Whats The Last Thing You Bought?

Baja Designs S1 lights with Cyclops fork mounts.
lights front by Marco Wikstrom, on Flickr
lights side by Marco Wikstrom, on Flickr

 

I have a few Mitutoyo digital calipers for various tasks but I do like the visual benefit of a dial caliper for certain jobs, especially when using it as a comparator like checking valve shims out of an assortment box.
The new bit will make life easier and I now just buy items like this justifying it, if need be, on what it actually saves in others labour charges.

 

My only reservation there is, will it interfere with others observation of the front indicators i.e. the white brightness flare outshines the yellow/orange flashing.

 

Hopefully not. The photo has a lot more flare than looking with one's eyes, but one can still see the turn signals in the photo. Rear turn signals are more important anyway, as most road users forward probably have the right of way unless they're turning left (or turning right in countries that drive on the left).

I mounted them as far away as possible while not interfering with suspension etc. Pretty close to the headlights.

 

I have special knee pads mounted on my tank to protect against scratches. At Amazon I found what I was looking for. They were custom made within 2 days in Italy and were in my mailbox after another 4 days at home. I think the result is great.

 

Yesterday I did a 400 km ride to mount some add ons on my bike. The weather in the morning was not really good. 6 degree celsius and very wet foggy conditions on my first 200 km to my workshop.
There we mounted crash guards, a splash and stone guard for the engine and 13 plastic covers for existing frame openings. I am very satisfied with the result. Afterwards I rode back home in dry and warm weather. This ride was great!

 

I've been spending money on my new H-D Low Rider ST lately. I finally received and installed a couple of the "big" things--my LePera "Kickflip" customized seat and my Rinehart mufflers. These photos also show the detachable sissy bar that I bought so I can attach a touring bag using it as the primary attachment point while the bag sits on the pillion area of the new seat. I love how the pipes sound and the seat is wonderful! Very pleased with both purchases. Good thing as they were NOT cheap!

 

Good to see, Sandi, and that seat looks amazing!

 

The "Mod's" on your bike look great!!!

 

Ooooooo a Triple Black

 

Thanks, Tony! I'm currently waiting on a KlockWerks Flare 8" windshield and Custom Dynamics LED lighting. I also have some parts "waiting in the wings" for those two things to arrive and will then have everything installed that hasn't already been. I bought Harley's "Dominion Collection" grips, pegs, gas cap, etc. and then a few purely cosmetic bits like black saddlebag latches to replace the silver ones. Why they put chrome or silver parts like that on a totally blacked out bike is one of God's own mysteries.

 

I bought heating jackets for my wife and me last week. But not the really expensive ones from bike dealers. I took the opportunity at A.... and got them for about € 60.- with a 10.000 mAh accupack.
This week I was able to test it in a temperature range down to -2 degree Celsius. It worked very good and I used only the second of three heating levels which was quite enough.

 

One of these

 

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I've got a heated gilet similar to your jacket off Amazon for under £30 last year. It's got a silver lining and if I'm playing golf I don't even need the power switched on. I tried the 10,000 Mah pack but prefer 2 x 5,000 instead as the 10,000 is heavier and with a 5,000 in either pocket I don't feel they are there.

 

Ooh, I smell another awesome @Iron build on the breeze.

 

Installed a Shorai lithium battery, installed a radiator guard, and bought an Aerostich Roadcrafter jacket.

Also installed a Kaoko throttle lock about a week ago. The Speedy is ready for some light sport touring now!

 

A set of Craig bars arrived last week from Motone. Well their Black Friday discount was an offer I failed to refuse.



I like the look of them, they have a more subtle profile than Triumph's accessory Dresser Bars that I currently have fitted.

Not that I intend to find out how effective they are; but the straight, unbraced tabs on the Triumph bars that bolt onto the frame, left me wondering whether they wouldn't just fold up if involved in an accident and not really protect anything. The tabs are braced on the Motone bars and the lower bar interlocks by several inches, so it should make them much stronger.



However, I was disappointed when I opened the box to discover that Motone have left the top tube openings open where they join the top mounting tabs, all that's going to do is let in the wet, crud and salt if the bike is ridden in our lovely British weather. And it'll just sit there rotting the bars from the inside out, I find that design flaw odd given that Motone are based in Wales, not renowned for its sunny weather, sorry if I've just upset my welsh brothers and sisters.

I was beginning to consider returning them when I had an idea. I remembered that the water cooled Bonneville T100/120, Street Twin/Cup frame has plastic bungs in the rear end of the frame tubes under the rear of the seat (My hours wasted in OCD research into the differences and similarities of Triumphs Bonnevilles has paid off).

Out with the measuring callipers and guess what, the frame tubes are the same size as the crash bars. I was ordering four new M12 locking nuts from Fowlers to fit the new bars (My OCD self-preservation wont let me reuse locking nuts on something as critical as combined engine and crash bar mounts), so I added two end caps (for a whole £1-48) to the order and they arrived to day and they fit perfectly.

I will post photos when I fit them, but I need to get Christmas out of the way first and its freezing in the garage up here in Cheshire.

Enjoy your rides if you're in the Southern hemisphere, or the anticipation of more rides in the Spring if, like me, you're in the Northern hemisphere.

 

Triumph Braddan jacket in the Black Friday sales… wanted one for ages.

 

What a great result, but how daft is it that Motone didn’t blank them off? Inexplicable, really.