DDO-VFR

I kind of figured that ship had sailed, but we can always hope...

I would love such a beast, but if I was running Honda, I wouldn't spend money to put one on the road right now, as that segment of the market has pretty much disappeared. 'Sport' touring has been eaten up by the large displacement 'Adventure' class (IMHO) and the fat part of the growth market (non cruiser) is smaller displacement stuff, which is what Honda is foisting on us right now (700cc, 500cc, 300cc, etc,). In the mean time, the BEST setup I can find out there right now is STILL my 6th gen with ABS and OEM hardbags !! That said, I'm booked for a test drive of a BMW 800GT June 2. It has the (more) upright ergos, no chain , but it is down on HP, and the sidebags are a bit small. Let's keep and open mind and wait for the test ride. Brian

This is confusing to me. My fan blows air from underneath the fairing to the outside of the fairing. It pushes air through the radiator rather than pulling air through the radiator. If I am reading your description correctly, it is going in the wrong direction. Ah not the 'wrong' direction, but rather the 'opposite' direction of the natural flow during riding. Brian

Bought 5 sets of tires from Pete's...he stumbled once. FYI, Pete's is a 3 man outfit, with one guy doing tire changes. I like to support the small guy, although when he messed up I was not a happy camper ...

Yeah, if you're going Downhill....

I second the kerosene option. I've used it and compared to WD-40 it is more effective for chain spooge. You can buy chain cleaner (Tirox) in spray can, which is essentially kerosene. Don't know where I would buy bulk kerosene around here.

To those who prefer .gdb version... Dutchy's TMAC.gdb

Ditto on the Pinlock, greatest thing sliced sliced bread... I didn't have the double-vision issue though.

WOW! Fantastic production, song selection, etc. I thoroughly enjoyed the video. Norway roads are definitely worthy of a 'bucket' listing. Congrats.

If I told you which wire, and was wrong, who would be the bigger fool? Remove the connector and probe into the contacts with a voltmeter. Second choice, twist out the bulb holder assembly (connector still on, assuming the wire loom has enough freedom), remove the bulb and see if you can probe with a voltmeter. At the very least you will figure out how to access the holder for bulb replacement. Brian

Gortex does work. You should also know that it breaths slightly, as in you'll sweat like a pig in the warm weather. I have a Frank Thomas textile two piece that has worked very well to keep me dry but I switched to leather, much better, and use the Wetskins on top. The real beauty of the Gortex lined textiles is that you don't have.to stop to change when the rain hits. Brian

BMW rain gloves & Wetskins jacket and pant from Costco. Tuck you gloves under the sleeves for sure. Can't vouch for my boots tho', Daytona. Brian

Is that 'real' speed (as in GPS reading) or speedometer? Hardly seems worth putting a speed limit for that last 2 km/h...? Brian

I'm struggling a bit with the concept of 4 year old tires with lots of tread....but in response to your question, I have the same tire setup and when They are old (as in 3 months & 6,000 miles) the rear does squirm in the cool weather. I think the center tread portion is the culprit. It has only happens when I'm in moderate lean and cranking the throttle like you mentioned. Temperature cycling also ages the rubber, which is probably why after 6000 miles (even tho only 3 months old) the rubber is getting harder. So to answer you main question - I get rid of the tire, I hate 'tip-toeing' around on the bike. If you can't lean the thing you might as well be in a car.... It helps that the tread is almost gone, unlike your case, but hell if you got 4 summers out of them, I mean, come on.....!!! Brian

All three of my chain replacements had nothing to do with x or o rings rather the sprockets were worn and I was at the end of the adjustment capability. Not a sticking link in sight. So while your chain may last forever, your sprockets won't. PS. I lube every 1000km and full cleaning every 10,000km and get 45,000km typically on chain and sprocket set...O-ring btw.

Seems to be a VFR trademark. My '06 has had that 'chatter' for the last three years. Was told it is the clutch basket as well. So far so good, 135,000 km. Brian

I don't think the intended meaning was that it would 'suck', but rather that the oncoming traffic might be blinded or that the improvement isn't all that good. The same can be said for the HID conversions. When I ride with my brother (HID) I/we get flashed Regularly by oncoming vehicles, but never when I'm solo. The headlight angle is easily adjusted, and the light intensity is already even greater than most cars. Adding another filament does make things brighter but you don't see better. This is because your pupils start to reduce because of the intensity, resulting in the unlit areas looking even darker. I'm not making this up, this has proven through testing. Brian

If you are running rich it will cause the converter to run hotter, since its job is to consume unburned fuel. Wrapping the pipes probably won't help. Setting it up to run leaner might. Brian

SUmmary translation... Gripes: fuel range, seat Likes: motor, brakes, suspension, chassis, handling, windshield

Well it's been awhile...now up to 135,000km (~85,000mi.) The damn stator finally gave up the ghost, in West Virginia of all places as in 2500km from home... 1x stator 3x chains (+sprockets) 1x CCT 2x front brake pads 3x rear brake pads 1x rear shock 1x steering head bearings 1x sub-frame (watch how you load that top box!) umpteen tires 1,000,000+ smiles... Brian

Come on guys, stating the Obvious "freedom of choice" etc. doesn't adding much to the discussion... Much like the late night bar room question...who is smarter Spock or a computer? Saying that Spock isn't real...well duh! In response to your thread topic, I wear all the gear that I can easily layer on top of my street clothes. So that pretty much means everything except pants. Besides the convenience factor, short trips at (relatively) low speeds will offer primarily 'impact' injuries (as in hitting the ground). The pants (I think) are most effective for the abrasion injuries from long slides down the road and/or high speed rolls. Oh yeah, in case you're thinking 'why not layer pants as well" I prefer leather gear and I don't ride a Harley, so chaps are out of the question ... Brian PS. While slightly up the food chain from 'oil threads', ATTGATT threads are known to invoke ahh...enthusiatic responses...

You definitely should check the voltage when the bike is running. The voltage output should not go much above 14V with the bike revving at 5000rpm. Heat or vibration is what is killing your bulbs. Heat is generated by the current running through it, of course, and this current is determined by the voltage presented to it. Since the power in the bulb is a function of the voltage squared, a small change in voltage will result in a large increase in power. Power (heat) = Voltage x Voltage / hot Resistance of bulb It is no great secret that the Silverstar bulbs are brighter because the resistance is slightly lower (see equation above) which results in a hotter (and brighter) bulb, and thus they don't last long. If the voltage is too high, then your regulator is suspect... Brian