Wrench'n Ride'n

My eternal search for real comfort from my handlebars continues. Yet again. This time I did not change the OEM bars. I made some dirt cheap risers. Over on the Bandit forums at Two Wheeled Texans forums user " Alton" Made a cheap set of risers with some  3/4" by 1/2" collars.  I searched my local huge hardware chain store and could not find anything like this. So I used washers. They are around 1/4" thick. I used four on each side. I also had to buy longer bolts to mount the handlebar clamps back onto the triple clamps. I used 3" long 3/8" bolts.  This has added around 3/4" in extra height. What I like about using washers is I can change the height by removing washers as I see fit. So far after one shortish ride I like the new setup. 

After 2 sets of handle bars I have gone back to the OEM ones. Why? Last week when I rode down the F3 freeway to Sydney with the OEM fitted I found the Zero Gravity DB screen works better for me when I am down a bit lower. Both the Renthal bar and the Daytona rip off bar sit be right up in the jet stream off the top of the screen. I do love how much leverage the wider bars give me steering wise. Yet I started to feel like I am flapping about in the breeze sitting that upright. Lets see if I chnage my mind in a weeks time again.   Forgot to add that with the Daytona rip offs I could not get the front master cylder clamp to sit square as this sat just at the end of a curve in the bar. This meant there was a bit of movement when I pulled in the brake lever. Funny feeling that. Like there should be move braking as the lever keeps moving as the brakes come on.

I bent my renthal handlebars. For a month or so now the front end from the riders seat did not look square. Think it was end January and el-Lobo had a bit of a lay down off the side stand. At the time I did not think the bars had bent. I think it was not so much the weigh of the bike from the fall that bent them. It was when I was picking the bike up that the weight of the bike was too much for the bars. I put the OEM bars back on this morning and sure enough the front end looks square. Measured up the renthals and they sure are bent. I scooted down to Sydney to MCAS   and bought a set of their steel "Daytona"style medium bars and a set of LED indicators for the back of the bike. These now match the front ones. They are bright too which is what I want so the numpties in the cars may see which way I am turning. The "Daytona" bars are almost the same as the renthal mediums I had fitted. At least if the bike goes down I have bars that may not bend as easy now.

Not snooker but I have fitted my small Givi topbox to the Bandit. Had to cut the loop off the Ventura rack to get the topbox to fit. So now I need to buy another Ventura rack so I can swap from topbox and rack to rack with Ventura bag when i want to.

Rostered day off for me today. SO went fro a spur of the moment ride. I was hanging out the washing and gazed sky wards. Not a cloud in the sky. Warm. Yes go for a ride. So headed north to Newcastle. Up the Pacific Highy way. The F3 freeway is way too boring zzzz. Went to Fort Scratchley  so I could take photos from there. Then rode home.

Last month I had fitted some flush LED indicators to the fairing.  http://rossmz.blogspot.com.au/2012/02/led-indicators.html . I did like them and they are very bright. However from the front you could not really see them flashing. This could lead to someone not knowing which way I am going and result could be lots of bent metal, broken plastic and maybe me missing some skin. So today I removed the flush indicators and fitted some forward facing small LED indicators. They are very bright and can be well and truly seen from the front.