Comprar Herramientas No Es Un Gasto, Es Una Inversion

Para muchos mecanicos, la adquisicion de nuevas herramientas es un proceso de toda la vida. A medida que pasa el tiempo y se gana mas experiencia, las necesidades cambian y la tecnologia de las herramientas avanza cada dia mas. Lo que conlleva a comprar mas equipo para hacer un trabajo mejor y mas eficiente.

Obtener herramientas adecuadas y de calidad, es muy esencial para cada trabajo. Cada tipo de trabajo requiere herramientas especificas para garantizar la calidad del resultado. Las herramientas no hacen al mecanico, pero un buen mecanico sabe que las herramientas adecuadas marcan la diferencia. 

El taller que no invierte en las herramientas correctas, esta condenado a fracasar. En mi opinion personal, las herramientas no son un gasto, son una inversion. 

Motorcycle EZ-Pass Battery Tester

Unlucky people like me live in the toll plagued eastern states. I had always paid cash at the toll booth, and up until a couple of years ago, I refused to get on board with EZ-Pass. Until the day I received a Maryland toll invoice, for an alleged unpaid toll. Despite stopping at the toll booth and paying the Maryland toll in cash, they sent me an unpaid toll ticket, attached to a picture of my license plate.

I haven't used my motorcycle EZ-Pass since 2022, so later today I am stopping by an office of Triple AAA to have my EZ-Pass transponder battery tested. I am not going to wait until is time to ride my bike out of state to realize the transponder battery is dead, and start receiving unpaid toll invoices in the mail.

Vintage Motorcycle Prices are Out of This World

This morning I was looking at a 1982 Kawasaki GPz-550 in pristine condition that was offered for sale at no reserve and sold for $12,500. 

The original manufacturer's suggested retail price for my bike (2010 Kawasaki Ninja ZX14) was approximately $12,399 when it was brand new in 2010. These days, bikes similar than mine are sold between $4,950 and $6,999, depending on condition and mileage.

In the early 1970's I purchased a blue 1972 Kawasaki 750 two-stroke triple. After years of riding and a ton of fun, in 1979 I made the biggest mistake of my motorcycle life by selling my beloved bike for $650.00 dollars. 

To my shocking surprise, the cost for these bikes are taking off. I have been blown away at how much people pay for these old Kawasaki two-stroke triples these days. Kawasaki (H1 500cc, H2 750cc) often exceeds $30,000 - $55,000 at some auctions nowadays. I'd love to buy another one, but these days they cost an arm and a leg.

Riding My Motorcycle In The City Late At Night

Sometime this week, I am going to record a GoPro video riding my Kawasaki Ninja ZX14 in downtown Philadelphia late at night. I am planning to capture the illuminated blurred city lights, and Philly skyline at night. This coming week will be perfect to ride my bike since temperatures are expected to be in the low 80's for the first time this year. I am looking forward to it. 

Tinkering With Harleys

Woke up this morning thinking about expanding my skills and maybe start working in other motorcycle brands. If I put my mind into it, I can probably dabble part-time into Harley-Davidson's repairs. As a former motorcycle technician of Japanese motorcycles, I believe I can transition to work on Harley-Davidson motorcycles as long as I get the proper tools to work on them. 

My only concern is that as part of my retirement, I only plan to work part-time on bikes. Harley-Davidsons, especially older ones generally require more frequent maintenance and repairs compared to newer models. And from what I gather, there are lots of Harleys in Puerto Rico. 

Would it be worth it to spend more time at the motorcycle shop than enjoying my retirement? Regardless of what happen once I am living permanently in the island of Puerto Rico, I don't expect that to be the case.

A Bit of This, A Bit of That

Ayer finalmente termine el proceso del papeleo de los impuestos del 2025. Nunca he entendido porque rayos tengo que hacerlo si lo que me devuelven son unas migajas. He tenido suerte que la contable que me hace el papeleo de los impuestos ha sido la misma persona por los ultimos 15 años. Ayer termine con el papeleo, y ya estoy pensando en que voy a gastar las migajas que el gobierno federal me va a devolver. Jajaja

My 70th Birthday - part 2