St. Stephen

Street Triple? Yes. If you asked me a couple of years ago what my next bike would be, the Daytona or almost any Triumph w that great three cylinder engine would have been my answer. Brutale, well, not seriously considered but maybe I should have looked at it more closely. Don't worry, I'll go on and on about the new bike ad nauseam once I actually ride it, but for $11.5 new it's got a lot. More to follow.

Ride the new bike home Saturday!

No, I didn't see a claim that gloves would work. I've never done the bar mount thing--it always seemed like it could rotate, just wasn't a clean solution in my mind. My 7th gen had a RAM ball attached into the steering stem, homemade by a former poster here on VFRD. When I bought the Multistrada I got a RAM ball with hole to insert a longer handlebar mount bolt, replacing the upper left bolt, photos below. Works great, rock solid: https://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/ram-mounts-handlebar-bolt-ball-with-hole-base?sku_id=869087 I should add that, just like in your car, CarPlay uses a lot of phone battery, and the phone gets hot. I hooked up my phone to a lithium travel battery and left it in my tank bag.

Update. Went for a 160 mile ride today. Limited access highway (101) and twisty roads (128). Pretty happy with the device so far: -The screen is great. Excellent definition, clarity, and absolutely no glare no matter where the sun was. (sometimes I couldn't see the Zumo at all if the sun was behind me) -I went for the 5" screen, not the 7" which I felt would be overkill, would block the bike's main screen, and be blocked by my tank bag. It's great. Small fonts, but my face is only about a foot from the screen when riding so all good. -I installed my Cardo comm (Q-Solo) on my helmet and quickly realized that yeah, I still don't want to listen to music while riding. Or take that call that popped up. But it worked. -All the usual CarPlay stuff worked fine: traffic, route planning, time to arrival, speed limits, etc. I did find that if you twist the throttle it takes the device a few seconds to catch up to reporting your actual speed. So, obviously, never twist the throttle while using this device. -The major flaw (today) was that my gloves don't work on the touch screen, but that's easily solved. Lot's of touch screen friendly gloves available.

Well thanks to this thread, and Frogger and TT, I absolutely broke the bank last week and ordered a $63 CarPlay unit made in China by Camecho. Just finished the install so haven't ridden it yet but I have to say it all works quite nicely. Here's the (few) Cons, then the Pros, mostly as compared to my new doorstop, the 15 year-old Garmin Zumo: Cons: -The Zumo showed elevation, which was kind nice, but I'm sure I can find an app... -The Zumo was a quick (one second) disconnect. On this unit you have to unscrew the waterproof connection, which is on about a foot of cable attached to the unit. And when you screw it back on the inner piece must be aligned rotationally perfectly, probably not easy in the dark. But then again, it only costs $63, maybe I'll never remove it... Pros: -Well, it's CarPlay. I'm iOS, but even if you're Android you'll know that it does pretty much everything CarPlay does in your car. Pretty sweet. -Screen is excellent, great definition. I'll post more after a ride. -I hooked it up to the GPS power source Ducati provided but hid behind the bodywork, just as I had for the Zumo. I left a 2 amp fuse in the line just in case, probably overkill since it's fused anyway. I spent most of my install time just getting the wiring how I wanted, making sure the wires didn't foul movement at full lock, or get rubbed by any other part. -It paired w my phone in maybe 10 seconds. Paired and works seamlessly. -I'm not really a listen-to-music-while-riding guy, but maybe I'll install the Scala unit from my old Arai. We'll see. Hey, can't beat it for the price, 10% of the cost of my Zumo, not adjusted for inflation.

+1. I kinda take Keny's posts for granted, but he is always buying, selling, riding, and improving bikes. Fun stuff.

Great advice by the dude, BLS and gaz. Do not just start a bike up in the middle of winter storage, twist the throttle a few times, and turn it off for another month, for the reasons described above. And even if you get that rare winter day and take it out for a quick spin, a five or 10 minute ride will not help, even if the temp gauge settles in to normal operating temperature. As mentioned, you need at least 20-30 minutes until the cases are too hot to touch in order to burn off/evaporate all that bad moisture in the crankcase. Sticking clutch plates are above my pay grade however, plenty of experts here on VFRD to help. Cheers.

I'm enjoying this thread, looking forward to all the other things you will figure out, and the final result. Are the elevated motorcycle "shelves" really just for display, or do you intend to walk downstairs one morning, decide which bike is perfect for a ride that day, bring it down and zoom off?

Now that's a worthy project! Captain 80's has lots of Hondas up on a high shelf, although my memory of his shop pics is that they are lighter, smaller displacement. Just because it might be crazy doesn't mean it won't work. I'm sure I'm stating the obvious when I add that when working with a building pushing 300 y.o. you want to make sure the overall structure can handle it also. I have a friend in Portland OR, skilled at reviving old BMW's (bikes that is), who completely renovated a barn and made the upstairs his workshop. He went the pallet/cable/winch route you mention and ended up with a great mostly wooden elevator! He did have more space to work with however.

Thanks for responding TT. What brand is yours? You got me searching Amazon and there's a lot of options. I've lived with the aging Zumo on my bike for a while, but when I bought a modern car last year it hit home that the Garmin is nothing like CarPlay functionality. I already have the RAM mount and power so just need to choose the right unit. Thanks again to you and Frogger for posting.

Yeah, always tempted by those KTM's! Almost bought the SD GT but ended up with the Multistrada. Eight years later I'm happy I did, but I probably would have been happy with the SD too. Or maybe have lost my license? We were in San Diego Friday and I finally got to see a 2026 Tuono 660 Factory in person. I like it. Also, I have to recommend GPCycles in San Diego, might be the best motorcycle dealership in the state. More to follow...

Terry strikes again! 😎

That black and white is striking--it allows the tires and seat to be part of the color scheme. Time to lay down a few miles Lorne!

The GT will work fine but next time get the regular Michelin Road, whatever number they're up to by then. The GT is made for heavier bikes than your 5th gen and therefore has a stiffer carcass and less flexible sidewalls. I'm going to guess that it will be a stiffer ride than optimum and perhaps a bit heavier steering. I just put a pair of Road 6's on my 2017 Multistrada, and have been running Roads on that bike since I bought it. Very happy with them, fantastic wet weather performance, good side grip, neutral but not overly quick steering. And each model seems to last a few more miles than the last. The MS is ~520lbs, not too different than a 5th gen. I also ran Roads for seven years on my 7th gen, which is a solid 600lbs, and never felt the need for the GT.

Well, new tires, a sunny day, time to head out. After some back roads I was heading south on 1 and right after a quick pass of a slower vehicle a guy in a red Honda S2000 (that's a car) passed me. I kept my distance but followed him for the next ~15 miles. A number of vehicles were nice enough to pull over for us, and a number got passed anyway. Not saying any double yellows were crossed. In fact, I'm just not saying. He was faster in the 1st gear turns, I was faster when it was faster, so to speak. He headed inland on a back road, waved to say what fun! I waved back.

Amen Dutchy! That was me. I did 1000 miles in 2.5 days on my RC-51 aka SP2 about eight years ago, blasting through the northern Sierra with the norcal VFRD gang. But no longer. Gotta keep my elbows above my knees.

The Multistrada is a bigger bike (taller, longer wheelbase, high COG) and about 80lbs heavier. Not much when comparing 900lb HD's but significant if under 500lbs. The Ducati is my overnight-and-longer travel bike. I'm really looking to downsize (literally) and the Tuono's (claimed, I know...) 400lbs is an important feature for me. It also has premium suspension standard, and other bells and whistles. We''l see how the ergos are.

So. New tires on the Multistrada. Sold the RC-51. $5800 USD sitting in the bank to be used for, well, you know. Making progress. Sweeper has suggested a version of the Triumph 660: Sweet bike. Triumph claims about 80hp and about 455 lbs wet. That triple is something I've thought about for quite a while (in the Daytona). The sound of that engine is lovely--I've spent some time on the heels of one. Starts around $9700. And then there's the Aprilia Tuono 660 Factory. It's a (modern) twin. But claimed 105hp and 400 lbs. With upgraded suspension and all the bells and whistles. Costs more, ~$11,600. Hmmm

Haha, couldn't have said it better myself Captain. The new owner said basically the same thing, that mine was in that sweet spot between BaT garage queen and squid-abused and modified bike they were thinking of parting out. And I say that as the owner of a dinged 2003 Element for 20 years. There was a certain evil pleasure in parking next to a pristine M5...

Well, my RC-51 sold today, to a good home. The buyer knew the history of the bike and was a Nicky Hayden fan, and I think he'll good care of it. Time to buy the next bike! 😎

This bike sold on 5/15/25. I'll leave this on only VFRD for a few days before I go to other sites. Please PM me if interested. Thanks! 2003 Honda RC-51 SP-2, $5800 This bike was Honda’s “Duckhunter.” Honda got tired of seeing Ducati win the World Superbike Championship under rules that gave a 33% displacement advantage to the Italian v-twins, so they built their own v-twin version of the Ducati, the RC-51. Nicky Hayden won the AMA Superbike Championship on this bike in 2002, and Colin Edwards won the World Superbike Championship on the RC-51 in 2000 and 2002. It's a 1000cc v-twin, fuel injected, producing about 130hp with a very broad torque curve. Ducati spirit with Honda reliability. Here’s a great article from Cycle World with more about the RC-51: https://www.cycleworld.com/sport-rider/honda-rc51-rvt1000r-great-sportbikes-past/ 22,350 miles Michelin Power 5 tires, about 1500 miles on them All brake pads replaced, also about 1500 miles on them Fork seals and bushings replaced 6000 miles ago All regular service, fluids, and valves Mods: · CRG clutch & brake levers (installed by the PO) · 15/41 steel sprockets and 520 chain · Galfer stainless steel brake and clutch lines · Ohlins rear shock and wishbone, from Kyle Racing · HRC sticker! · Swingarm spools for Pitbull stand · Stompgrip tank traction pads, easily removed if desired Comes with: · Original owner’s manual · OEM Honda shop manual · Original passenger pillion seat (looks new) · Clean California title in my name · Old shock and wishbone if desired · Two keys, one original · Original tool kit I bought this bike in 2016 from the original owners in Senora. It has been garaged its entire life. I have carefully maintained it according to Honda specs, including regular synthetic oil and filter changes, clutch and brake fluid and coolant change every other year, and did a valve adjustment at the specified mileage. It runs flawlessly, always has. 100% reliable. I’d say it’s in B+ condition. It looks stunning from 10 feet away. Up close you’ll see a few scratches and bumps. It’s never been down, but the PO was aging out, and it seems like he moved things around a lot in his big garage and bumped into it several times. Specifically, minor cosmetic flaws in order of noticeability: · A set of scratches on the left upper cowl above, and on, the left headlight cover. · A small crack under the right upper cowl mounting bolt. · A small crack above and under the right front turn signal mount. · A half inch tear, more like a small puncture, in the seat cover. · A shallow 1” dent on the left exhaust can. · The wheels and swingarm have some small paint scratches. I haven’t put a lot of miles on this bike the last couple of years, and I keep telling myself I should sell it to a good home where it will be used more. But then I ride it, love it, and can’t bring myself to part with it! But it’s time. My other bike is a Multistrada, great for sport touring, and maybe I’ll replace the RC-51 later this year. But yeah, now it’s time to sell.

An intriguing offer, and you're right across the valley. But my top priority right now is low weight--as close to 400lbs as reasonable--and some modern bells and whistles. A light corner carver that would fulfill the RC-51's role: track days, local back roads, and the occasional blast through the Sierra. More upright riding position however.

Don't worry, I don't intend to be down to only one bike for long. Almost eight years since my last motorcycle purchase...

Can't believe I'm doing this. But I've been going back and forth for two years so here goes. I am finally selling this incredible bike. I'll put up a complete for sale post in the classifieds, with lots of pics, but I wanted to put it out here first. I am hopeful that I can place this bike in a good home--and VFRD is the place to do that. $5800. Please PM me here if you're interested. Here's some of the info I will put in the full ad: 22,350 miles Michelin Power 5 tires, about 1500 miles on them All brake pads replaced, also about 1500 miles on them Fork seals and bushings replaced 6000 miles ago All regular service, fluids, and valves Mods: · CRG clutch & brake levers (installed by the PO) · 15/41 steel sprockets and 520 chain · Galfer stainless steel brake and clutch lines · Ohlins rear shock and wishbone, from Kyle Racing · HRC sticker! · Swingarm spools for Pitbull stand · Stompgrip tank traction pads, easily removed Comes with: · Original owner’s manual · OEM Honda shop manual · Original passenger pillion seat · Clean California title in my name · Old shock and wishbone if desired · Two keys, one original

Update. Too lazy to find the former thread here, but Cycle World says Honda has filed for trademarks/patents etc. in the U.S. for the V3 electrically boosted engine. The writer mentions the 8th gen a few times, and that this might be the sport tourer VFR replacement. Anyway, here's the link to the article: https://www.cycleworld.com/motorcycle-news/honda-trademarks-v3r/ Could be fun.