41–50 of 101 posts
Nowadays its mostly white webpages with similar looking buttons and elements. I guess uniformity makes it easy for users to use web-apps. But I still miss the creativity of retro websites.
I like the site and it looks like it has lots of useful information. The evangelism is uncomfortable for me, does not pertain to motorcycle repair.
> evangelism Bizarre take, it's one sentence at the top of his page of motorcycle knowledge. The average HN comment wanks on with more far useless fluff in an attempt to look smart. Is it really that hard to accept other people holding different views? And does it really warrant a comment about how it makes you feel uncomfortable despite all the work that has been freely provided for your benefit? I'm a stout atheist…
I like HN for interesting technical info like Dan has here. But I'm not here for religion.
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> The trained professionals don't rely on brawn to perform repairs properly. If it feels like it should be easier then there is probably a tool for it. We love making tools. It's just some of the best for heavy lifting are a bit out of reach for enthusiasts, like a proper two post lift.
FWIW I've done a lot of lifting for engine and trans services with nothing more than ratchet straps or a come-along hanging from either an overhead joist or I-beam, or a constructed A-frame when the former were unavailable. Honestly two post lifts are more just a space and time saver for quick service shops and kind of suck. Back when I worked at a muffler+brake shop it was the two post lifts that did the most damage…
I miss the wacky elements of yesteryear retro websites. Custom mouse pointers, tiled backgrounds etc. Nowadays its mostly white webpages with similar looking buttons and elements. I guess uniformity makes it easy for users to use web-apps. But I still miss the creativity of retro websites.
People do what people around them do. The larger the network gets the more the chimps do what the majority of chimps do - https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conformity
You got to keep the Japanese and Indians isolated to produce sushi and kebabs, kimonos and sarees cause if you put them all in the same room they just produce unimaginative grey shit or what is technically called the zuckerbergization of the world
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Currently I am dealing with tractors and PTOs. I agree that.. Mechanically for motorcycles and cars, everyone who owns a wheeled vehicle should be able to fix things and at least know how. We shouldnt have to use brawn when physics should do.
> We shouldnt have to use brawn when physics should do. There's nothing inherent about this space requiring manly strength, it just takes up a lot of slack when everything else is lacking - from tools to knowledge. The trained professionals don't rely on brawn to perform repairs properly.
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There is a lot of room for better help for mechanics. Most of it is distributed as long-winded YouTube videos, and it's the wrong medium. Everything else is lost in the noise on various forums. I'd love something like ifixit for other fields and I can't possibly be alone. I want answers that aren't hidden in a 30 minute 480p video of a mumbling dad. Here's an example of what I mean, since I just finished it: https://…
I tried to setup a 'manual for everything' website 10 years ago called fiximo unfortunately I was too young and didn't pull through.
I miss the wacky elements of yesteryear retro websites. Custom mouse pointers, tiled backgrounds etc. Nowadays its mostly white webpages with similar looking buttons and elements. I guess uniformity makes it easy for users to use web-apps. But I still miss the creativity of retro websites.
Not utility. Conformity. People do what people around them do. The larger the network gets the more the chimps do what the majority of chimps do - https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conformity You got to keep the Japanese and Indians isolated to produce sushi and kebabs, kimonos and sarees cause if you put them all in the same room they just produce unimaginative grey shit or what is technically called the zuckerbergiza…
Earlier quoted context omitted.
There is a lot of room for better help for mechanics. Most of it is distributed as long-winded YouTube videos, and it's the wrong medium. Everything else is lost in the noise on various forums. I'd love something like ifixit for other fields and I can't possibly be alone. I want answers that aren't hidden in a 30 minute 480p video of a mumbling dad. Here's an example of what I mean, since I just finished it: https://…
> I wish more people casually documented how they repair things. The pages below are the perfect example of that for the BMW F650 series of bikes. http://faq.f650.com/main.html These technical guides (I think) are mainly made up of forum ( http://f650.com/forum/forum ) comments that were pasted in to properly organized documents. This together with the Haynes guides ( https://haynes.com/en-us/motorcycle-manuals/bmw )…
Earlier quoted context omitted.
> We shouldnt have to use brawn when physics should do. There's nothing inherent about this space requiring manly strength, it just takes up a lot of slack when everything else is lacking - from tools to knowledge. The trained professionals don't rely on brawn to perform repairs properly.
> professionals don't rely on brawn to perform repairs properly In point of fact I have recently had a mechanic lament to me that he was no longer strong enough to work on suspensions anymore. Professionally, time == money, and where something like a come-along pulling a torque wrench can work, it's not viable in the real world of a busy shop. At home, your own car, hobby, fine; but AFAIK that cost him his job. I've…
Many many years ago..when I was young and stupid, I decided that I was going to hike the Appalachian trail..end to end. And then I figured that I was smarter and that I will do it in parts. And then I gave myself yet another break to do the trail stops in any random order.
That began my crash course in acceptance towards gender differences. Starting with backpacks to shoes to equipment to tents..to climbing technique and speed..everything was different! Because of our waist-hip ratios, breasts and lower center of gravity.
Recently when I was struggling with some tractor stuff, a lot of it came back ..and I could go to harbour freight and found the equivalent for hoisting machines. It wasn’t ideal but if I hadn’t been familiar with climbing equipment, I wouldn’t have known how to use most of it. If you know how to hoist your own body weight, you can project it to do it to any 100-500 lb machine. Same principles.
On a slightly different note, I have seen women who were into fly fishing have a special set of hidden skills that they probably aren’t even aware of...I am not a fishing person myself and so I can’t put my finger on it. They are just different! Right from their way of surveying a surrounding area to problem solving to attitude. Is it sharpened by their hobby or did they pick that hobby due to their aptitude?
I am torn because I am a big believer of adopting hobbies..and many of them..as a way to unearth hidden skills and talents. But a lot of what’s picked up as hobbies translates to real life survival skills. So a blanket ‘everyone should learn __fill in the blank__ as a survival hack’ is not always possible.
I grew up mopping floors, fixing things, bending over a lot, and hanging from high branches etc because I am from a different time and place. The first time I saw a kid pulling a weed at the farm, I knew he was going to throw his back. It’s the same thing at the gym. Most adults don’t know how to lift their own body weight without hurting themselves. It must come naturally. Balancing onself on a motorcycle or kickstarting it(do bikers do that anymore?)..making sure we don’t fall flat on our face or trip over are such fundamental things that are essentially physics principles.
Most machines designed should have been intuitively based on the mechanics of the human body or bio inspired by animals around us. If they are not, the learning curve is steep. I feel like this why there are gender/generational differences when it comes to why some people are mechanically inclined and others are not..
Which brings me to my personal bias. Italian design/engineering vs German design/engineering. I prefer the latter. Italian designs make me think that a stubborn male with no friends who lives in a basement made it. German designs make me feel like a group of people brainstormed to come up with it. German designs are more intuitive.
Of course, we will all end up with Japanese designs because it doesn’t matter who made it..it was made FOR everyone.
A recent example is the gear box with the tractor spader I got shipped from Italy recently. I just couldn’t find it! And after I did, I couldn’t get to it. Hours wasted because figuring it out is a free game by itself that the Italians threw in for shits and giggles.
I would like to hear from mechanics and motor cyclists who have known the innards of cars and bikes re Italian vs German engines and designs. Philosophy/attitude.