I am a leaf on the wind!

[jstark47]

Was the engine broken in at all? Did you ride a zero-mileage bike 1,100 miles at steady highway speeds?

[Hanson]

Day 4 : Tuesday May 13, 2014 : Miles = 1158

Basically, yes I did. I knew this question was in the works, just not who was going to ask it.

I read everything I could find about this subject and learned that a great many people have very strong opinions about how best to break in a motorcycle engine, opinions that are in direct conflict with each other. There are also a large number of motorcycles with this motor and no data at all to indicate anything other than that this motor is a rock. Certainly there is no data to support a conclusion that any break in method is significantly better than any other break in method. In the end, I thought about why I wanted a motorcycle and then I rode it just like I intend to ride it and I had a great time. Might there be a consequence in the future? Yes.

I made an informed choice. I could ride her as instructed by the lawyers who write the manuals, I could take a pole about how best to break in a motor and let others tell me how best to ride my bike, or I could just get on my motorcycle and take her out for an adventure doing exactly what I had dreamed about doing for a very long time. If the motor explodes tomorrow, I will still be a very happy man. I can buy another motorcycle, but for the rest of my life I will never be able to take that first ride again, my first ride in over thirty years. A ride I will never forget; no regrets.

May God bless stupid, crazy, motorcycle riders, each and every one, and keep us safe.

Safe Travels,
Richard

[Hanson]

Day 8 : Saturday May 17, 2014 : Miles = 1226

I have had my motorcycle for a week and I have ridden it every day except today. This morning I had breakfast with Mrs. Hanson at a place in Dallas called the Velvet Taco, we do breakfast most Saturday mornings, and then we attended to a number of errands. This afternoon I set aside for doing some work on the bike. I had a list of items to accomplish in my head, and I managed to check a few of the boxes.


>>>> Getting ready to work on the bike.

With lateral loads, the front fork on the DL650A has a tendency to twist a bit which can result in undesirable handling characteristics. The newer 2012+ version of the DL650A had been an improvement over the previous version with respect to this issue, but many people have found it effective to install a fork brace. I purchased my brace from Adventure Tech, along with a GPS mount.


>>>> Adventure Tech fork brace.

The installation of the fork break is not at all complicated and involves installing the two halves of the brace around the forks and then tightening four screws to clamp the brace on the forks.


>>>> Adventure Tech fork brace installed.

With an easy warm up out of the way, I installed the powered mount for my Garmin Zumo 390LM. This was both more complicated and far more time consuming. I had purchased a GPS mont from Adventure Tech that is installed underneath the windshield and positions the GPS over the instrument cluster. I like this location for a couple of reason but primarily because it puts the GPS as a distance that is far enough away that I can read the display without corrective lenses. I also like that the GPS will be close to my line of site as that helps maintain my visual scanning routine while I ride.


>>>> Windscreen detail

The first step was to simple remove the windshield which involves removing 4 screws and retaining the mounting hardware. The windscreen was mounted in the middle of three positions, but as these holes will be used for the Adventure Tech GPS mount, I will remount the windscreen in the uppermost location.

After removing the windshield it was time to dig into the dash a bit. I removed a number of screws and pins that hold parts of the dash together in order to find a good location to drill a hole for the power cable. I had to see what was inside the cowling before drilling any holes.


>>>> Prying the dash apart

I decided to "drill" the hole in the upper edge of the dash cover. The end of the Garmin motorcycle power cord has a rectangular contact area that would require a large whole so I decided to try and put a rounded notch in the plastic edge of the dash so that I could just slip the thin part of the cord into the "hole". I started with a power drill but this did not work well at all and so I switched to a dremel tool to complete the incision. The drill bit had been hard to control and I had messed up part of the dash with the bit. The dremel tool worked much better. I slit a rubber grommet open and trimmed the upper part of the grommet to fit against the cowling when everything is pushed back together and the fasteners are re-installed. I tested the fitment and then used a few zip ties to hold the power cable in place within the fairing assemble. I had already cut and attached some wire looming to the power cable to protect the cable from abrasion.


>>>> Garmin power cable installation on dash.


The sloppy work with the drill bit can be seen on the edge of the dash above where the cable passes through the grommet to the interior of the faring. I had not drilled this type of plastic before. Lesson learned. The Garmin GPS bracket just uses a standard Ram mount ball to attache to the Adventure Tech GPS mount.

I removed the tank panel cover from the left side of the bike and ran the cable, in wire looming, down the left side of the bike and then up into the battery area which is located under the seat. This was a bit tedious and I am not that happy with the result. In the future I will install a fuse block and then reroute the Garmin power cable under the tank and inside the frame when I tear down the bike for the first valve inspection. The current situation is going to work for now.


>>>> Garmin power cable in position to connect to battery.

The final part of the installation was simply to connect the power cable to the battery. I trimmed and stripped the wires back just a bit, crimped on some 1/4" post ring connectors and used a heat gun on a bit of heat shrink to insulate and protect the crimped connections. After this, it was simply a matter of getting the motorcycle back together.


>>>> View of the dash from my riding position.

Overall, I am rather pleased with how this project turned out and I especially like the location of the GPS right behind the windscreen and not on the handlebars. When I purchased the Zumo 390LM, I also acquired a pair of tire pressure monitor sensors that go on the valve stems of the tiers and communicate with the Zumo by Bluetooth. Pairing the sensors with the Zuma was easy and intuitive and then I paired the Zumo with my SMH10 headset so I hear all the GPS instruction in my helmet.

I still have a number of maintenance items to perform on the bike, but this was about all I got done this afternoon. The day was beautiful and I would much rather have been riding, but I also needed to find a block of time to perform these installations. My evening was spent watching my daughter dance in her third ballet recital. Life is sweet.

Safe Travels,
Richard

[Hanson]

Day 12 : Wednesday May 21, 2014 : Miles = 1316

I go riding every chance I get and I find myself resenting any time I spend driving my truck. I only take the truck when I am with other people. Each work day I get up and drive my daughter to school, and then I go back home to get my moto. I find that I am still driving the truck a lot more than I expected, but that is life as a family man.

Last Sunday I took one of my sons on a bicycle ride with a Scouting unit. We took the truck which is set up to carry bikes in the bed. When I got home I took the motorcycle out for a quick 60 mile ride. My backside was sore from riding the bicycle and I was punished for it on the motorcycle. I had wanted to go for about a two hour ride, but I was so uncomfortable in the backside I just turned around and went home. I had spent the entire ride squirming around on the seat. So... we have plans for this Memorial day weekend. Our Venturing Crew is going to Lake Mineral Wells state park where we are going to ride bicycles on a trail that is built on an old railroad right of way. I think this will preclude any long motorcycle rides until my tail bone recovers.

I wish my morning commute was more than five miles.

Safe Travels,
Richard

[Grey Thumper]

With gear like this, you must be visible from space ;P

Just kidding, I'm a believer in Hi Viz gear (don't care if it isn't "cool"). My jacket's the same color as yours, and if my helmet was available in that color, I would've gotten it too. But white had to do.

Welcome to the forums! I'm looking forward to reading more of your adventures

(Also, love the Firefly reference )

[Hanson]

Day 14: Friday May 23, 2014 : Miles = 1968

I took today off work and got out on the road to visit some Tour of Honor locations in Texas. I am warn out and must get up early tomorrow to go camping for the weekend, but I will post a bit of commentary when I get some time. For now... just a few photographs.


>>>> Tour of Honor ride Friday May 23, 2014
SpotWalla link to the interactive map == https://spotwalla.com/tripViewer.php?id ... 000577e923


>>>> EMV Doughboy in Texarkana Texas


>>>> EMV Doughboy in Lufkin Texas


>>>> EMV Doughboy in Groesbeck Texas

Safe Travels,
Richard

[Hanson]

Day 17 : Monday May 26, 2014 : Miles = 1968

I am back home after a weekend of camping and cycling in Lake Mineral Wells state park. The weather was cool, with a bit of rain, and a lot of cacti where in bloom. I like the bright yellow flowers.

Last Friday I got up early and was on the road a little before five. I had wanted to be certain to beat the Dallas commuter traffic and I had a goal of visiting three Doughboy statues in North East Texas. The first target was in an old cemetery in Texarkana. This was primarily a super slab ride up I-30 and was accomplished without any difficulty. There was quite a bit of cloud cover but I sill got a nice show with the sun come over up as I rode in the cool morning air. When I arrived at Texarcana I stopped and filled the tank and then grabbed a small coffee and a breakfast sandwich at a McDonald. An older man, even older than am I, who was employed to clean up the dining area, just sat down with me at my table and started talking about motorcycles. I have always liked old people even when I was young, but I was a bit surprised at his boldness. He asked me about my Suzuki and then went on to tell me that he had an old Honda 750 in his garage but that he had not been able to ride for a number of years. He told me he might not be able to ride anymore, but that he was determined to own that motorcycle until he passed. Just looking at it and starting it up from time to time made him grin like a schoolboy. After a while he got back up on his feet, with some difficulty, and wondered over to clean up a table. I put on my gear and left, and this old gentleman was watching from a window so I gave him the wave.

The Doughboy in Texarcana is located in the Rose Hill Cemetery and is part of a monument dedicated to a Soldier who was gassed near the end of WWI. Rose Hill was a bit worn down and neglected, but it was also an oasis in an area with industrial building and railway tracks. I took my photographs and got back on the road.

Part of the plan for this trip was to spend some time on rural roads instead of just on the super slab, and the next two Dougboys where located in East Texas towns and my route was almost exclusively by rural highways. The next monument was in downtown Lufkin and quite a long ride down 59. It should be understood that many two lane and four lane rural highways in Texas still have posted speed limits of 75 mph and much of 59 was posted at 70 or 75. It was a lovely ride but the highway was bigger than I had desired. The EMV Doughboy in Lufkin was erected by a VFW post in Angelina County and inscribed with 35 names of men from Angelina who gave that last full measure of devotion in the World War.

The third Dougboy for the day was in Groesbeck Texas to the west of Lufkin and I was soon rolling west on highway 7 which is a two lane highway, one lane in each direction, and posted at 70 mph. The drive took me through Crockett Texas where I stopped for fuel just before noon. I pulled into a small station and was maneuvering toward the only available pump when someone else just drove up and cut me off. Then they backed up to the very pump I had been heading for. It is just amazing how rude people can be, and without any apparent embarrassment this man proceeded to fill up his truck. It was only a few minutes before another pump became available and I hit the OK button on my Spot 3 tracker which sends a text message to my wife so that she will know that I am fine and why I am not moving. In a minute, my phone range as she knew I was stopped and we had a nice chat. Some years ago, Susi and I where married at a friends house in Crockett Texas and I was glad she had called at that moment.

I got back on the bike and headed west on 7 which took me to I-45. Next it was up I-45 to 164 which I rode west to Groesbeck. The final Dougboy of the ride was in downtown Grosebeck and was erected in memory of the Heroes of Limestone County who gave their lives in the World War. I can't help but reflect on the reality that World War I did not become known as World War I until the event to World War II. I was off the bike, my flag was positioned, and pictures where taken.

It was time to head home. This involved going north on 14 until it hit I-45 and then super slabbing back to Dallas. It was about 3 when I got to downtown Dallas and traffic was already very heavy as lots of people where heading home for an early start on the Memorial day weekend. In any event my bike was soon safely home.

This ride gave me a chance to check out the new GPS with the built in tire pressure monitoring systems, and all of this worked great. I still have some major issues to work out with my motorcycle. The first is wind management which is a know problem area for the DL650A and my top priority. At highway speeds the buffeting and wind noise is just terrible even with the OEM windshield in the highest position. I consider working on this issue as my primary priority as I even with earplugs the wind noise is so excessive that it represent a health hazard. The second problem is just comfort on the bike. After little more than 100 miles the seat become more and more painful and I find myself constantly squirming around on the saddle trying to find some measure of relief from the continues discomfort. At some point I will have a custom seat built, but my first priority is still wind management. I want to be able to ride tank to tank without any significant discomfort.

One final note: I made a error that I want to remember and that is on the final I-45 leg I passed a car on the right and as I was passing the driver came over into my lane. He had been driving in the passing lane for miles and I finally decided that I would go around, but I did not pay enough attention to traffic that was coming up from behind and just as I got next to the car in the left lane a big pickup came up aggressively on his back bumper so the car driver decided to move over. I was a bit mad at myself for being so stupid, but I also did not have any problem getting out of the way. Next time I will have a good look in my mirrors before passing on the right. Some might argue that I should simply never pass on the right, and this argument has merit, but I don't think this a practical solution because we have a large number of selfish jerks that simply drive in the passing lane and refuse to move over. If I was a police officer I would give out a lot of tickets for this inconsiderate and dangerous behavior.

Safe Travels,
Richard

[jstark47]

I still have some major issues to work out with my motorcycle. The first is wind management which is a know problem area for the DL650A and my top priority. At highway speeds the buffeting and wind noise is just terrible even with the OEM windshield in the highest position. I consider working on this issue as my primary priority as I even with earplugs the wind noise is so excessive that it represent a health hazard. The second problem is just comfort on the bike. After little more than 100 miles the seat become more and more painful and I find myself constantly squirming around on the saddle trying to find some measure of relief from the continues discomfort. At some point I will have a custom seat built, but my first priority is still wind management. I want to be able to ride tank to tank without any significant discomfort.

I'm sure you've researched this already, and the issue might be slightly different for a new DL650 than a legacy DL1000, but a combination of a Madstad bracket and a Laminar Lip tamed the buffeting on my V-strom.

For a seat, check into Sargent. I bought my wife one last year for her F650GS. Pricey (over $500), but she was ready to sell her bike and quit motorcycling. The seat made all the difference. We took the bikes to Nova Scotia last September, and will be going to Canada again this summer. She now (claims) she can outride me!

[Hanson]

Day 19 : Wednesday May 28, 2014 : Miles = 1998

jstark47,

There is an extensive discussion about DL650A wind management on Stromtrooper and the adjustable Madstad bracket paired with a range of windshields is one of the two most recommended solution to the problem. You are spot on and I thank you for your suggestion. The other popular approach is to use a Givi Airflow. Between the two options it is all but a flip of a coin, but I think the Airflow will give me a bit more flexibility when it comes to dealing with Dallas summer heat while commuting back and forth to work. There is also a lively conversation about deflectors that are attached to the faring. The 2012+ V-Strom 650 has an area involving the tank panels and faring that channels quite a bit of dirty air directly into the chest and shoulders. A number of enterprising individuals have experimented with homemade wind deflectors to address this problem. I am still thinking about this, but whatever I do will be a compromise between commuting comfort in the summer heat and highway travel at the pace of Texas traffic. It might be possible to fabricate a deflector/vent that will function like the vents that are found on the BMW K1600GT and K1600GTL.

For the first time in my life I actually wish I had a longer commute.

Yesterday, I rode to the dealer after work to pick up my license plate. I felt some satisfaction when I bolted that bit of steel onto the back of my motorcycle. There was a permanency about this simple act. I am motorcyclist, born again, tentative, inexperienced, but in for the duration.

Safe Travels,
Richard

[blues2cruise]

You could just buy a gel cushion for your seat. Costs far less than a new seat.

I bought one for my bike for long journeys. It makes a difference.