Recent Posts

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General Discussion / Re: Simplifying life

« Last post by faffi on Today at 03:09:43 PM »

Never heard of estate sale people handling interior and other belongings - AFAIK, nobody does that in Norway, but I really like the idea

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General Discussion / Christmas is coming

« Last post by guzzisteve on Today at 02:04:41 PM »

POOR ME, been off the bike almost 90 days. Got to find someone to ride EV 2mi to swap bikes at storage place and get my sidecar rig. Then I can go & not worry. Feet are still fat.

In the meantime here's Nick-------------------------------------

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ok5rOO2v2dU

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General Discussion / Re: Foreign Visitors

« Last post by rocker59 on Today at 01:27:22 PM »

I know we're talking Guzzisti, here (CHEAP), but sounds like the $250 annual park pass for international tourists will be something that they need to include in their list of things to buy and pay for.  Plane tickets, Hotels, Food, fuel, Park Pass.

If someone is coming over to ride a motorcycle around the west, visiting several national parks facilities, the $250 annual pass fee is a nominal cost.

The money brought in by the fees will help pay for staff and maintenance at the facilities. 

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General Discussion / Re: The joy of new mobile devices

« Last post by guzzisteve on Today at 01:20:20 PM »

Your X mas trees look more like bushes than trees, am I the only one who sees this? Takes a long time to complete the growing.

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General Discussion / Re: Winter…

« Last post by SIR REAL ED on Today at 12:38:51 PM »

After doing figure eights on the 550 lbs Virago. Combine poor grip, worse technique and lots of metal and I ended up a very sweaty rider!

Winter riding can be great fun. 

A big flat frozen field or parking lot with 6-10" of fluffy snow, and power sliding at 30-40 mph a 75 foot radius curve while pretending to be a Mile Track racer.....

Less traction feels like more power....

And if you fall, it is painless...

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General Discussion / Re: The joy of new mobile devices

« Last post by Bulldog9 on Today at 12:02:36 PM »

FWIW: I'm using Consumer Cellular. With tax and all about $24 a month. Uses AT&T network and may still use T-Mobile? I only needed ONE phone, most $50 unlimited plans are 2 phones at $50 each. I didn't NEED unlimited data and only ONE line. Consumer was the best value at the time. Unlimited text and talk but limited to 1GB data a month was their cheapest plan. But, they have tiered plans, so if you went over your data instead of some high per MB usage fee, they bump you to the next plan for about $10, then if you exceed that, they bump up again. You do have to call them to get your plan back to the cheap plan, if not they keep you on the higher GB plan. If you need unlimited for ONE line, it's about $50, at the time most were about $75 and up.

Hope this may help some. Not trying to push CC, just happy with them.
Tom

Unfortunately, we travel a lot and use our phones as hotspots for our computers and mobile, streaming of music etc  regularly. So unlimited data is a must-have. My wife probably uses 15 to 20 gig of data a month due mainly to her work computer.

Still, I'm thrilled that we'll be paying for three lines with AT&t less than what we were paying for one line on Verizon.

And Even though I loved my Motorola, and tend to buy cheap phones, getting new phones for free was also a big plus.

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General Discussion / Re: Foreign Visitors

« Last post by Bulldog9 on Today at 11:58:35 AM »

Look at it as an investment if you're focused on the tax cost. The ROI is very high. In 2023 NPS received ~$3.5B in appropriations, it returned ~$55.6B to the US economy. I don't tend to look at it with that perspective, but even looking at it on a cost basis seems well worth it to me.

I expect this change will hurt tourism and local economies built around the parks, including the many small businesses, which could have an even larger social cost. I qualify for an Access Pass (disability), but still spend $80 each year to support the parks as they're by far my favorite attraction to experience while traveling by motorcycle across this grand country.

I have a buddy that's worked in the MPS for 20 years. He says one of the biggest complaints that the NPS gets every year. Are the bus loads of foreign tourists who come in sometimes in two and three bus caravans and flood the parks.

I imagine that this is designed to address this, not so much the individual family traveling abroad to see the beauty of our national parks.
 
But I think you're right, the second and third order effects of this may have impact. Not so much on the parks, but in the surrounding communities.

But I don't think this is very uncommon. When we were in Greece last summer, we had to pay entrance to a lot of the antiquity sites. Where are Greek and EU friends were able to show their ID and walk right in for free. It is what it is and a monetized society.

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General Discussion / Re: Foreign Visitors

« Last post by Dr. Enzo Toma on Today at 11:29:12 AM »

Wonder what is the "greatest benefit" to the American taxpayer? Is it they get to pay 1000's or 10's of 1000's dollars a year in Federal tax and then have to pay an additional $80 to access what their tax dollars pay for? Seems like non-resident visitors have it cheap in comparison.

A group of us are planning a trip out west this year and I'll have to buy a annual pass and chaps my a55 to have to do so.

Look at it as an investment if you're focused on the tax cost. The ROI is very high. In 2023 NPS received ~$3.5B in appropriations, it returned ~$55.6B to the US economy. I don't tend to look at it with that perspective, but even looking at it on a cost basis seems well worth it to me.

I expect this change will hurt tourism and local economies built around the parks, including the many small businesses, which could have an even larger social cost. I qualify for an Access Pass (disability), but still spend $80 each year to support the parks as they're by far my favorite attraction to experience while traveling by motorcycle across this grand country.

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General Discussion / Re: Foreign Visitors

« Last post by PeteS on Today at 11:03:44 AM »

All good to know. My use has been limited to myself and my wife on the bike. Not too many places east of Mississippi that I aware it will help. Smokey MT National Park had no entrance fee when we were there and not sure about Acadia in Maine as that was too many years ago.

Pete

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General Discussion / Re: v85 Turn Signal Relocation

« Last post by Tom H on Today at 10:52:45 AM »

This may not apply to your bike. Some time ago I pulled the plastic inner fender off a V7 or the like. IIRR There were screws from the top near the seat latch, under side of the fender towards the front  and inside the tail light (had to remove tail light lens to get to them). Then I think I slid it back just a bit and it came off. Back on with keeping the wires in place was a bit of a pain.

Hope this helps,
Tom