I put the Wee away in the garage for the winter. Changed the oil, added fuel stabilizer, and gave the chain a heavy coating of oil. I've always pulled my bike batteries, bring them inside, and periodically place them on a charger, but I'm this year I'm going to try leaving them installed and keep them on a battery tender. I also bring my seats inside, it helps to keep the covers from drying and cracking, but more so to discourage mice from nesting under it.

 

I use to pull battery living here in NE Ohio. I have not in years. I use a tender without any issues. Bike is stored in an unheated building.

 

My friend in Montana was too cheap to buy a battery tender. He strapped his bike battery down in his car's engine bay and connected it to the car battery. He did that many years, I never heard him complain about having a flat moto batt in spring or getting short life from his moto batteries.

I just pull the battery, set in the shop, charge it, and then check the charge a few times during the layup season.

 

I just pull the battery, set in the shop, charge it, and then check the charge a few times during the layup season.

Being in Australia we don't have the weather extremes that you folks do. So, this is a bit new to me. But, I take it that your bike is in a shed, garage or whatever? If so, would it be better to go out to it and start it once a week and get it up to temperature? That'll drive off any moisture accumulated in the oil, engine, exhaust, etc..

On mine I have a fused wire connected to an Anderson plug direct onto the battery. My charger has an Anderson plug so I don't have to pull the bike apart to get to the battery (Suzuki has gone all out with the 1050XT to make life difficult in that respect).

 

Paid for my ECU flash and will send it out this week!

 

Very curious as to how this works out!

 

Bought some Auxito LED for the 1000 gen 2. Decided to go with the fanless lowbeam and fanned highbeam and the 5w parking light. Should arrive on Friday.

Also have a radiator guard to fit. Also contemplating adding a smart tre that I have unused laying around.

Pouring rain here for days and it doesn't look like it will let up anytime soon.

 

I purchased one of these today.
I won't be able to test it on the bike till our riding season starts in April/May.
I'll try to give a review of it possibly from my car...once I receive it.

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005006306879013.html?spm=a2g0o.order_list.order_list_main.15.45a31802A6gEWR

 

I purchased one of these today.
I won't be able to test it on the bike till our riding season starts in April/May.
I'll try to give a review of it possibly from my car...once I receive it.

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005006306879013.html?spm=a2g0o.order_list.order_list_main.15.45a31802A6gEWR

So..it's a combination Android Auto/Apple Carplay head unit, and dashcam, all in one?

Ambitious. Curious how it will work out.

Also curious what the vendor means by "2K Quad HD." One of those things is not like the other.

 

Link to a new post specifically for this is just a few posts up.

 

I had plans of getting the clutch basket worked on over the Christmas break but i had another break instead, my right foot!!! been laid up for 3 weeks already, go to the doc next week. Oh bother... 😟

 

Flushed/bled the brakes, front and rear. Thank you speed bleeders!

 

mjt57,
The moto sleeps in a poly tarp tent with another poly tarp underneath a plywood floor. When I put it to sleep I drop the liability insurance, it's still insured for theft. Removing the batt means I'm not tempted to ride it while it's uninsured. Some years I don't drop the insurance and I ride it through the winter. This year, so far, the WX is rideable but my work schedule is running long days so weekends are full of family things, would be little time for riding.

 

Radiator guard with a little flair

 

That looks good!

 

Laser etching looks good, hope it works as well as it rides!

 

Hope so too! Can't wait to hear the results. It's only -20 so I'm sure you'll get right out there and take a test ride!

 

I installed Givi crash bars and the factory touring screen on my DL800 yesterday.

Next up is a DIY extension for the touring screen.

 

Ordered a set of Black Hills Moto reflective decals for my Givi E52 top case. It's basically the only bling I haven't put on the E52 so far (it already has an Admore brake + turn signal lighting kit).

From experience with my FJR, I know the wet application method is best. Still have the squeegee they sent with my last set of FJR side case decals.

 

Dry is always best, clean area with rubbing alcohol, put decal where you want it and blue tape on 1 edge to keep in place. Fold back release backing and squeegee down vinyl. DONE.

 

No dry isn't best. I had to do 2 sets of decals on the FJR cases because I tried dry application the first time, and inevitably got bubbles under both.

The wet method, soaking the decal in a 50/50 mix of water and rubbing alcohol before application, also using a squeegee to apply (BH supplied me with one that has felt over a plastic blade), is kind of a pain, but nearly foolproof.

 

What ever, I have done this for a living for 30 years, wraps and vehicle graphics. Wet is easier for people that don't do it much.

 

Well last winter I put in a Terry modified Clutch basket(18 1000 w/73K then). Much quieter and less vibration and mostly smoother on take off. As the season went on there was an slight jerking occasionally (More so when cold). So I acquired a Factory clutch kit(9 fiber plates, 8 steel plates, springs and gasket). This was for the 2016 to 2023 models. Miked all new and old parts. The old fiber showed .0015" to .002" of wear. The steel plates (Old and new) all measured .079", except for the old #2(Second from the outside) which was .090". Put it together with the .079"new plates and ran it a few min. and couldn't get it to release. Took it back apart and put in the .090 plate and now alls working fine. No OEM parts lists show this as different.
Anyone know anything about this?

 

Fired it up in the garage yesterday. Dumping the oil now. Filter getting replaced.

Trying Castrol 10w-40 semi synthetic. Or I have to use it up!

 

- I cleaned and lubed the chain.

- Installed my new mirror extenders.







Nox Vidmate VLC

Just bought mine used (new to me) so it had been sitting since last year, so it got a dusting and I also added a RAM ball for my GPS.:mrgreen:

 

While mine was apart for the clutch I did some other maint. stuff.
1- A new external fuel filter. Old one was very black and some what plugged. Should have been done sooner, like at 50K rather than 84K.
2- Fog light were flickering some. Especially on startup. Thought it was a connector(Crimp style). Turned out to be the switch.
3- New antifreeze and oil.

 

Changed the brake fluid and coolant(Honda Blue). Fired it up after reinstalling the exhaust system and it smoked like something was on fire!! Turns out the little bit of grease I used on the pipe connections burns off with a lot of smoke!

 

Changed the brake fluid and coolant(Honda Blue).

A dealer for both Honda and Suzuki told me that both brands use the same coolant but Honda's is half the price. Apparently you already know that. I want to get some. Do I just look for "the blue stuff?"

 

Fired it up yesterday. Checking the oil levels. Idle was high and would not come down.

Topped off the oil. Today got it apart and try to bring the idle back down. TB sync seems OK...

 

Today I re-aligned the front end of my 2002 V-Strom. It took a fairly brutal dive a couple of years ago that laid me up for the better part of a year. I replaced or repaired all relevant bits and pieces, but realized after that the handlebars were tweaked a bit. I thought they were bent, but nothing was really out enough to bother with. A couple of weeks ago on a trip to Hungary I finally got irritated enough to start looking at bars. Handlebars, not bars! Anyway, on further examination it seemed the top yoke was a bit out of whack. I popped the bars out of their top yoke clamps, loosened the steering head nut (not the preload one under the top yoke), loosened the lower yoke fork clamp bolts, the caliper bolts, the fender bolts, the fork brace bolts, the front axle pinch bolts and the front axle. Then I bounced up and down a bunch of times on the top yoke while on the centre stand and tried not to roll forward off the stand while having no handlebars mounted. After tightening everything back up gently and progressively it looks good. The handlebars are no longer a quarter inch (half a cm) lower on the right side. Maybe tomorrow or the weekend I get a test ride in. Prepping for a ride to Romania.

 

Did you notice any weird handling of the bike when it was "out of whack"?

 

No, not at all. Tracked perfectly straight as normal, handled normally. It was just the slightly lower right bar and when I noticed the triple tree was a bit off it instantly drove me nuts.