What do you shop online for?

[johns0]

I get computer hardware when needed.

[Baldrick]

Everything except food.

[budz]

I buy computer hardware, electronics and clothes. Now I hate shopping in the real world...the shopping malls!

[MOVIEGEEK]

Everything except food and clothing, I even got my house and car online

[redwudz]

All computer and electronic stuff, and anything else I can't easily find locally.

[yoda313]

The first three, not the middle three

But generally I only research physically large items online. I hate paying shipping costs on anything larger than something like an alarm clock. Any savings I might get goes to shipping. Unless I'm buying used on ebay for an old, rare, or import item (or off amazon that isn't easily available at a box store).

[fritzi93]

Just about anything except food and large appliances.

As already mentioned, some things can be hard to find locally. Case in point: I'm expecting some 9.48mm motorcycle valve shims any day now (I'm my own mechanic). Getting those locally just ain't happening.

[racer-x]

I'm expecting some 9.48mm motorcycle valve shims any day now (I'm my own  mechanic).

Would that be shim under bucket or on top of bucket? I used to build and drag race motorcycles back in the day. I bet you don't know how to properly degree the cams.............or maybe you might.

I buy mostly camera equipment and sporting goods online.

[fritzi93]

I'm expecting some 9.48mm motorcycle valve shims any day now (I'm my own  mechanic).

Would that be shim under bucket or on top of bucket? I used to build and drag race motorcycles back in the day. I bet you don't know how to properly degree the cams.............or maybe you might.

I buy mostly camera equipment and sporting goods online.

It's a V-Twin, so it's fairly simple, as they're accessible from the top. Remove seat, speedo, tank, air breather box, disconnect various hoses, etc. Remove valve covers, find top dead center, level the mark on the camshaft gear with the top of the head. Clearances are of course different for inlet and exhaust, two each per jug. Check clearances with feeler gauge, if a different size is required, hold rocker arm over and remove shim with magnetic tool, replace with correct size shim. Repeat for other jug.

It's disconnecting/reconnecting all the stuff that's in the way that takes a lot of time, as you know.

Properly degree the cams? No, and I sincerely hope I'll never have to.

[racer-x]

Being a V-twin, I'm surprised they didn't go with threaded adjusters or hydrolic self-adjusters......

The reason I asked if it was shim under or over bucket, was back in the old days when people would race the old Kawasaki Z-1's (which had shim over buckets), they would tend to spit out the shims through the cam boxes at high RPMs. The standard fix back then was to convert to the shim under bucket design of the KZ 650.

I still have a couple of fast bikes, but don't do much work on them anymore. I rarely have any time to ride them for that matter.

[fritzi93]

Yeah, the bike in question is a Vulcan 800 Classic, a whole different thing from race bikes and sport bikes. I see hyperchargers on V-Twin bikes and think: what the hell for? Who you kidding?

Shimming is pretty low-tech, just like V-Twins are low-tech. That's why I can do most of my own wrenching, like in the old days on my cars/trucks. Now everything's got a computer on it and diagnostic tools are pricey.

Anyway, the Vulcan 1500, for instance, has hydraulic valve adjusters, but there are other issues and potential problems with that. Valve adjustment on the 800 is probably the most time-consuming regular maintenance job for that bike. Any time I can save a couple hundred bucks instead of giving it to the stealership is a source of great satisfaction.

[EDIT] Apologies for getting so far off-topic.

[racer-x]

I hear ya.........plus you know it's done right. At the dealership, who knows who worked on it.

[gadgetguy]

Computer goods, books, electronics, books, blank media, books, filled media, books, clothes, books, training courses, and oh, yeah, books. I buy these things off-line as well, it all depends on where I can get what I want at the price I'm willing to pay.

[stiltman]

Everything except Food, Clothing, and Hookers

[lordsmurf]

I've found some things cheaper in stores in the past year. Shoes, for example.

If B&M is priced better, or will finally match online prices, shop local again. We need B&M stores, too, so support them when they do the things that first lured us online.

[edDV]

Fry's store specials often beat NewEgg specials. Staples sometimes too. You need to shop for best price.

Internet is great for obscure stuff and parts. There's no local source except with huge markups.

I've not been sucessful shopping wine and food online. B&M stores have much better deals. It needs to be something in limited distribution.

Major applicances are cheap online but you need to do the dealer prep and install yourself. At least internet cars are prepped in a local dealer.