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FJR-09


keithu

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10 minutes ago, betoney said:

@keithu - Is the Rally still scheduled or has it been cancelled like everything else this year?

Officially it has been postponed to September (was July). The event is still at risk, we'll see what happens.

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That's another in a long line of shames.  Hey, it'll be cooler in September and the kids will (hopefully) be back in school.

I'm glad my shield reinforcement design helped you, though your Z- brackets look a bit thin but probably are adequite. I used thicker aluminum brackets not only for stiffness but also vibration damping (higher mass changes the natural frequency and lessens harmonics that cause can metal fatigue cracks).  As will the epoxy bosses I molded around the upper tube vertical fin junctions.

I may go to a Madstad too this fall.

good luck!

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9 hours ago, 2and3cylinders said:

I'm glad my shield reinforcement design helped you, though your Z- brackets look a bit thin but probably are adequite. I used thicker aluminum brackets not only for stiffness but also vibration damping (higher mass changes the natural frequency and lessens harmonics that cause can metal fatigue cracks). 

Yes, it is relatively thin stock but it's what I had laying around. I may remake them later with thicker stock, but even with these thin brackets there is a noticeable improvement in windshield stability. Thanks again for the idea!

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  • 1 month later...
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Okay, this should be the last mod before the rally: hydration system. Proper hydration is important for all of us, and it's easy to neglect on a motorcycle ride. But if you're just doing a single day ride or touring at a 300-500 mile per day pace, your body can tolerate some short term dehydration and you have more time off the bike to rehydrate.

But on a multi day LD rally like Butt Lite, a disciplined hydration regimen is critical. To solve this, I bought a one gallon Rtic jug, and modified it with a quick-disconnect fitting and an integral straw. A drinking tube with bite valves plugs into the quick disconnect and clips to a chest level carabineer on my Aerostich. The Rtic jug keeps water ice cold all day, and I should only need to refill it about once per day.

On my long test ride a couple weeks ago I strapped the Rtic to the passenger seat, in front of the aux fuel tank. This didn't work well because the jug made it really difficult to get on and off the bike.

Version 2: I bought a Yeti Rambler jug holder, which is the perfect size for the Rtic. It rests on the passenger footpeg, and I made some simple aluminum brackets to hold the jug in place.

The new location works great! There's still plenty of room for my big feet, and it isn't in the way at all when I mount and dismount. The drinking tube is easier to manage, too. I tried to use a badge retractor for the drink tube but quickly found that didn't work well. Clipping the drink tube directly to the suit worked fine.

In fact it almost works too well! I drank quite a bit during yesterday's 320 mile ride, and I had to stop and water the trees a couple times. Oh well, that's better than the alternative.

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1 minute ago, Stew said:

Excellent, not really relevant here though, I just open my visor and mouth and let the rain hydrate me.

That's how I do it in the winter. A little road grime mixed in with the rain also helps replenish electrolytes.

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  • 5 weeks later...
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It's official: the Butt Lite Rally is cancelled. It's heart breaking, of course, but sadly inevitable I suppose.

So, on to Plan B: I'm going to re-enter the North by Northwest 24 hour rally here in Oregon in September. And I may turn a work trip to Minnesota in two weeks into a motorcycle trip.

 

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34 minutes ago, keithu said:

It's official: the Butt Lite Rally is cancelled. It's heart breaking, of course, but sadly inevitable I suppose.

So, on to Plan B: I'm going to re-enter the North by Northwest 24 hour rally here in Oregon in September. And I may turn a work trip to Minnesota in two weeks into a motorcycle trip.

 

Sorry to hear that the event was cancelled, I was looking forward to the ride report.  Oh well, it sounds like you have plans to make up for the missed event.  It looks like they added 9 hours and it is now a 33 hour rally.

 

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***2015 Candy Red FJ-09***

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45 minutes ago, betoney said:

Sorry to hear that the event was cancelled, I was looking forward to the ride report.  Oh well, it sounds like you have plans to make up for the missed event.  It looks like they added 9 hours and it is now a 33 hour rally.

 

Oops, I think I actually mis-remembered it. Yes, it's a 33 hour rally because why not? Should be interesting. 😊

I had entered it earlier in the year but had to withdraw when Butt Lite was rescheduled on top of it. The NNW organizer kindly held a spot for me in the likely event that Butt Lite was cancelled altogether.

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  • 9 months later...
On 3/16/2020 at 9:15 PM, keithu said:

I received my parts for the fuel cell rack. I decided to make the rack using T-slot aluminum tubing from 80/20. We use this stuff a lot at work, and it has an excellent strength-to-weight ratio. I can also make a complex structure without any welding.

Here is the rack mocked up. I'm using the mount points for the OEM grab handles.

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Nice rack! No pun intended.

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27 minutes ago, Ride365 said:

Yikes I bet that makes the front end very light and skittish!!!

Not as much as you'd think. With a full load of fuel the cell and rack only add about 35 pounds to the rear, or about the same as a trunk bag, rack, and some clothes. It's certainly way less load than a passenger. But yes, it is just a little easier to wheelie when the fuel cell is full. 😎

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