Lorne

I used a set of ST1300 throttle cables, but had enough clearance with the electrical & hydraulic lines by rerouting. Unlike some of the other guys I couldn't make the original throttle cables work.

Wow, sorry I didn't respond back in August. To answer your question, yes. The bar end weights reduced vibration almost as much again as changing to tubular bars. Plus, they added a finished look to the conversion.

Au contraire, mon ami, early Suzuki GSX-R750s for example, had three hollow spokes that would be very easy to clean. Don't look as nice as Honda's designs but show that other affordable options exist.

Here is the third Honda V4 GP bike, again from MCN Australia, this time Michael Doohan's 1994 NSR500. Time marches on, as do sponsors which explains the lacklustre graphics. Mechanically the bikes improved every year and in 1994 the NSR took Mick to the first of 5 consecutive championships. 1994 was also my first visit to a GP race, the USA round at Laguna Seca, California, where Doohan finished 3rd - his lowest finish of the year. Doohan's '94 NSR500

Here's another Honda GP bike, again from Australian Motorcycle News. This time it's one of Eddie Lawson's 1989 NSR500s: Lawson's '89 NSR500 Very pretty, and pretty damned serious bit of kit.

Motorcycle News Australia has a lovely photo feature about Wayne Gardner's 1987 Honda NSR500. These Honda GP bikes are spiritual cousins to the VF/VFR street bikes, despite sharing nothing with each other. Gardner's '87 NSR500

That's perhaps a bit harsh. Between the gentrified developments complaining about the very existence of Laguna Seca and the feckless Monterey County board of supervisors it'd be tough for anyone to do better. Monterey County have, in a very suspicious manner, dumped SCRAMP as managers for Laguna Seca: Monterey County sham Don't forget that SCRAMP built Laguna Seca more than 60 years ago on what was then US Army land that was later deeded to the county. By contrast, COTA has benefitted from a very sweet deal with the state of Texas - not that there's anything wrong with that. I know that many -most - of you have never had the fortune to visit Laguna Seca. It is a beautiful place to see a race, though not always with the most exciting racing. Set in a bowl-like valley with grassy slopes dotted with oak trees, and if you clamber up top there are lovely vistas in every direction. You can walk beside the track almost the whole way 'round, and often find yourself mere feet from the racers. There is plenty of accommodation within 30 minutes of the facility, though I prefer Pacific Grove/Monterey. On Saturday night in Monterey they close Cannery Row to car traffic but there'll be hundreds of motorcycles displayed all along the street. Also great for people watching - all sizes, shapes, and colours. Also, Northern California has some fantastic motorcycling roads that those with a few extra days vacation can entertain themselves with. MotoAmerica has a tentative date of July 10-12, 2020 so fingers' crossed there'll be some on-track action at Laguna Seca next year.

Thanks, Miguel, it never occurred to me that map data would be so troublesome. You work hard enough on VFRD so don't give it another thought.

I noticed that location data isn't available in a photo's EXIF info. I know that it needs to be encoded to the file before uploading, and I do so for all my images. Then when uploading there was an option to display it or not. What am I missing? signed, Blind in Toledo

Jimmy, two months on and I’ve yet to do a proper write-up of my summer trip. In the meantime how about a video of one of my favourite roads, northern California’s Monitor Pass. Monitor Pass - 2003 & 2014 comparison Monitor Pass - 2014 westside ascent I took another turn over Monitor Pass this summer. Located in the Sierra Nevada mountains, it lies north of Yosemite NP and south of Lake Tahoe. Pine and aspen forest on the west side make way for sage and grassland on the east. The summit offers a nearly mile long straight across an old dry lake, perfect for those wishing to calibrate their speedo. Do stop at the viewpoint, a short ways down the east side, to enjoy a refreshing beverage and take in the view of Antelope Valley, Topaz lake, and the Sweetwater Mountains. Gives you time to decide to carry on or retrace your route. My preference is to ride eastbound, but that may be because it better suits my trip planning. The road itself is good fun, fairly open and with no tricky corners. In my experience it is lightly trafficked and has always been well paved. The pretty scenery encourages a slower pace with plenty of stops. One of these times I might do so. There’s plenty of choice for accommodation nearby: South Lake Tahoe & Carson City to the North, Placerville, Jackson, and Sonora to the west, and Bridgeport to the south. While you’re in the area you really ought to take in some of the other nearby passes: Carson Pass - Hwy 88, Ebbetts Pass - Hwy 4, Sonora Pass - Hwy 108 (my favourite), as well as Tioga Pass on Hwy 120 through Yosemite NP. That was a long-winded intro to the video mentioned above. A couple years ago I put together a side-by-side comparison of my 2003 (’98 VTR1000) and 2014 (’09 VFR800) crossings. I fudged the timing a wee bit to better match them, but overall my pace was very similar. And there is a ‘glitch’ in the 2014 vid where I edited a stop at the viewpoint.

There's a British firm that specialize in dent repair. Worth checking out their videos to see what a pro can do: Motorcycle Dent Removal