2017: What did you do to/with your NC700 today?

[FezUSA]

Fueled up and realised I crossed the 10,000 mile mark at some point earlier this week!! I keep the screen on " 'trip A' with average mpg" so I don't pay particular attention to actual miles until I stop at a petrol station and then send a text to update Fuelly. I put 9,000 on the scooter between August 2013 and April 2016 which is when I bought the NCX. Needless to say I ride the NCX more as I now ride for enjoyment and not just the commuting!! Not bad seeing as my daily commute is just under 15 miles each way.

 

[670cc]

Checked tires before a ride, found a screw in the center of the tread. When I pulled it out, the tire went flat. Ride on tire sealant didn't work this time.
Tire only had 4000 miles on it

A round hole in the center of the tread would be an excellent candidate for an internal plug/patch.

 

[WJag]

I didn't put many miles in today, nor did I reach great speeds. It's Homecoming at the high school where I coach and I got to ride one of our mascots at the head of the Homecoming Parade! Fun times at 4 mph!

 

[T S N]

At 32000 miles today I checked the valves, one exhaust needed .001" adjustment. Changed the fork oil, valve adjustment without the forks in the way is way easier. Fork oil was semi metallic or something like it, but not as bad as it was at 16000 miles. New front brake, pads and new front sprocket.
new rear tire will be here next week.
I may need a battery too. Sometimes when starting over the last two weeks, I would just get a click. When I try again it would start right up. Tonight, no start.
I'm glad I have another bike to ride while this one is down.

 

[kpinvt]

I rode to probably the last ride-to monthly breakfast meeting of this year for the BMW Motorcycle Owners of Vermont this morning at Tozier's Restaurant on Route 107 in Stockbridge, VT. It was freaking COLD! - About 35 degrees or so on the road in dense fog. My electric jacket and glove liners barely kept up with the low temps. I will very probably do something like this again only I hope I go a lot slower and/or stop more often.

 

[670cc]

Well, my NC700X sat at home, but I just had a great 8 days of riding (my GL1800) in western North Carolina. You guys that are local surely must appreciate the fine roads you have here. I just can’t get enough of it. Going home to Illinois will be so disappointing.

 

[SleepyC]

I cleaned my windscreen and then waxd it. Rode the NC a total of 1.2 miles to buy beer and then had the best laugh watching the Browns get destroyed yet again....
Ahhhhh Cleveland Football.... I'm glad I only like Moto GP, I just watch football for comedic relief!

 

[Hank]

Hey, sleepyC, do you ever spot cyclecruza?

 

[FezUSA]

Decided that we're fast approaching the short days where my daily commute is going to be dark. As this September happened to be one of the twice a year times where it's a 3 paycheque month that I leave out the 3rd cheque from my budget, it is time to invest in additional lighting. So I've ordered front and rear lights, as well as the service manual. Going big on the front lights as I'm also quite rural and the pesky wildlife can hang out on the side of the roads and suddenly decide that they want to play chicken with you!

I have the 2016 bike with the OEM heated grips & frunk outlet, so I believe that means I also have the accessory sub harness which now has the high beam wire in it again? I know from reading on here that there were older models where the wire was present, and then for a while ('14-15'?) it was gone, but I thought I read, possibly from SuperTux1, that it's back again? Anyone have any input on this? I plan on adding two sets of front lights that will run together, not independently. A pair of small 'driving' lights mounted to the fender low mounts (near the front hub) if possible else at the high fender mount near the top of the wheel. I will then mount a larger pair on the front of my light bar. A single switch will turn them on/off with them running on low power with low beams and full power with the high beams. That's the plan anyway!! Also thinking of using the spot lens on one side and the flood lens on the side closest to the outside edge of the road, with the thought being that the flood will highlight the critters and the spot will increase my visibility and light up whatever is in the road.

Also considering adding the LED option to my Kobra handguards. As they would be the farthest mount sideways they would further increase the size of the 'light triangle', and they would also mimic my front indicators giving me yet another set of DRL's and an additional set of blinking indicators while turning. Then the only other consideration would be to swap out the headlight for an LED to bring down the electrical draw while improving the headlight and getting the light color to match.

When seeing other bikes on the road of recent, it has become very obvious how much good lighting affects visibility. I've seen bikes with dim headlights riding with bikes with LED headlights and the difference is huge, the dim one looked like it might have been candle powered in comparison!! I've also noticed that the bikes that have more lights on the front are much easier to see, especially when the lights start really low down and also are quite wide. Those with just two lights either side of the main light just look like one big light from a distance, but those with lights at the top of the wheel and/or lower are much more visible. And those with bright orange lights out on their mirrors are also more visible. From the rear it is also amazing to see the difference between anemic lights and those with multiple options.

 

[mooseonbass]

I went to a potluck last night and was able to fit a carrot cake in the frunk. Even with normal riding on back roads, it made it unscathed.

 

[SleepyC]

Hey, sleepyC, do you ever spot cyclecruza?

I don't think so! What color bike?

 

[SleepyC]

When seeing other bikes on the road of recent, it has become very obvious how much good lighting affects visibility. I've seen bikes with dim headlights riding with bikes with LED headlights and the difference is huge, the dim one looked like it might have been candle powered in comparison!! I've also noticed that the bikes that have more lights on the front are much easier to see, especially when the lights start really low down and also are quite wide. Those with just two lights either side of the main light just look like one big light from a distance, but those with lights at the top of the wheel and/or lower are much more visible. And those with bright orange lights out on their mirrors are also more visible. From the rear it is also amazing to see the difference between anemic lights and those with multiple options.

I decided to replace my PIAA white H3 lights with their Yellow Driving LED lights.
When I was driving to Columbus last week a BMA 1200GSA was following behind me on 71. He had yellow LED's on and I could not believe how noticeable they were. If I looked in my mirrors the car lights all became blended together and those yellow lights popped out like a giant waving flag. And this was at 10am with the sunlight behind me as well.

I ended up getting these:

Amazon.com: PIAA 22-05372 LP530 Yellow 3.5" LED Ion Driving Light Kit: Automotive

 

[BigGuppy]

I took pre-teen daughter on a ride along the Jersey Shore from Bradley Beach to Ocean Grove--stopping for old-time ice cream at Days--then around the little lakes in Asbury Park, up through the big houses in Deal, and then back down. Only about five miles total, but lots of sightseeing and smiles.

 

[Deckyon]

I did a thing this weekend:

Green River Lake – Hammock Camping << Adventures of Raven

 

[Hank]

Cyclecruza is a YouTuber with a white CBR 1000. He lives in or near Cleveland. I think he typically wears a lot of high viz.

I realize it is a big city.

 

[FezUSA]

I decided to replace my PIAA white H3 lights with their Yellow Driving LED lights.
When I was driving to Columbus last week a BMA 1200GSA was following behind me on 71. He had yellow LED's on and I could not believe how noticeable they were. If I looked in my mirrors the car lights all became blended together and those yellow lights popped out like a giant waving flag. And this was at 10am with the sunlight behind me as well.

I ended up getting these:

Amazon.com: PIAA 22-05372 LP530 Yellow 3.5" LED Ion Driving Light Kit: Automotive

Might have to consider the amber lenses. My wallet might not appreciate your input, but I do....!!

 

[FezUSA]

Cyclecruza is a YouTuber with a white CBR 1000. He lives in or near Cleveland. I think he typically wears a lot of high viz.

I realize it is a big city.

I get something similar to this more often than you'd think, it starts off "Oh you're from England? I know 'insert-name-here' in London, do you know them.....?"!!!! Cracks me up every time. I've only ever even been to London once!! Just too funny.

 

[dduelin]

I've been in trucking for a long time, 28 years in sales, from Jacksonville, FL. I used to have a customer with an unusual last name out in Long Beach, CA and we only spoke over the phone. Both the husband and wife worked the CA business. We never met. So one day I'm out making sales calls in Jacksonville and a woman greets me at a new account cold call. We speak a minute because the decision maker was too busy to talk to a new salesman (me) and she hands me his business card. The name of my customer in CA is on it. I think a moment, can't be the same person, and ask, "you must be Karen, when did you move to Florida?" Her mouth gaped open as she realized I knew both her and her husband from when they lived out in CA and she knew me. They had recently changed employment and moved from CA to FL. Sometimes you do run into someone you know even from thousands of miles away.

To keep this on topic I'm rather proud of what I did with my NC last Saturday. I was 450 miles from home last weekend riding mountain roads. A friend was curious about my DCT so we switched bikes so he could try out DCT. I have one of those GO Cruise2 throttle controls on the throttle grip. I've used it for about 6 years and apparently the plastic was a little brittle from UV. I went to remove it so he could easily toggle the Manual/Automatic trigger with a finger and when I did the plastic throttle lock snapped in two. It was a clean break and the two pieces fitted exactly back to each other. I didn't have a spare one and did not look forward to a 450 mile ride home the next day with no way to set the throttle and rest my hand occasionally. I fitted the pieces together and marked a piece of paper with the distance across the open end.

The NCX has a catalytic converter with a small flat area right on the front. The cat heats to 600-750 degrees in use. After returning to the hotel after a ride I left the engine running and took the two pieces and placed the broken ends against the cat until the plastic became molten. I placed the two molten ends together and laid it on the paper with the correct distance marked. When the plastic cooled the GoCruise fitted back on the grip and was functional again. I used it on the 450 mile ride home and it worked as if it had never broken.

The cat had a bit of melted plastic on it after the repair but after riding 8 hours home the plastic was completely gone. This is what a GoCruise looks like:

go cruise throttle lock - Recherche Google

 

[drdubb]

Pretty good thinking!

 

[GlennC]

I decided to replace my PIAA white H3 lights with their Yellow Driving LED lights.
When I was driving to Columbus last week a BMA 1200GSA was following behind me on 71. He had yellow LED's on and I could not believe how noticeable they were. If I looked in my mirrors the car lights all became blended together and those yellow lights popped out like a giant waving flag. And this was at 10am with the sunlight behind me as well.

I ended up getting these:

Amazon.com: PIAA 22-05372 LP530 Yellow 3.5" LED Ion Driving Light Kit: Automotive

Interesting post, I can see exactly what you're saying as far as visibility to other motorists is concerned. I could be a broken record on this one point but blue lights = BAD. Blue light diffracts and refracts more than "white" and is a very bad choice for lighting! Yellow diffracts and refracts less than white, but invariably has lower lumens, so the net may or may not be positive... except in bad weather. But your point about visibility to others on the road is excellent and now I'm seriously thinking about finding a way to get some well-patterned amber lights on my bikes for that reason alone.