Wednesday, May 31, 2006
Product Review - S100 Engine Brightener
I have been meaning to post a review of this stuff, S100 Engine Brightner. I happened on this fantastic product accidently and have successfully used it on my motorcycles and cars.
The product is marketed as a chemical to refresh the look of black engines. But I have found that is does a wonderful job of renewing the look of black plastic parts (like you find on motorcycles). I am especially pleased how it makes dull, grayed out, plastic and rubber items gleam like new. It worked extremely well on my Ducati's saddlebags, rear fender, hand controls, as well as various plastic covering on my GMC SUV.
This product is unlike Armor All in that it does not leave the item you spray it on with the artificial glossy look nor extreme slickness. Generally you spray it on, let it sit for a minute, then wipe it off. In some cases, I spray on and wipe with a cloth to get a even covering. On engines and engine hoses you can just spray it on. The spray is not colored (it is not a paint) and does not to appear to harm other surfaces or painted parts. The results last a long time and do not show any ill-effect even after being in the sun.
If you have ever wondered how car dealers and car show enthusiast get automobiles looking showroom new, this product (or something very similar) may be the secret. For my motorcycle owning friends, try it. You will not be disappointed.
Purchasing Note
I purchased my first can of S100 Engine Brightener at my local Ducati shop (approximately $11). Later after finding I really like it I have searched for and found other retailers. Interesting enough I found that a local Harley Davidson dealer has the best supply and lowest price (approximately $8).
I am trying other S100 products with varying results and plan to post reports in the future.
The product is marketed as a chemical to refresh the look of black engines. But I have found that is does a wonderful job of renewing the look of black plastic parts (like you find on motorcycles). I am especially pleased how it makes dull, grayed out, plastic and rubber items gleam like new. It worked extremely well on my Ducati's saddlebags, rear fender, hand controls, as well as various plastic covering on my GMC SUV.
This product is unlike Armor All in that it does not leave the item you spray it on with the artificial glossy look nor extreme slickness. Generally you spray it on, let it sit for a minute, then wipe it off. In some cases, I spray on and wipe with a cloth to get a even covering. On engines and engine hoses you can just spray it on. The spray is not colored (it is not a paint) and does not to appear to harm other surfaces or painted parts. The results last a long time and do not show any ill-effect even after being in the sun.
If you have ever wondered how car dealers and car show enthusiast get automobiles looking showroom new, this product (or something very similar) may be the secret. For my motorcycle owning friends, try it. You will not be disappointed.
Purchasing Note
I purchased my first can of S100 Engine Brightener at my local Ducati shop (approximately $11). Later after finding I really like it I have searched for and found other retailers. Interesting enough I found that a local Harley Davidson dealer has the best supply and lowest price (approximately $8).
I am trying other S100 products with varying results and plan to post reports in the future.
Thursday, May 18, 2006
Wednesday Moto Ride - Lunch In Des Moines
One of the great things about motorcycling is the freedom it gives you for "spur of the moment trips". Motorcycles also inspire traveling in a way that most people just don't consider in cars. Take traveling from Kansas City to Des Moines, IA for lunch (230 miles each way). Well, that's what I did on Wednesday.
My schedule this week allowed some day trips but not enough time to go somewhere and stay. Inspired by an article in the New York Times about a Des Moines restaurant I concocted a plan to ride up for lunch, then turn around and return.
Ride out
As usual, I did not get an early start and left Kansas City at 10:00 am. The weather was perfect and I routed myself using the GPS on some back highways. For the most part none of these highways ended up being inspiring. I did confirm a detail about GPS route planning (See GPS section below)
I reached Des Moines around 2:30 pm and easily found my desired stopping point (programmed into the GPS). The area is called East Village and is a redeveloped arts and eating district. My meal destination was Centro (pronounced Chen tro). I saw several pretty women in the area, but the time of day and day where not the greatest for some fun people watching.
Centro - Lunch
Centro looked inviting and had a New York restaurant feeling to it. Unfortunately, when I arrived I found that the main dining room had been closed for lunch. I did not plan to hang around in Des Moines for dinner, but the host indicated that I could eat in the bar area from a limited menu of Pizzas or salads. I agreed.
Without going into a detailed review of Centro (search the internet for this), I will say that one of Centro's calling cards is a coal-fired oven.
The limited menu actually ended up being a blessing. While I might not have chosen a pizza from the full menu, I selected a Calzone. Man, was it ever fabulous. Easily the best Calzone I have ever eaten. If ever in Des Moines, try this place out. And yes it was worth the ride out from KC.
Ride home
Shortly after lunch and a few pictures, I left for the ride home. Since the roads out where not particularly interesting, the fact I had gotten a little rain towards Des Moines, and the weather getting somewhat cloudy, I decided to ride the interstate home.
The directions the GPS gave me out of downtown to the highway loop (225) took me to a closed on-ramp to the highway. THis ended up being another one of the unexpected traveling blessing. The logistics of highway on-ramps and general wandering had me travel city streets in some of the urban area around downtown Des Moines. I rode past Drake University. Finally, I entered the highway system.
Iowa has always confused me with their very low speed limits and the populations general disregard for them. Unlike other places where the speed limit is 70 and people drive 80, Iowan's drive 80 when the speed limit is 60 or 65. Good for me as I made good pace while following some other cars.
Traveling on the interstate on my Duc is good as the bike easily cruises as 80 mph. On a downside, anything less seems to be going very slow. Also it is somewhat hard to regulate speed as a little twist of the throttle can get you going over 90 mph. Good thing that the digital speedometer numbers are very large as you can easily find yourself exceeding 100 mph.
I saw several police cruisers on the ride home (see Radar Detector section below), but fortunately avoided any tickets or stops.
Midway on the ride home it rained. Not the heavy, driving downpour, but a steady rain. This was no problem. I reached home around 6:30 pm comfortable after a nice, diversionary, 460 mile, lunch. I averaged 40 mpg for the trip
EQUIPMENT REPORT
GPS
As usual my Garmin Quest 2 proved invaluable. Using the GPS allowed me to ride with lesser attention on the map. Additionally, detours where available while allowing me to rejoin my itinerary.
One point, noted in an earlier posting, is important regarding planing your route using the GPS unit. Normally, the GPS will route the faster (read interstate) roads. This is usually not what you want on a motorcycle. If you choose intermediate points (called via points) you can force the unit to route you on your desired route. I have noted earlier that if you choose a town the GPS will route you to the center of town. Thus you route to a via point on the highway you desire. Learned on this trip, was that you need to be careful in adding a highway via point. The GPS lets you "zoom" in an out from street level out to larger regions. In routing this trip I zoomed out. But in picking some highway via points, the GPS (in zoomed out state), placed the via point at undesirable points, routing me in a circle around some back roads. The first one of these on this trip, ended up taking me on some interesting, curving backroads (but effectively taking me on an extra 5-10 mile loop). On the second one, I just overrode the directions manually.
Electronics will be electronics. Imagine my surprise when I noticed that the Garmin indicated my top speed during the trip was 236 mph!
Radar Detector - Valentine 1
My radar detector proved its worth on this day. On the ride to Des Moines I did not encounter many police officers. On a single occasion I received plenty of warning of a oncoming highway patrol officer.
On the way home I learned that my mounting position (detailed in an earlier post) has an added bonus. In a fairly good rain the radar detector stayed dry as the windshield diverted airflow and rain up and over the radar detector. The RD remained perfectly dry. This would not work at slow speeds or a stop, but in those situations I would not need a RD anyway.
Another good point is the mounting location is that in a tucked position it is very viewable in my faceshield with no movement of my head. This may be beneficial as I would assume any "top speed" testing would occur in the tucked position.
Helmet wind screen (homemade)
The value and effectiveness of this windscreen for noise was validated. Right after leaving my first gas stop, I recognized I was hearing more wind noise. I was pretty sure that I had gotten my earplugs seated correctly. Then I found that my windscreen was missing. I jetted back to the gas station where I was sure I had dropped the wind screen when I removed my helmet during the fueling. Fortunately, I found it laying right next to the gas pump. Easily reinstalled and my comfortably quiet riding was resumed. It is a shame that Arai does not design this device in the first place.
Riding Apparel
Just for completeness I will list the equipment I used: Arai Helmet, Belstaff Jacket, Pearl Izumi bicycling shorts, Gerbing overpants (used as pants over the shorts), Dainese D-Dry boots. All performed wonderfully and kept me dry in the rain. Although the Gerbing's are my heated-wire pants they continue to perform great as general riding pants. They are comfortable, not too hot when worn as pants, and importantly waterproof.
My schedule this week allowed some day trips but not enough time to go somewhere and stay. Inspired by an article in the New York Times about a Des Moines restaurant I concocted a plan to ride up for lunch, then turn around and return.
Ride out
As usual, I did not get an early start and left Kansas City at 10:00 am. The weather was perfect and I routed myself using the GPS on some back highways. For the most part none of these highways ended up being inspiring. I did confirm a detail about GPS route planning (See GPS section below)
I reached Des Moines around 2:30 pm and easily found my desired stopping point (programmed into the GPS). The area is called East Village and is a redeveloped arts and eating district. My meal destination was Centro (pronounced Chen tro). I saw several pretty women in the area, but the time of day and day where not the greatest for some fun people watching.
Centro - Lunch
Centro looked inviting and had a New York restaurant feeling to it. Unfortunately, when I arrived I found that the main dining room had been closed for lunch. I did not plan to hang around in Des Moines for dinner, but the host indicated that I could eat in the bar area from a limited menu of Pizzas or salads. I agreed.
Without going into a detailed review of Centro (search the internet for this), I will say that one of Centro's calling cards is a coal-fired oven.
The limited menu actually ended up being a blessing. While I might not have chosen a pizza from the full menu, I selected a Calzone. Man, was it ever fabulous. Easily the best Calzone I have ever eaten. If ever in Des Moines, try this place out. And yes it was worth the ride out from KC.
Ride home
Shortly after lunch and a few pictures, I left for the ride home. Since the roads out where not particularly interesting, the fact I had gotten a little rain towards Des Moines, and the weather getting somewhat cloudy, I decided to ride the interstate home.
The directions the GPS gave me out of downtown to the highway loop (225) took me to a closed on-ramp to the highway. THis ended up being another one of the unexpected traveling blessing. The logistics of highway on-ramps and general wandering had me travel city streets in some of the urban area around downtown Des Moines. I rode past Drake University. Finally, I entered the highway system.
Iowa has always confused me with their very low speed limits and the populations general disregard for them. Unlike other places where the speed limit is 70 and people drive 80, Iowan's drive 80 when the speed limit is 60 or 65. Good for me as I made good pace while following some other cars.
Traveling on the interstate on my Duc is good as the bike easily cruises as 80 mph. On a downside, anything less seems to be going very slow. Also it is somewhat hard to regulate speed as a little twist of the throttle can get you going over 90 mph. Good thing that the digital speedometer numbers are very large as you can easily find yourself exceeding 100 mph.
I saw several police cruisers on the ride home (see Radar Detector section below), but fortunately avoided any tickets or stops.
Midway on the ride home it rained. Not the heavy, driving downpour, but a steady rain. This was no problem. I reached home around 6:30 pm comfortable after a nice, diversionary, 460 mile, lunch. I averaged 40 mpg for the trip
EQUIPMENT REPORT
GPS
As usual my Garmin Quest 2 proved invaluable. Using the GPS allowed me to ride with lesser attention on the map. Additionally, detours where available while allowing me to rejoin my itinerary.
One point, noted in an earlier posting, is important regarding planing your route using the GPS unit. Normally, the GPS will route the faster (read interstate) roads. This is usually not what you want on a motorcycle. If you choose intermediate points (called via points) you can force the unit to route you on your desired route. I have noted earlier that if you choose a town the GPS will route you to the center of town. Thus you route to a via point on the highway you desire. Learned on this trip, was that you need to be careful in adding a highway via point. The GPS lets you "zoom" in an out from street level out to larger regions. In routing this trip I zoomed out. But in picking some highway via points, the GPS (in zoomed out state), placed the via point at undesirable points, routing me in a circle around some back roads. The first one of these on this trip, ended up taking me on some interesting, curving backroads (but effectively taking me on an extra 5-10 mile loop). On the second one, I just overrode the directions manually.
Electronics will be electronics. Imagine my surprise when I noticed that the Garmin indicated my top speed during the trip was 236 mph!
Radar Detector - Valentine 1
My radar detector proved its worth on this day. On the ride to Des Moines I did not encounter many police officers. On a single occasion I received plenty of warning of a oncoming highway patrol officer.
On the way home I learned that my mounting position (detailed in an earlier post) has an added bonus. In a fairly good rain the radar detector stayed dry as the windshield diverted airflow and rain up and over the radar detector. The RD remained perfectly dry. This would not work at slow speeds or a stop, but in those situations I would not need a RD anyway.
Another good point is the mounting location is that in a tucked position it is very viewable in my faceshield with no movement of my head. This may be beneficial as I would assume any "top speed" testing would occur in the tucked position.
Helmet wind screen (homemade)
The value and effectiveness of this windscreen for noise was validated. Right after leaving my first gas stop, I recognized I was hearing more wind noise. I was pretty sure that I had gotten my earplugs seated correctly. Then I found that my windscreen was missing. I jetted back to the gas station where I was sure I had dropped the wind screen when I removed my helmet during the fueling. Fortunately, I found it laying right next to the gas pump. Easily reinstalled and my comfortably quiet riding was resumed. It is a shame that Arai does not design this device in the first place.
Riding Apparel
Just for completeness I will list the equipment I used: Arai Helmet, Belstaff Jacket, Pearl Izumi bicycling shorts, Gerbing overpants (used as pants over the shorts), Dainese D-Dry boots. All performed wonderfully and kept me dry in the rain. Although the Gerbing's are my heated-wire pants they continue to perform great as general riding pants. They are comfortable, not too hot when worn as pants, and importantly waterproof.
Wednesday, May 17, 2006
Tuesday Moto Ride - Atchison
Tuesday morning I took my Ducati to get a little warranty work started. A LED light (turn-signal) has gone out in my dashboard. While not a big practical issues as the turn signals still work, this bothers me. The light just recently went out (soon after a had the last service at the dealer). I am sure it is nothing the dealer did wrong and just coincidence. But because the light is not replaceable and you have to replace the entire instrument cluster, I want to get this fixed under warranty. Ducati's warranty is very good at two years and unlimited mileage. Although I purchased my bike used, I still have time left from the original users purchase date.
I wondered if I would have any trouble getting this fix under warranty. No worries needed. The head mechanic looked up my warranty and simply agreed to order the part. This is good as I believe the instrument cluster cost over $1500.
The Ride
To the point. After leaving the the Ducati dealer I decided to go for a day ride. No plans or known destination. Ah, the joy of GPS. Just head a general direction and be comfortable that the GPS will keep track and allow you to find a way home. In the end I headed through Leavenworth (wierd having the nationally know military prison there) and ended up in Atchision, Kansas. And no, I did not stop at the prison nor do I know anybody there! Atchison is a tiny burg with not much to it. There is a nice little riverfront park. Pictures below. My one real observation is how so many towns sort of look the same. I had deja-vu with a couple of other riverfront park areas I drove through a few years ago when I travelled down the Natchez Trace.
It was too late for lunch and I was not really very hungry, so I turned around and headed back to Kansas City. My ride up took me North on the Kansas side of the Missouri river. So on the way back I rode down the Missouri side of the river taking passes through Weston and Parkville.
The actual riding had very little to note. The Duc ran great. The weather was wonderful. The first several miles were some interesting curving rodes on Hwy 5. Unfortunately this part was not all that long. Hwy 7 has some nice prairie sweepers. My total mileage for the day was around 180 miles. I averaged 40 mpg which is about as good as I get with my Duc.
Dinner
Upon arriving back in Kansas City (after the short detour to ride through Parkville) I stopped at our newest "entertainment center" The Legends at Village West. Basically this is a lot of commercial development around the Kansas Speedway (our Nascar track). The nice thing about the Legends shopping area is that It is an enterprise zone and attracting some new restaurants to town.
On this night I chose to dine at Granite City Food and Brewery. My dinner of fried walleye was very good. Although I am not big on fried foods, it was impossible to pass up walleye fish. This is not something that you find in Kansas City very often.
After dinner, I went the gym and got my workout in. Especially important if I am going to be taking up on fried fish.
Photos
I wondered if I would have any trouble getting this fix under warranty. No worries needed. The head mechanic looked up my warranty and simply agreed to order the part. This is good as I believe the instrument cluster cost over $1500.
The Ride
To the point. After leaving the the Ducati dealer I decided to go for a day ride. No plans or known destination. Ah, the joy of GPS. Just head a general direction and be comfortable that the GPS will keep track and allow you to find a way home. In the end I headed through Leavenworth (wierd having the nationally know military prison there) and ended up in Atchision, Kansas. And no, I did not stop at the prison nor do I know anybody there! Atchison is a tiny burg with not much to it. There is a nice little riverfront park. Pictures below. My one real observation is how so many towns sort of look the same. I had deja-vu with a couple of other riverfront park areas I drove through a few years ago when I travelled down the Natchez Trace.
It was too late for lunch and I was not really very hungry, so I turned around and headed back to Kansas City. My ride up took me North on the Kansas side of the Missouri river. So on the way back I rode down the Missouri side of the river taking passes through Weston and Parkville.
The actual riding had very little to note. The Duc ran great. The weather was wonderful. The first several miles were some interesting curving rodes on Hwy 5. Unfortunately this part was not all that long. Hwy 7 has some nice prairie sweepers. My total mileage for the day was around 180 miles. I averaged 40 mpg which is about as good as I get with my Duc.
Dinner
Upon arriving back in Kansas City (after the short detour to ride through Parkville) I stopped at our newest "entertainment center" The Legends at Village West. Basically this is a lot of commercial development around the Kansas Speedway (our Nascar track). The nice thing about the Legends shopping area is that It is an enterprise zone and attracting some new restaurants to town.
On this night I chose to dine at Granite City Food and Brewery. My dinner of fried walleye was very good. Although I am not big on fried foods, it was impossible to pass up walleye fish. This is not something that you find in Kansas City very often.
After dinner, I went the gym and got my workout in. Especially important if I am going to be taking up on fried fish.
Photos
Sunday, May 14, 2006
Motorcycle Helmet Noise (Homemade Air Dam)
Quite a while back, I switched from from a Nolan N100 flip-front helmet to an Arai RX7-Corsair. While I was pleased with the Nolan (especially the finish) I decided that a full face (non-flip) helmet would be safer in the event of a crash.
Searching for a helmet was prolonged as all helmets fit differently, good ones can be expensive, and I do not know of any place that lets you take a test drive with a new helmet to try it out. After much search I selected the Arai RX-7. In almost every way I am very pleased with it. This helmet is light, comfortable, looks fine (all black), and is pretty functional with many vents.
The one area I was not perfectly pleased with is wind noise. While quieter than my Nolan, the wind noise is considerable. Most riders will tell you that it is a must to ride with earplugs. This ranges from the disposable foam plugs to relatively expensive custom-made earplugs. I have tried various solutions and am currently happy with Etyomic ER-6I earphones (which I will report on later). But these good earphones identified a the fact that my noise problem is more the helmet than the ears or motorcycle.
After some testing and luck I discovered that the majority of the noise problem is from the opening underneath my chin in the helmet. The RX-7 has a small built-in air dam that you pull down (probably one-third of an inch). Unfortunately the built in air dam does does not help much.
My key observation on the noise occurred on a cold morning when I was riding on the highway. On that morning I had my heated vest and motorcycle jacket on. This results in a covered neck as both jackets have collars. With the gap at my neck covered and little air space at the bottom of my helmet I experienced very little wind noise and could very comfortably listen to my ER-6i earphones.
Next, I purchased the Stop Wind helmet skirt from CycleGear.com. This neoprene skirt attaches to the bottom of your helmet and covers the bottom opening, leaving a smaller hole for your head to fit through. This is an effective solution for the noise, but has two drawbacks. First, the neoprene and reduced air space mean the helmet is quite a bit hotter. I do not see this as viable in the summer. Second, the hemet skirt attaches via a friction fit where the skirt wraps over the helmet about an inch all around. While this stays in place fine, it invariably falls off when you remove the helmet or just carry the helmet around.
My next step was to make a homemade custom air dam. This air dam is a little difficult to describe, but I will try. I took a piece of plastic about one inch wide (top to bottom) and several inches long, cut some fabric in semicircle shape (to match the bottom of the helmet), and attached the fabric to the plastic. The plastic press fits in the gap between the built in air dam and helmet. The shape of the new "air dam" is flush with the bottom of the helmet. I used marine vinyl (as I do not know where to purchase neoprene). Finally after an initial trial, I glued some thin foam, cut to shape, on the top (inside) of the air dam to make the material slightly less flexible.
The homemade air dam works well, significantly reducing air noise. The air dam also stays attached, can be easily removed, requires no modification to the helmet, and is virtually unnoticeable on the helmet whether on my head or off. While not eliminating all noise, this very cheap solution is far better than the stock setup.
Motorcycle Windscreen
As an aside. Previously I considered purchasing an aftermarket (taller) windscreen for my Ducati. This was based on the observation that when I tucked down lower when riding the wind noise was significantly reduced. I do not have significant head buffeting when riding normal or tucked. Since using air dam I have found that the wind noise is no different riding in normal upright position or tucked position. So I have saved myself money by not purchasing a new windscreen. An added benefit is that I did not like the aesthetics of the aftermarket windscreens.
Searching for a helmet was prolonged as all helmets fit differently, good ones can be expensive, and I do not know of any place that lets you take a test drive with a new helmet to try it out. After much search I selected the Arai RX-7. In almost every way I am very pleased with it. This helmet is light, comfortable, looks fine (all black), and is pretty functional with many vents.
The one area I was not perfectly pleased with is wind noise. While quieter than my Nolan, the wind noise is considerable. Most riders will tell you that it is a must to ride with earplugs. This ranges from the disposable foam plugs to relatively expensive custom-made earplugs. I have tried various solutions and am currently happy with Etyomic ER-6I earphones (which I will report on later). But these good earphones identified a the fact that my noise problem is more the helmet than the ears or motorcycle.
After some testing and luck I discovered that the majority of the noise problem is from the opening underneath my chin in the helmet. The RX-7 has a small built-in air dam that you pull down (probably one-third of an inch). Unfortunately the built in air dam does does not help much.
My key observation on the noise occurred on a cold morning when I was riding on the highway. On that morning I had my heated vest and motorcycle jacket on. This results in a covered neck as both jackets have collars. With the gap at my neck covered and little air space at the bottom of my helmet I experienced very little wind noise and could very comfortably listen to my ER-6i earphones.
Next, I purchased the Stop Wind helmet skirt from CycleGear.com. This neoprene skirt attaches to the bottom of your helmet and covers the bottom opening, leaving a smaller hole for your head to fit through. This is an effective solution for the noise, but has two drawbacks. First, the neoprene and reduced air space mean the helmet is quite a bit hotter. I do not see this as viable in the summer. Second, the hemet skirt attaches via a friction fit where the skirt wraps over the helmet about an inch all around. While this stays in place fine, it invariably falls off when you remove the helmet or just carry the helmet around.
My next step was to make a homemade custom air dam. This air dam is a little difficult to describe, but I will try. I took a piece of plastic about one inch wide (top to bottom) and several inches long, cut some fabric in semicircle shape (to match the bottom of the helmet), and attached the fabric to the plastic. The plastic press fits in the gap between the built in air dam and helmet. The shape of the new "air dam" is flush with the bottom of the helmet. I used marine vinyl (as I do not know where to purchase neoprene). Finally after an initial trial, I glued some thin foam, cut to shape, on the top (inside) of the air dam to make the material slightly less flexible.
The homemade air dam works well, significantly reducing air noise. The air dam also stays attached, can be easily removed, requires no modification to the helmet, and is virtually unnoticeable on the helmet whether on my head or off. While not eliminating all noise, this very cheap solution is far better than the stock setup.
Motorcycle Windscreen
As an aside. Previously I considered purchasing an aftermarket (taller) windscreen for my Ducati. This was based on the observation that when I tucked down lower when riding the wind noise was significantly reduced. I do not have significant head buffeting when riding normal or tucked. Since using air dam I have found that the wind noise is no different riding in normal upright position or tucked position. So I have saved myself money by not purchasing a new windscreen. An added benefit is that I did not like the aesthetics of the aftermarket windscreens.
Sunday, May 07, 2006
Radar Mount
For the motorcycle crowd. I added a radar detector mount (Legal Speeding Adjustable Windshield Mount or AWM) to hold my radar detector (Valentine 1) to my Ducati ST3 today.
I have been thinking about getting a radar detector to my motorcycle for some time now. Many motorcyclist (including my guru KW) rave about them. On the opposite side I have not used a radar detector since being very involved with them more than a decade ago. Personally, I wonder if I speed more with a radar detector than without. I enjoy the less stress of not worrying about police radar when not speeding over 10 mph over. On the other hand I do occasionally enjoy a high-speed romp. It would be nice to know that I was not "letting it rip" right in front of a police officer. I acknowledge many drivers use the radar detector effectively while not increasing their speed over what they would do without one. I hope I will be part of this crowd. Time will tell.
In the end I decided to try a Valentine 1 radar detector. While there is tons of information available describing the pros and cons of various units, the Valentine is the one KW swears by and this is good enough for me.
Adding a radar detector (RD) on my motorcycle brings in the additional issue of how and where to mount it. Without going into lots of detail, suffice to say that the ST3 has few good places to mount the detector. In general the RD should be mounted high and where you can easily see it. My Garmin GPS is in a prime spot over my speedometer. I am very happy with it there and wanted to avoid diminishing my ability to see it. On many motorcycles, getting a mount that attached to the handlebar is a good possibility. I did not see this as viable on the Duc for two reasons. First, because of the shape and position of the fairing I would need to set the mount towards the center of the motorcycle. This would have been in the way of the GPS and speedometer. Second, because the fairing is pretty close to the rider, the RD may have been too close for me to easily read while looking ahead.
In the end, I choose to try the adjustable windshield mount (AWM) from Legal Speeding. This mount attaches via two small holes you drill into your windshield. The radar detector or other device attaches to the AWM via a velcro strap. The AWM is a well made piece of hardware.
Installation
After determining where to attach the AWM mount, I drilled the holes. This is an easy operation that I ended up being overly careful with. I have done a fair amount of work with plexiglass in the past. But for some reason I became concerned about chipping or cracking the windshield. In the end I cut a pilot hole with a drill bit in a high-speed Dremel tool. I then enlarged this with a slightly larger drill bit in the Dremel tool. Finally to get the desire size I drilled the (now started) hole to size with a drill bit in a regular drill. Maybe more than I needed to do, but I got perfect holes with no chipping or cracks.
Attaching the AWM is easy by following the included instructions. Basically it is screwing two screws from the front into the stanchions on the mount.
To wire the radar detector, I choose to route the power wire (normal phone cable for the V1) from the front fairing to the back, underneath the seat. I choose to do this to facilitate adding the remote speaker/headphone unit underneath the seat. The V1 does not have a headphone jack on the unit so you need the extra module. Since I already had a power block underneath the seat for my heated clothes socket, attaching the wired power module (included with the V1) was very easy.
All told, a easy installation. After installing everything I tested it and found no problems.
Initial evaluation
While I would have rather not needed the AWM, I could think of no other effective way to mount the radar detector in an effective spot. I am not enamored with the position on the bike but if I eventually decide to remove the mount, the small holes are not obtrusive. Because the power wire crosses the clear windshild there is very little I can do to hide it.
On the positive side, the RD is as high as I could mount it and easy to view. Also the RD is easy to attach and detach for theft protection. On the negative side, the mounting position slightly obscures my view of my Garmin Quest 2. I used to be able to see the entire GPS from any riding position. Now I will have to dip my head to see the very top part of the GPS. I will have to try it for awhile to determine if it bothers me.
Pictures are included below
I have been thinking about getting a radar detector to my motorcycle for some time now. Many motorcyclist (including my guru KW) rave about them. On the opposite side I have not used a radar detector since being very involved with them more than a decade ago. Personally, I wonder if I speed more with a radar detector than without. I enjoy the less stress of not worrying about police radar when not speeding over 10 mph over. On the other hand I do occasionally enjoy a high-speed romp. It would be nice to know that I was not "letting it rip" right in front of a police officer. I acknowledge many drivers use the radar detector effectively while not increasing their speed over what they would do without one. I hope I will be part of this crowd. Time will tell.
In the end I decided to try a Valentine 1 radar detector. While there is tons of information available describing the pros and cons of various units, the Valentine is the one KW swears by and this is good enough for me.
Adding a radar detector (RD) on my motorcycle brings in the additional issue of how and where to mount it. Without going into lots of detail, suffice to say that the ST3 has few good places to mount the detector. In general the RD should be mounted high and where you can easily see it. My Garmin GPS is in a prime spot over my speedometer. I am very happy with it there and wanted to avoid diminishing my ability to see it. On many motorcycles, getting a mount that attached to the handlebar is a good possibility. I did not see this as viable on the Duc for two reasons. First, because of the shape and position of the fairing I would need to set the mount towards the center of the motorcycle. This would have been in the way of the GPS and speedometer. Second, because the fairing is pretty close to the rider, the RD may have been too close for me to easily read while looking ahead.
In the end, I choose to try the adjustable windshield mount (AWM) from Legal Speeding. This mount attaches via two small holes you drill into your windshield. The radar detector or other device attaches to the AWM via a velcro strap. The AWM is a well made piece of hardware.
Installation
After determining where to attach the AWM mount, I drilled the holes. This is an easy operation that I ended up being overly careful with. I have done a fair amount of work with plexiglass in the past. But for some reason I became concerned about chipping or cracking the windshield. In the end I cut a pilot hole with a drill bit in a high-speed Dremel tool. I then enlarged this with a slightly larger drill bit in the Dremel tool. Finally to get the desire size I drilled the (now started) hole to size with a drill bit in a regular drill. Maybe more than I needed to do, but I got perfect holes with no chipping or cracks.
Attaching the AWM is easy by following the included instructions. Basically it is screwing two screws from the front into the stanchions on the mount.
To wire the radar detector, I choose to route the power wire (normal phone cable for the V1) from the front fairing to the back, underneath the seat. I choose to do this to facilitate adding the remote speaker/headphone unit underneath the seat. The V1 does not have a headphone jack on the unit so you need the extra module. Since I already had a power block underneath the seat for my heated clothes socket, attaching the wired power module (included with the V1) was very easy.
All told, a easy installation. After installing everything I tested it and found no problems.
Initial evaluation
While I would have rather not needed the AWM, I could think of no other effective way to mount the radar detector in an effective spot. I am not enamored with the position on the bike but if I eventually decide to remove the mount, the small holes are not obtrusive. Because the power wire crosses the clear windshild there is very little I can do to hide it.
On the positive side, the RD is as high as I could mount it and easy to view. Also the RD is easy to attach and detach for theft protection. On the negative side, the mounting position slightly obscures my view of my Garmin Quest 2. I used to be able to see the entire GPS from any riding position. Now I will have to dip my head to see the very top part of the GPS. I will have to try it for awhile to determine if it bothers me.
Pictures are included below
Saturday, May 06, 2006
My Duc Flys Home
I got my Ducati ST3 back home today from it 6,000 kilometer service (done at 7000 miles). So far I am very pleased with the results. As some Ducati owners and prospective owners know, the fear or out of the control maintenance on Ducati's can be very scary. Indeed, this unknown cost delayed my initial purchase of a Ducati. To cut to the chase, my service cost a reasonable $555. While this seems a lot, this is much better than the estimate ($700-$900 in labor alone) given to me by another, supposedly reputable dealer.
Here is what was done:
1. Inspect cylinder compression
2. Check oil PSI
3. Change oil, filter, crush washers
4. Inspect and adjust valve lash. (This is the biggie. Only needed slight adjustment of one exhaust valve)
5. Replace two timing belts
6. Check air filter
7. Clean air box
8. Clean vapor recovery circuit
9. Check charging output
10. Check lights
11. Reset service indicator
12. Replace hydraulic fluids.
13. Top off coolant
14 Adjust and lube chain
15. Lube throttle cable, fast idle cable, and key locks
Note listed on the service but suposedly done where a couple of minor recall fixes and checking the headstock bearings.
Parts:
1. Oil filter and washers $14.34
2. (2) belts $129.80
3. Valve cover seal $1.97
5. Oil $26.85
6. Brake fluid $5.95
I did not get that many miles (approx. 30) in two short trips, but the bike is running as-good and slightly better. This maybe psychological. But, at any rate, it is a good felling that the important mechanicals have been tended to.
Here is what was done:
1. Inspect cylinder compression
2. Check oil PSI
3. Change oil, filter, crush washers
4. Inspect and adjust valve lash. (This is the biggie. Only needed slight adjustment of one exhaust valve)
5. Replace two timing belts
6. Check air filter
7. Clean air box
8. Clean vapor recovery circuit
9. Check charging output
10. Check lights
11. Reset service indicator
12. Replace hydraulic fluids.
13. Top off coolant
14 Adjust and lube chain
15. Lube throttle cable, fast idle cable, and key locks
Note listed on the service but suposedly done where a couple of minor recall fixes and checking the headstock bearings.
Parts:
1. Oil filter and washers $14.34
2. (2) belts $129.80
3. Valve cover seal $1.97
5. Oil $26.85
6. Brake fluid $5.95
I did not get that many miles (approx. 30) in two short trips, but the bike is running as-good and slightly better. This maybe psychological. But, at any rate, it is a good felling that the important mechanicals have been tended to.
