This is what the back of the bike looks without direct light
on the reflective stickers
All photos are thumbnailed - click on them to enlarge the image
March 2005
TailBrights from Buck Sport Touring and an additional set of reflective stickers from Reflectively Yours
This is what the back of the bike looks without direct light
on the reflective stickers
And this is what it looks like with light (such as headlights)
shining on it
The side of the bike in normal light
And with direct light
Bluesman's Blind Melon Chitlin' Sidestand Extender
The sidestand extender in place
COG inscribed master cylinder cover from Murphs'
April 2005
Ca Sport Touring rack
1mb photo
May 2005
Philips Vision Plus H4 50 watt bulb
It was quite a battle to install the Kisan modulator due to the extremely limited space behind the headlight, so when I decided to install the new bulb I took a few extra minutes to open up the fairing and give me a few more inches of space. It was still tight, but at least I could see where the bulb needed to go instead of doing everything by touch. I didn't completely remove the left side fairing because I couldn't get the bottom screw loosened; I need to douse it with a bunch of WD-40. If you look closely at the third picture you can see a red wire near the center of the photo; this leads to the headlight. Even with the fairing pieces removed it still requires some hand/arm contortion to get to the bulb itself.
Tennis racket cushion grip install
This was from a tip I read on the COG site. I purchased a couple of grip cushions and installed them over the existing neoprene cushions that are on the bike now. The tennis grips make the throttle grip fatter and more "cushiony" and should help to remove the perception of the Connie Buzz even more.
The brand/model I used. About $4 each.
After installation. They have an adhesive on the back which helps them to lock to the prior loop. At the bar end I placed a heavy duty rubber band that they supplied, and over that went the heavy rubber band that Throttle Rocker provides, and then the Throttle Rocker over the top of that. It's unlikely that they will unravel.
New left hand mirror
The previous owner had dropped the bike on its side and one of the bolt bosses behind the mirror housing had broken loose. It looks as if he may have repaired it with something like JB Weld and it held for about 5000 miles after I got the bike but then it came loose again. Fortunately another COG member had sold me a used mirror in great shape for a really good price so the bike was only down for two days waiting for me to have the time to do the swap.
You can see where the bolt boss broke off from the back of the mirror housing
Another view
A chip in the side of the fairing from being dropped
All better now!
Reservoir covers with RAM ball mounts
MotorCycleLarry sells replacement clutch and brake master cylinder reservoir covers that have a mounting point for the RAM ball system. I placed one on each side. The balls do not strike the dash when fully turned. The intent is to mount my XM MyFi, my eTrex Legend GPS, and/or my Escort 8500 radar detector on them once I get the brackets.
Garage Farkles
One of the fringe benefits of being a Craftsman Club member AND having a spouse who works for Sears; sometimes the discounts are pretty darn GOOD!
New toys... Halogen light bar - up to 1200 watts of lights or as little as 300;
air compressor, ratchet, hose, accessories, motorcycle lift & straps,
mechanic's rolling adjustable seat with tool tray. 2 sets of Metzeler ME880
tires (Gold Wing sized) ready for use are also in the shot.
June rebuild and farkleanza
The odyssey begins... 06/04/05 I began tearing the bike down with just over 11,000 miles on the clock.
All the plastic is off except for the front fender.
