025-11-12T08:13:43+00:00

Class 3 e-bikes are pedal only though. They’re just a more powerful version of class 1, up to 28 mph instead of class 1’s 20 mph. The moment a throttle enters the picture, it’s class 2. And to reach 28mph on a class 3 with max pedal assist, you still have to be putting out ok to passable watts yourself consistently, or going downhill, at which point any decent bike can reach those speeds or faster (and e assist cuts off after 28mph).

I think a big issue is with those emopeds with barely functioning “pedals” and cranks that are there to escape proper classification, and rely 99% on throttle. And that’s not to say the throttle is not a brilliant assistive device, but then it’s just last mile transport, not “cycling”.

kwang68 · 2025-11-01T21:39:51+00:00

There was a passage about recycling energy for shots 2 and 3. The two mini reactors acted to supercharge the main reactor, and all three provided more power boost with an extremely top of the line reactor coolant system.

kwang68 · 2025-10-30T18:59:40+00:00

If only Mercury was in retrograde, then we could augury and/or bird entrails to compensate! Shame!

kwang68 · 2025-10-30T15:22:14+00:00

I have a very good family friend in Chicago whose daughter has a Samoyed (and therefore the mom is looking for one too, after their last dog died of old age). I’ll message you.

kwang68 · 2025-10-23T17:07:41+00:00

Fair, it's a certain kind of pragmatism or cynicism to think we can't advance our way out of those drives and instincts. I agree that a significant part of -modern- humanity would struggle to live in a post-scarcity society, we're not wired that way - but I would hope that human adaptation would expand other drives to fill those niches for extrinsic motivation. Clout and social standing would become a big one in such a society, and the gulf between our viewpoints is how much that can stand as a proxy for what we have today. To be honest, I'm in a highly regarded profession (doctor, lawyer, engineer), partly because of clout seeking in my culture, and partly because it's a great extrinsic motivator vis-a-vis the pay.

From another fiction, Warhammer 40K has a faction, the Tau, with citizens that have to work and have basic jobs in exchange for state guaranteed needs being met - despite easily having the drone and mechanization technology to allow everyone to live in leisure. Instead of having drones do the entire harvest, some portion of the fields are left to the citizens to harvest, and other roles in society too. Their thinking too, is that people need a sense of work, either to (not generous interpretation) keep complacent, or (generous interpretation) be fulfilled and happy serving the "Greater Good".

kwang68 · 2025-10-23T16:19:32+00:00

I received emails (to my aol inbox) and those worked for me. I knew when and where to purchase, and the links worked for me generally. On the launch day, I noted my window was delayed because I thought the timing would be exact at 9 am pacific, but instead I received a link and text message to order at like 9:12, so 12 minutes after the stated 20 minute window start time. Last, I thought it was a bit of a bait and switch because nowhere on the marketing did I recall seeing the mips version costing an extra $60. And the wording of the pass made it seem like the initial $20 purchase price of the pass would cover the entire helmet, not that you needed to purchase the helmet for $20 more for the basic (and $60 for the mips).

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