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AKRefugee

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Posts posted by AKRefugee

  1. I replaced my headlight with the H4. Last night I went out for a ride to check it. I got better visibility when it was in low beam than when it was in high beam. I checked and both elements are lighting up on high beam so I know the bulb is okay. I adjusted the headlight both up and down and still get the same results. Is it possible to put the H4 bulb in so that it would be 180 degrees out (or upside down so to speak)? When I look at the bulb on high beam it seems that the high beam filament is below the low beam element.

  2. Rode 2up to the top last year on the last day of September. The road is paved about half way up. Where it is gravel it is very well compacted so the surface is generally not a problem. Watch the edges because they can be a bit soft and broken. I rode mostly in 1st gear and did not try to rush it. The biggest challenges were one the cages in front of me stopping on the road, so stay back from them so you can always keep moving and two the vans travel quite quickly both up and down so it can be a bit nerve wracking when they are coming at you. If you keep moving and don't get in a rush you will be fine. I will admit that on the way up my sweetie asked if I was scared 3 different times and twice I had to admit I was. Coming down was not a problem for me and was not scared for that part of the ride. Dress way warmer than you need to be at the bottom because when you get to the top it will be much cooler than at the bottom. There are not many places you will want to stop and drag stuff out of the bags to put on. For our ride it was 75F at the bottom and 37F with the wind chill at the top. If I remember right there is a sign at the bottom that tells you what the wind chill temp is at the top. Have a great ride and take pics. Don't forget to stop at the little store at the bottom and get your "This Motorcycle Has Been To The Top of Mount Washington" bumper sticker. The ride is a blast.

  3. I like my louder than stock pipes on my Sporty cause when I come along side someone

    yakking on their cell phone I can just pull the clutch in and give it a rev or 5. I don't care how well that cage is insulated with the turn outs right along side the door they do hear it. :whistling::whistling::whistling:

  4. My son was riding with me one day and we got behind this guy with his window down, his arm half hanging out and him yakking on his cell phone. We followed hIm through the neighborhood for about 6 blocks till he finally just stopped in the middle of the street for no reason, still yakking on that damn phone. I started to go around him and gave a blast on the horns to just let him know for sure I was there. Three things happened Qquite quickly when I did that.

     

    1st The cell phone jump out of his hand, out the window and under the car.

     

    2nd he jumped so much his foot must have came off the brake because the car lurched forward, ran over the phone and then died with the rear tire sitting on top of the phone.

     

    3rd his head snapped around like a rotor blade on a helicopter looking to see where that horn came from.

     

    Even when we went by him laughing our behinds off he still didn't figure it was just our little ole motorcycle :whistling:.

     

    My son and I still get a laugh whenever either of us mention it. :rotf::rotf::rotf:

     

    I LOVE MY HORNS

  5. Seen one of these last weekend on the interstate. Didn't get a good look because it was going the opposite direction. It was moving along at "quite a good pace" so just got a glimpse. Very distinct look and your eyes are definitely drawn to. Must be that bright yellow color.

  6. I have this hunger for BBQ and heard about this place in VT that is suppose to be good. On Saturday June 05 I am riding from Southwest CT to Curtis's in Putney VT. Thinking about leaving about 10a from Bridgeport CT and going straight up I91, get some food and then wander where ever on the way back. Anyone that wants to join me or meet along the way give me a call at 203-814-5423.

  7. I have researched the modulated headlight issue quite extensively. I have not been able to find ANY studies or reports that have been done on the effectiveness of modulated headlights. The only study that has been referred to is the Hurt study which was completed in 1990. Regarding headlights this study addressed the "Conspicuity" of a rider. The only reference regarding headlights is "Conspicuity of the motorcycle is a critical factor in the multiple vehicle accidents, and accident involvement is significantly reduced by the use of motorcycle headlamps (on in daylight) and the wearing of high visibility yellow, orange or bright red jackets." It does not address the use of modulated headlights. The link for a summary of the report is here http://www.clarity.net/~adam/hurt-report.html

     

    I have spoken with a close friend of mine who was a long time motorcycle police officer. He said that at one time they had them on their bikes as standard equipment but that they took them off because the accident rate associated with being struck by another vehicle went up after they were installed. He also stated that after they took them off the accident rate went down. Can’t find any documentation regarding this, only have what was told to me.

     

    Before you make a decision change anything on your bike you should be sure to do your homework. Unfortunately when it comes to modulated headlights there really is is no hard data to rely, only antidotes, so you have to use your own gut. There are several proven things you can do to increase conspicuity. Wearing high visibility clothing and, as ugly as it may seem to some, a white helmet are two of those things. Personally until I can get good data regarding whether modulated headlights increase or decrease my safety I will stick with the methods I know are proven. Take a course, wear high visibility clothing and keep my head on a swivel at all times.

     

    Also, a little background on motorcycle headlights. Federal law requires that a headlight be mounted on all on-road motorcycles but when this light must be illuminated was left to state law. The manufacturers established that the lights would always be on so that the customer would not have to be trying to remember if they are in a state that required them on or not. In other words while the installing of the lights were required the wiring so that they are always on was, and still is, a voluntary action by the manufacturers.

     

     

     

     

  8. Late last fall I bought an used 06 from a local dealer with about 10K miles on it. The dealer put new rubber on it and advised me that they had done a complete safety check as well. When I picked the bike up I did a respectable check out of it, not my usual detailed check. One of the things I usually do when I buy a used bike is pull the wheels and check everything myself. Since the dealer told me they had done a safety inspection and had the wheels off when they changed the rubber I did not do this. I have now put about 5K miles on this bike. Last week I completely lost the rear breaks. Come to find out that the inside shoe was so worn that it had started grinding the pistons and that it had broken in half. If this shoe had decided to flip it could have immediately locked the rear end up, needless to say it would not have been a fun ride. I was quite surprised to have a rear brake go out so early since the rear brake is the last thing I use to slow any bike down. Guess the previous owner had a different riding style.

     

    So what is my lesson learned here?

     

    No matter how great these bikes are never ever ever not do an inspection you would usually do yourself. Just because someone else told you they had done an inspection does not mean that it was the same one you would do, or done to the same standard you would do it. Also, do not become complacent just because this ride is so reliable. It is, after all, still a bike and it can reach out and bite you if you forget that.

  9. Wow, guess I got a good parts guy. We looked at the schematics and then went over to an RSV sitting on the showroom floor to confirm that what we were looking at and what we were ordering were the same thing. If I remember right it was less than 5 bucks. By the way mine is an 06 as well.

  10. Thanks Rosebud, that is what we needed to see. Looks like that is right about where her legs ended up when she showed me her "gee I wish I had something to put my feet on right about here." Like the O Rings added as well, smart idea.

  11. I have a 06 RSV. My sweetie has mentioned that she would like something like highway pegs for the back. I see that Diamond R has them. If any one has them mounted on a second gen can you post a pic so I can see where they would mount and how they would look.

     

    If there are any passengers willing to share their experience with passenger highway pegs we would appreciate that input as well.

     

    Thanks all

     

    :detective:

  12. Hey Tew47,

     

    Thanks for the heads up. Locked it up a few weeks ago and ended up dumping it.

    Will go practice this from now on.

     

    BoomerCPO,

     

    I go practice about every two weeks even if it only for 10 or 15 minutes. The parking lot for the course is about 10 min from me and they have painted the maneuvers. I will get this thing down to a 14' turnaround yet. Will add this to the exercise as well.

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