2nd charge

With the meter on the correct screen, I see it uses 450w while charging, and 5w at rest. That seemed low to me until I thought about fuses blowing. Except fuses are measured in amps. At work we have a refridgerator that is listed at 7.5amps. We have two of them. When we tried three, on a 20 amp fuse, it blew if all three tried running at the same time.
I wrote down amp usage for the scooter, but don't have it with me.

1st charging notes

Charger started at 118 volts, but within 5 min was down to 117 volts. Before plugging in, was reading 12 volts.

UPDATE

I don't know squat about electricity. I was measuring the outlet, a 120v outlet, and not the draw. Gonna try again tonight.

Ride over

Finished the ride in heavy rain. Big difference is that I removed my Oakley sunglasses, which fogged up, and the sun went away.

This was not something I could do while moving, so I pulled off at the next interstate exit and removed them. I made for the nearest shelter, Johnson's Corner www.johnsonscorner.com . I went into their entrance, pulled off my gear and pulled my phone (surprisingly the only dry item on me) to text Rob that I pulled off and was OK (he was ahead of me when the storm hit and we got separated), and he walked into the entrance from the other direction- he had the same idea.

This is when I took the picture in the previous post.

We warmed up a bit and then made for the bikes to head home. It looked from inside like it had let up, but it was still coming down, was very windy, and cold (~55deg). I've ridden in the rain before (heck I've been in snowstorms), but never in this lightweight gear. So it's a grin and bear it sort of thing. Once you get set in a riding position, the body adapts and it only feels cold when you shift. BTW, when your whole body is shivering while you're riding, it effects the direction and stability of the bike. That's body english for you.

Got home doing about 45mph the rest of the way. In my driveway, shifted the bike into neutral, and the light lit! Previous owner said it was burnt out, and I was going to order a bulb tomorrow. After such a miserable ride, it made me laugh. I stripped off my clothes and took a long, hot shower. I feel much better now.

(I wonder if the saddlebags are waterproof?)

Combining two things I love

For the first time in the 20 years I've been riding, I own a bike with a clock. I'm a watch collector, and I ride motorcycles, so I'm really getting a kick out of this. It's analog and lit.

UPDATE: They made a classic mistake with the clock: all three hands are the same color and the minute and second hand are the same length. This makes it hard to read at a glance as you have to wait for the second hand to move to discard it and read the time on the other two. If it's easy, I'd love to paint the second hand black. It wouldn't light up at night and would be easy to ignore during the day.

Then vs now

I'm disapointed with the state of motorcycles. Yes, they generally seem to be more powerful, but at what cost? Compared to bikes 15 years ago, current machines seem to be heavier and get worse milage. My ZX-11D weighed 600lbs, and the main reason I got rid of it was due to weight. Today, sport bikes expected, as they continue to get lighter and more powerful, sport touring bikes, crusiers and full touring bikes are heavier.
Here's a comparison between my S3T and the brand new Honda NT700V. Both are sport tourers, both are twins, both have saddlebags, both have frame mounted wind protection, both fuel injected.
Bike Buell S3T Honda NT700V
New MSRP $12,799 $9,999 ($1,000 more for ABS)
Engine Size 1203cc 680cc
HP 101 55
Torque 89 41
Wet Weight 518 lbs 562 lbs
Seat Height 29.5 in 31.7 in
MPG 50 MPG* 50 MPG
Fuel Cap 5.4 gal 5.2 gal
Range 270 miles 260 miles
Drive Belt Shaft
Storage ???? 7 gallons

Now I just need to ride the S3T and see if I'm right.

new bike notes

I unloaded the bike last night. I Read the owners manual to catch differences between the Lightning and this Thunderbolt; Mainly: fuel injection, and the associated things that means, like no petcock or choke. It has a low fuel light, but it comes on at .4 gal left, which seems a bit low to me. If the bike gets 40mpg, I'll only have 16 miles until empty. I think I'll monitor fuel closely and refill early to figure out what MPG I'm getting. It does have a 5.4 gal tank, which will give me a good range regardless.

It has an aftermarket shock by Works Performance. I read the manual for that, and I can set ride height. It's currently set high, so I'm going to clean the exposed threads (tonight?) and lower it to the lowest possible setting. From there I'll work on getting the other setting modified (front and rear).

The saddle bags are HUGE, and come with form fitted liners so I won't have to remove the hard bags when I get where I'm going. They are wide, and I seem to be scuffing the right bag throwing my leg over it. I used to keep hitting the rear turn signal stalk on the Lightning, and after replacing it twice, got a newer model that was flexible. I'd think if I had the narrow bag lid it would be better (at not hitting with my boot), but I'd lose space inside. I'm keeping an eye on eBay and craigslist for a set anyways.

The previous owner gave me one fairing lower and a tank bra. the tank looks good, so I think I'll pass on installing the bra for a while and see how much I contact it. I don't think it needs protection. I'll also note my legs and see if I feel the need for more weather protection for them. Again, I doubt it.

Test Ride BMW F800ST

The other bike I tested was a used BMW F800ST. It had been lowered by the previous owner, so I could operate it easy at a stop. Started up, it had a bunch of warning lights. One was for low fuel, another for low tyre pressure. There's a button to scroll through the computer pages, but I never was able to find an Odometer or trip Odometer. The ST is sportier,with a lower windshield and a long, low reach to the handlebars. Steering was heavier than expected, and the dealer also mentioned it after riding it to service to put air in the tyre. The tyres felt triangular, meaning the bike would fall into turns instead of being neutral. Engine was smooth and quiet, but didn't seem to have much power in the lower 1/2 of its RPM range. I ended up riding it in a lower gear than I normally would. Clutch was light, but it was hard to find the engagement point. Airflow hit me below the helmet. With the forward lean, I wish it had less protection, as the air could help support my body.
The dealer also had a F650GS, which uses the same engine, but tuned for torque and not HP. I liked the short, wide reach to the bars. The suspension started tall, but with my weight settled into being only a little too high. Wind protection looks like less than the ST. I didn't test it. It's funny, but I want a bike between the two, but would have to modify either towards the 'center'.

I never did get to ride the lowered R1200GS they had. It's gone now. I would have liked to see if it has enough wind protection. I think I'd prefer it to the R1200RT, due to the lighter weight.


Overall, nice, but not for me. I want a more upright seating position, and more wind protection. In BMW model parlance, I'd want a RT not an ST. They don't make a F800RT.

Test Ride TU-250

I've read great things about the TU-250, and it's inexpensive, so I thought I'd give it a chance. It's very light, and maneuverable at low speeds, and you have a lot of lock-to-lock for some very tight turns. It's very comfortable, and that comfort makes it feel like you're going slower than you are. Suspension was fine, nothing noticeable. The rear shocks were set at 3 of 5 preload. The engine runs smoothly, but I did have trouble shifting into 5th gear twice. A firm flick of the shifter got it into 5th. Clutch feel is light. The left mirror wouldn't stay adjusted on my ride. The engine. As mentioned, smooth, and the fuel injection means easy start and smooth operation. However, at only 250cc, it has trouble making 55mph, and I'd expect with enough space it could get into the high 60s.
Compared to the Buell Blast, it's no contest. The Blast falls under my qualifications as a Real Bike- one that can do anything and go anywhere you ask of it. It may be the smallest bike to qualify. The TU-250 is more comfortable for me, and is a better 'under 40mph' bike. I think it would be the perfect delivery bike. It's a great bike to learn on.
I keep coming back to bikes I've owned (Blast, Ninja 500) as bikes that best fit me and fit the qualities I'm currently looking for in a bike. Maybe that's why I bought them in the past? As to the TU-250? So far, I've passed on it. It looks better than a Blast, but, for now, I can't see paying $3800 for an inferior bike. I wish I hadn't sold my Blast, as I don't look forward to sorting out another one, but with prices for used Blasts around $2K, I may be back in the Buell fold soon. I still have many accessories for it.

NoCO bike dealer tour

I spent the morning hitting all the moto dealers on I25.
Sat on the Suzi TU250 (MSRP $3799). Impressed, going back TUE for a test.I've read great things about it, and figure it'd be a good around town and short trip bike. Suzi says it gets 82mpg. Going to test it on TUE.
At Honda, I sat on the new VFR, and was unimpressed. Very sportbike,little touring. The NT700V (they had both the standard $9999, and the $10999 ABS models) is looking better every time I see it. It may not be 100+ HP, but it feels comfortable, has good protection and luggage.The on board computer said it's getting 38mpg, which seems what they all get these days. It might be a bit higher on a longer ride. May test it on TUE.
Went to Beemers and More on CO14, and really liked the BMW F800ST they had. It's an '08, 3K miles, and already lowered. Consignment at $9500(new is 12525 for the 'standard package model'). Again, going to test on TUE.
Finally stopped at Euro and sat on a bunch I am interested in. I was most interested in the Ducati Multistrada. They had the low seat installed, and it was still to high, but I don't know the suspension mode it was in. They say it makes no difference?!?! Sat on the R1200GS and RT, both were too high, but I know that they become OK with the lowered seat and lowered suspension setup.


Still pissed I didn't win a auction last week on a Buell Thunderbolt. This thing was loaded with every option and extras on many parts. Still, I'm in no rush for any new bike.

Stranded via Buell

Nice day here, in the mid 60s when I left the house. Decided to ride the motorcycle. I've been having a strange problem with mine. It'll start when cold, or hot, but if I ride 2-3 miles and shut it off, it won't start. I believe this has to do with the auto choke being off, but not hot enough to start without it. I've been caught out three times doing local chores, but figured I'd be ok today. Stopped at the bank drive thru and kept it running. Went to McDonald's and shut it off to make a special order (no cheese). Went back outside and it started, idled for 10 sec while I started putting my gear on, and died. I couldn't get it to catch again. It'll turn over, the battery is fine, and it's not the dummy features (sidestand switch, clutch switch) because then it wouldn't do anything. It's just that there's no boom. Pushed and duck walked the bike a mile to work in full gear after waiting 20 minutes for it to cool. As usual I went out hours later and it started right up. I'm going to throw it at a dealer soon and see if they can reproduce and fix the problem. I like the bike, but need reliable transportation. So annoying! I figure in the 21st century they could have mastered the motorcycle as they have the car.

Tomorrow: Vote, haircut, dentist.