The Problem with Chinese Motorized Vehicles

They’re often cheaper, and come equipped with more features, like the below ATV that has disc brakes.

Sounds pretty great right?

Finding parts and repairing them is the problem.

Once it breaks, often the only solution is to replace the entire vehicle because finding Chinese replacement parts is difficult.

In the example above, that’s a broken axle, and the solution is either to weld it (won’t work) or drill, thread then bolt it (the torque will knock it loose right away.) So the owner is stuck.

My ATV is a hand-me-down from China, and same thing – the tires are bald, and finding new ones is like an Olympic event.

 

 

No More Winter Photos like This for a Week

As in, the title means I’m flying out tomorrow to a week in Florida visiting friends.

Pretty efficient title eh, because it also serves to use these winter-themed pics which have been stagnating on my phone.

And okay okay, I pledge to replace my phone; these photos are beyond grainy, it looks like 2008 around here.

Don’t think it’s my camera degradation theory (here), think I just wore out the phone. It’s 8 months old, and bet I take ohhhhh 100x the number of photos per day compared to an average user, plus run about 14 GB / month through it.

ATVing around last weekend.

Tried to fit through a gate and couldn’t.

So I had to 53-point turn it, by hand, then push it up a hill. People were slowing down for the show.

Still get nervous leaving my house on its own. What if something happens and I’m not there to protect it? The pipes could freeze into a disaster at these temperatures. But I have a steady stream of people checking daily though (insurance states that eh, or it doesn’t pay), plus what are the chances I booby-trapped it you figure.

Car washing in -40ºC. 

If I always looked like bottom right, would you still read my blog?

kk I still have to pack, so gotta cut today’s blog short, sorry.

I’m not on vacation, it’s the normal schedule at both here and the paper, although here might be a bit light. Home in a week.

TTYT

Here comes THIS.

 

 

Best Part of Attending a Race: Borrowing an ATV

Watching motorsports is dull. Even when you know someone to root for, meh. The start and finish of the first race are okay, then nah.

Racing is only interesting when
you’re behind the wheel.

So spent Sunday on this instead.

Started pining for an ATV this summer, and this is a nice one.

And now that I own land, it’s possible.

I’m coming across a field at 40 kmh, am 300 m from homebase, when from that distance I see all the guys eyes widen simultaneously, and I instantly know, “oh no, I’ve forgotten about that second rut in the field”.

I look down, ah I’m starting descent into it, throttle throoooottle, and when I hit the water in the rut’s bottom it’s a massive 360º splash, so dramatic, think “what a missed blog photo”, bounce out keep going kk that was cutting it fine.