Rustbucket

http://www.ourygrips.com/ Thicker than your average grip, great comfort for me, nicer than grip puppies IMHO...

I've thought about dremeling off that damn tab so I can rotate the bars to a better position for me. I know what it's for, but there's gotta be a better way - plenty of bikes with clipons out that that do give you that flexibility...

I ended up ordering a set of the Vortice Mega's and set of the A*Stars SMX-5's - if those don't fit, I'll probably just get a set of the new Matrix's (the name escapes me at the moment). I have a $200 credit at NewEnough, so I'm trying to find something from them that fits before going elsewhere. If the Vortice's fit, I'll just keep them, and screw the budget... We shall see. In the future, I will definitely not be going mail order for boots! Thanks for all the input!

I guess I'll be returning these. I don't usually wear a wide, but shoes are usually a bit tight for me when I buy them, and I rely on them to stretch out a bit over time. I'm probably halfway between a normal and a wide... I may just have to bite the bullet and get the Vertigo Mega's - i really like the Sidi designs, and have a credit at http://newenough.com, which primarily carried Alpinstars, TCX and Sidi. I guess I could give the A*Stars a shot... I was going to go with the size up and use various tricks to fill the volume, but they're big enough that they really interfere with shifting, so I think that's not the best option. Worst case, I'll go with another set of Matrix's - I got 4 seasons out of them, and they have pretty good protective features... i'm not looking for 'bling' so much as extra protection in a spill.

Hi All, I've been playing the mail order boot game (don't have any local dealers I like). I ordered up a set of Sidi B2's and a set of TCX SS's. I was really disappointed with the construction of the Oxtar's (sorry, TCX) - they just seemed flimsy. The B2's are a bit tight, and the spot where the toe slider screws in pushes on my pinky toe. I tried the size up, but they're just huge on me. I'm wondering how much breakin I can expect from Lorica. If they were regular leather, I'd be inclined to keep them, figuring they'd loosen up a bit with time. Is that the case for fake leather, too, or should I be searching elsewhere. If not, anyone have suggestions for a boot that runs a bit wider than the Sidi's? I had a set of Oxtar Matrix's that I was really happy with, but they're really worn out and I want something a bit more aggressive. Budget is about $250...

I don't personally trust the Icon gear either - they don't even try to claim CE compliance...

Definitely check the fuses. If they're all good, you're gonna need a multimeter to troubleshoot this one.

Randy - Thanks for taking an interest in the VFR - I'll be in for a set when they're ready - was going to be purchasing a set of Uly pegs but this definitely seems like a better option! And thanks Tightwad - you are the man as always!

How did you set up the relay so the opener isn't broadcasting when you're running your high beams? The way I'm imagining it would have the opener on when the high beams are on...

Oury Road Grips for me - they're thicker than most rubber grips, but that works for my oversized mitts... I've been using them on my mountain bikes since purple ano was the cool new thing, and on my bike since I found out they make an MC specific model a year or two ago. http://www.ourygrips.com/

I'm a big fan of the Knox armor myself - it's very high quality, and not too bulky at all. I wear them with the straps. The only annoyance is the the exposed parts of the velcro on the kneepads catches on textile pants, causing them to bind a bit. If you have smaller legs that probably wouldn't be a problem. I picked them up from www.kneedraggers.com, but it doesn't look like they carry Knox gear any more...

I'm a big fan of the Knox armor myself - it's very high quality, and not too bulky at all. I wear them with the straps. The only annoyance is the the exposed parts of the velcro on the kneepads catch on textile pants, causing them to bind a bit. If you have smaller legs that probably wouldn't be a problem.

Really? You must have a different product than me - mine still look new after being on the bike for a year - they've gone through all sorts of weather and been generally neglected...

So the switch arrived, and after about 30 minutes of being a bonehead and being able to figure out how to get the throttle cables off to change the switch housing, I called a friend, who called me a bonehead (substitute another word for bonehead). Pulled the clipon, swapped the switch, and... Woohooo! Took it for a ride today - life is good! VFRD rules! :cool:

I love that rack! (Even though I hate the Dells in our data center). I've often looked at servers and other hardware gettting junked and thought the various mesh pieces could be made into realy cool things. However, I, unlike you, am a slacker. You really need an intel inside sticker to go with it though! :biggrin:

You'll probably be good with the large - I have a medium, and it won't fit my 15" laptop in a thin laptop case... I'm probably going to pick up a large myself one of these days. Anyone want to trade?

Yeah I already experienced that sinking sensation once, and it was plenty! I'll mess around with it tomorrow - worst case I don't ride this weekend. I've gotta say your knowledge of VFR wiring blows my mind dude!

I tried cleaning it up with no luck. I was thinking of jumpering behind the connector so I wouldn't have to make permanent modifications...

So I ordered up the switch, but it's not going to arrive before the weekend. Anyone know if there's a wire that I can jumper bypass the starter button for the headlights so I can get a ride in?

Wow you are the man Peto - thanks! I'll still call up the dealer tomorrow and see if they have it in stock, but I'll probably just order one up from that site.

License plate light is working. Checked the blue and white wire from the left switch housing (the one with the horn, not the starter) with the bike running and not running, no voltage. No voltage on any of the pins in that plug, in fact. I checked using the white wire in that plug as ground, then the negative terminal on the battery. Guess I'll be calling the dealer for a starter switch tomorrow...

Sorry all - it's a '99 VFR - I added that to the top as well. I tried jiggling, whacking and cursing at the starter button to no avail. I was optimistic about the cursing. I opened it up and hit it with some contact cleaner, but no luck. I also checked the grounds on the headlight sockets for the hell of it, and they're good. I'll pull the starter switch apart a little later and check it out. Can I jumper a wire in there to confirm that it's the switch, or should I just get a new one?

EDIT Sorry all - it's a '99 VFR I took my bike out in the dark for the first time this year (riding home from work), and quickly realized I didn't have any headlights. Yikes! :biggrin: (yep, I should have checked them before I went out - what can I say, I was excited) Called a friend and got him to drive behind me with his brights on to be my eyes, and made it home. Everything else is working fine - cluster, running lights, turns, brakes, etc. It fires right up when I start it. One bub flashes very briefly when I hit the starter to start the bike. Subsequent presses of the starter don't do anything. Flipping the kill switch and brights switch doesn't do anything, and the relays aren't clicking. I checked the dimmer switch according to the manual, and it looks good (Blu/W->W continuity on low, Blu/W->Blu on high). Checked the plugs the relays go into, and they are both getting 12.5v with the key on - W/Blk->Red/Blk on the right side, Blu/Blk->Red/Blk on the left. It seems unlikely that both relays failed over the winter... However, I don't have a spare battery (usually my test supply, so I haven't tested the relays themselves. Can anyone point me to the next thing to check? I'm kind of stuck here. And tomorrow is supposed to be a beautiful day! On a side note - I discovered a whole pile of crappiness holding my front cowl on - I'll be heading to the dealer tomorrow for decent fairing clips tomorrow to get that sorted... Any suggestions greatly appreciated! Josh

Welp, the plugged tire got me to work today for my first commute of the year - I figure I'm on bonus time now. I'll keep an eye on it and see how it goes...

So is a field plug good enough, or should I get a tire shop to put in a patch/plug? Just got a screw in my 200 mile old rear tire! :biggrin: :mad: I am way too broke to swing a new tire for the next couple of weeks, so it's either run the plug, or don't ride.