Back to a Standard with the Wife's approval!

[brianinpa]

Sorry Gerry, i thought I had a headlight for you.

 

[mcgovern61]

brianinpa » Thu Aug 29, 2013 8:32 pm[/url]":1hxfzry5]
Sorry Gerry, i thought I had a headlight for you.

Appreciate the effort Brian! :thanks:

 

[mcgovern61]

Took the fairing off today to check the wiring connections for the new (old) headlight and turn signals. I was pleasantly surprised that all of the OEM wiring is in place and that the Vetter wiring harness was plugged right into the wires with the same connectors. :yahoo:

I decided to take her for a spin without the fairing on......MAN OH MAN did that bike run great!!! :shock: :music: :music2:

I now know that this is the right direction I must go with this bike...taking her back to her roots as a Standard! I'm telling you that bike hopped around like it weighed less than 300 lbs! Just for yucks....I took the bags off too........... :shock: I'm telling ya, I could do ballet with this bike now! It handles like a small bike scooting around wherever I wanted! k: :music3: :salute:

 

[dan filipi]

Know what you mean. Take all that weight away and it's a different bike for sure!

Going to shield or no shield?

 

[mcgovern61]

It is tough to think that I would not use the fairing anymore because it is real useful for many things, but the bike just handles so much better without it. My dilemma is that I still want to load up and take trips. Looks like my best bet is to get a hitch and trailer for the big stuff and just let the bike go natural (with a windshield of course).


My second dilemma is my stereo......I really like tunes when on long trips and the stereo I put in wasn't cheap. I am going to attempt to try to find a way to use the Cycle Sound behind a windshield if possible (it is a completely self contained music center unit).

 

[mcgovern61]

dan filipi » Fri Aug 30, 2013 10:01 pm[/url]":2mwdwgcb]
Know what you mean. Take all that weight away and it's a different bike for sure!

Going to shield or no shield?

Definitely a windshield. The bike will be very similar to the pic in the 1st post.

 

[backlander]

Your making me jealous. I'm thinking my aspy is just to dang heavy.

 

[C5Performance]

mcgovern61 » Fri Aug 30, 2013 10:04 pm[/url]":22ryib44]
It is tough to think that I would not use the fairing anymore because it is real useful for many things, but the bike just handles so much better without it. My dilemma is that I still want to load up and take trips. Looks like my best bet is to get a hitch and trailer for the big stuff and just let the bike go natural (with a windshield of course).


My second dilemma is my stereo......I really like tunes when on long trips and the stereo I put in wasn't cheap. I am going to attempt to try to find a way to use the Cycle Sound behind a windshield if possible (it is a completely self contained music center unit).

I use a Scala Rider headset for music, but the radio reception SUCKS when you leave the city. They used to make small housings to put car stereos in tractors (no, not the HUGE tractor radios). I wonder if someone still makes one. Saves you from buying a new radio.

 

[brianinpa]

mcgovern61 » Fri Aug 30, 2013 10:04 pm[/url]":qghxcni4]
It is tough to think that I would not use the fairing anymore because it is real useful for many things, but the bike just handles so much better without it. My dilemma is that I still want to load up and take trips. Looks like my best bet is to get a hitch and trailer for the big stuff and just let the bike go natural (with a windshield of course).


My second dilemma is my stereo......I really like tunes when on long trips and the stereo I put in wasn't cheap. I am going to attempt to try to find a way to use the Cycle Sound behind a windshield if possible (it is a completely self contained music center unit).

If you would upgrade to a smart phone, you could play your tunes off of your phone or an iPod through some handlebar mounted speakers. They are out there, just how much do you want to pay for them?. Also, since you are going to have a wind screen you could probably mount them to the screen attach points rather than the handlebars.

 

[mcgovern61]

Ok, I know this looked silly to my neighbors, but since the fairing is off.....I had to find out how much it really weighed. Bathroom scale.........step on and get an initial weight (sorry, classified information here....if I reveal the initial weight of the rider, Honda would have me arrested for running an overloaded vehicle on the highway! :smilie_happy: )

Pick up the fairing and weigh again.....subtract the difference and that sucker weighs more than 37 lbs!! :shock:

 

[mcgovern61]

brianinpa » Sat Aug 31, 2013 8:21 am[/url]":aqwb2x6x]
If you would upgrade to a smart phone, you could play your tunes off of your phone or an iPod through some handlebar mounted speakers.

Is that the same smartphone that took us through the movie set of Deliverance in West Virginia instead of route 5? :smilie_happy:

I am using an iPod as my primary source of music on the bike now. I could move the radio elsewhere on the bike, but then I would lose the function of my remote and would not have control of the volume. I am still thinking on this one.

(I know......some bike purist prefer the open country and sound of the wind in your face.......I like tunes!!)

 

[brianinpa]

mcgovern61 » Sat Aug 31, 2013 10:10 am[/url]":qjx0xgdn]

brianinpa » Sat Aug 31, 2013 8:21 am[/url]":qjx0xgdn]
If you would upgrade to a smart phone, you could play your tunes off of your phone or an iPod through some handlebar mounted speakers.

Is that the same smartphone that took us through the movie set of Deliverance in West Virginia instead of route 5? :smilie_happy:

I am using an iPod as my primary source of music on the bike now. I could move the radio elsewhere on the bike, but then I would lose the function of my remote and would not have control of the volume. I am still thinking on this one.

(I know......some bike purist prefer the open country and sound of the wind in your face.......I like tunes!!)

Google maps didn't take us that way... Verizon Navigator did, but I could get Google Maps to talk to me, so we had to listen to the banjos :music2:

 

[mcgovern61]

Took a fairly big step tonight. I removed the Vetter fairing and installed the turn signal brackets and turn signals. Man oh man, that job was a pain!! Somehow, I missed the part about having to drop the forks off to install the brackets. At first I tried to just lower them half way...no dice! Then I could not figure out why they wouldn't drop anymore?? (Uhh....you dummy.....you have to unbolt the brakes??) oh2: :rtfm:

That still wasn't enough, the front wheel had to come off, then the fender and finally drop the forks out altogether. (Hmmmm...would have been a good time to change those seals...except they aren't leaking!!)

Installing became the next challenge. The rubber rings at the top and bottom are a real tight and make it hard to hold the bracket in place while sliding the fork back in. Make matters worse, the rubber ring is as tight as the fork bracket and if it isn't lined up just right, the fork grabs the rubber ring and stops the fork! :rant: TWO HOURS FOR THE RIGHT SIDE ALONE!!!!

I got them on and they were plug and play!! tried the headlight and whoa........it is really bright! Halogen H-4. I thought my Vetter had the same lamp but the headlight reflector in the Vetter must be shot. The headlight I ended up with came from an '82 CB750 which turns out to be exactly the same one as the Goldwing (and since they do not seem to be in high demand or stamped "Goldwing" it was cheap....$39!!)

After getting these on, there is no way I want to try to take them off. For now, I am going to turn them inward and put the Vetter back on so I can keep riding this fall! I still do not have a windshield (out of funds) so it looks like it is time to start selling parts!

 

[backlander]

:head bang: :head bang: Way to hang in there Gerry. :clapping: :clapping:

 

[brianinpa]

He sounds like a man on a mission. Be careful with that selling of parts... it leads to buying more and more and more. :smilie_happy:

 

[mcgovern61]

Got the headlight on today and put my original mirrors back on the handlebars and went for a ride (it was a beautiful day....of course I was going to ride!)

No windshield.

Okay.......I have to ask.......WHY in the world would you want to ride at high speed without a windshield????? I had my half helmet on with my riding glasses and the wind noise in my helmet almost knocked me over. Back home and switch to my 3/4 helmet with a face shield. That was much better but still noisy!

I jumped out onto the highway up to 75 MPH and had to hang on with all I had!! The wind about knocked me off the bike!! (Maybe I'm not meant to have bugs in my teeth?) :hihihi:

This makes the windshield a high priority!!

 

[joedrum]

:hihihi:

 

[mcgovern61]

An interesting side note I think worthy of passing along. When I pulled the forks to put the headlight/turn signal brackets on, I had to drain the air out of the forks. When re-assembled, I did not put air back in. The ride was GREAT!! These are original OEM springs in the front forks (not original to this bike). I was pleasantly surprised that the forks did not need air and the front end just glided over bumps.

It just shows me that the OEM fork springs are really only designed for a Standard and not for the weight of the add-on fairing. Without the fairing, the bike just about steers itself through corners and curves!

 

[backlander]

 

[brianinpa]

mcgovern61 » Sun Sep 15, 2013 8:43 pm[/url]":794slyvg]
Okay.......I have to ask.......WHY in the world would you want to ride at high speed without a windshield????? I had my half helmet on with my riding glasses and the wind noise in my helmet almost knocked me over. Back home and switch to my 3/4 helmet with a face shield. That was much better but still noisy!

Because bugs are high in fiber... :thank_you: