You all have helped me with some mods on the bike, through direct questions and past answers that I found by searching. Thus, I figured I'd share the news that operations have gone well, and the mad dash to get ready for my 4 day Death Valley sprint is entering the home stretch. Of course, I broke the #1 rule of modifying your bike (change one thing at a time), while blithely breaking the number #1 rule of trip preparation at the same time (don't work on your bike right before a trip). I put the wrenches down at about 11:45 last night, but that leaves me tonight for a shakedown ride and packing, so I'm not too stressed. The end result was adding a PCIII, an ignition switched aux fuse block, symtec heated grips, a Puig DB windscreen, and a Throttlemeister to my 5th gen. I also replaced the bent right foot peg carrier, changed the oil and filter, and replaced the gasket between the header and the slip-on.
Things I learned:
- The guy who invented the plastic honda bodywork fasteners should get an ass-whoopin'.
- Don't loose the clip that holds the foot peg onto the carrier. It's important.
- The PCIII USB wires really are quite short.
- Don't fill up on gas just before planning to work on bits that are underneath the tank.
- If you hold the gas tank up with a bungie pulling toward the back of the bike, you'll bend the tank where it attaches to the hinge.
- You probably don't need to take the airbox completely off to route PCIII wires, but the extra room is nice.
- The instructions for the symtec heater wiring really do have the high/low wires reversed.
- If a tool rolls under a bike, it will always go far enough that you have to walk around to the other side to get it.
- The voltage meter seems to have been invented by someone with 3 hands.
- When they say epoxy sets up in 1 minute, they really mean 59 seconds. Exactly. So HURRY!
- When something pops off the bike, and you don't hear it land, don't bother looking for it.
- Switching your ignition on and off 500 times without starting the bike will probably drain the battery.
- Running your bike in the garage with no muffler sounds wicked, but is not recommend after the wife's bedtime.
- The trim on a Puig windscreen takes longer to install than a PCIII.
- If you keep your removed bodywork screws in a small tupperware, and you plan to step on the edge of the tupperare later, put the lid on it.
- When re-installing bodywork, if you push one of the rivnuts through so it spins and won't tighten, swearing will not get it back in place.
- After the project is all done, if you're missing a screw driver, try not to picture it bouncing around in your airbox.
- Did I mention that the guy who invented the plastic honda bodywork fastener doohickeys should get a serious ass-whoopin'?
Everything seemed okay in a shakedown ride last night. Of course, with that many changes at once the bug factor goes up. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.
very funny, goofy.gif
I can check you on each of those items pretty much, dead on.
a2db, Oct 18 2007, 04:39 PMYou all have helped me with some mods on the bike, through direct questions and past answers that I found by searching. Thus, I figured I'd share the news that operations have gone well, and the mad dash to get ready for my 4 day Death Valley sprint is entering the home stretch. Of course, I broke the #1 rule of modifying your bike (change one thing at a time), while blithely breaking the number #1 rule of trip preparation at the same time (don't work on your bike right before a trip). I put the wrenches down at about 11:45 last night, but that leaves me tonight for a shakedown ride and packing, so I'm not too stressed. The end result was adding a PCIII, an ignition switched aux fuse block, symtec heated grips, a Puig DB windscreen, and a Throttlemeister to my 5th gen. I also replaced the bent right foot peg carrier, changed the oil and filter, and replaced the gasket between the header and the slip-on.
Things I learned:
- ..............................
- When something pops off the bike, and you don't hear it land, don't bother looking for it.
-
Sometimes you can not help yourself with those changes/upgrades!
While changing tires on my HF tire changer this week prior to weekend jaunt, the wood blocks I use to keep the bead down flew off and I did not hear one of them land. Your rule usually applies to me too .......Oh well I will find the block some day.
After getting the tire mounted while balancing, I noticed a funny sound in the wheel . How long will it take for a wood block to become sawdust!!!! What a pain! pissed.gif Off with the tire and do it all again. What a dumbsh...........t dry.gif
Great stuff, let us know the results tonight! fing02.gif
Good stuff for a laugh -- been there done that!
MD
I'll post that on the wall of my garage.
Brilliant stuff - sage advice and words that I have thought about at one point or another! Good luck on your ride. At least you'll have an extra screwdriver with you. Somewhere...
Great stuff. fing02.gif
melvis, Oct 18 2007, 05:02 PMAt least you'll have an extra screwdriver with you. Somewhere...
Yeah, but he needs a screwdriver to get to it... tongue.gif
Good luck and have fun on your ride!
a2db, Oct 18 2007, 09:39 AMWhen something pops off the bike, and you don't hear it land, don't bother looking for it.
How I hate this one. rolleyes.gif
A couple of weeks ago I was working on the bike and I heard the mysterious sound of something hitting the ground. I looked under the bike and there was one of the airbox screws that I had lost about a year ago laying on the ground. Cool!
biggrin.gif
Your screwdriver is probably in the flat bit between the V.
Long ago I dropped one of those bolts at the front of the tank while raising it for some reason. Didn't hear the bolt drop, didn't find it in the bodywork, there was nothing it could fall into to make me crash and explode, so put it down to one of those things.
A couple of years later I was doing a major cleanup of the bike, and changing the air filter, and dropped one of the airbox cover screws, this time I spotted it in the flat part between the front and rear banks , and right next to it was the bolt I'd dropped about 20,000km ago...
Darth Bling, Oct 18 2007, 06:19 PMa2db, Oct 18 2007, 09:39 AMWhen something pops off the bike, and you don't hear it land, don't bother looking for it.
How I hate this one. rolleyes.gif
A couple of weeks ago I was working on the bike and I heard the mysterious sound of something hitting the ground. I looked under the bike and there was one of the airbox screws that I had lost about a year ago laying on the ground. Cool!
Absolutely! I pulled out of the driveway recently and heard a metallic object strike the pavement. I stopped to check it out and found an
8mm socket I had dropped into the abyss a couple of weekends previously.
a2db, Oct 18 2007, 10:39 AMYou all have helped me with some mods on the bike, through direct questions and past answers that I found by searching. Thus, I figured I'd share the news that operations have gone well, and the mad dash to get ready for my 4 day Death Valley sprint is entering the home stretch. Of course, I broke the #1 rule of modifying your bike (change one thing at a time), while blithely breaking the number #1 rule of trip preparation at the same time (don't work on your bike right before a trip).
Actually, that's rule #5.
See here:
http://www.ironbutt.com/tech/aow.cfm?AOWID=5a2db, Oct 18 2007, 12:39 PM- If a tool rolls under a bike, it will always go far enough that you have to walk around to the other side to get it.
laugh.gif
Awesome post, I get this a lot! laugh.gif
Yep, you covered some ground with that list, had quite a few of em happen to me.
Where are you starting your trip from and when are ya in Death Valley? May take a trip out there myself this weekend if I can get time.
-we rode death valley 2 weeks ago, dont miss camping out at furnace creek. also watch the CHP as they radar real heavy inside the valley. the ride to badwater is also not to be missed. have fun
a2db, Oct 19 2007, 02:39 AMYou all have helped me with some mods on the bike, through direct questions and past answers that I found by searching. Thus, I figured I'd share the news that operations have gone well, and the mad dash to get ready for my 4 day Death Valley sprint is entering the home stretch. Of course, I broke the #1 rule of modifying your bike (change one thing at a time), while blithely breaking the number #1 rule of trip preparation at the same time (don't work on your bike right before a trip). I put the wrenches down at about 11:45 last night, but that leaves me tonight for a shakedown ride and packing, so I'm not too stressed. The end result was adding a PCIII, an ignition switched aux fuse block, symtec heated grips, a Puig DB windscreen, and a Throttlemeister to my 5th gen. I also replaced the bent right foot peg carrier, changed the oil and filter, and replaced the gasket between the header and the slip-on.
Things I learned:
- The guy who invented the plastic honda bodywork fasteners should get an ass-whoopin'.
- Don't loose the clip that holds the foot peg onto the carrier. It's important.
- The PCIII USB wires really are quite short.
- Don't fill up on gas just before planning to work on bits that are underneath the tank.
- If you hold the gas tank up with a bungie pulling toward the back of the bike, you'll bend the tank where it attaches to the hinge.
- You probably don't need to take the airbox completely off to route PCIII wires, but the extra room is nice.
- The instructions for the symtec heater wiring really do have the high/low wires reversed.
- If a tool rolls under a bike, it will always go far enough that you have to walk around to the other side to get it.
- The voltage meter seems to have been invented by someone with 3 hands.
- When they say epoxy sets up in 1 minute, they really mean 59 seconds. Exactly. So HURRY!
- When something pops off the bike, and you don't hear it land, don't bother looking for it.
- Switching your ignition on and off 500 times without starting the bike will probably drain the battery.
- Running your bike in the garage with no muffler sounds wicked, but is not recommend after the wife's bedtime.
- The trim on a Puig windscreen takes longer to install than a PCIII.
- If you keep your removed bodywork screws in a small tupperware, and you plan to step on the edge of the tupperare later, put the lid on it.
- When re-installing bodywork, if you push one of the rivnuts through so it spins and won't tighten, swearing will not get it back in place.
- After the project is all done, if you're missing a screw driver, try not to picture it bouncing around in your airbox.
- Did I mention that the guy who invented the plastic honda bodywork fastener doohickeys should get a serious ass-whoopin'?
Everything seemed okay in a shakedown ride last night. Of course, with that many changes at once the bug factor goes up. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.
Thats awesome, I love the one about the fuel. I've been there before!
Quote:
"While changing tires on my HF tire changer this week prior to weekend jaunt, the wood blocks I use to keep the bead down flew off and I did not hear one of them land. Your rule usually applies to me too .......Oh well I will find the block some day. After getting the tire mounted while balancing, I noticed a funny sound in the wheel . How long will it take for a wood block to become sawdust!!!! What a pain! Off with the tire and do it all again. What a dumbsh...........t "
I had this happen with a plastic rim protector while mounting a tire once... but in the process the tire iron slipped and head-butted me in the forehead, taking out a nice gouge and sending me to the emergency room!
I was NOT looking forward to attacking the tire again the next day to remove the protector and remount again... grrrrrrr....
LMAO!!!! thanx for posting,,, and I thought I was having a crap day laugh.gif
I didn't read where you turned up the screw driver. I hope that it
didn't fall into your taken apart exhaust. OH don't ask me how I
know stuff like to fly into the smallest hole that never ends on the
bike.............................................
Thanks for that little gem. I can relate on many levels and you put it so well. Are those plastic snap fastners really needed or did Honda piss off one of their enginers? I call them FU clips. The other day I found my tool kit spanner wrench handle trapped in the side body panel vent. Need to replace the rubber band that holds tool kit in place. A right size vacum cleaner belt might do the trick. Thanks again for the great writting. idea3.gif
Too funny or sad but true?
Either way great read!!!
Kinda makes it worth the money it costs to have someone else do it?
rotfl
great set of rules
warranty.gif
i wonder how many of us have to make all these mistakes ourselves instead of just reading the rules
pissed.gif
Motor_Ref, Oct 28 2007, 11:46 AMrotfl
great set of rules
warranty.gif
i wonder how many of us have to make all these mistakes ourselves instead of just reading the rules
pissed.gif
I suspect most of us will read the rules and the promptly set about making the same mistakes regardless. Douglas Adams once noted, "Human beings, who are almost unique in having the ability to learn from the experience of others, are also remarkable for their apparent disinclination to do so." Amazing he could describe me so well without having met me. 491.gif
There's a reason that beer, Valium, and other stuff like that are available.
Great post....hope things work out good!!
Haven't we all gone out to the garage before bedtime to just fix one little thing, then been out there till 2 in the morning..... rolleyes.gif
End of thread · 27 posts recovered Wayback Machine snapshot 30 Jan 2008