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Categories: all aviation bicycle gadgets misc motorcycle theater Sat, 31 Dec 2005
Well, the Z is back. I was skeptical at first, but I'm now pretty The dealership said they found a pair of wires in the harness which were slit, and just exposing some bare wire. The tech said that the wire bundle was misrouted in the fairing, which caused it to be pinched. After about 2000 miles, the wires had had enough vibration to rip open the remaining insulation, and they would somewhat randomly touch. When they touched, they would cause a short-circuit, which would pop the fuse. Since the wires are on the ignition circuit, the blown fuse would take out the engine computer, ignition coils, and instruments. There goes the engine. At first, when I had just heard the general description of the problem from the service manager, I was worried that it could be a manufacturing defect. I was afraid I could look forward to many other wires coming apart and popping random fuses or causing random things to happen. I was prepared to suddenly distrust the bike to the point of selling it and getting another old comfy Ninja 250. But then, when I talked to the tech who'd actually done the work, he described it with a bit more precision and detail. Specificially, when he mentioned that this particular bundle of wires was misrouted, it all clicked into place. A misrouted wire bundle in the fairing is annoying, but it doesn't implicate any other wires in the harness. I'm feeling relatively confident now that there shouldn't be any further problems. The dealership said they just taped up the split wires, and re-routed the wire bundle correctly, and all seems fine. I tend to agree, although I also think that, strictly speaking, the wiring harness (or at least that section of it) should have been replaced. I'm not sure I care enough to press the point right now. Certainly, if there are further problems, I'm going to insist on a replacement harness. An interesting thing I noticed was that getting back on the bike, I felt comfortable with it. I guess I don't have as much dislike for the bike as I had thought. I still need to fix the seat (the tech remarked how bad the seat was, too), but i must be getting used to it. Posted at 09:40 permanent link category: /motorcycle Wed, 21 Dec 2005
An interesting time the last few days, to be sure. After the phone conversation with the dealer's service manager, I went in and dropped off the manual. Then I waited. In the mean time, I've been wearing my new Shoei X-11 helmet (if I don't put the dash in that name, I just think of windowing systems). It's really tight. Not so tight as to be bad, but really tight. If I don't put it on and take it off the right way, it's painful. Right now, it's pressing a bit around the base of my skull, but otherwise the fit is right. I really want it to break in a little bit, though. I can't really comment on any of the clever venting features (one of the claims to fame this helmet makes) because, of course, it's winter. Temperatures have generally been hovering around 30° F, although the last day or two has been warmer. It does look nice, and all their claims about aerodynamics may even be worth something, as I don't notice as much wind pressure or buffeting on the freeway. In any case, it seems like a nice helmet, and it's certainly the best fit I'd found. The Goldwing's choke cable has gotten so bad now that I have to actually operate it two-handed: one on the proper choke handle, one on the carburetor lever it actually operates. It's workable, but it sure ain't right. I have a new choke cable on order, which will hopefully solve the problem. This morning, I got another call from the Kawasaki dealership. It went something like this: Them: Hey, so I don't know if Chris told you this, but he's left to work for another dealership, and I'm working on your bike now. I'm starting from scratch here; what was the problem again? Something about fuses? Me: [pause] Wait, who's Chris? Them: He's the old service manager, thank god he's gone. Me: Ah. [moment of flabbergastation] Yeah, it's popping ignition fuses, but only when underway. I went on to explain how the problem occurred, and what I thought he should check for: abraded wiring, faulty ignition components, etc. It ended up that he also wanted me to bring in my electric vest to test with, begrudgingly following that lead from his now-absent service manager. I was... not pleased. It was one of those moments where I hung up the phone and, had it been a TV show, I would have looked at the camera and said, "what!?" So, this evening, I brought in my electric vest. I found that the guy was actually not very worried about it, but his boss had told him to check it, so he was. We discovered that the vest made absolutely no difference to the operation of the motorcycle. Big surprise. I did end up talking with the tech for about half an hour, and he seemed like a reasonable guy. He didn't have any more clue about solving it than I do, but he also seemed capable of finding the problem, given enough time. So, I'm not feeling confident that I'll have the Z back any time soon, but I suspect I will see either it or a replacement bike by the time January is over. I guess it all depends on how successful the new tech (he's not new, he's just not the same guy) is, and how far up the chain I have to go to get a resolution. Posted at 09:33 permanent link category: /motorcycle Thu, 15 Dec 2005
Phone conversation I just had with my dealership. Me: Hey, how's the Z750s coming? Them: Well, actually, no progress. We're waiting on a manual to come in. Me: Oh, you want me to bring in my service manual? Them: Yeah, that'd be great! I can't find anything wrong with it so far, a manual would be really helpful. Me: No problem. That's a first for me. I figured dealerships just got manuals as soon as the new model came out. Oh well. Off to drop off my service manual... Posted at 12:26 permanent link category: /motorcycle Wed, 14 Dec 2005
I just got off the phone with Todd Kollin, the Electric GPR While I was talking to him, he mentioned that not only will the supermotard version be offered, but also a 72 volt version of the GPR, which is normally geared for a 70 MPH top speed! Wow! It'll be cheaper too, since it uses 6 batteries instead of 8 (the one described on the webpage uses 4 banks of 2 for 48 volts). It'll have less range due to having fewer amp-hours behind that voltage, but still! So yeah, I'm quite interested to find out what my impression of the whole thing will be. I have a feeling that a lot of pictures will be taken (if they let me), and I may try to turn it into a "feature article" sort of thing for the site. Ooh, i'm all giddy now. Later... The choke on the Goldwing has been getting stiffer and stiffer, to the point that now, it's nearly impossible to pull without tools. Unfortunately, it's been cold enough that the choke is required to start the bike. I can't tell whether it's the cable that's stiff, or the carburetors. The adjusting screw is so rusted and stripped that I can't get it out with a regular screwdriver, so until I can take the time to get it out (probably destructively), I won't be able to find the problem. I'll probably find a new choke cable (which appears to include the choke lever, too), on the theory that it's the same one Honda shipped with the bike in 1982. If that's the case, it definitely needs to be replaced. It actually looks newer than that, so it's possible the cable was replaced at some point. My new helmet finally arrived today (in other news), so I've got that to play with. Have to get the new shield fitted with a Fog City insert, so I probably won't have it ready for use tomorrow. Still, it's nice to finally have it. Posted at 21:00 permanent link category: /motorcycle Tue, 13 Dec 2005(It's just after midnight, so this should be read as a continuation of yesterday's entry.) So, I decided to go out to the dealership and lock the bike to something solid, since it's not exactly in a great area, crime-wise. I hopped on the sidecar, and was tootling down the street near my house when I notice the sparkly red and blue lights behind me. I pull over, and am imformed that I was going 40 in a 30 zone. This is one of those main, four-lane streets on which everyone travels at least 40 MPH. Nothing for it, I now have a $101 ticket for doing 40 in a 30 zone. For me, this raises troubling questions. How is it that I've never once seen anyone else pulled over in that area? As I mentioned, everyone does at least 40 MPH through there, including the cops. I'm not suggesting I've been singled out. More, I'm wondering how it is that the police and everyday traffic can go along that large, 4-lane street over the speed limit, and it's never a problem. Then I start wondering where this ever-vigilant officer of the law was every time I've heard some asshole screaming down my (30 MPH limit) street at 50-70 MPH (although admittedly, the 70 MPH guy plowed into a utility pole at the end of the street and certainly faced a number of tough questions from the police -- but only after he'd crashed). Even more, how is it that I've watched as police cruisers sat idle as someone not only blew through a red light in front of them, but did it at significantly over the speed limit? Which magical anti-police amulet was I not informed about? How is it that these people, who regularly endanger my life, are getting away with all manner of infractions, while I, a very safe driver who stops at red lights, full-stops at stop signs, uses his turn signals and generally obeys the rules (although obviously I'm a vicious speeder, 40 in a 30!) am getting charged over a hundred dollars for my obviously-malevolent crime? Where have the police been when I've been cut off in traffic? Where were they tonight, when I could have really used a friendly face on the pitch-black shoulder of I-5? Where were the police when I watched a very drunk driver spin through a revolution and a half on the freeway, losing large chunks of his car in the process? Where were they hiding themselves when that Geo nearly slammed me into the sidewalk and a full-body cast on Aurora last year? Probably busily pulling over some dangerous felon, driving 10 MPH over the speed limit. Posted at 09:13 permanent link category: /motorcycle Mon, 12 Dec 2005
I shouldn't have been so harsh on myself about that rattle in the In other news, I spoke with one of the electric GPR folks today on the phone. He confirmed that they will be selling both the electric GPR, and an electrified Derbi supermotard (SM), similar to this. No committments on pricing, except that the SM would probably be a bit less, since the frames won't be factory-new, but will have a few miles on them. Iiiiinteresting! I'm going to call back later today, and see if I can get a definite appointment to see these bikes around Christmas. With any luck, I'll be able to ride one or both around a bit, and can write up my experience here. I'm looking forward to it. This raises the question, am I going down to bug these people pointlessly? Would I actually drop $7k on an electric motorcycle? That's a really good question. I've been leaning towards "yes" more and more since I first found out about them, although that then raises the "spectre" of what to do with the Z. Since I would certainly want to commute on the electric bike, the Z would see the same decline in usage that the Le Mans saw. Ultimately, that lead to the (hopeful) sale of the Le Mans. Would I have wasted the money on the Z? I don't know, and that's one of the big factors in whether it would make sense to go spend another Z750s-worth of money on an electric bike. Seen on its own, if I had the cash available, I would buy a good electric bike without a question in my mind. Electric motors are much lower maintenance than gas, with a phenomenal reduction in moving parts (these bikes don't even have transmissions). There's no esoteric carburetion to worry about -- pulse-width modulators like the speed controls on these bikes are well-understood, and there are multiple examples out there which have seen hundreds of thousands of hours of use. Electricity is far cheaper than gasoline around the Pacific Northwest, and is arguably far better for the environment. It's certainly better for foreign policy and political reasons. If a reasonable electric vehicle is available which could replace its gas-driven counterpart, I'd have no hesitation. But I'm not living in a vacuum. I just spent, not three months ago, $7500 on a new motorcycle. That's a lot of money! I have some issues with that new motorcycle, but they're not huge, and I'm still riding it every day. If I sold it right this minute, with the scratch in the crankcase, I could maybe get $6000 for it. That's a pretty enormous depreciation hit for 3 months' usage. If I stopped using it in favor of an electric bike, it wouldn't harm me too much financially, but I hate to see any bike sit unused. It wouldn't be long before I'd be thinking of selling the Z along with the Le Mans. Then that depreciation comes into play again. If I ended up disliking the electric bike, the depreciation would either be much more or practically null, depending on who I found to buy it. So the real answer to the question is, "I don't know." I'll see what happens if I get a chance to actually ride one. Later that night... Bah! Well, that sucked a lot. I went down to a store well south of me to do some Xmas shopping, but was only marginally successful. What sucked was that, as I was passing under the 45th St overpass on northbound I-5, the Z died! It just went clonk! and lost power! AARGH! So, I pulled over to the side of the road (fortunately the blinkers and taillight were still working), and came to a stop. I sat for a moment, reviewing what had happened, and tried all the switches (particularly the kill switch) to make sure I didn't just do something stupid. No, it was definitely non-functional. A bit of investigation revealed that (as I had grown to suspect) the ignition fuse was blown. I replaced it with the one spare Kawasaki had helpfully supplied, and the bike started right up. I suspected that the failure was caused by vibration, so I revved the motor through its range a few times, just to see if I could cause it to fail before I pulled in front of traffic. It didn't die, so I turned on my blinker and waited for a big gap in the traffic. Fortunately, it was late enough (probably 9:45 by this point) that traffic was fairly light, and I quickly found the large gap I was looking for. I took off, and made it to about 6000 RPM in 3rd gear (perhaps 50 MPH) before it conked out again. That was enough to put me walking-distance from the next offramp. I deliberated putting the spare 15A fuse in that slot (it's supposed to be a 10A fuse) and decided it wasn't worth burning the bike down if I could walk it to safety. I gave it a hearty push and crossed the 50th St onramp, headed for the 65th St offramp. 5 minutes later, I was sitting on a side street at the bottom of the ramp (fortunately a downhill ramp!), dialing my friend Jesse on the phone. I had called him the first time the bike broke, so he was ready, and was quickly on the road headed for my location. I'm glad the bike died so close to home and the dealership, and not 30 minutes to the south, where it would have been a real trek for Jesse. When he arrived, we got the bike shoved up the ramp into his truck (fortunately, he's well-prepared, with his motorcycle racing gear), and tied down marginally well. The Z is kind of hard to tie down, since the fairing gets in the way. It was fine for that short trip, but I wouldn't want to go any real distance with it tied down like that. I had called my dealership while I was waiting for Jesse to show up, and left them a couple of messages to expect the bike in the morning, and what troubleshooting I'd been able to accomplish. We left the bike, as securely as could be hoped, at the dealership. So, I guess I'll be in tomorrow morning to talk to them and see what my options are. I'm quite sure this is a warranty problem, and I hope they agree with me. If there's any trouble with that, this could be the last Kawasaki I own for a while, but it seems very unlikely they'd call this anything but a warranty claim. The bike's only 3 months old, as I established above. Stay tuned. It could get interesting. Posted at 23:36 permanent link category: /motorcycle Tue, 06 Dec 2005
I was all ready to curse and swear at Kawasaki for their poor build Tonight I finally made time to take apart the fairing so I could check behind the instruments. Perfect. Nothing coming loose, no problems. Hmm. Then I noticed my power plug, which was sitting in a little panel to the left of the instruments. Hmm. Its securing nut was actually kind of loose. D'oh! I tightened it back up, and put everything back together. No more rattling. Guess I need to check my own build quality before I go blaming anything on Kawasaki. This time, at least. While I was in there, I noticed that there's a lovely little space behind the instrument cluster (well, forward of it, actually, but to the back of the cluster itself). It would be great for installing, say, an intercom box. Hmmmmm! Posted at 22:48 permanent link category: /motorcycle Mon, 05 Dec 2005
To continue on my Motorcycle Show thoughts.... I liked what I saw of the Ninja 650. The seating position was even more sit-up-n-beg than the Ninja 250, which is a pretty upright bike. Upon reflection, I'd likely want to change that a little bit, although I'd have to ride it first to know for sure. I'm quite interested to try one, particularly being more trained for the razor-sharp Z750s as I am now. I also sat on an SV650 and SV650S at the show, but didn't have an overwhelming impression from either bike. I'd like to ride both to see what they're like, since everything I hear is about the stiffness of the frame, and the great engine. Sitting on one in a showroom doesn't really convey any of that. I like the current SV's instrument cluster, it looks like you could actually read it while riding. I also noticed an Aprilia supermotard, which looked even cooler (being a 450 twin cylinder), but was $1000 more. Yow! Who's buying these things? I also saw that Aaron's offroad CBR600 sidecar rig made it into the show. He and Jay put together quite a piece of work with that hack. I don't know if it's running or not, but I'm sure I'll get to see it again, and possibly even drive it around a little. When I found the Shoei display, I was happy to see that they had a representative sample of each size in each model. I made a beeline for the extra large X-11, but was surprised to find it too large. The large, however, seemed to fit just right. It felt exactly like my current Arai, except a little tighter (which is good). It hit my head everywhere, not just in a few places, like the RF-1000 (the cheaper model) does. It was very gratifying to put that helmet on for a few minutes, and realize that I'd found a perfectly fitting helmet. It only took me a few minutes to come to the decision to spend the money to get one -- Seattle Cycle Center had a special on for the duration of the show only, $100 off any helmet. That's too good to pass up. My new helmet should be here around the end of the week. I was dissappointed to see that BMW didn't have the new F800 at the show. Apparently it was supposed to be there (they had a space cleared for it, even), but was held up in shipping. At least, that was the story. No clue if that's true or not, but the bike wasn't at the show. I was chatting with my friend Dave today, and he said that the current speculation is that the bike will likely cost $11-12,000, which is way too much for that bike. We both agreed that if they can keep it below $10k, it'll have a chance, but if it's over that, it will not be a good seller. I was surprised to find that after it was all over, I had actually enjoyed the show this year. The other two times I've gone, I didn't really like it, rather having endured it. I'm not sure I'd enjoy it next year. I suspect that because I had enough new bikes I wanted to see (and was pleased to see, like the supermotards), it kept my interest up. Posted at 22:50 permanent link category: /motorcycle Sun, 04 Dec 2005
Just a quick check in for the moment. I went to the Motorcycle I'm interested anew in the Ninja 650, although I strongly suspect it would be a bad idea to trade to one, from a financial perspective. They're pretty comfortable, at least sitting still on one. That always changes once I'm riding. I also saw a few other cool bikes, including a big slew of supermotards from Husquvarna, Aprilia, and Suzuki, with probably more on the way. They're all vastly overpriced, unfortunately. More later. Posted at 17:33 permanent link category: /motorcycle Sat, 03 Dec 2005
Ok, that was nothing short of incredible. I just took a ride on The outside thermometer says 33.6° F, it's pitch black outside (I left at 10 pm) and there's thick fog outside my window. At Jesse's house (he wasn't there, so I just turned around and came back), the front tire slid under light braking due to the ice on the ground. And I'm not cold. I'm actually a little bit too warm. I think I've finally found a combination that works to keep me warm.
And for all practical purposes, the Goldwing is unfaired. No big windshield keeping the wind blast off me. Amazing. The handguards are the new addition as of tonight. I definitely didn't think they'd be as effective as they are. I have new gloves (FirstGear Voyagers), which are nice, but suffer from a perplexing leak at the fingertips. My whole hand will feel surprisingly warm against the fleece liner, but my fingertips will hurt -- when I pull my hands out of the gloves, my fingertips will be deadly cold. I assume this intersection of multiple seams is allowing some air in. With the new handguards in place, I didn't have that problem at all. My hands actually felt warm riding along the freeway (keep in mind, this is near-freezing, and 60-70 MPH). I'm sure they weren't actually warm, but compared to the cooling they'd normally be getting, they were toasty. Between the warm hands and the heated vest set on about half-power, I was quite comfortable. Now I just have to get my face shield to stop fogging up. In other news, I'm going to the Motorcycle Show tomorrow. I'm not sure what all I'm going to see, but I hope to see Aaron's CBR600 based offroad sidecar rig there, which was significantly helped along by Jay down at Dauntless. I'm also hoping to see a few new models, particularly the Ninja 650, and the BMW F800. I don't expect to see the BMW there, but I can always hope. I hear the new Ducati reproduction models are there as well, which I'd like to see in person. I'm also looking forward to trying on helmets, as the timer on my current helmet is running out. Hopefully someone will have a Shoei X11 there, and I'd like to try on a Suomy and a Roof if they're available. Posted at 23:36 permanent link category: /motorcycle Thu, 01 Dec 2005
Good thing I've been riding the sidecar rig all week in anticipation of snow and ice. No problems with the rig in the snow, although my facesheild filled up with snow much quicker than I would have expected. I ended up wiping it off every 10-20 seconds, and then the inside of the shield would be fogged. The Fog City inner shield doesn't seem quite so up to snuff any more. Dunno if it's just tired, or if it's stretching to deal with actual snow accumulating on the outside of the shield. Today was a good day to come home early and work from home. I wouldn't want to be out there when all that slush turns into ice, which it surely will after the sun sets tonight. Posted at 15:46 permanent link category: /motorcycle Categories: all aviation gadgets misc motorcycle theater Written by Ian Johnston. Software is Blosxom. Questions? Please mail me at reaper at obairlann dot net. |
