Richmond Va chatter

[HalfPlate]

Toddzacker,

Jeff is 100% spot on with the tourance tkc combo recommendation. I used to run that combo on my V-Strom and will be going that way again on the GS. An interesting aspect of that set-up is your front and rear will both wear at the same rate, so at about 10k +/- you will need both.

Shoe Creek is very do-able on a GS, and honestly isn't all that bad. If you want to give it a try I would recommend starting with a few days over at the newly found "training area" here in town. I would also highly recommend waiting until the creeks drop in the summer and riding with a partner. I was being stupid when I tried it for the first time, 1 it was spring and the creeks where up, 2 I rode it alone, 3 my rear tourance was completely bald.

Anytime you want to give the training area a go on the GS just let me know, its a hoot out there!! Only thing keeping away this weekend is the absence of a skid plate, courtesy of last weekend.

[HalfPlate]

Originally Posted by ddlewis

I've heard people call it (knobbyish front + road biased rear) a "mullet". So my bike has a mullet. I hereby name it Joe DRt.

That's Great!!! My bike needs a mullet!!! Although I guess its kind of in reverse, party in the front business in the back.

[toddzacker]

Originally Posted by HalfPlate

Toddzacker,

Jeff is 100% spot on with the tourance tkc combo recommendation. I used to run that combo on my V-Strom and will be going that way again on the GS. An interesting aspect of that set-up is your front and rear will both wear at the same rate, so at about 10k +/- you will need both.

Shoe Creek is very do-able on a GS, and honestly isn't all that bad. If you want to give it a try I would recommend starting with a few days over at the newly found "training area" here in town. I would also highly recommend waiting until the creeks drop in the summer and riding with a partner. I was being stupid when I tried it for the first time, 1 it was spring and the creeks where up, 2 I rode it alone, 3 my rear tourance was completely bald.

Anytime you want to give the training area a go on the GS just let me know, its a hoot out there!! Only thing keeping away this weekend is the absence of a skid plate, courtesy of last weekend.

After I wear the TKC rear I was planning on trying the recommendation of Jeff on TKC front & Tourance on the rear.

I am planning on the training area Saturday for sure & maybe Friday a little. I have all the parts & pieces for the stock skid plate if you would like to use it & them I get you by. I will be in town Wednesday & Friday if you want me to bring it up. Let me know its just collecting dust.

On Shoe Creek, would a dry late fallow a reasonable run? Before to much snow & to cold of temps? If I feel comfortable after this weekend, I would like to run up and do a little more challenging stuff Dec 7-9, weather permitting.

[HalfPlate]

Todd,

I think I am going to wait until I get a new skid plate before going back out there. A broken case on a Yamaha at the last Cat Herders Campout has got me spooked.

I would stay away from Shoe Creek until this Spring if I were you. The stuff out at the "training area" is plenty challenging.

[Skippii]

How did I live without making one of these before?


USB Mini (GPS) and Micro (Phone) fast charging from either USB adaptor or 12V socket.

I suppose I could have added a switch to toggle between fast charging and data mode, but I think simple is better for this. It's awesome. I'll never not have the right cable. Well, unless I lose it, but I still do have the trident 3-way charger I made a few years ago. It's a linear regulator, though, so not nearly as efficient as a the buck converter on this one and doesn't have USB charging.

[jgiacobbe]

Originally Posted by Skippii

How did I live without making one of these before?


USB Mini (GPS) and Micro (Phone) fast charging from either USB adaptor or 12V socket.

I suppose I could have added a switch to toggle between fast charging and data mode, but I think simple is better for this. It's awesome. I'll never not have the right cable. Well, unless I lose it, but I still do have the trident 3-way charger I made a few years ago. It's a linear regulator, though, so not nearly as efficient as a the buck converter on this one and doesn't have USB charging.

Are you taking Ambien again? j/k

Actually looks pretty cool. Only question is why bother with the separate 12v cig plug. I have a 12v to USB plugs that I use to power my GPS via a USB cable as it is. All I have to do now is have the right cable and I am good to swap.

I do like the idea of having a single USB cable with both ends and configured for fast charge though. I might have to google what to do to make one. I know you posted it before. One of my grips is my GPS spending a minute trying to make a USB data connection when I plug it in. Disconnecting the data pins would take care of that i think.

[Guy Young]

Originally Posted by Skippii

How did I live without making one of these before?


USB Mini (GPS) and Micro (Phone) fast charging from either USB adaptor or 12V socket.

I suppose I could have added a switch to toggle between fast charging and data mode, but I think simple is better for this. It's awesome. I'll never not have the right cable. Well, unless I lose it, but I still do have the trident 3-way charger I made a few years ago. It's a linear regulator, though, so not nearly as efficient as a the buck converter on this one and doesn't have USB charging.

Nice.

Only comment is why not heatshrink instead of electrical tape? Would have made for a neater job and a heckofalot more durable.

.

[Skippii]

Originally Posted by jgiacobbe

Are you taking Ambien again? j/k

Actually looks pretty cool. Only question is why bother with the separate 12v cig plug. I have a 12v to USB plugs that I use to power my GPS via a USB cable as it is. All I have to do now is have the right cable and I am good to swap.
That plug will output about double the charge than most 12V/usb plugs. I have one too, but it lives in my car or it would get lost. The whole purpose of this is that it's a single, all-in-one unit.

Temazepam these days. Makes me a lot more groggy in the morning, and I'm completely dependent on it (no chance of sleep without it), but no more waking up with a knife in my bed either, so I'm happy with that. Only issue is that it does take a long time to sedate me, and I do best avoiding people during that hour or so. I'm not very inhibited on what I'll say to people after taking it, and they don't always appreciate that. Except the ones who know it's sometimes used as a truth serum, and need some information from me.

I do like the idea of having a single USB cable with both ends and configured for fast charge though. I might have to google what to do to make one. I know you posted it before. One of my grips is my GPS spending a minute trying to make a USB data connection when I plug it in. Disconnecting the data pins would take care of that i think.[/QUOTE]

No, you don't disconnect the data pins. You connect them together. White and Green get connected so that the GPS recognizes that it is not plugged into a computer and will pull over an amp of juice out ("fast charge"). If the data pins aren't connected, the GPS thinks it might be connected to a computer, and drawing that much current from a usb port on a computer can damage it, so even if it does go out of "data mode" it will be in "slow charge" mode. On larger displays, this also limits the screen brightness to less than 10%, making it pretty useless other than at night.
The same thing goes for cell phones. My phone will even tell me that it's charging really slowly if I don't use the right cable.
(Most AC-USB adapters will short the pins on the charger, so you can use a data cable with no problem.) Some older ones leave them open.

[Skippii]

Originally Posted by Guy Young

Nice.

Only comment is why not heatshrink instead of electrical tape? Would have made for a neater job and a heckofalot more durable.

.

I spliced into the wires on one side, rather than cut them, so there's that. On the other side, I did cut them, but then soldered them together before I remembered to put on the heatshrink. I did have a roll of it on my workstation. I'll probably go back and redo it when I have the time.

This wasn't really what I've been working on all night. I was actually making a dual constant current source for running LED strings with varying input voltages and # of LEDs.
Came out well, runs up to 7 LEDs at 18mA on each transistor with up to 16V supply. It's not as temperature stable as I'd like, but it's good enough.

[BlueNun]

'Sorry I missed you guys on Sunday, Saturday was Fun on the YZ, riding with a broken clutch cable definitely improves your cornering speeds. And I was able to clear all those logs....cause I couldn't STOP. Jeff, Dave and I wound up riding out near Charles City on some TIGHT VCHSS style woods course with friends. Lots of logs, stumps, roots and trees 24" apart....Jeff rode the Snot outta his DRZ. Dave and I were cheating on our 2 Strokes.

The important thing is...... I Won !! It only cost me eight stiches in my leg.....DOH ! No worries, everybody knows Bumbles Bounce ! Let's do it again soon.

Cheers,

Bobb

[Guy Young]

Originally Posted by BlueNun

'Sorry I missed you guys on Sunday, Saturday was Fun on the YZ, riding with a broken clutch cable definitely improves your cornering speeds. And I was able to clear all those logs....cause I couldn't STOP. Jeff, Dave and I wound up riding out near Charles City on some TIGHT VCHSS style woods course with friends. Lots of logs, stumps, roots and trees 24" apart....Jeff rode the Snot outta his DRZ. Dave and I were cheating on our 2 Strokes.

The important thing is...... I Won !! It only cost me eight stiches in my leg.....DOH ! No worries, everybody knows Bumbles Bounce ! Let's do it again soon.

Cheers,

Bobb

.

[ddlewis]

Originally Posted by jgiacobbe

So yesterday on the way home I remembered the thing I didn't like about the Shinko 244. You run out of tread if you lean to far. From the dirt on the tires, I could see I came within 1/4 inch of the edge of the tread on the front just riding home on Parham from Martins to Regency. Not like I was pushing it. I've seen you ride, you would find the edge. The 700s allow for much more lean angle. The TW302 on the back looked like I had stood up straight the whole way home. On the other hand it could just be I need air in the front tire.

good to know on the 244's. Yeah, I'll probably just stick with the 700/705 combo. Seems like the best compromise for my one bike situation. Fine for fartin around in the woods and still good for long day on road. If we're going to get racy offroad - the best tires in the world won't do it for me. It's too much bike.

Thinking we needs us some clapped out kdx's to run in the vchss sportsman/oldtimers class, then we can really get out there and break some clavicles with Bob!

[btblueskies]

Originally Posted by toddzacker

...the way it looks on his Avatar though I'm still the nOOb on the GS..

Then again... maybe yer not ;)

[Sic Semper Tyrannis]

Originally Posted by BlueNun

'Sorry I missed you guys on Sunday, Saturday was Fun on the YZ, riding with a broken clutch cable definitely improves your cornering speeds. And I was able to clear all those logs....cause I couldn't STOP. Jeff, Dave and I wound up riding out near Charles City on some TIGHT VCHSS style woods course with friends. Lots of logs, stumps, roots and trees 24" apart....Jeff rode the Snot outta his DRZ. Dave and I were cheating on our 2 Strokes.

The important thing is...... I Won !! It only cost me eight stiches in my leg.....DOH ! No worries, everybody knows Bumbles Bounce ! Let's do it again soon.

Cheers,

Bobb

MMmmmmm stitches......always fun!!


bet it is muddy back at mud mart today!!!

[toddzacker]

Originally Posted by Sic Semper Tyrannis

MMmmmmm stitches......always fun!!


bet it is muddy back at mud mart today!!!

Hopefully it dries up by Friday or I'm gonna be a dirty boy...then Nicole will have to bath me. Actually now that I think about it...I hope it muddy as hell!!!