Well, as with virtually all mods and tweaks, it wasn't actually needed. But when has that mattered..?
When I'm riding, apart from the occasional glance at the speedo, the two things I like to keep a regular check on are the time and miles to empty.
Both of these are available on the little digital display, but not at the same time, and switching between them requires cycling through all of the available information (odo, trip 1, trip 2, instantaneous fuel consumption, average fuel consumption, etc) repeatedly hitting a little button on the bars. And of course because the info isn't there I'm always pushing that darned button to swap from one to the other.
But now, I can leave the miles to empty on the digital display, and have the time by the speedo.
No distractions.
Sorted.
Using one of these;
I made some crash bars. Then painted them yellow.
Completed converting all of the bulbs on the Triumph to LED.
Tail light is LED from the factory, LED indicators are Triumph accessories and headlight, sidelight and number plate light are Auxito-branded after market
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How do you find the LED headlight bulb in use and was it an H4 you replaced?
I went from relays (huge improvement I think down to 3% voltage drop) but have since fitted a full HID conversion. Huge improvement although the cut off is a bit "letter bix" as no scatter from the reflector now. It was alsi a struggle to cut the reflector and accommodate the bulb/projector etc so all a bit crammed in so if/when it fails may go back to a regular headlight and LED bulb.
Yes, straight forward halogen H4 out, LED H4 in. No cutting, rewiring or messing about.
Since fitting it, all my rides have been daytime or at dusk so I can't give a full night time ride report, but setting up against a white wall in the garage and checking by rolling it out onto the road outside my garage suggests all is well with a good beam cut off.
The cut off is, as you say, a bit letter box like, but that's a trade off that has to be accepted for having brighter lights while not dazzling other vehicles.
And so it begins again.
Got the bug with the Bonnie / Desert Sled project, so next I am doing what I would call a "Swiss Army Knife" of bikes.
I have bought an Aprilia Pegaso, an earlier one with the Rotax 650 unit and the original upside down forks.
As a relatively low mileage (about 12k) example, in a colour scheme only a mother could love, I think this may provide a good basis for an entry level adventure bike project.
Some of the more normal issues with this have already been addressed, with a new rear shock and replacement exhaust system recently installed and in good nick. The carbs have also been cleaned and it pulls really well.
But there is still plenty of room for improvement, so here is where it starts. I shall keep you all posted.
Some planned improvements include a total re-colour including seat re-cover, lightwieght heat shields for the twin Arrow silencers, handguards, headlight upgrades, LED bulbs, rear hugger mudguard and tail tidying, knobblies (eventually) and so forth. I have a yen to do some TET miles on this, but we shall see.
As a mate of mine said, the odd thing is to think of someone actually walking into the dealership and making the active choice to buy a bike in metallic burgundy and silver. I guess it takes all sorts.......
Dave
Great little unit that Rotax.
The Pegaso less so.
Piaggio and their customer support are a waste of space unfortunately
But it's still a great base for a project I recon.
If you haven't already done so, register with AF1 (US Aprilia website)
Amazing community there, and a fountain of knowlege for all things Aprilia.
You'll get all the help and support you need there.
God, I miss my Tuono.....*sighs*
Yes it has passed MOT a few times since the regs changed- I did do a full HID conversion- cut the back out of the reflector and installed an HID projector so it passes for beam pattern. Although the shell is for an Incandescent bulb the projector was always for an HID, I think the tester is also reasonable which helps...
Pegaso is a great bike - I had silver one. A bit under powered and very under braked but a lovely tourer.
I changed tyres, brake pads and lines on mine but if doing again would look at front caliper or mc or both change.
Thats where I went wrong , the guy who installed mine just popped the bulb in and located the ballast. However the old adage of night and day could not be truer. Coming home after a 2:10 shift over the moors near Rochdale the HID just did it all.
Agreed re testers , its nice to find someone who understands bikes rather than someone who slavishly follows the book.
Thanks - I have just started stripping stuff off it, so have not really ridden it apart from on a test ride. It all seemed to add up for a 650 from the test, pulled really nicely without being properly fast, stopped predictably, and vibrated a little at times as you might expect. The rear disc is tiny looking, I wouldn't expect much braking effort there, even if fully loaded with luggage.
D
Even with HH pad in the front (big improvement) I found the brakes underwhelming.
Relay the headlights it makes the world of difference as the voltage drop was terrible - I think I was getting just over 12V at the Headlights and it was literally nothing once relayed properly - with decent bulbs I would say the headlights are adequate then or add some auxillary lights.
If you fancy a project an HID projector conversion would be fun but could manage well enough with a relayed setup - certainly measure the drop.
I was thinking of going LED for all lights, so that even a relatively Italian electric system could run them with ease, and yes, I was going to add a pair of extra spots. The ones I used on my Bonnie are very bright, which they should be as they are about 10W, but that is equivalent of about 100W incandescent.
Nice to blacken things down a bit....loving those parts Enoch.
I've vynil wrapped a few aluminium parts to darken it down a bit....like you, I'm not a lover or chrome bling....
Few other gratuitous zorst shots I've found......decatted too...
Fence needs painting....wall needs painting...weeds need a weeding......it'll soon be spring so Mrs Tifa can make a start.....(j/k)
Oponeo does it again!
Just snagged a Dunnie SportSmart II 180 55 17 rear ....95 delivered.
Local dealer charging 165 (fitted.)
v.III out now, so loads of bargains to be had.
Will be spooning it on next weekend.
Andy is there someone to ask for , or do you just turn up. The crash bars on my GS700 are looking pretty ropey now, having done a few winters and of course having deflected a young deer!
How long do they normally take to turn stuff stuff around, I would be doing the same as you satin black.
Steve
122 is a bargain for a 240 section. Result!
I've mounted and rebalanced my own tyres for as long as I can remember.
Average price for mounting, about a tenner?
So not much saved, but it gives me something to do I suppose..lol.
(Tend to give the calipers a deep clean whenever the wheels are out)
Well finally got the new silencers for the Enfield Interceptor. And made a start today to get them fitted!
This is the standard can, a bit fat and contains a cat in each one.
One removed and next to the new one for comparison. Quite bit slimmer and just the look I'm after. I wanted some Dunstall Megs style, but couldn't find any short enough to fit without altering the downpipes, which I don't want to do. So Norton peashooter style it is. Which are another favourite of mine anyway!
Old and new side by side.
Luckily they fitted straight on the downpipes without any spacer, just wriggled it on and it sliced off the compression gasket to fit nicely.
First one on and looking good.
View from the rear showing the slimmer look I'm after, compared to the original.
There is quite a weight saving involved, the originals weigh 5kg each and the new ones 1.3kg. Thats a 7.4kg weight saving, which on a bike which only puts out 47bhp is not insignificant! Plus the increased flow without the cats and restrictive silencers is a bonus. Will be tomorrow now to fit the nearside one. When thats done it's free flow air filter time, because easier out means more can get in hopefully! Might even get up to 48bhp!
Must order the single cafe racer seat and cowling as well. Haven't had this much fun since I had a Tiger Cub!
Started out with nothing. Still have most of it left.
Take your time. You havent had to master that much power for a long time.
More seriously, nice upgrade.
'Against stupidity, the gods themselves struggle in vain' - Schiller.
Looks good Ian... I like the style of the new silencer😎
Today's job was to fit the new nearside silencer and refit the offside with sealer in both joints. Had to adapt the universal brackets supplied by bending for the correct offset. Also needed to drill new holes as they had to be shortened as well. All good and they fit really nicely. Pleased with the look and they sound really nice with a deep tone.
Started out with nothing. Still have most of it left.
The simplest modification in the world. I found an online supplier who makes the smallest, fully legal plates. This one is a very precise 174mm x 164mm and has the correct border, character size and spacing to comply with the requirements. Coincidentally, it's a good width compared with the Honda rear fender.
Here's the link - https://www.jdmplates.co.uk/product/...number-plates/
The smallest legal size depends on how many characters there are in your reg...
Motorcycle 6 Dig Plate (174 x 164)mm, Motorcycle 7 Dig Plate (228 x 164)mm, Motorcycle 7 Dig Plate With 1 x I (194 x 164)mm
If you do order, look for the discount code in the top right of the screen before you buy!