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What an exacting craft with beautiful results.

They are everywhere in Mexico

BMW Boxer engines are the diesels of the motorcycle world. Properly maintained, 200k+ isn't unheard of. It's one of the reasons I went with these.

Just not good enough at being a motor vehicle period...just hideous, shoddily built chod..

First, I had a little bit of video from violinists on the QM2 playing various pieces of music. I relayed this passage, which sounded familiar, to friends who couldn't peg what it was because the video was a short segment where I was also panning the fairly grandiose Queen's Room. Finally, someone pegged it and said it was something important from "Phantom of the Opera" ... nothing I'd care to sit through. At any rate, I found one musician also covering "All I Ask of You" on a violin. This YouTube can really make a person appreciate this instrument, this instrumental piece, and the precision needed to pull this off. The musician is a young doctor, from what I can glean through the "about" info, and plays the violin to relax. He does incredible work!

Since 1923.... with a short pause in the mid-1940s. Ooof... I was looking at the Wiki page for the BMW motorcycle engines and I think I need to sign up and make some corrections. There's a bunch of inaccuracies and unclear statements.

It wasn't coming to the US prior to Trump even being in office, let alone any tariff talk. https://electrek.co/2025/01/31/kia-ev5-sadly-not-coming-to-us-but-will-arrive-next-door/

With the idiot tariff war, we will have to watch from afar as better EVs are kept from America due to the ignorant leardership. This Is Land Rover’s New Defender Baby EV | Carscoops From glue on only to weld screws on, drill holes and new glue patches and misaligned trim pieces now due to poor engineering. Tesla’s Recall Fix Left This Cybertruck With A Burn Mark And Panel Gap | Carscoops

It sucks that stupid leadership with Tariffs is keeping us from getting a decent mid level EV. 2025 Kia EV5 Review: Why This Electric SUV Makes More Sense Than A Model Y | Carscoops

Oh man. It happens to the best of us. We always try and work with what we have because we just don't want to make the trip out when you're in the middle of something. Well, glad you got it back together! Also, 109k miles on that thing?!? That sounds insane for most bikes. I'm sure there are cruisers out there with 100-200k miles on them, but it just sounds like so much for a bike.

@ccap41 Finally got a response from their press group. Hey David, Happy to see you're helping to share our progress! So sorry this response is coming after such a long delay, I unfortunately missed this email. We are currently aiming to deliver our first production vehicles in late 2025. A more detailed production schedule will be released as we get a better production of production capacity over the next few months. The MT1 has been designed from the ground up with serviceability in mind. Most of the parts on the MT1 are pulled directly from Subaru and other popular auto manufacturers. We plan on partnering with and providing resources to third party service vendors to make service extremely accessible around the world. We don't intend to limit service to proprietary options or make our trucks difficult to service by designing numerous proprietary parts. We have actually had people as tall as 6'10" sit comfortably in the driver seat of the MT1! The glass roof and minimized seat tracks allow us to fit a lot more than one might expect in such a compact space. Thank you Shaan

The BYD Han interior does look really good. Shame the outside looks like a 2-generations-ago Civic.

If Chinese UK MG ever gets their EVs here, GAME OVER for Tesla. After reading this story and looking at what MG is doing in Europe and the Asian rim, I can see these under $35,000 EVs making a big hit here. I drove this Chinese EV and it's just another example of the trouble Tesla is in This makes me even feel stronger that if Kia and GM get their $25K to $35K EVs going here, that masses will buy them.

Been thinking on this and I honestly have to say that I think the Tariffs are going to do what 47 is not wanting to have happen. The DEATH of ICE!!! First is IRA has been a massive hit in regard to investing in battery plants and EV production plants. Second is ICE autos are far more complex than EVs with the average ICE having between 20,000 to 30,000 parts and most of the small stuff is imported in. Third EVs are far simpler to produce here in America with the average EV having between 15,000 to 20,000 components and the motor, battery and controler plant as well as wiring is already built here. As the RAW Material for Lithium and other battery components builds up in North America, I see no reason to go backwards for the Boomers with more ICE, but move forward with Hybrids for the Boomers and pure EVs for those that have common sense on moving forward into the future. Tariffs is death to ICE more than EVs as it also brings parity in price to EVs due to the increase in prices for ICE built outside the U.S. People will see this now that various auto companies have stated like VW/Audi/Porsche will have a Tariff line on the window invoice showing how much extra money will be paid to the U.S. government. Taxation at it's biggest point ever since 1930. Pathetic that they kept prices the same and shrunkflation has happened in the portion size. Pretty much you have to order double to get what they used to serve.

While I really like Panera's concept and vibe, their portion control is, literally, for the birds.

You’re thinking in purely North American terms. China and Middle East still have decent sedan sales. It costs Genesis next to nothing to put a couple of these on a boat to the US with some GV80s. The boat is already headed that direction anyway. As for coupes and convertibles, these are just concepts for now, but as platform flexibility increases with the move to EV, I think we will see he return of lower volume body styles like these.

Well kids, today's lesson is: Just buy the effing tool you need. Last weekend I took the R1100RS out on the longest ride I've been on with it. A total of 5 hours of wandering. Even with 109k miles on it, this bike just loves to chew up highway. The engine runs superbly. I was really trying to burn off gas that's been in the tank a little long for comfort, but even with 5 hours of riding, I have more than half a tank left! No issues on the trip except I noticed that the right fork was leaking oil. These are telelever forks that don't actually have any suspension components in them. The shock and spring are mounted on a cantilever platform between the forks. Essentially, all the forks do is slide up and down and keep the wheel aligned. When I got back from the trip, I ordered a set of fork seals and picked up fork oil. Watched a few videos on the process and decided I was set. ALL of the videos suggested that I could get the oil seal out with a flat head screwdriver. Both my Haynes manual and the BMW service manual I have said to use an oil seal remover tool. You can see where this is going. I effed with that oil seal for a good hour with a flat head, some long needle nose pliers, even some plastic bodywork tools I have before I gave up and drove to Harbor Freight. Harbor Freight has an Oil Seal Removal tool for $7.99. I got that and a few other things that I decided I might need to try also. Got home and with the tool I had the oil seal out in 15 seconds. . I replaced the seals, topped it off with some fresh fork oil, and had it back together faster than the time I spent just trying to get the damn seal out. So, moral of the story is: Just buy the damn tool.

Interesting read, I have to agree that the writer hits a number of solid points as to why the whole Tariff mess actually will help EVs as ICE dies. Why EV-hating Trump has accidentally driven the final nail in the coffin of gas cars Interesting read and I can see dealerships ripping up current unsigned contracts to reap bigger profits on autos on the lot now before the more expensive ones show up. US consumers rush to buy big-ticket items before Trump's tariffs kick in

Seems Hyundai / Genesis is making sure prices stay stable to keep sales going: Hyundai Launches Customer Assurance to Maintain Current Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price - Hyundai Newsroom Hyundai will not raise MSRP for its current model lineup for the next two months, starting today until June 2, 2025 GENESIS CARES INITIATIVE TO MAINTAIN MANUFACTURER'S SUGGESTED RETAIL PRICE FOR THE NEXT TWO MONTHS - Genesis Newsroom This initiative ensures that customers who purchase or lease any new Genesis vehicle between today and June 2, 2025, will see no increase in the Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price (MSRP)[i] during the protection window. Regardless of market conditions, customers will have peace of mind knowing that MSRP will not increase, providing financial reassurance and the time to make the right choice for their transportation needs.

As one employed by a growing Texas fintech (albeit w/ mostly California Silicon Valley C-level management), I'm a bit conflicted by the Texas aspect of my employer...but I do like my core Ohio group of the company (my department is mostly an Ohio and Colorado team that was acquired by the Texas company 3 years ago) and really don't interact much w/ the Texas teams.

Totally understand your sentiment. As one who is tied to a major computer company there, I find it a weird fakeness of we are liberal to your face, conservative back stabber once you turn around.

RIP Roberta Flack