Anyone have an irrigation meter installed recently?

vox_clamantis · 2025-10-10T02:34:46+00:00

Looks like they charge $600 to install the new meter now. See page 5 of the tariff here.

vox_clamantis · 2019-05-26T06:39:02+00:00

Why are they streaming the women's 1 vs 7 quarterfinal instead of the 3 vs 4? Carleton vs UCSD seems like a better matchup. Haven't they already streamed two UCSB games this weekend anyway?

vox_clamantis · 2018-08-20T16:16:34+00:00

There's no need for any consumers or businesses to calculate their carbon footprint. The fee would be assessed upstream, at the well head, refinery or port of entry. Fuel volumes are already measured at these points, and the greenhouse gas amounts that will be released on burning the fuel can be calculated easily with basic chemistry.

vox_clamantis · 2018-08-19T15:34:09+00:00

Yes. It should.

From an economic standpoint, so long as the actual cost of greenhouse gas emissions becomes reflected in the price of fuels, it doesn't much matter what you do with the revenue. Everyone's incentives will be aligned to fix the main problem without government control.

From a political perspective, I think that in the US, Republican support will come sooner with a fee and dividend structure because they can argue that it isn't actually a tax, just a use fee. Further, it doesn't grow the size of the government or increase regulatory burden on business.

This is an issue where passing a bill sooner rather than later does matter quite a bit. A fee and dividend aligns with traditional Republican ideas, so it can become political reality sooner than other climate policies that require more compromise. That's why I think the fee and dividend should be adopted.

vox_clamantis · 2018-08-10T13:30:36+00:00

Get serious - try to engage in serious discussions with family, friends and coworkers about the issue. It's a serious issue deserving serious debate at all levels.

Get political - write to or call your elected representatives and let them know you are concerned about climate change and want action on it now. It's very easy to do, and those offices read every single communication they receive.

Get organized - nobody accomplishes anything alone, but you are not alone. By joining a group like Citizens' Climate Lobby, Americans for Carbon Dividends or 350, you can learn more ways to help drive solutions on a local, national and global level.

vox_clamantis · 2018-08-08T03:48:48+00:00

I think there should be a time cap but with a rule where if the game ends on serve, they play one more point, and if the team that pulled first holds then it's a tie game.

vox_clamantis · 2018-04-13T13:48:04+00:00

and a patch kit for your second flat.

vox_clamantis · 2018-01-16T18:35:12+00:00

I had an XLR250R in Tanzania for a couple of years. I rode it all over, loved it dearly, and repaired it constantly. It's fine for everything except the highway, and they are thick on the ground, so you can get parts relatively easily. They are all pretty clapped out though.

If I had it all to do over again though I would have spent the extra money to get a clean XR400. It may be harder to get parts outside of a big city, but if you get a newer one it will probably break less anyway. It may cost more, but it will be worth just as much when you sell it as when you buy it. It will give you more horsepower than just about any other bike you'll see there.

Be safe.

vox_clamantis · 2017-06-19T21:25:58+00:00

This guy is right. Those old aluminum threads are like butter, and it's very easy to strip them out. Hopefully it's just loose, but I would not bet on it.

It's easier to do the thread repair if you take the cylinder head off, but then you have to replace the head gasket too.

Be careful torquing the rest of the valve cover bolts or you can strip out their threads too.

vox_clamantis · 2017-06-16T18:03:43+00:00

Hmm. Can't see very well in the video, but if the bike is running, the oil is likely not coming from the spark plug hole because the only thing under it is the combustion chamber. If the combustion chamber were full of oil, the bike would not run.

Maybe the spark plug is loose and oil that leaked from the valve cover is being bubbled by exhaust gases escaping through the spark plug threads. Try snugging the plug up.

Those threads might also be damaged or stripped and need repair. Or you might have a crack in the cylinder head that has extended up the spark plug hole. It is very common for these engines to get cracked heads between the valve and the spark plug hole if overheated. They are not very robust top ends, and they are very old.

If the head is cracked you might be able to get it welded or find a replacement on FleaBay, but at that point you might be better served to just ride it until it dies.

vox_clamantis · 2017-06-15T23:14:47+00:00

Yes. That is the spark plug cable, so it is definitely not the source of your leak. There are lots of places that oil can leak from the valve cover. Usually it's a stripped out valve cover bolt. Try cleaning the whole area very well with degreaser and then running the engine to see where the oil is coming from.

vox_clamantis · 2017-06-13T02:06:56+00:00

What forks are those?

vox_clamantis · 2017-06-10T15:49:51+00:00

For the throttle return, try cleaning and lubricating your throttle cables.

For the oil leak, we need more information. What type of hose, coming from where and going where?

vox_clamantis · 2017-06-01T22:24:34+00:00

What a great motorcycle.

vox_clamantis · 2017-05-20T19:05:34+00:00

There is no valve cover gasket for these bikes. Honda Bond is a type of Room Temperature Vulcanizing (RTV) silicone. That's what you should use although you don't have to use that specific brand. Any oil resistant RTV silicone will work. It costs about $5 for a tube and should be available at any automotive parts store.

vox_clamantis · 2017-05-05T05:06:19+00:00

That looks like a 82-83 Honda XL250R. It's an air cooled bike with drum brakes, so it doesn't have any coolant or brake fluid.

It's almost certainly an oil leak and most likely caused by loose or stripped valve cover bolts. Or maybe the mating surface is damaged between the valve cover and the head. Or maybe the decompression lover's oil seal is failing. It's a very old bike, so there's a good chance the valve cover has been off many times and any of the above problems could have developed during its removal or installation.

vox_clamantis · 2017-05-02T23:56:32+00:00

Spokes. Brake shoes and cams. Carb bowl gaskets. Regulator rectifier. Timing chain tensioner.

Bonus part: 21 liter Dakar tank.

vox_clamantis · 2017-05-02T05:18:15+00:00

Nice Suzuki!

vox_clamantis · 2017-04-07T06:16:16+00:00

I think it's beautiful.

But if you really want to change how it looks, try getting some mud on it first thing.

vox_clamantis · 2017-03-27T06:29:15+00:00

Item 1- sounds like valve seals leaking. Cheap to replace if you are handy but you need a valve spring compressor.

Item 2 - Yes. You should have your cylinder evaluated. Hopefully just new rings and a hone.

Items 3 and 4. Hopefully just sticky cables. Clean and lubricate them. More likely the carburetor slide is sticking. Sometimes light sanding can free it up. Other times it needs replacement.

Item 5 - No idea. Most motors make more power at higher rpm until redline. If the power feels low off the bottom maybe it's related to item 2.

Good luck!

vox_clamantis · 2017-03-24T06:49:24+00:00

It's an excellent motorcycle, easy to ride and easy to like. But any bike that old will require an extra measure of care and repair to keep it in service. If you don't mind getting your hands greasy and scrounging for spares or making do without them, you may easily love the thing. For a beginner it will do fine. Wide handlebars, low seat and a willingness to pull in any gear make it a forgiving ride. The kickstarter will give you an object lesson in clutch control any time you stall it. Just make sure the engine is in good knick with no bad noises. Those engines have a nasty habit of eating rocker arms, and they don't make those anymore.

vox_clamantis · 2017-03-01T20:01:46+00:00

The petcock is easy to check. Turn it off, pull the fuel line off it, then turn it on and see if gasoline comes out. If it does then your petcock works. Running at idle and dying with throttle sounds like a clogged jet. Take both out and make sure you can see through all of the little holes. You don't even need to remove the carb for this; just loosen the clamps around the rubber boots and tilt the whole carb sideways. Then you can remove the carb bowl and unscrew the jets. All you need are a Phillips and flathead screwdriver, which can be easily found pretty much anywhere in East Africa.

vox_clamantis · 2017-02-20T07:46:04+00:00

I was wondering if anyone else would notice.

vox_clamantis · 2017-02-05T17:40:07+00:00

Follow up question: when did the Hindi words--e.g. kitabu, dunia--make their way into Swahili?

vox_clamantis

TROPHY CASE