If you really want to know how I feel about religion...

Read this.  The End.  :)

Oufitting the V-Strom, Part 1

Since buying my V-Strom, I've discovered an entire subculture of people devoted to these motorcycles and their ability to be customized.  Tons of valuable information can be found on the following forum-based websites:  Vstrom Riders International and Stromtroopers.

One of primary reasons I bought the V-Strom was its ability to carry a weekend's worth of gear and still handle reasonably well, unlike other super-heavy 2-wheeled RV's that are marketed as 'touring motorcycles.'  With it's factory installed luggage, my bike is already able to tour as-is but it would be a lot more comfortable and user-friendly with a few upgrades. This is where those forum websites and my engineer-self came together and hatched a plan.

My overall goals are two-fold:  1) Have safe access to my phone and other entertainment while riding; and 2) Be able to ride my bike in just about any weather (sans heavy rain and snow).   The forums noted above have tons of examples of other riders that have installed power outlets, gps units, bluetooth helmet speakers, heated grips and gear, etc. to help make the riding experience more utilitarian and comfortable.  

First step was to buy and install a fuse block that could serve as a power distribution center for running accessories.  Since factory-installed 12-volt power outlets only come on a select few motorcycles these days, the rest of us have to install them ourselves.  After reading many of the forums, I went with the Eastern Beaver PC-8.  It's relatively simple and the manufacturer provides an install kit taylor-made for my V-Strom.  And with it's 8 circuit capability, I figure I'll have ample room to run as many accessories as my little heart desires.

I followed the install instructions provided on the website and it went amazingly well.  Here's a few photos of my installed PC-8, which is installed under my seat.  The first is without the cover installed so you can see how the internals are wired.  What you can't see is the harness connector where I tapped into switched power under my gas tank using wires that control the turn signals. 

 

The orange wire is the main battery power which powers two "always on" circuits as well.  Most of my accessories will be switched so they won't drain the battery when the motorcycle isn't running.

And here's a photo of the finished install.  The whole process took a little over an hour.  And the best part?  All of the bike's electrical functions still work!  Whoot!  My first connection (wires at the left of the PC-8) is for my battery tender cable.  Next on my list are Powerlet 12-volt power outlets (ASO-001 and PSO-002) to run my phone and a bitchin' pair of heated glove liners for cold weather riding.  :-D.

Cheers!

I have finally made it to the Promised Land!

More Kegs!!

Saw a post on the brew club forum yesterday that a friend was getting out of brewing.  Despite my sadness that a friend would no longer be brewing, I had the good fortune of purchasing some of his equipment that he no longer wanted.  I picked up 6 used 5-gal ball-lock corny kegs at a very good price.  For anyone famliar with homebrewing, finding used corny kegs in decent condition is getting harder and harder since Pepsi has all but sold their past inventories.  I now have 12 kegs total (10- ball-lock & 2- pin-lock), which should satisfy my brewing needs forever.  I'm thinking of selling the pin-locks though since it's a hassle to have full sets of each type of dispensing hardware.

I also brewed my Oatmeal Stout again yesterday.  Had a great brewday And picked up 4 gravity points due to increased efficiency in my sparge (77.5% for 1.064 OG).  Decided to use whole Delta hops in this beer since the English Bitter recipe with them turned out so well.  This beer should be ready by Thanksgiving, just in time for our dinner guests to try.

So much for my optimism

It became abundantly clear last night around 9 PM that Obama was going to be re-elected.  However troubling that fact was to me, it still wasn't as nearly as important as why he was being re-elected.  He and his campaign staff pulled off a masterful job of bait & switch, completely convincing millions of Americans that Romney wasn't likeable enough nor trustworthy enough to be president.  What what what?????  The Republicans also failed to realize (again) that you need more than white men to elect presidents these days. 


One of my co-workers summed it up nicely this morning.  If you're not a likeable guy, you have no chance of ever becoming president.  Last night proved this point.  Our gullible, under-educated electorate would rather have a clinically arrogant rock-star than a solid, results-oriented businessman.  Unfortunately, these same people likely won't bear the brunt of the impact his incompetence will continue to bring over the next 4 years.

Now I'm willing to entertain the possibility that I will be pleasantly surprised over the next fours.  Please pardon me while I hold my breath...

Election Nonsense

I am very happy that Election Day is finally here.  In a few more hours, we will no longer be subjected to countless inane political commercials broadcast on every form of media available to the campaigns as well as those "non-partisan" (sic) 501(c)(3)'s.

Those that know me also know that I am a fiscal conservative who typically votes Republican in national and state elections.  That is, unless the candidate is an idiot (paging Todd Akin), clueless (Sarah Palin), or entirely out of their freaking mind (Michelle Bachmann).  There are exceptions to every rule.  This election is a fairly easy one for me since I honestly believe that Gov. Romney is far more qualified, prepared, and able to get the economy back on track and create jobs.  What's not being said in this election is something everyone already knows...when unemployment is low and the stock market is doing well, no one really cares all that much about funding for PBS, Planned Parenthood, or even abortion for that matter.  For me, solve the big problem and the little ones have a way of taking care of themselves.

What's difficult is trying to make that point to democrats or socially-conscious liberals.  I boil it down to big-picture vs. small picture politics.  Big picture equals jobs, low unemployment, and an economy where where it's possible to make more than $0.02 a year in your savings account.  Unfortunately, we're a long ways off from achieving any of those goals.

As a final note: I attended an open enrollment meeting yesterday to discuss my company's health care plan for 2013.  Like clockwork, our premiums are going up by 100%.  That's right, 2013 will cost TWICE AS MUCH as what we paid in 2012.  Why you may ask?  Well, it's called the Affordable Care Act of 2011!  Ironically, the only thing "affordable" about it is for people who weren't paying anything for health care in the first place.  I particularly enjoyed President Obama's claim that "if you like your current health plan, you can keep it!"  What he didn't say was how much it's going to cost you & your employer for the privilege...

Happy Voting America!  I hope I have good tidings to share in the morning.

Jesus...where to start???

It's been 6 months since my last post.  I suck.  I know.  Getting past all that, what has happened since the last post?

1. NHC (which was fucking awesome, BTW).  I'm planning to go to Philly next year if at all possible.
2. Lots of work travel (Canada (twice), California, Missouri (twice), Las Vegas (twice), and Chicago.
3. I finally bought a motorcycle.  Hell Yeah!!  It's only been 20 years in the making but I finally own one again.  And it rules.  Bought a Suzuki DL1000 V-Strom Adventure.  Has everything I was looking for in a bike: fun and easy to ride, plenty of power, installed luggage, and unlimited customizability.  I'm as happy as a slinky on an escalator.  :-D
4. The Red Sox had their worst season in 50+ years.  Not talking anymore about that but at least they fired Bobby Valentine, which was perhaps the worst managerial hire in 50+ years as well.
5. A new nephew was born.  Welcome Jackson Brantley Harris!  Can't wait to see you at Christmas.

  And now I offer my obligatory pledge to post more often.  We'll see where that goes...