keithbob

That's a nice unit. Probably a very safe bet. I've had REI tents for years and years and they hold up great. FYI, I have the one-man tent that REI makes, also. I bought it thinking that it would be just that much smaller to pack, but in reality it has too little space inside to bring your tankbag, helmet and boots in out of the rain without piling them on top of your sleeping bag. The Half Dome should be a great compromise between easy-to-pack on the bike and interior space and convenience. Also, I use a knee-length Thermarest Light that packs incredibly small and still gives a nice cushion for sleeping. Down bags pack super-small, and stuff bags for your clothes are great space-savers, too. Keith

It's basically letting you know that your charging system is working. If it drops too low it warns you something has gone wrong and you're riding on borrowed time. Exactly. It MAY save you from getting stranded if you notice it in time. The Colorado trip is coming up... There are other units that light up red if voltage drops below a certain critical value to grab your attention. You can order it from any source that sells Honda parts, I believe. I saw it online in many places, but since it's so cheap to begin with, I just ordered it from the shop down the street that sells Honda outboards. Took 3 days to arrive, no shipping cost.

Thanks for pointing out the part number error - edited the original post after double-checking the box. Yes, it's backlit, with a separate terminal for the light. I put a connector in-line for taking the fairing off.

Honda marine voltmeter in 5th gen Honda makes an analog voltmeter for it's marine products that is waterproof and will fit right into the side fairing of a VFR. I ran into this while browsing around on an ST forum. Here's how it looks installed into the left side of my '00: Honda part number: 37450-ZW5-000ZA (black face), -000ZB (white face). $17.00 The instructions called for a 2-1/16" hole, but I used a 2" holesaw then gently sanded the hole from the inside until the meter slipped in without play, didn't take much. So that it is only activated with the key on, I wired it from the grip heater relay and then ran the negative directly back to the battery. Test readings matched those taken directly off the battery. A very simple install that leaves you with a stock-looking voltmeter. One caveat is that an analog voltmeter wired directly to a battery will drain it down if left for an extended period (days, weeks?), so I would only do this using a relay or splicing into switched power. Without a relay, I'd go with the Datel or other low-draw digital units.

That's a great report about your trip north, I'll look forward to more! That video at the end is lovely to watch and brings back so many memories of a trip through there several years back. Perfect music for it - I'll have to watch it again tonight with something cold to drink when the house is dark and quiet. Thanks!

It's not too far (maybe 15 miles) from the cafe in Philomath to the top of Mary's Peak. We'd welcome you being there. No worries about how fast or slow anyone is, this will be a fun ride that each can do at their own pace. Several of us will be two-up, not that that slows us much... Please come and join us!

Just a bump for those that may not have seen this and want to come. All are welcome!