Journal entries in 'Ruminations' for January, 2008

This is a subject I've been giving a lot of thought lately. Motorcycles are known for getting great has mileage — in the 50-60mpg range for the larger 600cc bikes, and up closer to 80mpg or more for the smaller 250cc bikes. So I was surprised to hear people on forums talking about getting 12-15mpg out of their 600cc ATVs. I figured those posts must have been exceptions, but I've kept track of my own gas mileage on my ATV, and I've been averaging about 13.5 mpg. That's a lot worse than even my Buick, which averages 22, much less the Civic with its comfortable 31 mpg.

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I know that the past generation was probably just as irreverent and wild as this one, and it was just as common for people to get drunk at parties and do crazy things. But there's hardly any evidence of it, so the past is safely behind us and now they can present a nice proper image to their kids, and most kids don't think to question that. So everyone growing up thinks that their parents are old and unhip and just don't understand what it's like to be a kid. It's not until you get past all those teenage years that you start to realize, "Hey, they were probably just as bad as me."

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