So as most of you know I took possession of a 2014 Super Tenere after much deliberation. No it's time to farkle it.
I've ordered a rear rack from Happy Trails and will run my Pelican cases till i decide what I really want (Jesse's?) to put on.
I also looked at a lot of crash bars. the one that came out on top was the Rumbux. A company out of South Africa. Got lucky the US distributor had a set on hand. Otherwise it can be a 3-6 week wait. Take a look at this product. Quite interesting.
http://rumbux.co.za/products.html
I'm down to tires. I love the Heidenau tires with the long life and great rear design. I'd like something a bit more agressive on the front, like a TKC 80. Anyone have much experiance mixing tire brands and models? Any advice?
I ran a TKC 80 on the front and a Pirelli scorpion on the rear of my 950... Worked fine for what I did with it... Which included some muddy trails in the hills. Nothing too gnarly though
Sent from the Altair 8800 I carry around.
The Mitas E-07 + TKC 80 front seems to be popular on ADV (supposedly the E-07 is better than the K60 in the mud). I think I'll try that combo next.
I'm on my second set of Big Blocks and the first set went a little over 5,000 miles. That was a huge surprise, I was expecting 3k miles, but maybe Kenda's change in compound a couple years ago made a difference. However the Big Block front wears kinda funny and a TKC 80 front is only $10 more than a Big Block, so I'll try the TKC front and see if it wears better.
I ordered the Heidenau K60 Scout for the rear and a TKC 80 for the front. We'll see it does what I want it to.
I've had a chance to live the Tenere for a while now and finding that even though I am getting more used to the snatchy throttle, I do continue to find it a PIA at times. Those of you who have ridden this model know what I'm talking about. It is far better in "touring" mode than in "sport".
My search for a cure has led me to this, The Throttle Tamer. It comes with some great reviews. Only time will tell I guess.
http://www.g2ergo.com/store/g2-street-tamer-throttle-tube/
The problem comes when you twist the throttle, it goes from closed to very open in a very short throw of the grip. It gives the feeling that that it is binary, not analog, on or off. This tube creates a cam effect where the grip turns further at the beginning of the throttle cycle, thus slowing down the opening of the throttle bodies in the beginning.
Hope it works.
Hope it works
Those were real popular on the first years of 990 EFI which was really snatchy. I'm sure it will help.
Can the S10 be remapped without too much trouble, or is that an out of warranty only proposition.
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The reflashes have proven to be useless for this problem. I understand it has everything to do the mechanical operation of the throttle. Manyy guys have had their ECU's flash with little or no help. There is a new ECU box out there that has shown some improvements but all I read, this is the simple answer to relatively simple problem.
There have been many bike that have been plagued with this problem, the 990, ST1300, FZ-07, 600RR, etc. the list goes on. Not sure why they can't figuer this out in the development phase but what ever. I'll give this a shot.
Its not a problem that turn me off from the machine, its just one of those little niggling things that annoy me at times, like riding in traffic or tight technical stuff. I have become better at clutch control.
Installed my G2 Ergonomics Throttle Tamer this morning then took a 220 mile trip. The G2 makes a world of difference. Having to retrain myself again as I had started to get a bit used to the what it was like. That is a good "problem" though.
Would recommend it to anyone with the same throttle issue.
So, its been a long winter already and its its only half over. This hasn't stopped me from spending hard (up for debate around here) earned dollars on farckles. I have in my possession but yet to be installed; grip heaters, Rox risers, shock boots, headlight guard, and axle sliders.
I am on the lookout for a few more things. The thing that prevents me from purchasing some of these items is PRICE! OMG what these after market companies want for stuff. The things I covet but yet to justify the cost are;
Touratech footpegs. The stock footpegs are cast and there are many reports of them snapping with even a light fall. At 190 bucks though the Touratechs are out of my league. I am currently researching other options. The 2014 Tenere is limited on option in this area. I have read that pegs that fit the WeeStrom will fit with a bit of grinding to get them to fit the bike mounts. SW Motech has a $140 option but read its no better than the stock peg. I have also read that pegs from the Honda XR models can be made to fit with little effort.
I am also looking for a longer sifter lever with spring loaded end. Again, the one I covet is the Wunderlich adjustable model is 140 bucks. OUCH! I have been reading the build thread of a guy that has been around the world several times and has just built a 12 Tenere for his next ATW trip that has just started. He took a flat steel generic Ebay lever and cut it and welded it to the stock lever. This may be the best way to go. I just need to get some gas for my welder instead of flux core wire for that job.
I am looking into some other handle bars and thinking about the Protaper EVO Adventure bars. The bands are a bit wider, taller and flatter then the stock. These are onll about 60 bucks but will wait till I get my risers on and see how my stock bars feel then. I kinda wish I had thought about this before I bought the risers as I think I would have done the bar swap first. I did look into Flex bars at the encouragement of another S10 owner but at $350+ I think I'll pass.
I am awaiting delivery of my new side cases. I really wanted Jesse system cases but as you've already figured out, I'm a cheap SOB. After much deliberation and reading many positive and negative posts about them and the builder, I settles on the SOLOBOX. Made by a one man shop in Washington they are a HappyTrails knockoff really. I contacted Eric to feel him out a bit. I had read about many dissatisfied buyers from him a few years back. It seems that personal things got in the way of business and things got away from him. Most recent posts talk about a guy that has turned his practices around and is a straight shooter. the one thing against him is the wait. I ordered mine sometime before Christmas and will finally be getting them on Saturday. What he has going for his product is the price. I paid 340 bucks, shipped, for nearly 40 liter boxes. For $399 you could buy the boxes and mounts for a few bikes: KLR and Veestrom that I know of. From what folks say, they are well built and well worth the price of admission. Here's a link to a your tube review.
My boxes are 2 inches wider than these. Will post some pics and a bit of a review when they get here. If the weather is right and they get here soon enough, I may get them mounted.
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Grip heaters are SO nice for high elevation riding. Seems like it's always ice cold in the morning, even if it hits 90 later in the day. Glad I took the time to put them on the Tiger.
Love heated grips.
Yes I too love heated grips. I have them on my Tiger but this year all my bikes will get them.
Today I put my bar risers on, just have to work on freeing up some lines. I like the feel but will only know when I really ride.
Also got my Solobox cases mounted and really like them, especially at 340 bucks shipped. We'll see how they hold up on the trail.
Got my lines straightened out. The front brake line is still a wee bit tight but is I'm not concerened. It still has some movement at full lock. The is a kit out there that extends the
clutch and break by 2 inches but at 150 bucks? Nope!
Now, if we get some warm weather. Will be ordering an Eastern Beaver power distribution box tonight.
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Did you add an off switch for the ABS?
That is on the list as is a clutch switch bypass. This keeps a better map in 1st and 2nd gears. Will be bypassed only when off road as with the ABS switch. When you kill the ABS you loose most if not all of your dash readout. Speedo for sure.
To bad the abs is not on it's own fuse.
So, the last few weeks I've spent some time in the shop on the big T.
Here's a list of whats been done.
- The rear break reservoir is very exposed and I wasn't happy with the way the line was run under instead of over the frame. The lines were run over the frame to prevent pinch or crush damage. I also fashioned an aluminum plate to prevent a rock or other foreign object from destroying the reservoir. Saved myself 80 bucks over buying an Altrider or Touratech guard.
- Got my Rigid Dually 2X2 lights. was a lengthy process over the past couple of months to decide on a location for these lights were they wouldn't interfere with my bash bars but would give good light. Haven't wired them up as I was waiting on my Eastern Beaver power distribution box to arrive. It came today but will have to wait till this weekend to get installed due to work.
- Changed out the cig power plug for a marine locking unit. Not much is more frustrating than constantly shoving your power cable into socket on rough terrain. I have one more of these and a USB plug to put in my infill dash plate.
- After much research and deliberation I have figured out 2 ways to defeat the ABS system. One is to tap into and place a switch in the ABS motor circuit. The other is to tap into and switch the ABS ECU circuit. With the latter option, when switch will not only defeat the ABS system but also the TCS. Although I like that option in theory I'm not sure as I want to tap into such a delicate and expensive device. As I already have a way to disable the TSC I think the switch in the ASB motor circuit will be the way to go. I have already tapped into the circuit and will complete the wiring when I get switches this weekend.
On a side note: Has anyone tried to find round waterproof flat rocker switches locally? After visiting 7 stores yesterday I was able to order them from Carquest.
- I pulled out the infill dash plate that I got last fall and installed without painting. I painted it yesterday with the hopes that all my wiring supplies would be here by the weekend and I could finally get stuff buttoned up. Aside from the switches that will be here Friday, I have it all.
- Still kicking around weather I want to do the clutch bypass switch. I guess when I get all the other stuff done I will revisit that mod and do a temporary bypass and see if it really makes a difference.
- After mounting my new side cases I wasn't completely happy with the rigidity of them on my Happy Trails racks. The HT racks has fairly narrow mounts on the top. If they were more spread out I don't think it would be an issue. I ended up cutting a 14 ga piece of aluminum to add some support to the cases. I'm happy with it now. It adds minimal weight and minimal expense. Easy fix.
That about covers the latest work. More to come.
I ordered a set of front brake pads for the Tiger but after reading your post I have this nagging feeling that I should be doing more.
If the bike was already sorted I'd let it sit but there are too many things I didn't get to last fall. I decided it was better to get this stuff done now before I won't have any time due to riding.
I was thinking about washing mine, but I went for a ride instead.... ;D
I saw some geese flying north yesterday, that means spring is here right?
Right!
Greatbuffalo, your blue bike is my favorite color and I thought about painting my bmw that color but that new 2016 anniversary yellow & black from the seventies looks great on the S10. I just don't think the pattern would work on the Beemer though.
Way to make it your own GB. Sometimes I think that part is almost as fun as riding them!
Sent from the Altair 8800 I carry around.
Well the Tenere is about ready for the riding season. Just finished up the "dash" portion of the project with a couple of wholes still there cause I thought I had odered a power meter and anothr power outlet but when I went back to look I found I never pulled the trigger. Those will be in this week and will only require plugging in as the wires are already run.
It took me a bit of time to find a good placec to mount the Eastern Beaver power box. Ended up finding a good place with a bit of plastic cutting to make things fit right. I really like the placement and took considerable time to make sure it was done right.
My latest deal was to sort the ABS cutout switch. This gave me a bit more difficulty than I thought it would.
I researched the project and found conflicting reports. The big issue is that most of thecguys that have done this mod have been on gen 1 machines which is a huge difference in electronics. I poured over wiring schems and thought the best way to do this was to add a tap to the ABS pump and add a swtch to defeat that. Some have defeated the ABS ECU but to me that sounded a bit sketchy. The last thing I want to do in short the ECU. I have also read that any defeat of any component of the ABS system will kill all info on the dash screen. So, I tapped the ABS fuse and wired in a lighted switch. After wiring the switch to light up when the ABS is powered and the light off when the ABS is defeated. For some wierd reason when yhe ignition switch was off and the ABS switch in the off postion there was a dim glow on the switch. This would go dark when the ignition switch was turned to the on position. with ABS switch in the the on position and the ignition in the off postion there was no light but full light with the ignition switch on position. I poured over the schems to find why the would be power feeding back. No reasons could be found. I ran it by my dealer and he had no explanation either. My decision was to just remove the ground and eliminate the light on the switch.
When tested I was surprised to find that when the ABS pump is defeated I still have full info on the dash. Only the ABS light light is on to tell me the ABS is defeated. When returning back to ABS an engine shut down is required to reset the ECU to rid the failure warning on the dash. I'm very pleased with this mod.
I had spent sone time trying to decidevif I wanted an easier swutch to defeat the TSC also but I've put that idea to bed for the time being. I can still kill that from my TSC switch on the dash. The only pain is that if the bike stalls it requires the TSC sequence to be repeated. Its not as complicted as some so I'll live with it for now.
There still are a few things I want to do but forvthe most part things are ready to roll atvthis time. A few things to do are; better foot pegs, longer abd spring loaded shifter, better shaft guard that doesn't catch my pants when I put my left foot down, better seat and lastly, a bigger foot plate on the rear brake lever. Thosecthings will come over time. The important things are done. I'm ready for the COBDR.
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Wow, are you going to put a number plates on that? Then you'll be ready for any enduros that come along! ;D
Thst sounds like a great idea, Dave. Only problem is I'd be exhausted before the first check point.
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Dan which highway pegs did you buy? I'd like to put on a pair, but seems like they are all low-quality junk like $20 Bikemasters, or $$$ like the $170 Adventure Designs.
http://www.advdesigns.com/pralhipebl.html (http://www.advdesigns.com/pralhipebl.html)
Maybe the Bikemasters would do the job, I don't care how they look I guess, just don't want something where the threads strip out as soon as I install it.
Jim, I have yet to buy foot pegs. I too have been stymied by the array or in my case, the lack of choice. I could buy a pair of low quality pegs and modify them a bit to work or spend the big bucks on Wunderlich, Pivot, or SW Motech pegs made for my application. I have read the SW Motech pegs at 160 bucks are no better than the ones that are on it. So, I'm still doing the research. I believe I will end up with a quality basic set made for the Honda XR650 and do a bit of grinding to make them work. I found a set "somewhere" for about 65 bucks, billet aluminium, CNC cut. I'll have to se if I can hunt those down again.
I have not heard great things about the stoke pegs so want to get them changed out at some point, just don't know when.
Jim, I misread your post. You asked about highway pegs, not regular foot pegs.
I had a pair on my Tiger so I used those. they are here: http://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/kuryakyn-right-angle-cruise-mounts-with-iso-footpegs
Mine don't have the right angle thing and I modded mine a bit due to the Rumbux bars being assymetrical. I added a bit of heavy gauge aluminum to lengthen one by 1 inch and the other buy 2 inches. they aren't really offroad style but they existed in my garage and they work. I bought them a few years back new from a guy on ADV for less than 1/2 price.
I do like the ADVdesigns ones but ya, freaking expensive.
How do you like the K60 and TKC80 combo? That's what I'm going with I think.
I really like the Tire Choice I made. I like the K60 because of the longevity. I have had them on other bikes and have gotten 12, 000 + miles out of them. They are good offroad, there are better but you give up that long life. I like the TKC80 on the front because of the grip it gives and is good on road. I have never needed for bettervgrip on road. I am not knee dragger, mind you, so its not all that important to me.
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Quote from: greatbuffalo on April 11, 2016, 03:16:59 PM
I really like the Tire Choice I made. I like the K60 because of the longevity. I have had them on other bikes and have gotten 12, 000 + miles out of them. They are good offroad, there are better but you give up that long life. I like the TKC80 on the front because of the grip it gives and is good on road. I have never needed for bettervgrip on road. I am not knee dragger, mind you, so its not all that important to me.
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Hey thanks for replying. That's what Ill have on my bike when we come out for the rally!
So, when getting ready to leave Fish N Fry one of a guy came over and pointed out a screw in my rear tire. I yanked it, plugged it and aired it back up. I was not rear comfortable with the plug but my kid decided to ride and keep an eye on it. It went low and couple of times and just outside of Mitchell the belts separated. He was able to limp it home and tire still was holding air when I got to it yesterday.
My big decision was what to put on next. I looked at several tires, the Tractionator, the Heideneau, the Anakee Wild, and a few others. I have never run the TKC80 before so I decided to give it a try. I like the look on the bike and it seems to handle pretty well. I just hope the tire last better than some reviews I've read. The problem with plugging the Heideneau leaves me a bit miffed. The one on the back of my Tiger has over 9000 miles and 3 plugs in it with no issues. The screw was in the center solid strip. Had it been off to the side I would understand a bit more but oh well, I had 5000 miles on so I can't be too upset.
Will write a bit more on it when I get a few miles on them.