![[Google]]( http://trainwiththom.com/wp-content/plugins/easy-adsenser/google-light.gif)
Adding a GPS to your Honda Silverwing
By Thom | August 15, 2009
How to ditch those maps and stop worrying about making that next turn.
I was lucky to acquire a Garmin Streepilot 2720 for my birthday this past year. I had done a lot of research on what type of GPS to buy that would be compatible with my car and motorcycle. I decided on the 2720 because it was waterproof, easy to mount, had a lot of reviews by other motorcycle riders and was easy to interface with a computer. It has turned out to be a good choice so far.
Streetpilot with homemade sun cover
I enjoy the ability to upload maps that I’ve created on my computer to the GPS and also incorporate other points of interest (POI’s).
These POI’s are worth their weight in gold in terms of being able to locate things quickly and easily. So far on my GPS I have loaded: All Honda dealers in the U.S., wayside rest stops along major interstates, all Flying J gas stations, all Speedy America gas stations, and Roadside America’s attractions. These are in addition to the POI’s that the Garmin came preloaded with.
I decided to mount the GPS to my Silverwing using a RAM mount from Cycle Gadgets I went with a RAM mount because it allows for a lot of adjustability in terms of moving the GPS and also is very secure. So far, I’m very happy with my purchase – the GPS is easy to take on/off and I’ve never had a moment when I was worried about it coming off. I put a little green strip of ‘rubber bumpy thing that prevents a rug from moving around’ in the RAM clamp to prevent it from rotating.
RAM Mount
The mount was the easy part, but I also needed to get power to the GPS. The 2720 does not have an internal battery, so if you don’t have power you don’t have any navigation. At first, I thought this would be a problem, but I have yet to come across a time when I couldn’t plug it in.
I decided that I wanted to go straight to the battery with the power supply, that way I didn’t have to worry about splicing anything into the bike’s power supply and it also allowed me to run the GPS when the bike was powered off.
I used 16 guage wire, making my own wiring harness. The harness incorporated a SAE waterproof connector, wire, terminals, and a cigarette lighter extension plug. The extension is very simple to wire, just look for continuity (using the Ohms setting on your multimeter) between the center point (down inside the female end) and one wire. That wire will be your ‘hot’ side.
My custom wiring harness – note the ability to split the harness when the fairing is removed using the SAE connector
Measuring the resistance to make sure I’ve got the right wire going to the positive side of the battery
I chose to keep Garmin’s original power supply that comes with the GPS because I didn’t want to shell out the extra cost. It would be best to buy one, but this system works for now.
- I should note that I do cover up the external speaker with a zip lock bag when I am riding in the rain. The speaker is also located inside the fairing’s pocket, so it doesn’t tend to get a lot of rain on it anyways. I’m sure the speaker is water resistant, but I don’t really want to take a chance.
Finished Product – I drilled a small hole in the fairing pocket to allow the wire to pass through and split loomed the whole thing
Tucked neatly inside the pocket on the bike
From the pocket, the wire runs down through the fairing outlet by the other electrical connectors and along the bike’s frame to the battery.
- Having the coiled extension also allows me to move the whole set up into the tank bag to charge my cell phone.
Picture of the GPS setup when viewed from the rider’s seat.
Topics: How To's, Uncategorized | No Comments »
Adding a CB Radio To Your Honda Silverwing
By Thom | August 7, 2009
Adding A Hand held CB radio to your GL500
When I took my first real trip my father on my motorcycle we had to resort to using hand signals to communicate. Well, hand signals work great as long as you are out on the open range, without a lot of distractions, possibilities for missed turns or other people. So in essence, they are horrible. I finally decided to add a way of communicating with others that was safer and easier than hand signals.
On a motorcycle, there are several different options to choose from. One is to go with a CB (citizen band) radio setup, another is to use an FRS (family radio system) and the last is a HAM radio setup. Each radio has it’s pluses and minuses. In the end I went with a CB radio because they are cheap, have a decent distance of communication, widely used on the road (mostly by truck drivers) (also FRS’s downfall) and do not require a license to operate (Hams downfall).
I decided on a hand held system that using a wiring harness to bring the microphone and speakers up to my helmet. I went with a hand held system because I just couldn’t find a system that was both built for a bike and cheap enough for me to afford.
Radio setup
The radio I ended up choosing was a Cobra HH38WXST – I thought it was the best for the money because it incorporates a weather band radio along with the CB. Very handy to know if I’m going to get wet during a ride or overnight.
The mic/speaker harness I decided to buy was from IMC Moto – they turned out to be a very good investment. I have no problem hearing others on the CB, even with my ear plugs in. Also, I haven’t ever had any problem with someone not being able to hear me through the microphone.
The harness mounted in my helmet – you can just make out the little foam bump of the microphone and also you can see the connector
A peek at the wafer-thin speakers mounted by my ears – no problem with clearance in this helmet or my old one – they really are thin.
The CB came with just a small ‘rubber ducky’ type of antenna that was good for about a half mile of distance. I decided to replace it with a antenna and mounting kit from a local truck stop. Now, it can get about 5 miles of reception – plenty of enough time to hear about weather/road hazards. The antenna was mounted on the back of my trunk extension using the supplied clamp and also a piece of copper pipe (as it didn’t quite fit) – the copper pipe sacrificed itself to help form a tight fit. I also put a piece of sheet metal around the bottom rung of the trunk extender to prevent the antenna from twisting. I also put wire running from the antenna mount down to the frame of the bike to act as another ground source.
4 ft Antenna Kit
Antenna mount
Antenna wire being coaxed under the seat
I ran the cable from the rear through the frame, past the gas tank and up to the handlebars where the radio sits in my tank bag.
The ICM kit plugs right into the radio and the other two ends plug into my helmet and a push to talk button on the handle bars. The helmet plug has a series of raised bumps on one side of both of the connectors which make it really easy to plug in without having to look at the plug. I also put ‘white-out’ on one side of the connectors so that it would be easier to plug in without thinking.
One of the connectors – plus the coiled cable that goes to the antenna
Push to talk button installed on handlebar before before being rotated down – my handlebars are long enough that this doesn’t interfere with operation of the bike
Since it’s in my tank bag with a zipper, I put some split wire loom over the wire to stop the wire from rubbing on the zipper
All buttoned up (minus the side covers) ready to ‘put the hammer down’
Topics: How To's, Motorcycle | No Comments »
What I Wear To Ride and Why
By Thom | May 20, 2009
The more miles you put on combined with the more stories you hear, the more your realize that investing in some decent quality motorcycle gear is worth it. You may subscribe to AGATT or “all the gear all the time” philosophy. Maybe you just want to be able to put on more miles with less wear and tear to your body. Either way, selecting the right gear is worth some time and research.
What type of gear to wear generally sparks off some great debates – just like what type of oil to use or which bike brand is better. Today, there are thousands of combination of motorcycle gear that you can choose from. Below are my observations and tips.
Here is what gear should do for you:
- It should be easy to put on/take off (if it’s hard to throw on or time consuming – you won’t wear it)
- It should be comfortable (again, if it sucks, you won’t wear it)
- It should be multifunctional (ie. my liner can double as a warm jacket or rain jacket when I’m off the bike)
- It should be great in warm weather and OK it cold weather (generally, 80% of the time you ride it’s hot, and I while I enjoy a good sauna, it’s not fun for 100’s of miles)
- It should protect you when you fall
- It should also help to protect you from the sun, rain, and wind (all of which can ruin your day – sun burns, rain is wet, and wind drys you out)
- It should last more than several riding seasons (quality vs. quantity)
- It should be easy to wash or spot clean (the old joke “dry clean only” really means “this is shirt is always dirty”)
Your options:
First, I will assume that you want full coverage, so that means either a full suit (like an Aerostich Roadcrafter) or a jacket/pant combo. Personally, I like the jacket and pants combo much better than a full suit. It’s much easier to take off a jacket to cool off at a gas station or to walk in a restaurant without getting too many strange looks. I think it’s also easier to find a good fit without having to get anything talored or customized.
Second, either you choose leather or textile. Leather was king for many years, even better when they came out with perforated leather, but has slipped considerably as more and more people buy textile. If you strictly race, routinely ride above 100 mph or enjoy sweating – go for leather. Otherwise, today’s textile just can’t be beat. With textile, you don’t have to worry about rain, washing, or most temperatures. Look at the IronButt rally riders – you won’t see any of them in leather.
Third, which gear maker do you choose? This one is tough, because I (and most others) don’t stick to just one brand. There are positives and negative about each piece of gear from any manufacturer. In the end I think it comes down to fit, style, and quality. A $30 jacket from a mall store may look good and fit well, but if it’s made of pleather you’re not going to want to wear it on the bike. Conversely, if you have a $300 set of pants that are high quality and look good, but don’t fit well, you’re back to zero.
Fourth, what type and how much armor do you want? I would strong advise getting some sort of armor that is incorporated into your clothing. It has the potential to save you from deep injuries and broken bones. CE approved armor seems to be the standard and should be a minimum starting point. I would shoot for armor in the shoulders, elbows, back, hips, and knees. These are parts of your body that are really good at trying to damage themselves during a wreck. Also, look for “safety stitching,” as this is a special way of stitching that is resistant to coming apart.
Here is the gear that I wear and why I wear it:
Jacket:
I wear a Hein Gericke ‘Urban’ jacket. It’s mainly comprised of textile mesh in front/back and under the arms. The rest of the jacket is a stronger textile fabric. The jacket has CE approved hard armor in the elbows and soft armor in the shoulders and back. The liner is waterproof/windproof and can be attached to the jacket using several zippers and loops. (I rarely fully put the liner in the jacket using the zippers, most of the time I just throw it on underneath). There are several parts of the jacket that have reflectivity built in.
My review- Overall, it has been a great jacket it keeps me very cool in hot weather, and also the liner is surprisingly warm. I’ve added the reflective material onto the arms to prevent getting merged into and also a reflective vest for visibility. In the original, I would have liked to see a little bit more. Also, I would have enjoyed a slightly lighter color, but I would imagine that this one hides dirt well. I’ve yet to have any problems with the zipper and the armor stays in place very well. It has been very durable, surviving for over 4 years and 30,000 miles.
Pants:
For pants, I wear First Gear HT Air 2.0 Mesh Overpants. Similar to the jacket, the pants offer a mesh material in most of the areas not prone to crashing. They have a waterproof/windproof liner that zips and snaps in place and also have armor at the knees and hips. Full length, two-way zippers for getting in/out. They are over pants,which mean that you can wear shorts/jeans underneath and change out of them after your ride – much preferred over trying to find someplace to change.
My review – Overall these are extremely cool pants compared to other textile/leather pants. The mesh really helps to keep up the airflow. I’ve had several people try them out against their normal pants and they would’ve bought them from me on the spot. The bottom leg portion is very heat resistant. There have been several times that I found myself touching my exhaust with my leg will no ill effects. I’ve really only had two problems with the pants, one is with the armor as it tends to fold at the knee if you’re not careful when putting them on. Second, there has been a small section on the left knee that has started to become unstitched. I’m hoping I can get it repaired at a shoe shop. Additionally, they are very durable and have survived just as long as the jacket. There is a full line of reflective piping that is helpful at night, but I wish there was some in the back of the heal region.
Gloves:
I have a set of FirstGear leather full-gauntlet gloves with armor at the knuckles and extra padding and leather at the palms. I’ve had these so long (7 years) I don’ remember what model they were. The have chrome hard armor on each knuckle and a type of cuff that comes over a vented section of the glove. They also have a pretty wide range of adjust ability at the gauntlet using Velcro.
My review - These gloves had held up well over the years, and are surprisingly great for cold and warm weather riding. They have never bled during the rain, but have started to fade as the miles go by. The chrome paint has also started to wear off, but doesn’t seem to have compromised their protection. I’m in the market for a different set. I highly recommend buying ones with a large gauntlet to prevent bees, hornets, mosquitoes, and bald eagles from finding themselves traped in your sleeves. Also, don’t skimp here, generally your hands are the first thing to come in contact with the pavement and the last thing that you want to be without after the crash.
Boots:
I’ve been wearing a set of Teknic Defender Waterproof boots for many years and I’ve really grown to like them. The have a full waterproof membrane including the gusset behind the zipper. They feature a 3/4th length zipper, steel anti-crush plates in the shin, ankles, and heel, and a oil/gas resistant sole. Also, they have a second layer of leather over the area that you shift with to prevent wear.
My review: I do like them. They have held up extremely well, with only some wear on the heel. They are probably a little warmer than vented boots, but I’ve literally filled them to the brim with water and left them soak for 30 minutes without any water seeping out. They do feel pretty comfortable to walk medium distances in, but I would still bring along another pair of shoes to change into. I haven’t had any problems slipping off the pegs or trouble shifting/braking.
Hopefully this will help you in deciding what gear to buy! We’ll see you on the road…
Topics: Motorcycle | No Comments »