superfunkomatic

Looks like fun. Great roads and a lot that I've already done.

Don't think I'll be able to make it to this one. I think I'm going to do a cross-Canada trip or California again earlier in the summer.

Have fun, all!

I'm 6'1" and I've tried the stock, zero gravity double bubble and zero gravity sport touring. For long distance touring I use the ZG ST windscreen as it keeps a lot of the wind off but generate considerable buffeting. I haven't found a solution other than standing up on the pegs to get clean air which gets tiring. Haha.

I just put a power outlet on my KLR and added a USB adapter - works fine for iPod charging and iPhone.

http://www.twistedthrottle.com/usb-charger-for-standard-12-volt-cigarette-socket

One member has already done this mod on his sixth gen. Lots of info in the thread. Tim's a great guy and if you sent a PM I'm sure he'd help you out.

http://www.vfrdiscussion.com/forum/index.php/topic/41723-vfr-triple-clamp-project/?view=findpost&p=505672

I'd have to agree. Why would you want more weight and a wider base of contact for the rear tire? That makes the tire flatter which would make it more difficult to turn in.

I'm not slamming your idea, I'm just not sure I see any advantage to this. Is it just to have a different wheel on the back?

Mercy... what in hell is an over weight car wheel doing on a VFR??? I'm going to have to report you to Honda for adding what amounts to a brick to their bike...

I did the exact same thing with my bikes as Veefer and never had a problem either.

With my '86 VFR, I would put the stabilizer in a full tank, shut off the petcock, drain the carb float bowls right out using the drain screws, then try to start and run the bike on full choke until it would not even fire at all. Then you are assured that the carbs are totally empty.

In the 14 years I had that bike, I never had to clean the carbs once, and it started, idled, and pulled through to redline in every gear just line brand new, always.

Hey, Jeff,

Yes, you can see it in direct sunlight - no problem. I have a zumo 550.

You can use googlemaps to create your routes or software included for your PC/Mac.

It will lead you on highways or you can set it to avoid highways. It even has an off-road setting if you want the dirt.

I find the 'roads to nowhere' online, upload them to my GPS and press "Go!" it'll lead you there and to where you want to go.

If you get lost or miss a turn it'll autocorrect and put you back on the right path. Pretty slick.

These guys are talking about great deals. I bought mine from a board member for $400 - haven't seen the zumo 550 or 650 any cheaper than that.

I am looking for a GPS that can be hooked to a computer, ride planned out on computer, then route transferred to GPS. I could care less about a GPS that gets me from point A to point B. I want a GPS that leads me on a cool ride that I have mapped out. Do these GPS's do this? Was at the Dragon last month and a guy on a Harley said he had a zumo and could go on a site where he could program any route he wanted into his zumo. Now that would be a cool GPS. The one that you could program to take you to the middle of nowhere.

YES, this Nuvi 550 allows you to create and upload routes. The software to do this comes with the Nuvi. Well, it doesn't actually come 'in the box', rather you have to go to the Garmin.com site and dig around a bit. Once you find your way around, when you try to download map/software updates, you have to first register your device, and create a user account. It's not really that difficult if you're the slightest bit computer savvy. With the Garmin software MAPSOURCE it is quite simple to create routes and once you're done you upload it to your device. The FULL map database resides on your computer, so everything that your Garmin can see/detect, is available to you when you build your custom route. The custom route is developped by stringing 'waypoints' together to build the overall route. If I remember correctly the Nuvi 550 is capable of 10,000 waypoints. So if route planning is the defining feature in your purchase, make sure the model you buy can store lots.

The Nuvi 550 is essentially the same as the Zumo 550, EXCEPT the Nuvi doesn't have Bluetooth. Somehow +600$ :mellow: for Bluetooth didn't seem worth it...

"take you to the middle of nowhere"...I've been there too many times already, :blush: that's why I bought the dang thing :laugh:

BI

Thanks, this is great info!!!

was saving for a Zumo its just way too much coin right now.

you answered my #1 question about rout planning.

can you see this screen in the direct sunlight? my cheap Magellan is unreadable in sunlight.

also will it track your rout and then allow you to download into your PC so you can save and repeat. i know this feature is available on zumo.

if this one doesn't have blue tooth dose it have head phone jack?

Just hooked my Zumo 550 up yesterday. It's a piece of cake.

Ran the wires up under the tank and zip tied it to the brake line to keep it out of the way.

Hooked it up straight to the battery and "Bob's Your Uncle" - worked like a charm!

P.S. Don't do what I did and fill up your gas just days before having to lift the tank off. :goofy:

Thanks Bonus. :blush:

I posted the question on the Zumo forum, also, and everybody there said the same thing, that it's not a problem installing it yourself. I just found the wording of that a little odd.

I have Tightwad's fuse box that I need to install yet. I'm going to wire the Zumo to that. I'm also going to wire my grip heaters and heated jacket liner to it. I'm just waiting for the weather to cooperate.

I'd like to hear about your northern travels. Post up.

Thanks DIMford.

I just did my last Zumo 550 tour.......................... My Zumo finally bit the dust (really) in Alaska. It survived rain every day (except one) but my recent dirt riding back in CA and AZ did too much damage to the screen so I lost the ability to use screen touch commands. THank goodness for the hard buttons.

I will report on what Garmin does for me?!

Anybody want an Alaskan KLR tour report?

Thanx for all the tips.

I think I'll pay someone to dip them and strip them.

Then I'll get a bodyshop or detailer to polish them up.

I did this to my 5th gen on a bet with a friend that it wasn't possible (I'm stubborn). YYMV - but it seems people have varying experience with stripping the powder coat. For me stripping the factory finish off was a real beeotch. After 3 applications of stripper, (and hours of scrubbing with scotchbrite and other pads) I finally got them relatively clean. It's a messy job. The powder coat Honda uses is really tough stuff - it amazes me that the stuff can chip at all. If I did it again, I'd pay either the finisher or a shop to just dip the wheels and get the coating off - it's about $50 a wheel - but you'd have to press the wheel bearings out of the front. I was probably saving about a couple of bucks an hour to strip them myself so I'd just pony up the dough and do something more fun. When you get it off, you'll find that the perimeter of the rim has been factory machined and is relatively smooth and won't take a huge amount of work to polish if you have the buffs and compound. Some people just strip that and leave the spokes alone. The spokes on the other hand, are left rough cast by Honda and are a real chore (you won't be able to detect that under the powder coat). After hours of sanding the rough casting and buffing (to a lousy result), I finally decided I didn't want to make a second career out of polishing my wheels so I took them to a metal finisher. I didn't track my hours, but I had spent probably a good 30 to 40 hours by then and was getting sick of the project. If you want a good result, this project takes commitment - and honestly it's pretty boring. A pro will get a better result than anyone can in their garage in probably less time unless they invest in the equipment. I paid $400 to have both done after having stripped them. Figure 5 bills +/- if you just take them in right off the bike. If you want to check out buffs, Harbor Freight carries some, or you could go to Eastwood.com and buy one of their wheel polishing kits.

Having done it, I wouldn't do it if I rode much in the rain. Exposure of the bare metal to water will accelerate the oxidation process and you'll find yourself spending 30 minutes polishing the wheels after each ride if you want them shiny. If you think chain maintenance is no fun . . . On the other hand, if you live in a sunny clime or ride only in good WX, using something like a Mothers powerball or similar and a drill on occasion you can keep the wheels looking really sharp. You'll get lots of thumbs up. One downside is the front wheel. Metal polish on the rotors is a lousy combination, so I got some heavy cardboard and created two pieces in a crescent moon shape to match the diameter of the rotors, taped them together on the outside edge and slipped them over each rotor as I polished the front wheel. On days I was really paranoid about it I would wipe the rotors with a rag and some Brakekleen just to be sure.

Lastly, the metal finisher told me that some people like to clear coat the metal to keep the maintenance down. I never confirmed this, but he claimed that the metal would oxidize underneath the clear coat anyway (though slowly) and would dull over time. Also, a cheap clear coat can yellow and that would look lousy. At least bare metal can be brought back up to a nice shine with a little work. Once your clear coat goes sour (or chips), you're back to stripping again. Again, YYMV on that one. In the short run, clear coating cuts down on the work for sure.

I think there are some here that have had their wheels chrome plated. I have no experience with that - might be worth checking out - probably less maintenance but more $.

Here's a pic of my 5th gen shortly after they were done.

I know I've seen that the stock wheels can be stripped back to aluminum.

Just bought a second set of wheels from another member and would like to sandblast them back to the original aluminum.

Does anyone have pics of completely stripped and polished wheels? Also, how were they polished to bring out the shiny aluminum?

Many thanx,

mike

Interesting. I had no idea that much gunk would get stuck in there.

Good on ya mate!

Glad to hear you are okay. After a 75+mph get-off with little or no physical damage - buy a lottery ticket - it's your lucky day.

it does look like it was meant to be there, keith. nice work!

i understand that the voltmeter tells you voltage in your system - what do you do if it's too high/low? shut the bike off?

i'm guessing watching this is to prevent you from overcharging or overtaxing your electrical system, correct?

I've always been curious about these aftermarket seats. To be honest, I really haven't found the stock seat that bad. I can easily do all-day rides and not be sore/tired. Maybe with the sargent seat i'd be able to ride in more comfort though. I have a tough time justifying the cost just to try it.

Took me several years before I felt comfortable on a bike again after a nasty spill. You'll gradually get more and more confident over time. I take it much, much easier now that I've had a get-off - slower pace, enjoy the scenery, and stay alive.

I think the suggestion of a track day would be a good place to start too. Although I've never done one, I've done lots of training for a local motorcycle training class. Having a place to push things and find out what you and your bike can do made a big difference.

tim is right.

we had a transport canada related recall. they have to fix it.

qdawg, i had a dealer here say they wouldn't do my recall work since my alarm system tapped into the wiring harness. crazy!

went to another - GW Cycle and they had no problem and even connected the wiring for the alarm again, and, replaced a couple of those crappy plastic fairing clips that i'd broken.

if you're stuck try another dealer - you're close enough to use GW Cycle. see what they say.

the alternative is i'll get Tim to come up from oregon and start wielding a 2x4 in their dealership. :unsure:

It is, after-all, a NTSB SAFETY Recall.

great pics. these will be great discussion pieces when your child gets older. very cute!

it's a bit like riding a jack-o-lantern! halloween all year round. pretty cool.

this is a remarkable idea and something worth exploring. with increasing demand for fuel and decreasing supply (or maximized supply), alternatives to straight fuel are starting to make a lot of sense.

frankly, if i had a perfectly silent bike that would get me around town on an electric charge, and have some fun zip from the motor, i'd be sold on the idea.

can't wait to see the final working model.

this is definitely the way to go, everything fits together just right but only if you leave all the fasteners loose until the very end. i made the mistake of tightening as a i went, doesn't work. you'll have to adjust things at the end before everything is in its place.

The key is to leave everything LOOSE until you have all the bolts started, then start tightening things down.

looks really sharp. they did a great job on the coating, looks just like the factory finish on my 2005. the angled valve-stems is a great idea, i'll do that when i change my tires this summer, it's a bit tight getting the pump attached.

great idea. i have a little nikon camera, maybe i'll give it a try.

nice vid too. a couple broken double lines by your buddy, looks like a fantastic place to ride.

wet sandwiches and dead granny, this is going to be the best vacation ever.... haha.

but it looks a little too clark griswald for me. :goofy:

Alright Superfunk,

Just for that, you're sleeping on the floor in August! With the wet sandwiches and the dead granny. <_<

anytime i see this trace, i have to chime in after you.

great workmanship tony.

but it looks a little too clark griswald for me. :idea3:

Aaarrrrrrggggghhhhhhhh........my EYES, my EYYYYYEEEEESSSS!!!

Having said that, I must add that you did a really nice job with your phony, fake, stick-on vinyl carbon-fibre-look stuff. But why didn't you try it with fake wood grain??! :wacko:

Again, nice job!