T.O.P.S. Motorcycle Training

The TOPS Motorcycle Training course was probably one of the most difficult things I have ever done, but also one of the most important. The goal of the training is to make us safer on the motorcycle we actually ride.

After watching videos on the exercises we would be doing we headed outside to the practical application. It was a very hot day requiring lots of hydration and frequent rest stops. After practicing our figure eights, we moved on to a sharp right or left turn from a stop. The remainder of the course was emergency braking, brake and avoid, and offset cone weave.

Our instructor was very skilled, but also patient. I believe he could teach almost anyone. Here he demonstrates a maneuver, the keyhole, done in slow speed competitions.

The other students were a fun bunch and everyone left with their certificate.

Koi Whisperer Sanctuary & Japanese Garden

We arrived at the Koi Whisperer Sanctuary & Japanese Garden  about 4:00 in afternoon on Friday after leaving Chicago at 2:30. This destination was chosen because of its proximity to Elgin Community College the site of the  TOPS Advanced Motorcycle Training. The course would be the next morning, but before we enjoyed our time at the Sanctuary.

This is an AirBnB destination and M, our host, made our stay perfect. This is the most meditative and restful place we have ever stayed.

After settling in we rode to St. Charles for our first night dinner at The Office. The ceviche was not expected and excellant. Along with a wedge salad this was pleasant end to a very warm evening.

The next morning we were met by the house kitty and a nice breakfast of strawberries, a muffin, and our choice of coffee.

So with this, I rode to the TOPS training and Chris stayed behind to read some of the many books in the Sanctuary. After what would be a challenging class I returned. We had our second excellent meal of the trip, this time at Francesca's by the River. The Linguine alla Caruso and the Spaghetti al Fagottaro were some of the best Italian cooking we have had. After our meal we walked to one of the outdoor koi ponds to visit our new friends.

This was one of the best destinations we have visited and recommend it highly to anyone looking to get away and recharge.

MotoAmerica at Road America & Brewtown Rumble

What a weekend. Took back roads to Elkhart Lake for MotoAmerica at Road America and caught the Brewtown Rumble in Milwaukee on the return.

Elkhart Lake

Leaving Milwaukee Avenue in Chicago we picked up US 45, taking a path West of Milwaukee and country roads to Elkhart Lake. This link will show the details of our route. Unseasonably cold weather made for frequent stops to warm up. The parking lot at Siebkens Resort had a fabulous collection of sport and sport touring motorcycles with a nice showing of Ducati, BMW, Aprilla, and their Japanese kin. Before checking into our room we just made the closing hour for the dining room at the Resort.

The next morning after coffee in the lobby, we headed to the rolling and green track that is Road America. Following directions to park anywhere on the grass we found our spot.

Plentiful food concessions offered a nice choice of late breakfast and lunch options. We opted for hamburgers and bbq. The home-made German potato salad would make any meal great.

The skies remained overcast and the temperatures brisk. Landing at Corner 5, we watched the first event of MotoAmerica the Junior Cup race won by Alex Dumas on a KTM.

We then walked up the hill to watch from the opposite side of Corner 5. From this point we could see Supersport Race 1, won by Valentin Debise on the ECSTAR Suzuki.

Returning to our first viewing spot of Corner 5, we caught the exciting finish of the First Race of Super Bike. Cameron Beaubier slipped around leading Josh Herrin and barely missing the favored Toni Elias' crash.

This ended our first day of MotoAmerica and prompted a return to the Resort. After a little freshening up, we took a walk over to the Elkhart Inn for some tasty Wiener schnitzel and Goulash.

Milwaukee

Following a good night of sleep. with the lullaby of a continuous rain, we arose to a excellent breakfast of coffee, baked oatmeal, and pecan coffee cake from Off the Rail. After checking out we took a moment to contemplate the resort surroundings before heading off to Milwaukee and the Brewtown Rumble,

The weather had become much more pleasant for our route to Fuel Cafe in Milwaukee. We really did not know what to expect of this event, and were very surprised at the number of visitors and espicially the number of bikes!

Since it was lunch time our thoughts turned immediately to food and found satisfaction with tacos and sandwiches at La Fuente on 5th Street.

After lunch we checked out the huge variety of bikes, but in particular, this 1910 beauty caught our eye .

It was also nice to meet some folks from the British Biker Cooperative that we had previously only known online.

With a couple of hours remaining for our return to Chicago, it seemed to be a good time to close the door on this experience, but we will return next year.

MSTA/BMW Ride to Eat

Ride to Eat

The Illinois group of the Motorcycle Sport Touring Association is joining the Chicago Region BMW Owners Association for Ride to Eat meets. 

On a very HOT Monday in May we took a trip to Huntley, IL for the weeks RTE.

Held at the Huntley's Dairy Mart we caught up with John Panek, the MSTA organizer and had a nice time talking with the Beemer guys.

The Monday Special was a burger, fries, and drink. A preliminary Oreo Flurry was mandated by the sweaty temps.

Bike Service & Mods - Fall 2017 Spring 2018

Front Lighting

After a couple of experiences of riding at night, I decided the most important mod to the Sprint ST would be replace the headlight wiring with heaver gauge material, add a relay for the high beam and replace the bulbs with OSRAM Night Breaker Laser H7 from Powerbulbs.

I followed the wiring and bulb upgrade recommendation at TriumphRat.

To start this modification, the fairing and cockpit had to be removed. I also found it easier to see the old headlight wiring if the projector assembly was dropped.

After a couple months break (had to work) I am back on this project. All the headlight wring is finished and added a PIAA Slim Line Horn Set powered from a relay. MUCH louder than the OEM! Amazon was the only source I found for the two horn set. Other suppliers, including PIAA, sell a single unit only.

Rear Lighting

While seeing the road ahead is very important, being noticed from the rear is also paramount to a safe ride. With that in mind, I made two modifications adding an AdMore lighting kit to the GIVI V46 top case and a Motogadget modulator to the existing brake light and the top case lighting kit. These electronics were purchased from Revzilla.

The lights on the top case are certainly more visible than the brake light alone.

The AdMore kit makes placement of the wiring attachment location the option of the installer. I initially drilled the case and placed the socket in the front middle of the lower case, but later relocated it to the right underneath. This make it less noticeable and less likely to be snagged.

The brake light modulator was installed in unused space within the battery compartment. This placed it close to the wiring harness that runs along the rear subframe.

Battery Tender

Previously the battery tender would be plugged into a SAE connector wired directly to the motorcycle battery. This connector was not affixed to the bike and therefore unstable and not aesthetically appealing. The Sprint comes with a always-on Powerlet socket under the left lower fairing. The purchase of a Powerlet to SAE adapter allows a neater connection to a battery tender.

Luggage

The Sprint came with the factory side cases and early on we purchased a GIVI V46 top case. Occasionally the capacity of these cases was insufficient. To expand this capacity four Bungie Buddies Tie Downs were installed on the lower half of the top case. A cargo net can then be used to secure a light object to the top.

Shock Upgrade

The bike came with a Penske 8900 rear shock installed. The remote reservoir was attached to the subframe with four large wire ties. This is what Penske usually provides rather than a more secure mounting. Searching various forums, I found the Axiaa Alloys Shock Reservoir Mounting Bracket (2 inch/1 inch) that fits to the subframe. However, the size of the reservoir was between clamp sizes offered by Axiaa (2 inch and 1.875 inch). To shim the 2 inch clamp, adhesive-backed neoprene rubber strips was applied to the reservoir. Two layers of the 1/64 inch material was needed. Probably one layer of the 1/32 inch would work. The reservoir is now mounted firmly and and is still accessible.

Cooling System Service & Upgrade

Although the operating temperature has been within expected limits (4 to 6 bars), with the faring off this seemed like a good time to service and upgrade the system. To begin, the coolant was drained by removing the radiator cap (engine cold) and the lower radiator hose where it attached to the water pump. The purge plug on the top of the radiator was also removed along with the drain plug on the engine block. Both of these use crush washers to seal. After the coolant drained, the lower hose was reattached and the plug in the engine block replaced. The expansion reservoir was removed and cleaned. This required soaking with white vinegar. The reservoir was replaced and the system filled with a 50:50 mixture of white vinegar and distilled water. Fluid was added at the radiator cap with a funnel. The expansion reservoir was also filled with the mixture. The radiator cap was replaced and the engine started and ran until the temperature reached 6 bars, allowing the thermostat to open. After allowing the system to cool, it was drained and refilled with distilled water only. The lower hose of the reservoir was also removed to drain the vinegar mixture and filled with distilled water. Draining and refilling with distilled water was repeated twice.

Once the system was purged all hoses were replaced with a kit of silicone replacements by AS3 Performance. Clamps were also replaced with a stainless steel set by AS3 Performance. After checking for leaks with distilled water, Engine Ice filled the system and the overflow reservoir. The coolant provides enhanced heat transfer and is not toxic like conventional fluids.

Helmet Storage

Don't want to carry it with you, but got to put that helmet someplace. Definitely remember the time we placed our lids on the pavement next to the bike not thinking about the coming rainstorm. The street flooded and so did the our helmets. The Sprint does not have a typical helmet lock but adding the Helmet Guardian to the license plate mount added two locks. 

The Piano Man in Woodstock, IL

Our last trip for the 2017 season was to see The Piano Man at the Woodstock Opera House in Woodstock, IL.

The Piano Man is a tribute to Billy Joel and Elton John. I had seen the two touring together several times and was looking forward to see how this tribute could provide a similar experience. We were not disappointed! Hitting all the favorites, the band performed with obvious appreciation of the original performers and provided commentary on these legends.

Our original plan was to keep it cheap and stay at the Crystal Lake Motel. However, poor planning on my part and the assumption we would find a room without a reservation, resulted in a last minute search for alternative accommodations.

We were glad it worked out this way! A call to Sherry at the Victorian Rose Garden Bed and Breakfast in Algonquin, IL was greeted with a very pleasant reception and an assurance she could work something out at the last minute. This does not normally happen at a B&B! Especially when we would only be staying one night.

Expecting the place to be only marginal, since they were so flexible, we were very surprised to find the house was exactly as shown on their webpage. Our room was very nice and breakfast was even better. This is now our favorite Bed and Breakfast and we plan to use it as a first night stay when leaving work late on a Friday for a weekend trip to Wisconsin or Northern Illinois.

After settling in to our room, we rode to Woodstock and had dinner at BBQ King. Great food and service and very close to the opera house.

Following the show, we rode back to the B&B. It was a little cool and my new AGV Veloce Soleluna was fogging. I did not expect this with a pinlock insert and had to compensate by riding with the visor unlocked. This helmet does not have detents like a typical model. The options were locked down tight, open with a slight crack of about one eighth of an inch, or unlocked. The cracked position was not letting in enough air while still in town and moving slow. Out on highway the cracked position was fine and the helmet has great ventilation. I will need to investigate the fogging issue and also the weak Sprint headlights, mentioned previously.

New Lid

My old Norton N-102 helmet had been peeling its outer coat and the liner was now sagging. I casually mentioned this to Chris and that I should buy a new helmet before next season. She decided I needed it NOW and it should be for my birthday. Not one to argue, I agreed and we took a ride over to Dainese Chicago to check out AGV helmets. Chris's AGV K-5 has worked out well and I like the possibility of some Valentino Rossi graphics.

The store was having MotoGP viewing party with free food so after some helmet shopping, we picked up some pizza and Coke and found a seat for the race. Nice race, but Rossi did not make podium.

So back to the helmets I went tried the K-5 S and the Veloce. The Veloce was much lighter with carbon fiber shell. In the end we went for the Veloce Soleluna. So now I am rocking the Rossi style. Any chance it will make me ride better?