88450km

Had a lot of different things done to the bike over the last week. I will divide it up int a whole bunch of blogposts.

Not all of it is done by me, a lot of it was handled by my friends nephew. Thank you, Dejan =)

First up is the brake-light for my Givi-box:

I like having the margins on my side, and a brake light in my top-box seemed like a good idea. Not to expensive either.. You might remember that I bought  my givi-box at MC-artikler last year. (Half my bike is from that store now =P ) - The light is also bought there, and I even got a small discount. =)

I don't have any pictures from the actual installation, but it was rather easy. I do, however, have a picture of the light in operation:

It works great, and I highly recommend it!

88230km

The horn is changed!

Remember my post about accident week? And how my horn didn't do jack shit in stopping Mr. Lorry Driver.

Well, I got a different horn from my mom's boyfriend Roger (The jacket guy). The horn is from a BMW K100LT, and it sounds quite a lot better than my "Hamster-farting-under-a-pillow" horn.

This is old horn

This is new horn

The difference is a bit difficult to hear in the videos, but in real life it is IMMENSE! This new horn sounds like a damn truck!

However, it is BIG. Huge compared to my old one, and with limited space, a bit hard to mount with ease. I did find room for it, but it isn't beautifully mounted.

I have, unfortunately, had use for my horn, and I can tell you: It is loud enough =)

88010km

Time to change the tyres!

My old tyres were just that: OLD. Old as hell, actually. And square.. And hard... And everything a tyre shouldn't be.

My Old Metzler Lasertec had seen better days. I knew, when I bought the bike last year, that they were due a replacement. After feeling insecure in wet conditions, and experiencing some wobble with cold and semi-warm tyres I decided to change them. This was probably a few miles and months too late =P

I was very keen on getting some new shoes for my lade, but I had no idea what brand to pick. The bike runs on 100/90-19 and 120/90-19, so options were a bit limited.

Most shops I contacted wanted me to try a new pair of Lazertecs. I decided I wanted to try something different, as I wasn't happy with the Lazertecs I had. (YES, I know that the tyres were old and crappy, and that new ones would be much better). I wanted something that preformed well in wet conditions, and I couldn't care less if the tyre handles 200kph+. I use the bike for commuting.


After much deliberation, one of my friends recommended that I look at some Bridgestone BT45s. I read some tests, and a couple of reviews, and I decided to go for those.

I got the work done at Motorport - It was fairly cheap (I even got a discount! THANKS!) and I had some problems with my heated grips I wanted them to check out. I also wanted to check my rear wheel bearing.
The changed the tyres, fixed the heated grips and balanced the wheels. I picked the bike up in the POURING rain, and had a rather careful drive to work. Even with the brand new and slippery rubber, I could feel that the grip was better.

I have ridden the bike for 200~km after the change, and I am much happier that I thought I would be. As always: Rubber has EVERYTHING to say about performance and feel.

I ride more confidently through curves, and it breaks much better in the wet. I do recommend these tyres!

87820km

As promised in Winter update #3, I have a to-do list I need to check off... This is the status:

* Fix blinker issue
Blinkers are FIXED =D
* Buy and install new battery
Old battery works like a charm for now, after a proper charge...
* Fix more rotten hoses
Again: Nothing done as of yet. This is fiddle work.  have, however, bought the replacement hoses =)

* Buy and mount top box break light
I have ordered this, and It is something I can do a lot of the work on indoors. I will probably do the mounting on the bike at the same time as I fix the back blinkers. That would we if I had gotten the damn things yet...

* Buy a loud-ass horn

The horn is mounted! This is a separate blog post =D

*Change oil
DONE! Quite easy!
* Change oil filter
DONE! Also quite easy

* Clean properly
Umm... Soon?

* Buy new helmet
Got a new helmet from Schuberth. It is a great helmet, and it deserves a post review of its own!
* Buy new trousers
My old trousers went in the seams.. And I got a nice replacement from Joffama! It will be covered in a post of its own this too...

More to come =D

87801km

Oil change time!

After the abyssmal look of the final drive oil I decided to prioritise the engine oil change..

I did that today, and it was about time...
No pictures, as I was busy being covered in oil, but this is a quick rundown:

The old oil was pitch black.. Not a shade of brown, just... black! I changed the oil and the oil filter, and the small gaskets around the housing and drain bolt.

There is a notable difference in running sound and gear change noise. The bike rides calmer and shifts with less of a clank and more of a thud.. I am pleased =)

And also: I fixed the blinker issue =D

87770km

The final countdo.. erm.. drive!

I wanted last year to change the oil in my final drive... The shaft has made a small sound when accelerating, so I thought that a change was in order!

No big suprise: it was!!! HIGH TIME!

Just look at that colour! Horrible, yucky colour. I ran a magnet through it, to look for metal pieces, but luckily there were none.

This is a bit of new oil dashed into the old:

A tiny difference, wouldn't you say? I think an oil change of the engine is VERY due also. The guy I bhough the bike from claimed he changed all fluids summer 2009.. I am getting doubts!

Happy easter!

Winter upd.. NO WAY! SPRING!!!

Today spring REALLY hit Norway!

18c and the most perfect driving conditions this spring.. A bit of gravel here and there, but nothing much!

My friend, Alex, helped me get my baby out from storrage today. First push on the button, a bit of coughing and she started beautifuly. Sweetest sound I've heard in months!

My new leather jacket was lovely to ride in. As was my new helmet... And I MUST say: What an amazing helmet! Light, quiet and with superb sound in the SRC-system.

There will be a post on the helmet later, it deserves it!

Why are you reading this? Go out and ride your motorbike!!!

SRC-Upgrade

Before first time use it is recomended to upgrade the SRC unit from Schuberth.

It is one file to download and run from the website, and it provides this interface on first time startup:

I will connect the SRC, and see what happens!














The unit auto-installs in Windows 7, and the programs starts up!

First impression: Impressive!

Apparently you can do more than just update the headset. Let us, however, try that first!

Luckily (?) I had the newest version, so not that much fun.. Let us see what else we can do! At least we can set radio frequencies...

These are the channels I have in my car.. I put them in, and we'll see if I'll change it later =)
















I also activated RDS and VOX audio enhancer, and I am VERY eager to test this in the future, but ALAS! winter has not yet let go =(

Winter update #6

Look what the cat dragged in:

Or cat is maybe an incorrect name.. My friend went to Germany, and picked up this little unit for me.

It is prehaps not a surprise that I have decided on a helmet from Schuberth, and I wanted this set. Why you may inquire? Several reasons: The helmet I wanted because I recently tried it on at the MC convention just outside Oslo, and with some help from a representative from Schuberth, I found the helmet to be damn near perfect. It is lightweight, it is yellow and it is small. AND: It comes with this fancy "in-helmet" audio-gear, with build in RDS radio, Bluetooth and bike to bike functionallity.

My autocom has very good sound quality, but it is VERY annoying to deal with the placement of the velcro-attached earpieces that dig into your head. Also, I think it pulls a bit of power even when it is powered off.

All in all I think this is the better solution...

I haven't got the actual helmet yet, but I will prepare the SRC system for my first ride, by upgrading the firmware...

Yes, all nine readers of this blog: The helmet has a firmware update function =)

Stay tuned!

Winter Update #5

Spring is drawing near, and with that comes the inevitable check of the old gear, and the buying of new gear.

One of my major concerns this year is helmet and back protector. My old back protector is very stiff, and marginally to long for me, so I was in the market for a new one.

I ended up with a FORCEFIELD PRO L2 back protector from MC Oslo:

It is made from a softer material than my old one, so it shouldn't be as rigid. The manufacturer also claims that this back protector is better than traditional "hard" ones. Hopefully, I'll never find out! =)

My second concern is my helmet; a two year old HJC. I bought it at a decent price, but what was once a thight fit, is now a loose helmet almost spinning if I turn my head quickly. I need to replace that too...

Winter update #4

Remember my friend with the XJ900s diversion who went offroad in the Netherlands with his bike? He ended up with a CBR1000 F, but during the famous accident week his bike got totalled!

He finally got around to buying a new bike:

A V-strom 650, 2007 model. It has 12000km on the clock, and ABS. - I do envy him that!

Congratulations to him on a lovely looking bike. Too bad we can't ride it for another few weeks =(

Winter update #3

Do you guys remember my Preliminary winter Todo-List? If not, here it is:


* Fix blinker issue

• The blinkers aren't working properly. Most likely a grounding fault. Nothing done about this yet.

* Buy and install new battery

• Battery picked out, but still awaiting the buy. I am going for a gel battery

* Fix more rotten hoses

• Again: Nothing done as of yet. This is fiddle work, and I don't want to do that in the cold. I have, however, bought the replacement hoses =)

* Buy and mount top box break light

• I have ordered this, and It is something I can do a lot of the work on indoors. I will probably do the mounting on the bike at the same time as I fix the back blinkers.

* Buy a loud-ass horn

• I need this after being backed into. The horn I have now sounds like a small bird farting under a thick blanket, so I was in need of a replacement. Again: Roger to the rescue! I got a horn from his collection of BMW-spares!

Apparently it is loud. It looks like a siren, hopefully, looks aren't deceiving this time!

* Change oil

• Probably get someone to do this for me!

* Change oil filter

• Probably get this done for me too!

* Clean properly

• As soon as spring hits!

* Buy new helmet

• Going to germany. I hope I can buy a decent helmet there cheaper than in Norway!

* Buy new trousers

• Going to Germany for this as well!

New items: Changing the break hoses and break fluid up front. Had a look at it last week, and boy is it brown :p

Winter update #2

It is shopping time! =)

Remember the nice jacket I got from Roger earlier this winter? Yesterday we went shopping in Sweden, and the two MC gear shops in Nordby was to become one. What does that mean? SALE!

Roger bought a brand new HJC yellow opening helmet for about 1500,- NOK ($240). This was less than half price.
As I want a Schubert or Nolan helmet, I (almost) didn't fall victim to temptation. I did buy something:

Matching gloves for me and the wife. The cool part? They match the jacket!

I am quite pleased!

Can't wait for the season to start! Unfortunately, it will probably be a while still. Snow is plentyfull, and frost is an issue for at least 5-8 weeks more.

I am going to England the first week of march. Will be hard seeing all the bikes going about!

Keeping fingers crossed for an early spring! =)

Winter update #1

Yes, WINTER has hit Norway.

This morning I was met by a horrible sight

I put my bike away three weeks ago. She got a quick wash, and nothing more. She is stored in a dry and ventilated, albeit a bit cold, place. The room is big, and there is room for me to work on her there, but I think I will bring an oven and some more light...

Night frost hit us about three weeks ago, and there was a lot of rain. Driving was not really appealing, so I decided to put her in storrage.

Two days after, I got a lovely present from my mothers friend:

It is a Halvarssons Shadow Leather jacket, and it is quite nice. I haven't had the opportunity to test her yet, but it is a near perfect fit, and a present. He bought it for himself after his own jacket got torn this summer, but realized that it was too big after riding with it a couple of times.

Very lovely present, and completely unexpected =) - Thank you very much!



And what are my plans for the winter-season?
Well.. The season is long here in Norway.. I seldom get the bike out before April first. Damn snow!

However! I do plan to fiddle around a bit with my XJ!

Preliminary winter Todo-List:

* Fix blinker issue
* Buy and install new battery
* Fix more rotten hoses
* Buy and mount  top box break light
* Buy a loud-ass horn
* Change oil
* Change oil filter
* Clean properly
* Buy new helmet
* Buy new trousers

87750km

As I rode home from work the other day I realized something: 

I frigging love riding a motorbike!

I love the driving experience, the ability to ride in the buss lane, the lane splitting and the fact that traffic isn't really a problem. I love the fact that I don't have to take the subway or the bus.

I love driving in the baking sun, wearing all black. I love driving in the pouring rain, my visor clogging up with rain, my gear all wet. I love being cold, wet but happy.

I love driving in the rain, the sun, the sleet and the wind. I love taking my bike out in spring, I love tinkering with it all through winter, I love laying plans for the bike in the autumn, I love the mending, the cleaning and the maintenance..

I love riding alone, with my friends or with random strangers I meet along the road. I love the camaraderie, the feeling of riding as one of many, or by my self.

I love the curvy roads, the long stretches of open road and highway. I love the small, picturesque country roads and the four lane motorway.

I love stopping for petrol, I love cleaning the bike. I love removing flies from my visor and dirt from my face.

I love accelerating, breaking and pulling out from stop lights. I love how the road maintenance crews in Norway leave dirt and gravel in the road. I love potholes, car drivers who fail to see me and roadworks that block my path.

I love revving the engine as I go through tunnels. I love firing her up in the parking lot. I love the sound her engine makes and rattling of the bike.

I love the contact with the surroundings, the smells of nature and traffic and the feeling you get when you hit the perfect curve.

I love the sensation of riding.

I love the smell of gasoline in the morning.. It smells of freedom.

87254km

Finally got the locks changed on my givi!

All in all it took about 20 minutes, including 10-15 minutes of fidling with thin one old lock that was stuck!

Three boxes, one key!

Pictures to follow!

86751km

Time to go shopping!

Off to biltema I went, and this is what I got:

New fuses!

(49,90 NOK ($8))

New fuse holder!

(29,90 NOK ($5))

Some cable shoes!

(39,90 NOK ($6,50))

Took out the old fuse box, and cut the wires, making sure that I didn't get any of them mixed up.

What is left now is some clean up work, to make it look better, and to attach things properly.

My handywork isn't pretty, but I got the job done. Note the busted relay, taped together on the left hand side!

Any ideas on waterproofing and securing the area around the fuses a bit better? The old fuse box had a lid, and that was probably for a reason. Anyone?

The hotgrips work perfectly now, and I can enjoy warm hands during our wonderful Oslo summer.... (11c and rain this morning =( )

According to the xjbikes forum, this, along with thin oil in the forks is a common problem on this bike... Well, not anymore!

Time for a brand new To-do:

• Change fork seals and oil
• Fix indicators
• Buy and mount new top box with break light
• Change locks in Givi bags
• Tighten Givi rack
•  Mount Autocom

86751km

Disaster!

I tried the hotgrips for a couple of days now, and I could not get them above 40% without them turning off or going back to 30% on their own accord. This confused me, as they worked fine when I dry fitted them.

What now? Cut off? Bring back to store? Buy new? Check wires? And....
....

....

What is that smell? Is it burning plastic? Something smells... And it is comming from underneat my seat!!!
Time to fetch this:

I never found anything actually burning, but what the hell made that smell?

After further examination, I found the culprit! And boy did it scare me! I read stories of this on the xjbikes forum, but I thought I was good, since it seemed to be okay for 16 years...

Is that hole supposed to be there?

(Sorry! No pictures of the actual removal process. I was in a panic...)

And what is this?

 Evidence of past failures?

The main fuse was held in place by this... And no glass fuse in the original fuse box.

And by the looks of the rest of the fuse box, I was mistaken in thinking the fuse box was alright, and that it did not suffer from the apparent weakness of all the other boxes on this model =(

Just look at this:

 Melted plastic NOT FTW!

 The holder for the main fuse (left) was completely gone, and replaced by the above fuse holder. The fuse for the lighting system is second, and was melted completely through. It was a wonder the fuse didn't blow. The holders for the fuse was just melted off. And it appears that the original holders are made of chinese garbage metal and left over wires from pre Edisonian era...

The other two fuse holders were on the verge of dying too. Time to go SHOPPING!

Off to Biltema and Clas Ohlson for som shopping!