daboo

I bought a Sena 10C several years ago at about this time of the year. I found a place selling Sena BT products at a discount. The 10C was about $10 more than the 20S at the time, so I bought it. I didn't plan to take videos, but figured I might as well take advantage of the opportunity. After buying the 10C, I found many people used theirs as a "dash" cam. The problem with that is that you wear it out. Not the internal electronics, but the power connector. I could hookup a USB cable to the bottom rear of the unit (it's the only one I know of that can be powered while using it), and I'd get all day recording. But the connection isn't made to take that kind of use and eventually it started going bad. I bought a Halocam M1 also and have found it to be great. Specs look like it is identical to the INNOVV K2, but at a fraction of the price. Like Paul, I had some issues with the first unit, but the customer service at Halocam was easy to deal with and replaced it at no cost to me. The nice part of this is it is "install and forget". You power on the bike and it starts up. Turn off the bike, and it shuts down. Video quality isn't perfect, but it is on par with early action cams, and definitely good enough to record an accident or road rage incident. One nice thing about it for recording riding videos is the point of view. I have mine mounted under the headlight (and under the luggage rack in the rear), and you really get the effect of taking a corner. A helmet mounted camera loses some of that effect because you tend to keep your head level. But if the bike is leaning over at 30 degrees, the video is recording the same. The difference is noticeable. I was able to get a warranty replacement for my Sena 10C and now have the Pro version. I like it, though I don't use it as a dash camera anymore. What I'll often do, is to start the video when I know that I'm getting to a place that will be fun. You can take snap shots while recording. I'll use those just as book marks to tell me to look for a single frame to save around that time. A nice benefit of a helmet mounted camera like that, is there are times when it isn't safe or practical to stop to take a picture. Here's two pictures that I wouldn't have taken without the Sena 10C. You can point out the distortions of the pictures, but I wouldn't have taken any picture without the Sena 10C. And this is better than no picture. There are a couple problems with recording riding videos and publishing them. One is space. I don't know what YouTube does now, but at one time the only way you could post a quality video, was by using up your "free" space. Perhaps it has changed now. I realized that it wouldn't take long, and you'd be paying monthly fees to keep your videos posted...and that wasn't worthwhile to me. The other thing, was the time. If you've never edited videos for public viewing, you have no idea of the hours you can suck up in getting a short video ready to publish. Chris

I ride with Kawasaki C14 riders and they have a similar problem. It sounds great on the showroom floor. Just have a key fob somewhere nearby and the bike runs. But I've read of people who swap bikes and ride away. When they started, the key fobs were close enough that the bikes ran great. When they split up and stopped, the required key fob was no where near. The bikes were dead. Swell.... Chris

When I first read this, I thought you were saying they got rid of the CAN-BUS. That alone would be worth it and a major selling point. Some people like all the gadgets. Like Ride Modes, Dynamic ESA (Electronic Supension Adjustment) and the like. Me...I like my motorcycles much simpler. I toggle through the display options on my F800GT and (don't laugh!) I get the average speed, average MPG, instantaneous MPG and temperature. That's it. But that's all I really care about. I've done some extensive test rides on both the R1200RS and RT. I didn't find the Dynamic ESA on them to be any better for handling than my rudimentary three-position electronic suspension adjustment. Sometimes the fancier electronic gadgets are just that...fancier. Not necessarily better. I do find it humorous that a selling point of the F800GT was that the gas tank is below the seat for lower CG. And on the F900XR, they put the gas tank up high again. Why is it a selling point in both cases? If you believe the marketing folks, they'll sell you anything. I personally like the belt drive on the F800GT. It's definitely a plus. At 49,000 miles, it still looks like new. I can come in from a rain soaked commute, or touring a 10 hour day, and not have to clean or lube a chain in a motel parking lot. I can understand the new XR not having a belt...it's the cheapest driveline solution and can take any amount of rear-wheel power you put to it. But a lot of members on the F800Riders forum are not enthralled with the F900XR because of the belt being dropped. I'm not a "BMW" man. I've owned three Suzuki's, two Hondas and now this BMW. I almost had a Yamaha. The cool thing I would think for you guys, is you have the standard by which all the other bikes are measured by. When anyone thinks of a bike in this category, yours is the one that everyone thinks of first. Chris

As someone who test rode the FJ-09 and F800GT...and went with the F800GT...I just chuckle when I read about the "pathetic" engine. Especially after last summer when I had no problem keeping up with bikes putting out about 160 hp at the rear wheel over hundreds of twisty miles. But it isn't the engine the FJ-09 or Tracer GT has. That would be sweet. I'm looking forward to the comparative reviews. I think Yamaha did a great job with the FJ-09 and made it even better with the Tracer GT. BMW will have a high standard to try to beat. And the Tracer engine is superb. The fun part will be to see how the entire bike fares. As for the engine comparisons, that will be interesting to see how they compare. Hp is higher on the Tracer's engine, but torque is slightly higher on the BMW's. In real world riding, which works best? And the cost difference will be interesting to see. From what I've seen, dealers don't stock anything but fully optioned ($$$) models. As my parents used to do, this is "window shopping" for me. I'm short; my F800GT fits me like a glove. And it is paid for.

I agree and think the total bike is important. There was a video on YouTube that I saw a couple years ago with a rider on a Kawasaki adventure bike, I think. About a 650, if I remember right. Just looking at the specs, he was totally outclassed. But he passed bike after bike that had far more power than he did and better specs. He just knew how to ride.

Great write up; I really enjoyed reading it. Far better than a "professional" write up in a motorcycle magazine where they regurgitate the manufacturer's press release. I chuckled at this. I suspect if you lose respect for the bike, you will end up in a hospital at best. On the BMW F800GT forum, a member there today compared his S1000RR to a F800GT. And of course, the S1000RR comes out ahead. Gosh, what would anyone expect? The S1000RR was designed to compete in the Superbike World Championship and has only gotten better. (You bought a great bike!) The FJ-09 and F800GT are designed to a price point. The F-09 does a phenomenal job, but it is like comparing apples to oranges. I do find comments about the F800GT having lackluster performance amusing. Back in 2016, I tested both the FJ-09 and F800GT before buying the BMW. The BMW fit me like a glove (I'm short) and I didn't see me riding in stop-n-go Seattle rush hour traffic with the FJ-09's throttle. It seemed "snatchy" to me. It's just personal choices, and the Tracer GT is on my short list if I ever need to replace the F800GT. I do find this forum great; it's like "window shopping". Maybe someday... Back to performance. Soon after buying my GT, I took it up to Hurricane Ridge. For those not familiar with the area, you end up passing through a town called Sequim. It's known for it's radar traps. I was riding with a Ducati owner and saw two state patrol vehicles off on the side of the road. I glanced down at my speedometer thinking I was doing something like 60 in a 55...and saw I was doing 90 mph. The bike was so smooth at that speed that I had no idea I was going that fast. I'm just lucky they weren't interested in pulling us over that day. I think a lot of the impression the bike is lacking in performance is simply that nothing stands out when riding it fast. It just does what it does without any muss or fuss. The Michigan State Police tested the bike for their fleet and it clocked at 139 mph. It can't be that underpowered. But compared to the engine on the FJ-09/Tracer GT...yeah, it isn't as powerful. I did a lot of riding this summer with riders on bikes that are putting about 150 hp to the rear wheel. They rode faster than anyone I've been with before on some little traveled backroads in central Oregon. I had no problem keeping up, or even catching them when I slowed to look at the scenery. It just took dropping a gear or two and keeping the throttle above 5000 rpms. I came to a conclusion that there's a limit to how much hp you can use in corners and even how much acceleration you want to do on the straights. The excess is just great for marketing brochures and bragging rights. Back to your review. Again, I enjoyed it a lot. It is excellent. I think there are some S1000RR forums that will give you more details on the maintenance. You'll probably want to pick up a GS-911 or the new Motoscan tool. There are different models of the GS-911. You'll want to make sure if you buy one that it will connect to your RR. The new wi-fi version will work. Good luck on the new bike! Chris

What's wrong with the brake lines that came with the bike? Chris

Until recently, I've always had the dealer mount and balance my new tires. I had probably an ounce or so on the rim of stick on weights. I'm guessing on the amount, because I didn't look closely at the numbers on the weights when I took them off. My dealer raised his prices significantly and it pissed me off. Yeah, I can afford to pay what they charge, but it was the principle to me. So I bought the Motion Pro 08-0536 BeadPro Forged Steel Tire Bead Breaker and Lever Tool Set. It works. The next step though, was balancing the wheels. The options I saw were: Buy a static wheel balancer. I'm cheap though and wanted to avoid not only the cost, but the storage space it would take in my garage. Balance beads or something similar. Ride-on Nothing I ended up using balance beads. The tires I put on rode extremely smooth. I was a happy camper. That was in May. In August, I changed tires again. This time, I didn't put anything in the tires. The tires I put on ride extremely smooth. I'm still a happy camper. So...why did I "need" the stick on weights originally when the dealership was changing the tires? I have no clue. I suspect the balance beads spread out as they are supposed to...but weren't needed. There's discussion on other forums about tire and wheel balancing. Word back from the tire manufacturers are that the quality standards are so high nowadays that the tires don't need balancing. If balancing is needed, it is for the bike's wheel. My recommendation is to install the tire. If there's a "dot" on it, put the dot near the valve stem. If there's no dot, just install it. See how it rides. If you need balancing, then use either beads or Ride-On. Ride-On (and probably Slime) will work under the same principle as the beads do. The material shifts to balance the tire. If the tire gets a puncture, you have a chance to repair the leak with the Ride-On installed. I'd be a little leery of using it, if you don't put on many miles. I've used Slime in the past and it worked well. But then I rode it daily. By the time the tire was changed, the Slime had become tacky in the tread area of the tire. If I had let the bike sit for six months of the year...would it have become a tacky lump in the bottom of the tire? Ride-On says it will balance your tire. Does it stay liquid? Or does it become tacky over time like Slime? I don't know. The balance beads seem to be fine. The only downside is that if you get a puncture, you can't use something like Ride-On or Slime. I would think it would cause the beads to clump. Chris

You might want to wire in a dimmer control that puts them down to about 20% on low beam and up to 100% on high beam.

It would depend on what he's comparing it to. Comparing it to the FJ-09 or Tracer, it would come up short in those rpms.

I thought this was a FJ-09 Tracer forum, not a Harley forum. 🙄

Unless it was the R1200GS or R1250GS. They have a shaft drive. Handling at speed will probably vary depending on the tires. It would be interesting to see a comparison of the two with the same rubber.

I haven't washed a Bilt jacket, but I do with my Olympia jackets and pants. I just take the armor out and put them in the washer. I use a full amount of soap in there, plus Oxi-Clean. It seems to do just as good as putting them in the laundry tub and hand washing them. I would run them through the wash cycle twice. Once to wash, and the second time to thoroughly get rid of the soap. Soap is designed to attract and hold dirt. If you have a hi-vis jacket, rinsing it might help keep it from looking dirty quite as quickly. Chris

Even different profile tires that are new will have different characteristics. Some will fall into a corner more than others. I like to look at bikes, but usually walk away happy with what I have. I did an hour long test ride on a R1200RS, and liked it. But all the time I was thinking I'd have to change this and change that...just to get it to the place where my own bike was already. And I look at the difference of the money I'd get for selling my bike and how much the new bike is...plus those farkles...and realize I'd be spending a LOT of money and getting very little back in performance or comfort. Chris

Common Thread review. 2016 BMW S1000XR review - RevZilla A tightwad American runs an expensive German machine through the... Chris

Just a couple thoughts... First, there's a weight limitation for loads on the rack. That weight limitation includes the weight of the top box. Buying the high end top boxes, will put you very near that weight limitation, leaving you very little capacity (in weight, not volume). That of course, depends on whether you'll pay attention to the load limitation. I've seen scooters in Asia with three generations of the family on them, or carrying huge loads that we would think crazy. And they do that daily. I've used the Bestem top boxes in the past. Light weight. Strong though. I've put a Costco sized box of bird seed in the back many times and it held up fine. Givi makes two different lines. The Monolock and the Monokey. The Monolock is lighter...and yet heavier than the Bestem boxes. Some shy away from the Monolock top boxes because...well, it isn't as robust, strong, etc. Well, it's a lot heavier than the Bestem top box and that worked extremely well. All you gain IMHO from a Monokey is the added weight that takes away from your load carrying capacity. And it costs more. The Givi E450NA is pretty decent. Streamlined. It'll hold two helmets. Looks good. Inexpensive too, compared to the Monokey boxes. I had the Givi E470 once. It leaked. The front of the box was tall, compared to the rear. From the rear, it looked great, but from the front, it was a barn door trying to cut through the wind. The previous owner of my bike installed a Givi E460N. It doesn't look good in pictures on websites, but looks good in real life. Again, it'll hold two helmets. I like how it doesn't have that barn door effect either. Chris

I've dropped my Shoei Neotec and it hit the curb at a gas station on the top rear. All it did was to scuff the shell surface. The shell is still intact and the Styrofoam underneath looks perfect. That surprised me. My inner pads didn't smell at all, but they seemed very compressed. I was at the point where I was going to replace them and decided to take them out prior to a long ride and wash them. After they dried, they fit like new again. That surprised me too. I'm not sure when I'll replace my Neotec. I bought it on 2/19/16. That puts it a bit over three years old. It's seen temps in the 20's and over 100. It's used virtually every day. Right now, except for a couple scuffs, it seems perfect. But if you have an itch to buy a new helmet and have the $$$... Chris

Batteries are "commodity" type items. In other words, there isn't any rocket science to them. One is about the same as the other. What I do is to find out what the model number and specs are (CCA) of the OEM battery. Then I do a search for a replacement. You'll find the model designation of the off-brands match the model designation of the OEM battery. Then check the CCA. Lastly, look at the user reviews. If it is a cheap lousy battery, it'll show up there. My last battery cost me $50 and is just fine. Chris

I've used the Dunlop Roadsmart 3 tires on my bike twice now. I like them. Because of a recommendation from a friend, I just installed some Continental Road Attack 3 tires. They seem to be very good also. I haven't really encountered much for wet travel since installing them, but the reviews say they are good in wet conditions too. And I think there's still a $60 rebate on them. Chris

I test rode both the FJ-09 and F800GT. One of the reasons I ended up with the F800GT was the belt drive. In reality, a belt drive doesn't add any more weight or complexity. It's a geared pulley in front and a geared pulley in the rear. Just like a chain and sprockets. With 41K on my F800GT, I'm still on the original belt. There's advantages and disadvantages to a belt. First, you don't have to think about it. There's no lubing or adjustment once installed. As a commuter, you park the bike in the garage dripping wet from the ride home. Go out the next morning and ride away. A belt drive though isn't a good idea for a bike that gets taken off-road a lot. I'll bet most FJ09/Tracers never go off road though. But the design allows for it. And Yamaha I'm sure, thought of that. If you go off road with a belt drive, you can get a rock stuck under the belt that will punch a hole in the belt. Usually that isn't disastrous, but it will shorten the life of the belt. Chris

I wouldn't look at how many liters a top case will give you, but just the dimensions. Most advertisements will give you the dimensions (LxWxH). Sometimes they'll give you both the exterior and interior dimensions. Just compare that to the dimensions of your laptop bag and you'll know it'll fit. I've only carried a backpack a couple times. I like the freedom of not having the additional weight on my back and the extra cooling you get when not having something on your back in the summer. So for me, I prefer both a top case and side cases. My right side case has all my spare clothes and some extras like a spare light bulb. The left case is open then for when I stop at the store on the way home. Same with the top case. I don't like the idea of commuting on my bike, and then stopping home to pick up the car to buy some milk and eggs. I'm using a Givi 460E Monokey. It's big enough to be useful, and not so big it dwarfs my bike. Chris

I'm looking at new tires for my own bike. I've been running Dunlop Roadsmart IIIs twice now. I like them. Grip is good. Dry grip is a given. But wet traction is not. They've done well in all-year commuting in Seattle. One thing I really like is how there is some tread crossing the middle of the tire. With most of the wear in the center, it gives a good indication of the amount of tread left. Dunlop has a rebate going on till the end of April. Another tire I'm looking closely at is the Continental Road Attack 3. Also highly rated for traction in the wet. And it has a rebate currently too. Both tires should be good for longevity. On my current bike, I'll probably get 12-13K out of the rear. I'm at 11K now with about 4/32 left in the center tread area. When I look at the prices and the benefits of all the tires in this category, I can't see the benefit of the Road 5. The difference between them and others is not much, but there's a good sized difference in price. Chris

I've never been in a crash at speed, but I can learn from those who have. There's some things in life that you don't have to learn the hard way...like buying good gloves. Chris

When my mother died, I felt like she went through a door where there was a big party going on. The door was closed to me for now, but later I will join her. I hope and pray you too will feel like that. You have memories. Beautiful ones that you can treasure. Those are precious. Chris

Actually, my Gerbing heated gloves keep my fingers dry. The exposure time though is limited to about an hour at a time. My riding during the winter months is primarily commuting, not pleasure. I have some Tourmaster Epic boots that keep my feet dry. I ended up buying two pairs...the normal Epic boot for colder months and the "Air" version for the summer. I've read some comments about water going down the neck. When you're buying a jacket, look at the collar. For instance the Tourmaster Transition jackets are very similar to the Olympia jackets...but the collar isn't as high. I've never had water go down my neck with my Olympia AST2 or Ranger jackets. Chris