YamaGeezer

Depends on model year and your how uncomfortable you are.  My 2015 seat was so bad for me (hard and square) my legs would begin to go numb within 100 miles.  According to others on this forum,  future later model seats are better, but not great.  If you are focusing on your discomfort, you're not paying attention to what you should.  Comfort=safety.  YMMV.

Ride Safe

On 12/31/2020 at 11:36 PM, YamaGeezer said:

It's raining tonight and all tomorrow (New Year's Day).  I have a ride planned with a couple buddies on Saturday.  Should be able to get in a few hours and North Georgia roads should be good.  Hope everyone else gets to ride.  

Happy New Year & Ride Safe!  

 

Update (OK, so it's January 2nd) - got in about 100 miles on nice mountain roads.  No sand from winter road treatments and lots of other bikes out in North GA.  Mostly sunny with weather in the mid 60's F.  I hope everyone who can gets out to ride soon.  

Ride Safe.  

It's raining tonight and all tomorrow (New Year's Day).  I have a ride planned with a couple buddies on Saturday.  Should be able to get in a few hours and North Georgia roads should be good.  Hope everyone else gets to ride.  

Happy New Year & Ride Safe!  

 

I bought a FirstGear Kilimanjaro last spring.  It's vents better than you would expect and has been comfortable into the low 80 degree F temps.  I goes over my heated liner well for cold weather.  I still switch to mesh gear for the hottest part of the year here in Georgia.  After a couple thousand miles, I really like this jacket.  Got mine at Revzilla on sale for about $380.  

To celebrate turning 60, I chased some sport bikes across Wolfpen gap on the Suches (Georgia, USA) loop.  Drug the pegs a lot and the children on the sport bikes were surprised to see gray hair when we stopped to chat. 

I think that's the last time I will do that (on purpose).  I've noticed dumb things seem to be taking longer to heal than they used to 🙃  !

Ride Safe!  

I have lifted the front wheel on my 2015 FJ-09 by using the center stand and having a patient friend sit on the pillion.  It's not too hard to lift the front that way.  If I were to work on a Niken, I have an engine lift I use in my shop for cars.  I think it would be easy to rig a loop under the front suspension of a Niken and lift it while on the center stand.  Since you can purchase engine lifts fairly cheap that can be folded up when not in use (got mine for $199 on sale), this might be another option.  

Ride Safe.  

Just curious if anyone has ever tried one of these?  I have been thinking about adding one under my seat as an easy way to simplify wiring for my Lighting, Aux Horn, Heated Seat, etc - etc - 

  Looks interesting, even though it is intended for use on automobiles.  

 

Ride Safe?  

Hope to meet up sometime, Kaptain.  TWOS is a regular stop for me.  For anyone who hasn't tried out the roads nearby, you are missing out.  

Ride Safe - 

Where are you riding this fall to enjoy the cooler weather and beautiful scenery?  

I just finished a 4-day fall color ride with about a dozen friends.  We rented a house near the Cumberland Gap and traveled through Tennessee, Kentucky, and Virginia.  Great weather, roads, and company.  Leaves are just starting to turn but the views and curves made for a great time.  We did about 850 miles with most of them NOT on the center of the tire tread.  I hope everyone can get out and do a little high-lean-angle social distancing.  

Ride Safe!  

A friend works in IT - this is his t-shirt.  

FYI - Denali sells a dedicated wiring harness.  Well worth the investment and made my install simple.  

 

Ride Safe - 

 

An added trick - mix some liquid dish soap in the water but stir it in gently so as not to make too many bubbles.  This makes bubbles on the tire easy to see, as it rotates out of the water.  Even a tiny leak will make a ball of foam that looks like frog eggs.  Good Luck - 

I purchased an inexpensive store brand cover from Cycle Gear a few years ago.  It has held up surprisingly well.  My logic is to put the spendy parts on the bike, but use cheap covers.  My BILT cover screams cheap, even though it does the job.  When my bike is parked at a hotel or campground, surrounded by other covered bikes proudly proclaiming BMW, etc.  I figure a thief will look under the over covers first.   - YMMV.  

Ride Safe! 

I have a new Shoei RF-SR and took it for a first ride this weekend, about 200 miles.  I was in a Bell Vortex (I prefer SNELL rated helmets) for the last couple years so that's my baseline.  The Shoei is MUCH quieter and I had much less turbulence.  The venting seems OK, but I need to get some hot weather riding in before I make a final judgement.  My large helmet fits very well and I added the Transitions visor and my Sena 20s without any problems.  Since my FJ has a windscreen on it, I traded bikes with a friend during the ride and tried some miles on a naked CB 1100.  I could hear the whoosh of wind, but no low frequency rumbling like I did in the Bell.  I'll write more as I get more experience but for now, I think this one is a worthwhile upgrade.   

I need a mug.  I work at a tech company and am surrounded daily by 20-somethings.  As the TOD (Token Old Dude) I like reminding everyone I ride!   

Question, the horn is still activated by the original horn button and you wire in a relay to the battery or a another power source[span] ?[/span]

I don't have the Steibel, rather the Denali SoundBomb Split Dual-Tone Air Horn from Twisted Throttle. http://www.twistedthrottle.com/denali-soundbomb-split-dual-tone-air-horn For an extra $27, you can get the plug-and-play harness with the relay. Great bang for the buck, and allows for remote location of the compressor. Got mine mounted under the seat in the
unusable storage area under the saddle bridge. Horns mount up front for a clear blast pattern.

I can echo peporter on the Soundbomb.  My riding buddies heard it on the open road and have threatened bodily harm if I ever use it in a tunnel.  Amazing to get that much sound from a bike horn.   
Ride Safe

Has anyone ever just put extra weight on the pillion to raise the front tire while on the centerstand?

I have Givi bars on my bike but thankfully haven't needed them. My son's Versys also has the Gigi's. the bike was recently ran into while parked and knocked over. The bike was damaged but the bars saved the engine from any damage. Sliders would not have offered the same level of protection, this time.

Installed a new Sargent rider's seat. I never ride 2-up so the pillion was not necessary. Had to take all plastics off the left side of the bike to run the wires. Also made a bracket for the controller using Sargent's template. Everything looks great. Can't wait to try out a long ride. I'll add more photos of the seat when I can get out into the sunshine.  
 
 

 

 

I received my new seat.  It's a Sargent Sport Plus and I ordered the front only, with heat.  Can't wait to get it installed and try it out.  The high temp today (in Georgia!) stayed in the 30s.  Looks like I'll get my chance this weekend.  
 
Ride Safe!