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Cowboy Denny

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Blog Entries posted by Cowboy Denny

  1. Indian Motorcycle

    Brand · Cowboy Denny · 04/22/2023 08:51 PM

    Founded in 1901, Indian Motorcycles has had a tumultuous history, being the only other American motorcycle manufacturer to survive the Great Depression next to Harley. Today, Indian is famous for their modern take on classic styles, with a variety of touring and cruising models.

  2. Honda

    Brand · Cowboy Denny · 04/22/2023 08:50 PM

    Soichiro Honda started his own company in 1937 to develop piston rings for Toyota. Though the initial designs were rejected, he eventually became an important supplier of these parts. Honda sold his business in 1946 after the building was bombed twice during World War II.
    It was around this time that Soichiro recognized another opportunity — the need for reliable and cheap transportation in Japan. He began mounting two-stroke motors onto bicycles, which eventually led to the production of a completely motorized bicycle called the A-Type.
    Since then, the Honda Motor Company has accomplished a lot and developed a reputation that has stood the test of time. Motorcycle Mechanics Institute (MMI) and Honda have a relationship that led to the creation of the Honda HonTech specialized training program in 1986.

  3. Harley-Davidson

    Brand · Cowboy Denny · 04/22/2023 08:48 PM

    Known as the “American Classic,” Harley-Davidson was founded in 1903 in Wisconsin, USA. One of the two major American brands to survive the harsh Great Depression, the company has built a reputation for its cruiser and bagger-touring style motorcycles featuring large-displacement V-twin engines.

  4. Ducati

    Brand · Cowboy Denny · 04/22/2023 08:47 PM

    Ducati Motorcycles was formed in 1953, when the Ducati company split into Ducati Elettronica and Ducati Meccanica SpA. They are well known for their powerful, large L-2 and L-4 engines known as Desmodromic engines. These engines have been used by Ducati for nearly 50 years.

  5. BMW

    Brand · Cowboy Denny · 04/22/2023 08:46 PM

    BMW Motorrad was created as a wholly-owned subsidiary of BMW in 1921, to handle building motorcycle and aircraft engines. The first BMW motorcycle was the boxer-engined R32 in 1923, and the company has enjoyed strong European and worldwide sales ever since with a variety of engines and motorcycles.

  6. Aprilia

    Brand · Cowboy Denny · 04/21/2023 01:57 AM

    Aprilia is an Italian motorcycle manufacturer founded immediately after World War II in Noale, Italy, by Alberto Beggio. The company started as a manufacturer of bicycles and moved on to manufacture scooters and small-capacity motorcycles. In more recent times Aprilia has produced large sportbikes such as the 1,000 cc V-twin RSV Mille and the V4 RSV4.
    Aprilia has supported a strong motorsport competition program beginning with motocross racing and then a world championship-winning road racing program. The company was acquired by Piaggio in 2004.

  7. Electric Vehicles Joke

    General · Cowboy Denny · 10/24/2022 07:57 PM

    Some days you have to just ask yourself, "What the heck is the world coming to?" and I find myself saying this often lately with the big push from the government to go electric only.  Yea, they are not supporting the more reasonable approach is to demand Hybrid Technology which is more realistic instead of strictly Electric Only vehicles since our country is not ready for everyone to have everyone plug in there electric vehicles to begin the hours of waiting time while electricity trickles into your vehicle so you can go somewhere.
    Let me ask you, What is the most popular time for car battery sales?  It's simple, its winter time when temperatures get extremely cold which batteries don't handle well.  Since half the country has some serious winters it's not realistic to have EV vehicles.  Its said that cold weather reduces the EV's range by as much as 40%.  Also let's not forget there will be a battery shortage if the government attempts to force us to buy EV's by increasing the gas tax so high that we won't be able to afford not to.
    Also let's not forget that most of the states in the north you will be struggling to even find a charging station since the majority of charge stations are in the big cities and you'll more than likely still find yourself waiting in line.  It's not like someone is sitting in there car for hours waiting for their car to charge.  They plug it in and walk away and go do something else the hours it takes for it to charge.  With that in mind, I might not wait for a station to become free to charge your dying EV.  And yes no matter if you charge at home or at a charging station it still costs you money.  After all, nothing is free to include the amplified cost of EV's.
    Let's not forget the shortage of semiconductor chips which the EV's are heavily reliant on.  Our dependency on China supplying these chips is crazy..  without China, we don't have EV's and with friction between China and Taiwan, we could be severing that relationship soon (within a few years).  It's not just the chips we would be loosing out on but batteries since the majority of all cobalt mined for the EV batteries are mined in the Congo which China owns all rights.
    Unlike Oil which the world has plenty of for 100's of years if we never moved to EV's, cobalt (required for the EV batteries) is limited/rare.
    For all those that tout EV's will save the planet are blind.  How is electricity generated today.  COAL and NUCLEAR are by far the most used methods for producing electricty which accounts for most of the worlds pollution. Gasoline powered vehicles only account for 4% of the air pollution in the world (graphs show vehicles are like 27% but it includes busses, tractor trailer trucks, etc, when you dive into the 27% in more detail it shows gasoline vehicles are only 4% of the air pollution).  So why is the government pushing EV's so bad?  Probably makes them feel like they are doing something and its the easiest versus focusing on the rich corporations that account for the majority of the pollution.
    Luckily we are in AMERICA and the government can not take away our combustion engine vehicles and honestly there will always be mechanics that fix our very common Gas powered vehicles and parts will remain easy to find compared to EV's that you will have to bring to a dealership to get repaired and if you look at Tesla, they charge a BUTT load to fix.  So moving to an EV means you will pay more for everything, limited range, mandatory hours of waiting to charge if you can find an open charging station and the worry that your car may explode (don't you remember the samsung phone that had the battery that was exploding in people's pockets) (Also don't forget all the EV vehicles that burst into flames when water from the storm in Florida happened). 
    Not to worry though..  its impossible to force this poison called EV's down our throats for many many many years.  They can't tow with an EV more than 200 miles if pulling an average trailer weight of 10,000lbs which is a medium sized RV or hauling a vehicle.  Once you reach the 200 miles since the manufactures aren't smart enough to go Hybrid, you'll have to find a charging station and wait and wait and wait while your vehicle is charged enough to continue towing.  The longer you wait you could get up to full charge giving you another 200 miles and the less you wait the less you can reach.
    Let's face it..  trucks that do work, real work in the middle of nowhere doing construction, the working class american the EV isn't realistic.  Also knowing that these expensive EV's will have issues and many of the manufacturers are going to run into tons of issues but they want you and your wallet to be the test subjects.
    When you buy EV you are also contributing to all the job losses from top vehicle manufactures like Ford, Volkswagen, Japan but I'm sure most of the world doesn't care as long as its not them.  Just like the method used to mine for the necessary minerals (cobalt & nickel) needed for all the batteries.
    REF: https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/how-samsung-moved-beyond-its-exploding-phones/2018/02/23/5675632c-182f-11e8-b681-2d4d462a1921_story.html
    REF: https://www.fox9.com/news/electric-vehicles-are-exploding-from-water-damage-after-hurricane-ian
    REF: https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2021/nov/08/cobalt-drc-miners-toil-for-30p-an-hour-to-fuel-electric-cars
    REF: https://blinkcharging.com/is-a-cold-climate-a-deterrent-to-ev-ownership/?locale=en
    REF: https://granitegeek.concordmonitor.com/2021/11/09/in-an-electric-car-world-who-will-be-the-auto-mechanics/
    REF: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/aug/20/electric-car-batteries-what-happens-to-them
     

  9. State Laws

    Traveling · Cowboy Denny · 01/03/2012 12:50 PM

    State Motorcycle helmet use governs: Does the motorcycle helmet law cover all low-power cycles? Bicycle helmet use governs: Alabama all riders yes 15 and younger Alaska 17 and younger yes no law Arizona 17 and younger some no law Arkansas 20 and younger yes no law California all riders yes 17 and younger Colorado 17 and younger and passengers 17 and younger yes no law Connecticut 17 and younger yes 15 and younger Delaware 18 and younger some 17 and younger District of Columbia all riders some 15 and younger Florida 20 and younger some 15 and younger Georgia all riders some 15 and younger Hawaii 17 and younger some 15 and younger Idaho 17 and younger some no law Illinois no law no law no law Indiana 17 and younger yes no law Iowa no law no law no law Kansas 17 and younger some no law Kentucky 20 and younger some no law Louisiana all riders yes 11 and younger Maine 17 and younger some 15 and younger Maryland all riders some 15 and younger Massachusetts all riders yes 1-16 (riding with children
    younger than 1 prohibited) Michigan 20 and younger some no law Minnesota 17 and younger yes no law Mississippi all riders yes no law Missouri all riders some no law Montana 17 and younger some no law Nebraska all riders yes no law Nevada all riders some no law New Hampshire no law no law 15 and younger New Jersey all riders yes 16 and younger New Mexico 17 and younger some 17 and younger New York all riders some 1-13 (riding with children
    younger than 1 prohibited) North Carolina all riders yes 15 and younger North Dakota 17 and younger yes no law Ohio 17 and younger yes no law Oklahoma 17 and younger some no law Oregon all riders yes 15 and younger Pennsylvania 20 and younger some 11 and younger Rhode Island 20 and younger some 15 and younger South Carolina 20 and younger yes no law South Dakota 17 and younger yes no law Tennessee all riders yes 15 and younger Texas 20 and younger some no law Utah 17 and younger yes no law Vermont all riders some no law Virginia all riders some no law Washington all riders yes no law West Virginia all riders some 14 and younger Wisconsin 17 and younger some no law Wyoming 17 and younger some no law Information taken from iihs.gov December, 2011. Please check for current state laws before traveling.

  10. Glove Box Latch Replacement

    Interior · Cowboy Denny · 03/26/2014 09:12 PM

    Not sure how many of you SquareBody owners have had your glovebox just pop open while driving down the road.  Super fun right?  nope.
     
    Here are some handy dandy instructions on how to make that issue just go away by replacing the latch.  Now they aren't as simple as they may appear but it will get ya going.
    Step #1
    Open the Glove Compartment Door, if not already opened from a broken latch, and then move the latch itself to the closed position by pushing it upward into the assembly as pictured below.  note: some have a key slot and actually lock

     
    Step #2
    Now that the latch is in the CLOSED latched position, using a pick or small screwdriver, push down on the locking tab inside the mechanism through the hole closest to the glove compartment door on the passenger side of the assembly picture below. Keep in mind, if you can not see the tab to be depressed, it's because you don't have the latch in the closed position. This is why you close the latch so the tab is exposed thru the small hole.

    This is what the actual tab you are looking for to depress will look like inside the assembly.



     
    Step #3
    Now put the paperclip into the hole in the front of the knob. This holds the tab in the depressed position and you should be able to now remove the pick form the assembly. Check to be sure though. This is why the bigger paper clip works better. REMEMBER, DO NOT PRY ON THE GLOVE BOX KNOB !!!

    NOTE: the locks with a key slot, you actually use the key instead of the paperclip.
     
    Step #4
    Once the paperclip is in place to hold the tab, you can pull the pick out and in the larger rectangular hole toward the end of the latch assembly, insert the pick and gently pry the tumbler piece outward. The knob at this point will start coming out of the glove box door, but then you feel another stop and you will stop. DO NOT PRY any further at that point. You have hit the 2nd Tab.

    Here is what the 2nd tab will look like inside the assembly.

     
    Step #5
    Now that the 2nd Tab is the same location as the first tab you depressed, go back to the same hole with the pick and push in the 2nd tab with the pick.

     
    Step #6
    You should now be able to pull the tumbler completely out of the cylinder and latch mechanism.

     
    Step #7
    Spin the cylinder and latch assembly counter clockwise to remove the assembly form the glove box door. And here is what you should now have after spinning the cylinder and latch assembly off of the threaded retainer. IF BY CHANCE, your latch is OK, but the mechanism is just loose, here is where you can simply tighen the mechanisn to the threaded retainer, then reinstall the tumbler and you're good to go.


     
    Here is what the front of the threaded retainer will look like. If you will need to remove that too, I'd probably use a ratchet extension or large allen wrench to extract this part for the door, but usually not necessary since you are likely replacing the broken latch part itself.

    And there you go !!! It's that simple once you know the little secrets of how it's done. I fought with one for hours til I finally just broke it to figure out how it worked.

  11. How to Start Overlanding by GGG4Runner

    Training · Cowboy Denny · 12/14/2022 03:11 PM

    This guy does a decent job at helping you get going with overlanding
    Some of the non-essential gear and other things I talked about and showed in this video... (these are not sponsored links and are also not affiliate links)
    Cooking:
    Propane Stove (Camp Chef Everest) https://a.co/d/1y0mpDF
    Isobutane Stove (AOTU Portable Backpacking Stove) https://a.co/d/dIqXdr2
    Isobutane Canisters (GasOne) https://a.co/d/hPvOHYy
    Kettle (Primus 0.9L Kettle) https://a.co/d/7d62CZU
    Fry Pan with folding handle (GSI Bugaboo Fry Pan) https://a.co/d/hObeUEX
    6 lb Propane Tank (Worthington 6lb aluminum propane tank) https://powertank.com/products/cyl-pp06
    Freeze-Dried Meals: Mountain House https://a.co/d/ikZfnO9 Backpacker's Pantry https://a.co/d/iIUazvN
    Water:
    Lifesaver Water Purifier Jerrycan https://a.co/d/f6xVpQF
    Scepter Water Jerrycan https://a.co/d/6pBFGxh
    GPS Navigation:
    GAIA GPS https://www.gaiagps.com/
    Website Resources:
    National Park Service https://www.nps.gov
    US Forest Service https://www.fs.usda.gov
    Bureau of Land Management https://www.blm.gov
    Satellite Texting Devices:
    Garmin In-Reach Mini (newer version than mine) https://a.co/d/1IeXoU8
    ZOLEO https://a.co/d/4AjUCZG
    Spot X https://a.co/d/2RouowV
    Bivy Stick https://a.co/d/iEQCw6d
    Somewhere Global Hotspot https://somewearlabs.com/product/outd...
    Leave No Trace: https://lnt.org/
    Outdoors Dish Soap:
    Dr. Bronners Pure Castile Soap https://a.co/d/enwO5k2
    Sea to Summit Wilderness Wash https://a.co/d/9I8Nf39
    First Aid (there are alot of great kits out there but here's one or you to check out): https://www.amp-3.net
    Fire Extinguisher:
    Element Fire Extinguisher https://a.co/d/g6OBlLw
    Trash Bucket:
    GAMMA2 Vittles Vault https://a.co/d/e4e3oBq
    The Fridge I Use:
    National Luna 52L Legacy https://www.equipt1.com/collections/n...

  14. GAIA GPS

    General · Cowboy Denny · 11/05/2022 08:13 PM

    One of the most popular Trail making systems on the planet is GAIA GPS and I believe once you start diving into it you’ll see why so many adventurers utilize this powerful system.
    Some great features is GAIA GPS supports multiple operating systems (IOS, Android, etc) and what I love is you can plan your entire route via a web browser and save the GPX file to share with your friends or club etc..
    Here are some high level screenshots of the web version
    BASICS
    At the bottom left you can see I’m on Search which means I can search for a trail or a city or something or just browse

    Now I would suggest clicking on Filter and select Offroading and unselect Hiking so you get better results.  Obviously you can filter on more if you want.

    Now if you click on Saved these are either routes you saved or you imported from someone else.

     
    HOW DO YOU IMPORT A FILE (.gpx or other)??
    On the bottom left I click on Saved then you see the + button at the top, I click on that.

    You get presented a menu like the one below

    Click on Import File and browse to your .gpx or kml or whatever file and it will show up on the left which you can organize into folders to keep it cleaner.  To move your imported files you click to the left of the imported file (the three …) and select Choose Parent Folder.
     
    CAN YOU SHARE YOUR FILES FROM GAIA?
    Yes you can and its pretty easy to do.  You can share an entire folder with all your files OR you can share just a file.  When you are on a file (example below is I’m on the UP Michigan trip.gpx) you can click on Share (right next to the Edit button) and you can add Collaborators, you can share the link or you can Export the File (GPX is the most common and widely used).

     
    VIDEO TUTORIAL
     
     

  15. Drummond Island

    US - MI · Cowboy Denny · 10/13/2022 05:50 PM

    What makes Drummond Island the ORV paradise of Michigan? Is it the miles of routes and trails resting beneath the tree canopy? Is it the scenic view of wildlife? The variety of trails and routes suitable for experts and novices alike? The easily accessed food, lodging, entertainment, service, or emergency aid? The clear signage indicating location, destination, and points of interest?
    It’s a riding adventure and the trails are fun. The off road vehicle (ORV) trails on Drummond are some of the most scenic and rugged in Michigan. Drummond’s DNR sponsored trail system is the largest closed  loop ORV system in the state. With over 60 miles of ATV trails and 40 miles of ORV routes there’s a lot to explore!
    2020-difficultymap-updated6-22-20.pdf

  16. 1991 Chevy K5 Blazer Journey

    Build · Cowboy Denny · 04/16/2016 02:01 PM

    Just pulled in the driveway and parked the new Blazer. Had fun going through Memphis then down to Tupelo, MS to pick the K5 up then headed to Nashville for the day and night then home bound on Sunday. Sunday was a long drive in a truck I wasn't familiar with but it ran good. Max speed was 80 comfortably and horsepower wise or that 700R4 would have to keep downshifting to please my demand for power.

    So I didn't realize how bad the interior was, its not so good. Dash pad is cracked, sliced and butchered. It appears they were trying to replace the speakers maybe since those are the only areas that are hacked. So new dash pad is required. Driver side seat back support is broke so you have a gangster lean to the right if you want to or not. So new seats are needed. Nothing else major except I want to change the wine color to all black which means a complete replacement of the interior which is going to be hell and expensive but look bad ass. Maybe even use billet for accents.

    On the exterior all I see is the paint job is crap so I'll remove the moldings and stickers from the windows. Probably get a decent paint job at Maaco since most body shops don't want to touch it but either way I'm leaning on keeping it white.

    Right off the start I need shocks and 33's balanced.
    My goal is to change them to 3/4 ton or 1 ton axles (roughly $3100 for front G2 D44 with eaton e-locker and another $3400 for back G2 D44 with eaton e-locker)
    Also I am not sure if I should keep the interior the red wine color (which is cool because no one does unique colors for interiors anymore) or change the interior to all black. It desperately needs a paint job (not decided color... leaning towards blue like my cutlass but considering keeping the original white)

    Check out the build in the forums
    https://gearcrushers.com/forums/topic/3-1991-chevy-blazer-k5/
     

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