ICON Variant Construct

It would be awfully cool if I could get one of these from ICON to review. But I'll probably just end up buying one next year. Need a new lid and even though I'm a cheap bastard, I can't get this helmet off my "want list". Plus, it would go really well with the Ulysses.

magic boxes and the kindness of strangers

I finally got the torx bolt out. It didn't turn out like I wanted but it was what I expected.

The heat and chisel method didn't work. It finally came down to drilling it out, which of course, I got off center and buggered up the threads. This tends to happen when you leave a moron alone in the garage with power tools and an expensive motorcycle. (Yes, that moron is me.) So now, I have to either tap it for a larger bolt or use a bolt/nut combo. Not sure which way to go.

Since I have the air box off, might as well do the breather re-route and keep my engine from ingesting all that gunk. To catch-can or not to catch-can, that is the question.

I'll post some pics of the progress, once I make some. My loaner ECM is on it's way from the BadWeb member. Need to get the bike together and ready to test, I don't want to keep his ECM longer than I have to. Plus, I have an ECM/Diagnostic cable on it's way. I'd love to get the Bluetooth model but it's for Android only and I know if I drop $90 on it, my work will switch us to Apple phones.

So the plan of attack is get the air box back on, reset the TPS and AFV. If that doesn't help, time to swap ECMs. Also, while I have the chin fairing off, time to clean up and check all the connections that the guys in East Troy shoe-horned in there.

I was not the right tool for the job.

The Buell is my first serious encounter with Torx bits, the allen wrench's pointy cousin. I had some minor run ins back in my Jeep days but nothing this intense. So, after I brought the Uly home, I bought what I thought was a complete set of Torx head sockets.

Turns out, I was very wrong. A T25 is not a T27, which is rarely included in Torx sets because someone has a very sick sense of humor. So, during all this tear down to find the cause of the poor idle and stalling, I decided to check the intake seals. To do this, I need to pull the bottom air box plate, which is held on by... you guessed it, T27 bolts. Well, that T25 sure is close and if you didn't know any better (or in my case, were just being a moron), you'd think it was right.

It's not.

It only took a few slips to round out that torx hole. To add insult to injury Buell uses a thread locker that was meant for those giant rock quarry trucks, not 1/4 diameter bolts. I'm not the first Buell owner to suffer this fate and I doubt I'll be the last. So, there's no room for a Dremel to slot the bolt head. I can't hit it with the torch because it's a plastic plate and the frame is kinda full of 93 octane gas. I tried heating up a T27 with the torch and using it heat the bolt, no luck. I tried using a soldering iron to heat up the bolt, no luck. I tried pounding a T30 then an allen head sockt in there, no luck. I almost made a blood oath to murder the man who decided to leave out the T27 bit. But, that little amount of wiggle on the T25 should have told me that wasn't the right fit.

Now, I'm using my lunch break to buy a cold chisel, a reverse drill bit (just in case) and a sacrificial T27 bit for round 3 tonight. I'd love to just weld a nut on there but something about welding on top of 4 gallons of gas doesn't sit well with me.

At least a quirky motorcycle gives me something to write about!

living with a crazy and fun but high maintenance motorbike

I went out for a ride down into the curvy section of Indiana last Saturday with Funky and Wheels. The Buell ran great, my confidence and skills need to grow to match it. I think a track day would do me well. So, the Buell eats up the curves like mad, it almost glides from turn to turn (as long as I do my part and stay smooth). I'm fairly sure there are either suction cups or magnets in the wheels, that's how well it stays planted. I did have to tinker with the front fork to cut out some fork dive. Currently, it's set for a guy about 50lbs heavier than myself according to what the book says, so it's probably time to change the fork oil.

After some spirited riding, we stopped at Rino's place to admire his renovated garage. Once we were rested and hydrated, it was time to follow Rino the Rocket through the twisty roads of southern Indiana. Admittedly, I wasn't "riding my own ride" on Saturday and found myself being a bit liberal with the throttle at times. This caused a close call on my part. Wheels, almost got a Ulysses enema due to a very sudden right hand turn onto a side street by Rino. Oops. Everyone stayed on two wheels and there was no contact, so it's a learning opportunity.

Wheels and I split off from Rino and Funky, hopped onto 46 and rocketed towards I65. After a pit stop at Scrubway to fill our bellies with crap food, we headed north towards home. The sun was setting and I would finally get a real chance to see how the Ulysses headlight works. Turns out, it's pretty damn good. We burned dinos all the way into downtown Indy and battled much traffic. Occasionally, I felt a stumble or hesitation, perhaps a surge from the 1203 Thunderstorm. "Eh, it's just your brain playing tricks, or maybe time to do the TPS reset.", I thought and carried on avoiding texters, pot-holes and street zombies.

Then, it happened, another stumble. There it is again. The idle drops below 1k and climbs back up to normal. At the next stop light, it gets worse. Now, I have to tickle the throttle to keep it from stalling. Oh shit, here comes the price for our day of fun. We hope on to Fall Creek, and now, I'm keeping the pig alive, just barely.

I turn into my 'hood and BAM, she dies. I thumb the starter and she howls back to life and runs all the way to my garage and stays alive long enough to pull inside, then kaput. After a few days rest and much Googling, I swap the plugs out and fire her up. She awakens with a throaty roar, like a motorcycle version of Tom Waits. I don't bother w/the airbox cover but I gear up and take off. She's running a bit rough but I think it's just from all the air dumping in. Then, it happens again. The stumble, then the idle craps out...time to turn back. I don't want to push the beast home.

So now she waits until I can do the TPS/AFV reset but the consensus on BadWeb is that my ECM has gone t*ts up. Thankfully, a BW member is going to ship me his to try out. Now that's freaking awesome. That way, I don't have to drop $300 on an EBR model and learn it's something else.

You'd think I'd be full of violence and murder since my new bike is in the garage all torn apart but I'm not. She's so damn fun to ride it is worth the wrenching and I knew Buell's are finicky when I bought it.

**Update:  The issued turned out to be a failing TPS Sensor!**

altitude adjustment

Took the Ulysses out to meet some of the TA Moto guys for breakfast at the Historic Steer In Diner on Saturday. The ride was chilly but the heated grips did well on low along with the hand guards.

The seat height on the Buell has me on the balls of my feet while standing vs the SECA which I could flat foot while sitting. So, it's taking some getting used to. Admittedly, I had two close calls where I almost dropped the Uly. One during a slow speed u-turn and the other in stopped traffic because I stalled the bike. Ugh. At least I saved it both times. Time to break myself of the two-foot down habit.

I mentioned a few posts ago, that the dealership filled my bike with 87 octane before I took it home. The manual calls for 91. So, on my ride home the bike didn't run as well. However, I added 2oz of octane booster and then filled up the tank with 93 octane. This helped the low speed stumble. I still plan on doing a TPS reset just to be safe.

The Ulysses, well most of the XB bikes are prone to pulsing front brakes. Some are warped rotors, some are deposits from the brake pads and others are from the mounting hardware getting bound up. The perimeter rotors are kind of spring loaded, so they move instead of the caliper. My bike has a some pulsing and it's tough to tell the cause. I'll take some 220 grit paper to the rotor first, test ride, then check the rest if needed.

Did I mention my bike has built in butt and leg warmers? I bet your's doesn't. Turns out, a big 1203cc air-cooled V-Twin will keep your legs pretty toasty. The previous owner added the comfort kit, which funnels air to the back cylinder and directs heat way from your legs. There is also a heat blanket that goes under the seat to help in the warmer months but my bike doesn't have that.

Before the big snow gets here, I need to do a fluid change and valve job, oh wait, no need, they're hydraulic. =]

Sorry for the lack of pictures. I'll get some up soon.

what is hiding in your closet?

I haven't been in the moto world very long but even I have a pile of gear that I don't use. Stuff I bought from eBay that didn't fit, styles I no longer like or things I bought and just never wear for some reason. Whatever the reason, it piles up and wastes money. I've given some of it away to other new riders who needed the gear but couldn't afford it. What about the rest?

Enter Turn 2 Exchange, a brilliant idea from some riders in Portland, OR. They will sell your old gear for a % of selling price. A good way to get people protected on the cheap, well, at least cheaper.

I don't know how to make that picture a hotlink, so use the text link.

shakin' things up!

It's the weirdest thing.


This was in my garage when I woke up this morning.

Sometimes you're set on one path and life steers you towards another.

I was set on a KLR when my riding buddy Rino sent me a craigslist ad for the Uly. For $3k w/full hardbags and the comfort kit, I couldn't pass it up, even if it has 67k miles.
Runs great, rides smooth, shakes like mad at idle and has ridiculous amounts of torque. It will run better after an oil change and I flush out the shitty 87 octane the dealership filled it with before I left.

What's weird is 1 year, 4 months and 10 days ago, I made this post: http://7plus8.blogspot.com/2011/06/dreaming-of-future.html

Protecting my $100 brain.

I've been eyeing some of the less expensive "adventure" or "dual sport" style helmets lately. I've seen the ones from Shoei, Arai and AGV but they're all outta my price range. Thankfully companies like Fulmer, AFX and others have caught onto the adv craze and started producing their own style.

The first dual sport helmet I saw was the Simpson GS3-MX and it got terrible reviews. So, I burned that style into my brain and waited. Now, the market has sub $300 dual sport helmets and it's time for me to retire my M2R lid.

I don't know much about Bilt products but some of their stuff is pretty lame. However, I do like their "Adventure" helmet. I have a thing for white helmets, maybe because they're like a blank canvas and I can sticker them up. Maybe it's some weird residual Star Wars speederbike lust.

Anywho, for a $100 I think it's a good risk and I'll probably order one soon. The reviews on ADVrider have been pretty good. After all, you can't expect German engineering at India pricing. Plus, the Bilt has a retractable tinted shield and ever since my Caberg, I've wanted that feature again. The Mrs also needs a new lid and I think we're going to go for AFX Hi-Viz modular.

**Update**

I finally pulled the trigger on the Bilt Explorer helmet but it we never really hit it off.

Check out the post here: http://7plus8.blogspot.com/2013/05/bilt-adventure-explorer-review-return.html

bike drooling on a budget.

There have been some financial upsets at the S3 Compound lately. Our shack has needed a new roof for a while now and we can't put it off any longer. (Stay with me, I promise there is motorcycle content ahead.) Our little place was built just after the Great Depression and that definitely reflects in the build quality. The roof has a pretty obvious sag in the ridge line and short of reframing, it's going to stay that way. At some point, you have to let an old house be an old house. We've looked into having the roof redone (about $5k for shingles and $9k for metal) and if we're gonna throw down the scratch for a new roof, I don't want shingles. Our shack is surrounded by trees of all sorts and metal is the only way to go.

Originally, when I moved up to my new position at work, I was going to go bike shopping in celebration. Responsibilities have won over fun, so that's going towards our metal roof. Instead of paying $9k to have someone tear off the asphalt shingles and replace them with metal panels, we're going to tackle it ourselves with a little (ok, a lot) of help from our friends. I'd rather sweat and swear than go $6k deeper into debt.

Finally, we get to the moto content. This changes my outlook on my motorcycle shopping options. I had dreams of rolling an F800GS into garage using BMW's tempting 3asy payment program. Well, I thought about it and thought about it and dreamed of that new bike. Then, I did the math. No thanks. You can keep your brand new blue kool-aid. Instead of getting hyped up about fuel injection, blue/white roundels and high tech 21st century materials, I'm going backwards. Single cylinder, single carb and simple tech. Something easy and cheap to maintain. Something that has a plethora of used parts and information on the web. Something that has stood up to the test of time.

That's right. I'm shopping for KLR 650s. It's time to admit, I'm cheap, well, not just cheap, I'm also generally broke. Not poor mind you, that is a state of mind. It's got enough umph to haul the Mrs and I around plus some gear. I can always add a larger bike for long haul two-ups later. Something like the R1100GS or a Wee Strom.

I admit, the new 2013 is growing on me. But no more financing until something is paid off. (At least that's what the adult inside of me says.)

*poof*

We gave my bike a SeaFoam treatment directly into the cylinders, a bit in the gas and some in the oil. After cleaning the cylinders, it seems to have more umph! and overall smoother acceleration. Peaking into the crankcase after doing the SeaFoam and oil change, it looks spotless and shifts much smoother than before. Overall, it was well worth the $9.

a weird slump...

No issues with the bike, my gear or the weather but yet, I haven't been riding much.

Life is kind of hectic and way too stressful right now but my mind isn't in the right place to swing a leg over and hit the starter. Not that I post a lot these days but it might get even less for awhile.

north to Holland

On Saturday, the Mrs and I set out on our first out of state motorcycle trip. We had no real plan, just a destination (in hindsight, not the best idea) and a few days off of work.

We hit the road around 10am, after a few stops, we were on the road. The SECA was loaded down with full luggage and it handled quite well for a neutered 1990s "sport bike". We rode in some good crosswinds and the added weight really helped compared to riding solo. Just shy of South Bend, we stopped in La Paz and got to see the locals in all their glory. Like the girl with caterpillars (insects not the construction equipment) tattooed above her eyebrows, a half dozen very heavy men cram into a single cab truck and lots of neck tattoos.

After a brief rest and a snack under a shady tree in the McDonald's parking lot, we headed north for Michigan. The traffic was generally pretty light and the weather was perfect. We had purchased some new riding gear before the trip and I'm glad we did. The Mrs got a nice Rev'It mesh jacket, TourMaster boots and I got a killer deal on a BMW Boulder jacket. All the gear did great but the surprise was the Boulder, it did great even up to 95 degrees. The lack of a fixed waterproof liner really helps the jacket breath. Anywho, back to the trip.

We arrived at Saugatuck around 5pm and found all the hotels/motels were booked except on that had what appeared to be guys from King of the Hill hanging out front but instead of propane and propane accessories, they preferred stolen lab equipment and boxes of Sudafed for the meth lab.

I found an empty room south in Benton Harbor, there were probably nicer places around but a nasty storm was rolling in and we were running out of time. The GPS decided to take us on lovely trip along the coast, then divert us straight through the ghetto of Benton Harbor. After this fun detour, we found our hotel, got the keys and the sky opened up. The Mrs ran to the room carrying the helmets while I rode the bike through sheets of rain around the building and into a tunnel next to a few big Harley Davidsons.

My lack of planning left us staying in a questionable motel, within walking distance of the 'hood. Hmmm, definitely not a good idea.

The next day, we loaded up the luggage and strapped it all back onto the bike. Within seconds of starting the bike, my oil light comes one. Hmmm... it happens once in a while. Being paranoid since this is our first trip, we head to WalMart for some supplies and a couple quarts of oil just to be safe.

After our breakfast, we check the oil again and the level reads normal. Time to hit the road.

We eventually made it to Holland and to the state park.

The area was packed with tourists so we decided to get some lunch. The GPS lead us to a couple of places that were closed. We eventually found a cafe, got some food in us and decided to ride around for a bit. After some sight seeing from the bike, we decide instead of getting a hotel again, we'll just head home.

At the last gas stop, I walked into the restroom and immediately thought I was going to be murdered or sodomized due to my purty mouth. Add to this the lady at the register looked at me like I was 6ft of stacked shit when I asked to get $13 in gas. Weird people...

We made it home in one piece. Our butts were slightly sore but the bike did well. I did learn that the distance between the seat and the pegs is a bit short for me. With any luck, I'll be shopping for a bigger bike this fall or next spring. I'm still heavily sold on the R1100GS. Many times during the ride to MI, I thought about how nice it would be to have all that room and crash bars with highway pegs. In time...

All in all it was a great time and the Mrs handled the trip like a trooper and is excited to do it again. =]

error! error!

Does anyone else see my side bar (profile, links and etc) on the bottom of the page? Looks fine from my PC at home but it's goofed up when I look from work. Maybe it's a sign from the universe to get back to work...

40th BMW MOA Rally

While Gymi and Surly were at Vintage Days, I was tearing across the Midwest in my Honda box with my wife and my riding buddy, Wheels. We were headed to Sedalia, MO to attend the BMW Rally. Lame, I know, driving to a motorcycle rally. Well, it's for a good reason. Wheels, is partially dependent on a wheelchair and hasn't found a good way to carry his chair on his F800GS, so we drove. (For the record, I did not give him that nickname.)

I'll let the pics speak for themselves. Oh, the odometer pic is correct. 480k miles on an R1100GS. The owner is from Central America and does tours all over the world. I spoke to him briefly but he was setting up his vendor booth and I was probably wasting his time/money. He was a cool guy and I bet he has a ton of interesting stories.

look at those jugs!

I'm going to check this out on Friday. 1981 BMW R65 As the title says, she's got nice jugs and she just let's them hang out in the breeze.

Adv Summit

ADVENTURE SUMMIT from Jon Beck on Vimeo.

This would be amazing.

a dim light on dark road

The SECA II headlight is not the best.
It's early 90's tech just doesn't cut it any more and I'm not sure it did back when it was new. So, the next mod on the list is a set of LED driving lights mounted to the forks. I'll probably go with something cheap in case they get destroyed or the project doesn't work out like I had hoped. The current plan is to use the mounting points currently occupied by the reflectors. If I can find a flat bar type LED light, that would look the best.

In the meantime, my GPS mounts should be here today. (edit: According to UPS, the parts are sitting at my front door!). I went with a RAM mount for the Garmin Quest I was given. It's old tech but it's free tech! I already have our August destination plugged in and ready to navigate. Not that it's going to be a confusing trip but if you have the toys, might as well use 'em.

**Update**

**Update**

With all these mods to the SECA II, I the stock graphics are going to be removed and replaced with something more appropriate. Maybe a reflective XJ600 II Adventure sticker set? By the time I'm done with this bike, it's going to be a weird hybrid and probably the only SECA like it.

First Long Trip

I'm planning a bike trip for my wife's birthday in August. The destination is super secret but the trip is not. She started riding with me this summer, at her own request. I never made her ride with me, nor will I ever tell her to get her own bike. Some people just aren't cut out for certain activities. I prefer to never have to jump out of a perfectly good aeroplane, while others would never swing a leg over a motorcycle. To each their own.


What was I talking about? Oh yeah, the trip. So, her first ride with me was to a vintage bike show about 45 minutes north of our house. The ride home was stretched out to about an hour and a half. She did well as a passenger, no sudden position changes or unnecessary movements. We've been out a handful of times since then and it's always a good time. Granted, it would be better on a bike with more oomph but you make do with what you have.


So the destination is about 5 or 6 hours away, depending on where we stop. I don't have an exact target, more of a general area. It's going to be hot so we need to invest in mesh gear. We grabbed a pair of used Joe Rocket mesh pants from ebay that fit both of us. I tested them yesterday commuting to work and they're awesome. I don't ever want another pair of riding pants that don't have at least 3/4 zippers up the legs. In addition to the JR pants, I got a pair of BMW summer paints from the Flea Market on ADVrider. They're khaki and fit well but the armor sits a bit too low. Granted, it's not BMW armor so the fit in the pockets isn't quite right. I haven't tested them out yet, I was too enthralled with the mesh. We'll see how they are when we go out with Wheels tomorrow.


We still both need mesh jackets and RedQueen needs some good riding boots that don't have high heels or other stripper accents. Why is so damn hard to find good gear for ladies?

it's official.

Back in Feb of 2011, I made this post, babbling about how much I like the F800GS.

Well, last night I met up with an old work buddy (from here on out, referred to as Wheels) who always has awesome bikes. Decked out KLRs, Ducati Monsters and now an F800GS. He has some stability issues so the F8 has been dropped about 2 inches and is sporting softer springs front and back. I'm a long legged guy and the stock F800GS is a bit high for me. With the mods to his seat and suspension, it's about the same seat height as my bike but since the seat is so narrow, it felt shorter. I think the short seat would drop the stock height to about perfect for me.

I don't normally ask to ride other's bikes but he offered and I couldn't refuse.

I swung a leg over, fired it up and off I went. Instantly I'm thinking, "Holy crap, the engine is so damn responsive right off the bat. Smooth power, pretty torquey too.". Then, I goosed it a bit too much from a stop and the front end popped up. Oooooh! A smile is instantly plastered on my face from ear to ear. I didn't go too far but I got enough of a taste to know I want more. It honestly felt like I think a motorcycle should. I've sat on V Stroms, Versys, Sprint STs and a lot of other bikes but none felt like I wanted them to until the F800GS. Hell, I sat on the F800ST and didn't like it that much.

I tore through the back road behind the shopping center and out onto a public street and opened it up for a few blocks (didn't want to press my luck). Man, that's a damn sweet exhaust tone. I pulled back into the parking lot grinning like a mad man beneath my helmet.

Had the RedQueen sit on the back to see how the ergonomics were for two-up and she approves. The pegs are much lower and her legs are at a more comfortable angle than on my SECA II.

So...

Hopefully next year, I can start shopping around for a used one. I know the F650 is built more for what I would use it for (commuting, general purpose, riding two-up and light touring) but I know if I bought it instead, I would just lust for the gnarly dual sport function of the 800. Plus, I would have to do some dual sport to keep it happy.

draining out the dino juice

I picked up the $30 paddock stand from Harbor Freight and it was worth every penny. Now, if I can figure out a way to put it on the stand all by my lonesome, I'll love it even more.





I think I might be spending too much time on the UK bike sites. I've noticed u's slipping into words where they don't belong. Colour, harbour, etc. But I can't help it, it's like a completely different universe of motorbike goodness. Don't forget Monday is Ride To Work Day!