patches

When you start the car on a Saturday morning and Apple already knows your routine, and where you're heading ????????

From my understanding I believe carbon emission standards come into it. The Austrians are pretty good at getting dirty-dirt-bike engines across the Thunberg line. They manage it with their big-bore singles and their 2-bangers (mostly thanks to EFI systems). For all the others though, the effort is probably not worth the reward, and the addition of fuel injection raises price and complexity. that's why they just do the twin thing, and stick them in the mid-weight adventurers (T700, Versys etc). A re-engineered XR600 or DR650 (meeting modern standards) may be enticing to a fair few people, but with the price point pushed up too, I think many in that market will just rationalise the extra spend on an Austrian thoroughbred. EDIT: that's why I think it may be up to ze Germans to come up with a contender. They were already fuel injecting their big-bores (like your G650X) and to pay the premium for a BM, over a Japanese bike, may be more palatable. But I think BM is making too much money by selling GS's to dentists and lawyers to care about reinventing the G650X ????

One of my colleagues is a massive BMW fan (bikes and cars). I think especially as they're not very common over here. Barely ever see a GS. He managed to scoop himself a G650X with a long range tank and he's in love. Seems like a great ride for a more off-road orientated mid-size that doesn't weigh a ton. So yeah, no surprise that you're loving your 650 ???? Somewhere between the dual-sport (WR450's and DRZ400's) and mid-size adventures (T700's and 790/890 Adventure R's) exists the mythical bigger-dual-sport. Bikes like your G650X, 701's and 690's. These days there's only really the 701 and 690's readily available. It would be great for ze Germans or Japanese to weigh in on the matter (DR650's don't count as they are just 2 wheeled tractors). Imagine a WR650... a CR600... a 2023 XR600R.

Getting the 350 ready to get road registered (again) and then go up for $1 auction ???? Damn the OEM road kit is dorky. But with NZ's new ABS law coming onto effect in 13 days (meaning bikes without ABS cannot be road registered after 1 Nov, unless they are classics etc), there's a little bit of stress to get it through compliance, warrant of fitness, and registration all in time. So I'm not chancing any aftermarket parts that the inspectors may deem non-compliant. That'll teach me a lesson for letting the bike gather dust for 2 years.

Good heavens man! You gotta warn a guy before posting pics like that!

Quick test of the new portable setup. Battery powered with bluetooth auto-start dust extraction. Fence system with 3 flag-stops. convenient when one has 3 repeatable lengths to cut to. Chamfered all the dog holes, added a removable sacrificial cutting strip, and sealed the MDF top with shellac. Sacrificial strip removed.

She's an older lady, but she cleaned up well. Hopefully well worth the trade though! Looking forward to making all sorts of noise and sawdust (and maybe something worth keeping) on the new setup

I know this is a cycling forum and what I'm about to share may get me kicked out, but perhaps the woodworking thread is a safe space... I recently sold a bicycle. My beloved Morewood Sukuma, the second last of the 5 Morewoods I once had roaming the garage. I put it up on a $1 reserve auction, risky I know, but I thought I'd let the market decide. It went for 1.5x what I expected, so between lockdown boredom and all that freed up fun-money burning a hole in my pocket, I spent a bunch of it on new woodworking tools ???? (apologies super-serious cyclists that are cringing in disgust) These are the new garage-space-stealers... Bora Centipede table with 1200x600mm MFT style top. Compact and uses the 20mm hole @96mm centre setup like the Festool MFT tables, opening up a load of possibilities with clamping, square and 45deg cuts (with track saw) and all manner of bench/parf dog accessories. What's crazy is that little table is rated to 600kg and the table top, over 900kg. Festool Sys MFT Systainer. For storing the Peanut Jig. Handy as it serves as a mini worktop, and the Systainer T-Locks are still somewhat compatible with the Makita MakPacs (if they're attached on top). 2x Bessey Quick Clamps. Pretty much identical to the ones shown on the Festool Systainer above, but at half the price. (I have a feeling Bessey probably manufactures them for Festool). They work in MFT style benchtops and can clamp Festool/Makita track saw rails. aand finally... A Bench Dogs Fence and guide-rail set, which will integrate with the Bora MFT-style top and packs away neatly into a Systainer to clip on top of the Makita Track Saw MakPac. So yeah, although it was sad to see the Sukuma go (especially all the Hope goodness it was wearing), it was gathering dust, so I figured I'd invest in some items that are meant to get dusty! EDIT: I also need to be aware that with "all-the-gear-no-idea" I better start making something or my wife is gonna start questioning these purchases ????

Reminds me of this... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxxQCU9qkPQ A former colleague (from when I lived in Christchurch) was a member of the Quake City Rumblers

Yeah, Carbatec is probably the go-to for woodworking stuff in NZ. They have all sorts (including the the green and black beauties form Germany). Also worth a look (for smaller specialty items) are Timbecon in Aus and Axminster Tools in the UK.

hahaha, the guy with the schamncy Festool sander cannot can't cough at my used and abused $81 Festo trademe bargain (yes it is so old it was called Festo back when it was made). But yeah, Men's Shed will hopefully open up under Level 2. As for thicknessers, check out Machinery Warehouse and Carbatec. they have some affordable options that may be better value than a Ryobi from Bunnings. https://www.machineryhouse.co.nz/W812 https://www.carbatec.co.nz/product/36532-carbatec-12-inch-benchtop-thicknesser

Free water for my neighbour! He can thank me later! ???? Just kidding, whilst the roof does slope at a 6.5deg grade towards his driveway, it is still all on my side of the fence. I do have a plan to fabri-cobble a catchment system. A gutter would have to have a very slim profile due to the limited space, so my other 2 plans are: The first idea is a C-shaped channel made from some split pvc piping which I slide/clip on to the end of the sheeting. The troughs in the roof sheeting should allot the water to flow into the split pipe. That pipe can then be perforated to drop water into a gutter below with a fall to one side or the other. My second idea is similar, but in stead of a C-shaped catcher, I have a vertical sheet of acrylic/perspex as a back-stop for the water. That then allows the water to fall down into a gutter. A concept all boys that went to public schools will be familiar with Either way though, my neighbor has a pebble bed on the other side of the fence, and this 3x 1.8m roof at a gentle graded roof shouldn't Vic falls. And if it's raining THAT hard, the water off this little dakkie will be the least of his worries, hahaha

Apart from finishing off the braai dakkie, I got to test the Peanut Jig and work on something I'm making for some friends. A few weeks ago some friends asked if I could make a "shelf" for them to put on top of their white Ikea cupboards to raise their TV slightly. I threw together some designs and this is the one they liked the most. Modelled and rendered in Inventor. Vertical partitions are right angled trapezoids, alternating to create the illusion of leaning. I had a sheet of 18mm ply lying around, so whipped out the track saw and had at it. I forgot how awesome a tool it is! Execially when it comes to sheet goods and cutting crisp bevels. Once all pieces were cut to final size and shape, I routed some dados into the top and bottom for the vertical partitions, and did a test fit For the mitred corners I was going to use the painters tape and glue trick, but in the interim I ordered that Peanut Jig, so thought why not give that a go. This was the result... Small holes in bevelled face from securing the jig in place with screws. Not an issue as they are covered once assembled. Pretty tight mitre, No glue. No clamps. After some paint work, it was time to try another assembly. Pretty darn solid, and fully "flat-packable" without the need for any tools... well maybe a mallet as the peanut joints tighten up a lot when pushed into place. Overall, very impressed with the Peanut jig! Can highly recommend!

After figuring out that my Bunnings (NZ Builder's Warehouse) trade card got me into the store during our Level 3 lockdown, I decided it was time to revamp the braai area. Here's Phase 1 (new roof). Before: Dilapidated "thatch" roof. Great if you want that carribean island feel. Terrible if you hate spiders rain, and cleaning the deck of twigs each time there's a storm. The replacement: Demo begins. Thatch stripped off. Start of framing. Framing nailers FTW! Framing finished, New beams notched to hold frame. Roof sheeting on frame. Tried my hand at folded mitred corners for the flashing. Ready and waiting for the lift into place Done! Next phase is the bench, cabinetry, and maybe some wall cladding.

Nice! I used to work in that Jarden building (back when it was called the Zurich building). 9the floor, initially on the left corner Great views up Queens street. Caught some pictures of the 2017 Americas Cup victory parade. Then I was on the opposite side, watching that monstrous PWC building being constructed. Anyway, enough reminiscing, hope your MIQ stay is treating you well. How many days in are you?

Apologies if this has been posted before. Saw this Deus custom Yamaha Tenere 700. Comments on the post I read were pretty polar. Some loved it as it had some original Dakar nostalgia. Others hated it and thought it was a butchering of an perfectly good bike. I'm still undecided,. I do think it's kinda cool, but a very specific taste. I must say though, I did quite like Deus' Husky FE501 mod (which I know I have posted before, haha)

Sorry, think it's that iPhone HEIC thing again. Fixed now Anyway, I have just printed version 2.0 with a built in 30mm bush to try out the Peanut jig (while I wait for the adapter, bush and 8mm collet for the little Makita router). Here's v2.0 Dropped the height on the tabs. tried to fine tube the PCD too. Left is with integrated 30mm guide bush. Right is adpater to accept universal guide bush set. Here's the result... Think I got the PCD pretty much spot on. Still slightly shallow on on the face of the plate. Tabs are 3.5mm below router base so hopefully I can find some screws that will work. 30mm bush only projects 4mm as the Peanut jigs do have a limit (4mm for main jig. 9mm for mini jig) I won't kid myself that this is perfectly round and to dimension... I just happened to get a lucky measurement ????

Needed a guide bush adaptor for the old Festool router so dusted off the verniers, knocked one up in Fusion 360 and ran a 3D print of version 1. Turned out pretty damn close for a 1st attempt and dimensioning off the tool and not the part. The PCD is slightly off and I'm probably about 1mm shallow. Biggest issue may be trying to centre it with the spindle, so I will probably get rid of the countersunk holes on the tabs, lower the tab height slightly and use wafer/pan head screws. That way I should have some adjustability. Not too fussed though as this is a temp measure while I wait for one of these bad boys... The plan will then be to have a matching recess in a table so that this router base also acts as the mounting plate for a router table.

hahaha, busted! The idea isn't unique... or mine. But yeah, for a start-up with just 20 users (1999), to a business that sold for $750m just 7 years later and is now worth over $2.5bn. Something must work.

I have an idea! An idea on how to allow "comments" but also not give trolls a platform to derail a sale. It's simple. A "Questions and Answers" format on items listed. If a potential buyer has a question/comment, they post it there. ONLY the seller sees that question/comment UNTIL they respond to it. Once they respond the question/comment and answer become visible to all. This allows a seller to have some control over those trying to tank their sale with comments like "I can get a new one for cheaper" etc. All the seller has to do is simply ignore the potential buyer so that any disingenuous remarks never see the light of day. Apologies if such a suggestion has already been hashed out in the Classifieds-Comments thread.

Changing vehicle registration in SA... I don't miss that. I only managed to sell my SA car after I emigrated and it must have taken the better part of a year with the back-and-forth emails and info to finally get it into the buyers name. I can't recall the exact process or what the issues were. When I sold my car here in NZ I simply needed contact details for the buyer. Login to the New Zealand Traffic Authority website. Fill in the details which then "sends" the registration to the buyer. the buyer then "accepts receipt" of the registration. All online. Takes minutes. Costs nothing.

Rode my bike for the first time in ages (probably 6 months) after wintering it. With registration costs being upwards of $400/year here in New Zealand, many riders put their registration on hold over winter to avoid paying the fee for a bike that is not being ridden. I usually forget to do that, this year I remembered. There is a catch though. One has to put it on hold for a minimum of 3 months. So one cant just renew rego's all willy-nilly. Anyway, with Auckland still under lock-down and only essential travel permitted, the freeways are so quiet. It's awesome! Good thing too, as I felt a little rusty, haha

Thanks to the influence of the sponsored Wood-tubers, a Festool Domino is on my dream tools list. In reality I know I will not get nearly enough use out of it to justify the R20k-odd price tag (roughly what they go for new in NZ), but a boy can still dream right?! Anyway, while delving through a YouTube woodworking rabbit hole, I came across the Peanut 2 Mini Jig. Whilst it's not quite as easy to use as a Domino, the concept of strong, self-clamping, and removable joints was very enticing (I know I've posted about the Peanut Mini Jig here before). Well, after much umming and ahing, I finally pulled the trigger and ordered one. Many pre-requisite purchases had to occur in the lead-up (like full-size router, universal base-plate for said router to accept 30mm guide bush, and of course the 30mm guide bush). In the end, I probably could have picked up a 2nd hand Domino for the same cost and less effort... ...but I just tell myself that this option is more flexible (based on the acquisition of the full size router) ???? Anyway, keen for the order to arrive and give it a go. EDIT: so I messed up and ironically the error of my ways is apparent in the second video in this very post (which I hadn't viewed before posting). In the vid they clearly demonstrate using a Makita DRT50 router (which I have) and that is a 1/4" router. Turns out there are 8mm collets available for them. So my whole venture to buy a full size router and kit it out for the jig was unnecessary ???? There was some good news though. The peanut jig can be used to cut donimo style loose tenons, and dowels ????

*read in Comic Sans font... ie. tongue-in-cheek* Are you a middle-to-upper class working professional in your mid 40's? Have your boardroom-buddies stopped playing golf with you to take up mountain biking? Have your neglected golf clubs left a void in your estate mansion garage, next to your 2 German SUVs? Well, have I got the solution for you! It's called the Cape Epic! Not only does this race give one massive bragging rights around any braai, it also helps you re-connect with your boardroom buddies, and gift you with exclusive branded merch to wear every-time you walk into the LBS. Let's not forget the automatic justification to spend a R100k+ on a bike, because let's face it, no one will take you seriously if you do the Epic on a fiets that costs less than your entry! *flame suit on* ????

A little late to the party on this one, but been working my way though Sons of Anarchy. Got about 6 episodes left in the final season. Overall pretty, entertaining for an "adrenalized drama, although the self destruction cycle becomes a little monotonous. What I must say is that between Kurt Sutter (creator and writer) and Katey Segal (actress portraying Gemma Teller-Morrow, the matriarch figure throughout series, and Kurt's real life wife), they have created a character so despisable that my dislike almost spills over into real life. Not since King Joffrey in Game of Thrones have I felt like that ????