Asphalt_Pilot

It's hard to believe, but this year is the 25th year of the annual We Don't Give A Hoot weekend!

As many of you know, WDGAH is the annual Northeast gathering of VFR riders (and former riders, and a few friends). This has been going on for 25 years now, since the days of the original VF/VFR listserv. Some of you may have attended "back in the day" - why not come out this year for the 25th!!

Details are below, but you can also go to the website: http://www.wdgah.net 

Dates: September 10 - 12
 

Home base: Fireside Inn, West Lebanon, NH (still only $99/night!)
Make hotel reservations by AUGUST 10 in order to secure the group rate! You must CALL THE HOTEL and ask for the VFR  group rate. 
 

A Fireside Inn & Suites
25 Airport Road (I-89 exit20)
West Lebanon, New Hampshire 03784
877.258.5900
http://firesideinnwestlebanon.com/

Rate: $99.99 tax per night, double occupancy, includes breakfast. Ask for the VFR group rate.
Cancellation: Any time up to 4pm the day of arrival with no penalty.

Hope to see you in September!  

Announcing WDGAH 24!

Note change posted to info above - unfortunately, no early-bird BBQ this year!

+1 on the recommendations for battery and regulator. If the battery wasn't cooked before, it may be compromised now. Also, highly recommend a voltmeter install, even if you do replace both R/R and battery. The charging system is the weak point on the VFR and it takes major efforts to overcome that. Make sure you replace the R/R with a newer, cooling-finned model (the OEM is now like this). VFRness is also a great idea, and not a hard install. Do these things, and this bike should provide reliable transportation for tens of thousands of miles. 

I probably have 100k miles on 4th gen VFRs, and have never seen a spark plug issue like that one!

Mark your calendars!  WDGAH will once again be held the weekend after Labor Day.  I know many of you on VFR-D have joined in the past.  Please join us if you can for our annual northeast VFR enthusiast gathering. It's hard to believe it, but this is the 23rd year for this event!

Nice write-up, great pics. I LOVED riding Salt River Canyon, with my buddy the late, great Bruce Wilson (VFR guru and all-around good guy). I live in Connecticut, but went down there for his wedding - and we spent 3 days prior riding some great roads in Arizona. Somewhere I have a great pic of me along the canyon, standing next to Bruce's VFR (he was riding his Hawk). 

Yes, it's time to start planning for WDGAH - the annual VFR gathering in the Northeast U.S.

Early in my riding years, when I owned a CB900F Supersport, I learned . . . . Not to Armorall the seat.

Nuts, meet the tank. Ya, that never happened again.

+1. My dumbest moment, however, was probably when I rolled the VFR off the centerstand. Right after I had removed the rear wheel. D'oh!!

Yes, about $500 too high. If he wants a grand, he can part it out on eBay!

Numb hand syndrome is common, often caused by supporting too much of your upper body with your arms.

+1. Belfry and Bad Boy have it right, IMO. Many of us (myself included) often put too much weight on the bars when we ride. I have to make a conscious effort to support my upper body weight with my core muscles, and keep a light touch on the grips. It takes focus, effort and practice, but it does get easier and feels right. You really should be able to take your hands off your grips at any point and not have your upper body fall forward. The added benefit of being able to keep weight off your wrists is that the light touch makes the for a much easier to control. Just try it and see! "Buzziness" really becomes almost a non-issue.

I tried a throttle-rocker and really disliked it, seemed to be in the way. I have a Throttlemeister installed, but rarely use it, even on longer days. Does come in handy on long rides to occasionally shake out the hand and wrist and give your throttle hand a break. But with the above method you won't need it much.

Thinking it might be the battery - has it been replaced? If it's more than 3 years old, take it to a local shop and get it load tested. Also possible the R/R starting to fail, though at 11,000 miles that would be a very early failure, but between the bike's age and the fact you are in a warm area of the country, that might lead to that type of early failure.

Also, be sure to check the connector at the starter relay, should be in front of the battery. I've posted about that twice in the last couple of weeks - mine had failed, though I'd been good about checking the other connectors.

Asphault, where is that specific relay? The only obvious relays I have seen are for the vfrness accessory fuse block.

I have a 4th gen, so I'm not sure if it's the same on your bike, but chances are good that it's right in front of the battery. Under a rubber cap, in my case. If you bypassed the connector and went directly to the battery and didn't get much difference, this connector is probably not the problem. But worth checking anyway. I think you're on the right track with the stator.

Good luck! Sucks to have your trip interrupted with electrical issues. Been there, done that, not fun. But my motto has become: "It's all part of the adventure!" (need to put that in as my tag line)

Be sure to check the connector to the starter relay as well. Recently had mine go bad in a very short period of time (though to be honest I hadn't been checking it as I should have been - always paid a lot of attention to the ground and R/R connectors, but not this one - that was a mistake).

My R/R and wires were hot to the touch after the bike was running only a few minutes - mainly because it had nowhere to dump the power, since it wasn't getting to the bike's electrical system. Cut off the connector and crimped on some quick-disconnect terminals, and good to go (just a temporary fix until my new connector arrives from wiremybike.com).

Be sure to check the connector to the starter relay!

Not sure where you ended up on this, but it sounded like you were assuming the R/R was bad, because the stator checked out but the bike wasn't charging. Did you check the R/R using the multimeter? Just because the bike isn't charging and the stator is good, don't make the mistake of assuming it's the R/R. Yes, they fail. But they are not the only thing that will cause that symptom.

The starter relay connector sits on top of the relay, right in front of the battery. It's easy to neglect this connector, but they also get corroded, develop high resistance, and then will heat up and even start to melt (ask me how I know). If this connector is bad, then the R/R has to shed a LOT of extra power as heat, which could cause the R/R to fail also - so they could both be bad.

Also - R/R failures can be intermittent (I've had two that were). Sometimes a failure will show up when hot, sometimes at random.

The best advice I can give: keep connectors clean, and install a VOLTMETER!

Yeah, probably. One thing I have learned through decades of riding and several motorcycles is that it is very easy to over-lube the chain. Most of us (me included) just put way too much on there.

Regardless of how much you put on, one key to long chain - and sprocket - life is to make sure you WIPE OFF the excess - aggressively. Otherwise you just collect dirt and debris, generating a nice grinding paste.

Recently I've gone for elegant and simple - I just carry a small dropper bottle of 90 wt gear lube. a drop or two on each link, and wipe the excess off. Very tidy, actually.

FYI...Ram makes a center stem mount kit that includes the ball and everything you need to mount. It has a rubber insert that goes in the hole and expands as you tighten to create grip. Costs about $14 retail. Works well.

Glory, I tried this kit (on my '94) but wasn't impressed with the result - was not very solid, to the point I was concerned about it pulling out. The fit just seemed way too loose. Maybe I was being paranoid?

And yes Crazybrother, nicely done!

Get a new RR in ASAP.

+1 on everything said. I've had R/R's fail in both modes - undercharging AND overcharging. The battery will cook quickly at 18+ volts, which your system may well be applying to it.

Also be sure to check the R/R connector. If the R/R is generating a lot of heat, it may have cooked the connector as well. Honda sells a replacement kit.

I've never heard of a repair shop willing to plug a tire. Just too much liability for a $10 fix.

That being said, it's an easy repair if he is willing to learn and do it himself. I'd suggest one of the motorcycle-specific plug kits. It's worked well for me, and I never leave home on my VFR without one.

Before plugging a "good" tire, I practiced on an old tire that I had laying around after a change. That helped increase my confidence with the repair, so maybe he can find an old tire to practice on.

Suggestions needed:

I agree with Seb -- 'Stich would seem to fit your needs perfectly. However, it's a pricey option if you just need occasional rain protection, or can't afford to buy a new riding suit.

I'd seriously consider a First Gear rain suit. I have the FG Rainman rain suit, and it has provided me with literally thousands of miles of excellent protection in the rain. (See it here). I paid about $110 for the whole suit at a dealer years ago -- looks like they are about the same online now. The jacket and pants pack in integrated stuff sacks, and pack relatively small. I stash them in the lower compartment of my tank bag. They have never failed to keep me dry. Also have a nice stand-up collar with soft lining that will keep your neck warm and dry.

My only complaint is that the arms flap some in the wind at high speeds -- would like to see a velcro adjuster of some sort on the upper arms. But that is a minor complaint.

Avoid the cheap rain suits. In my experience, they just won't last. If you just want it for occasional use, well, that's your call. But remember that you usually find out how cheap they are when you need them most.

I like my leathers, but when/if it comes time to replace them, I'll be thinking hard about a 'Stich to make my commute easier.

I have been looking into Volt Gauge options, and it seems Datel is the common choice. I see nothing about this being a waterproof meter however. I am guessing because it is solid state, and generally flush mounted that water isn't a problem?

Second question, and more pertinent....is there a reason people use the rectangle ones instead of round ones? Radar and I were talking, and round ones would be easier to install I would think.

I have a Datel model, and it is waterproof. Not just "splashproof". I'd have to do some research to look up the part number, but it was definitely spec'd waterproof. The model I have mounts in a panel with a bezel (optional) with rubber gasket. The unit is fully sealed, including potting on the back. The only potential issue with water is that the wire attachment screw posts are exposed. I have *never* had an issue, despite the fact that I have ridden in a lot of heavy rain. If you were concerned with that, you could always dab silicone on the back of the terminals. Pic of mine installed below. I also posted a web page documenting my installation and parts, click here.

As someone mentioned, LED is a big plus if you ride at night. I used to have an I4C LCD meter, and I started to lose my r/r intermittently on a long, multi-day ride. When it started to go, I had several hours of night riding to make my destination. It was a royal pain to try and read the LCD by the occasional streetlight or pull out the flashlight, in order to see if I was gonna be stranded somewhere.

I bought several Datel meters as part of a group buy I organized for the VFR list a few years back. I really like the unit. (In fact, I think I still have an extra if anyone wants one -- I'll have to check. About $40 including bezel, gasket, mounting screws, etc.)

Cutting out the rectangle took some time, but really wasn't hard. I practiced on a spare piece of damaged bodywork I had laying around. I used the meter to trace the outline. Then made cuts with a dremel tool, finished the corners with a hacksaw blade, then used a file to clean up the edges and fine tune the size of the hole. Made my own harness from some 18 gage wire (I think), using a 2-pin connector I bought at Radio Shack (for easy disconnection if bodywork needed to be removed).

Datel installed in the left panel on my '94 below. Hit me up with any questions. (Goofy Heat-troller labels now gone)

Chatter Box had a series of defective batteries that they replaced for free, can't remember if it's the light green or dark green battery packs that are faulty. That won't help you now, if it was earlier in the week I could send you one.

Hey Bailey thanks for the thought, anyway.

Well, looks like I got lucky with my other unit -- the battery actually took a charge :D And my original unit has a good replacement pack that I bought earlier. I didn't think this one would take the charge, but I left it in overnight and it looks like it is working!

Thanks for the info on the defective batteries -- I hadn't heard that. The battery that was bad was definitely in a green shrink wrap case. I doubt they would honor it anyway, as it is well over a year old. Plus their manual states that to preserve batteries, you should perform a discharge/recharge cycle once every 30 days. Of course I didn't do that -- especially in the off-season! I mean, I ride in the winter, but not usually with communicators . . . and out of sight, out of mind.

Thanks again folks.

I'm sure you won't have it by the weekend, but at least you'll have a new battery. Do you have the 12 volt charger, the one you can wire up to your bike and charge the chatterbox on the road? I'm not sure but maybe you could put the bad battery in the one that is hooked up to the charger and run it like that.

I don't think that works -- I've tried it before. I have the on-board power supply on my bike and my wife's, and rarely use the c-box on battery alone. I guess the on-board power supply must work through the battery somehow, though, since the unit won't work if the batteries are toast, even with the external supply connected. :blink:

Good suggestion, though. Maybe I'll try it again, just to see if I did something wrong the last time I tried it. I've learned to never assume I did something right if it doesn't work out!

Thanks

I'm trying to find a battery alternative for my Chatterbox X1 GMRS/FRS unit. I'd just order one on-line, but I'm planning a trip this weekend with a friend and was going to loan him my 2nd Chatterbox to use, but the battery pack is stone-dead and won't take a charge.

The Chatterbox uses a battery pack that is shrink-wrapped together. I thought it might be simply some AA-sized rechargable NiMH batteries, but when I took off the covering it turned out to be an assembly of four odd-shaped batteries.

The batteries are NiMH, about 5/8" diameter by 1" long (17mm x 22mm). I believe they are each 1.2V, since the markings on the pack indicated 4.8V. At this point I'm planning on heading to the local Radio Shack to see if I can pick up some replacements and wire them together along with the lead and plug from the existing battery pack.

Anyone have any other ideas?

If I can't find them, I guess I'll just order a replacement from Newenough.com. They have them at a reasonable price, about $13 I think.

I think numerous people have the givi-shake regardless of steering bearings? Maybe not? Thanks for the info.

Yes. But new bearings seemed to help in my case. As did dropping the front 10 mm, and getting rid of front tires that cupped badly (think Dunlop D207s). Also try to keep the loads low - CofG matters (hard with Givis, I know).

When you have a chance, I'd change the bearings. It's easier than you might think.

Marc

My question is do the side bags hold a helmet? And does the rear case take up some passenger room?.

I have the E360's, and though they are a bit smaller than the E41s, they can hold my Shoei -- IF you take out the (relatively useless) document holder. I removed the holder from one of my sidecases and left in the other (though I never use it for documents).

As SLO97 said, the regular Givi rack allows full passenger accommodations.

SLO, good thing you have the standard mirrors -- your bike looks almost exactly like mine! (Black, double-bubble, stock exhaust, Givi setup). Thanks for the post, I have been thinking about a topcase to go with my E360's and this is helpful.

Marc