[benVFR]

Finally had a chance to ride in to my new job today.

All I have to say is that heated jacket rocks! My SV apparently doesn't put out a lot of electrical power at low RPM, so I wasn't super-warm till I got on the highway... then I got on 128 and in about 1/3 of a mile I was sweating.

And I can see my bike from my office.

Ben

[ShredHed]

Get on yer bike folks, looks like snow in the forcast for Boston area. This means the plowers who upgraded and lost their shirt last year will be jonesin' to get out and pay for the new blade. Sanders will follow....

That is, assuming we get snow. Forcasters aren't the most accurate 'round here.

On y'go. -Jack

[g®eg]

shit, I was gonna ride today. I should go home @ lunch and grab my bike

[RandyO]

Originally posted by benSV
Finally had a chance to ride in to my new job today.

All I have to say is that heated jacket rocks! My SV apparently doesn't put out a lot of electrical power at low RPM, so I wasn't super-warm till I got on the highway... then I got on 128 and in about 1/3 of a mile I was sweating.

And I can see my bike from my office.

Ben

Ben, keep an eye on your voltage, you should be putting out plenty even at an idle, even if you just plugged into the battery, with the motor not running your jacket should heat.

Remember this though, electrics don't heat instantaniously, it takes them 10-15 minutes to get up to temperature, maybe that coinsided with when you got on the highway.

Good to hear somebody's still riding. Cold weather is inconvenient for me to commute cause of how long extra it takes to get dressed, from now on, my winter riding will be limited to weekends & holidays.

[benVFR]

Hmm.. perhaps. It's only like 15 miles to work, there is traffic, so maybe it did correspond with 15 minutes. I know it seemed like a dramatic warm-up, because I'm normally used to "twist... freeze" and this was "twist... roast".

I was hoping you'd respond Randy, do you see this with effect? The jacket definitely puts out heat at idle, but it does seem like it heats up as you rev the engine. (Not noticeable if you sit there and rev the engine when you're stopped, but if you nail it while riding you'll feel it after a little delay. ) Also, I know you said you keep your bike plugged into a battery tender while it's in the garage, did you have trouble with the battery draining down from all your accessories?

As for whether I'll keep riding, I think I'm probably going to still put the bike away for Dec-Jan-Feb, but it is tempting to just keep it insured all winter and hope for some days with clear roads.

Ben

[legalspeed]

Hmmm, sounds like someone needs a REGULATOR!!!

Experience, that is what is speaking.

[benVFR]

If you mean the one for the jacket, I have one...

If you're talking about some extra electrical junk to attach to the bike... ?

Ben

[legalspeed]

Na, OEM electrical junk.

My Katana needs a regulator. The symptoms: overcharging the battery, weakening it, boiling out the fluid. My headlamp barely lights, then when she fires up it lights up like no tomorrow. Kinda reminded me of your suit.


My reg. is about $110 and is a pain to get to.
I just buy a new battery every year or two, keep her on the trickle charger in the meantime. I really should get a new reg. because handling battery acid all the time sucks.

[benVFR]

Hmm.. thanks.. my headlight does light up a little when you rev the bike while it's idling, but not much, and I've never had any issues with the bike starting, etc.. so I'd be surprised if it's over/undercharging the battery.

I'll check the manual tonight though.

Thanks,
Ben

[RandyO]

One thing I can recommend is a V-1 Radar detector, it is so suseptable to fluxuations in voltage, it will let you know

HERE's MY theory of MC charging systems, first, with a few exceptions, they are unlike automotive charging systems that regulate the voltage & alternator output by regulating field strength. Bike alternators are permenant "field magnets" rotating inside a stationary "stator" coil of wound wire. the faster it turns, the more electricity produced, the excess is grounded out in the voltage regulator/rectifier, and dissapated as heat, why in hell do manufacurers hide them under the tail with very little ventilation I think that the SV suffers in this area, but not as bad as VFR's from what I understand. Any thing you can do air flow wise, (Ive even heard of putting computer fans on them) will help, but, the system is destine to fail by design eventually.

I also believe that any electricity that you use for accessories is electricitty that doesn't have to get dissapated as heat by the RR, run as many accessories as you can till you start to blow fuses if you have things wired correctly

I realy don't have much extra for accessories, radar detector, 5 watts, heated grips, 22 watts, and vest, 44 watts, I don't have high output headlight, (I would like to get a set of Hella4000 HID cornering lamps, $750. 350 watts worth of light for only 70 watts)

I say you should try to use as close to the maximum output of your alternator as possible

[Rice-rocket1]

To ride today it would have to be like this:

[legalspeed]

Thanks zombie.

[Rice-rocket1]

Or like this:

[benVFR]

Snow is good.

I got to pucker factor 5 once last night on the way home. Low speed but a pretty decent slide going around a corner.

Now I can't decide whether to go mountain biking tomorrow. I think I will go even though it snowed, it's kind of a day-after-thanksgiving tradition.

Ben

[Pearldog]

Welll - I got out yesterday for an hour or so (as the sun was setting). The roads were pretty dry but late in the day things did seem to get slick in the turns.

I'm with Bensv-MTB ride day after T-day. This is tradition. I did go for a night (2 hour) MTB ride last Friday. If you have never been night riding....you should give it a shot. Your world is the beam of light on the twisty trails-woohooo.

PD

[ShredHed]

MTB on Thanksgiving? Guess it's not just my tradition either. Used to do Blue Hills, although the snow is accumulating right now.

Night riding is very cool. Trails you think you know every inch of look very different and timing is all out of wack for a bit. Lot's of fun.

[Pearldog]

Night riding throws everything out of whack-

Hey Shredhed-Otis must be OK right now...I love those trails. They would be pretty cool at night-just have to watch out for a AF Humvee chasing you

[ShredHed]

Originally posted by Pearldog
Hey Shredhed-Otis must be OK right now...I love those trails. They would be pretty cool at night-just have to watch out for a AF Humvee chasing you

Otis is a blast...fast rolling hills. I've only been there a few times.
Yes, very cool at night, and no snow over the Winter. Nah, those AF guys aren't gonna chase you, would be more fun if they did.
Bring extra brake pads, all that sand wipes them out.

Cheers,
-jack

[RandyO]

I've seen both those photos and much more on this site

[g®eg]

I rode today (11-29), both bikes. Up to the gas station to top off & pour in the Sta-Bil. Not too chilly.

[Kham]

and saw a mopad.

[oreo_n2]

i went riding last night... after one block there were icicles on the family jewels so i thought i better get it home.


I just had to try out my new eyes on the road... and top of the tanks so i could put in the sta-bil for the long winter nap.


its so nice being able to see...




without glasses.

[benVFR]

Got your eyes zapped, did ya?

I'd love to do that... hasn't seemed worth it yet, my eyes aren't that bad, but the sports benefits would be nice.

e.x. I lost a pair of glasses kayaking in September, that SUCKED, cause I was up in VT, and I had to get someone to drive me around and find someone who would give me an eye exam and then go get glasses quick, all on a Sunday.

Ben

[oreo_n2]

it worked well for me. i got tired of glasses for sports reasons mostly as well.

under $1200 for both eyes up in canada. would have been less but they had to correct astigmatism's in both eyes.

its done now and i love the results.

[Kham]

Originally posted by oreo_n2
it worked well for me. i got tired of glasses for sports reasons mostly as well.

under $1200 for both eyes up in canada. would have been less but they had to correct astigmatism's in both eyes.

its done now and i love the results.

xray eye correction for under $1200? what's name of the place? around here they want about $4k.