Newest Farkle

[the Ferret]

One thing I got used to on my ST 1300 was the digital ambient temp gauge. Was a disappointment that the NC 750 didn't have one. On my 2021 there's even a dandy place for it in the upper rh corner of the gauge package to the right of the digital clock, but Honda apparently decided it wasn't important.

There's also a dandy spot for a small aftermarket one on the fairing right below the gauge package and above the key, a nice small flat spot.

I tried finding a small one online without much success, when someone suggested one for an aquarium from a Pet Store. Could be used wet or dry, which would come in handy for something used outdoors in all conditions.

So, I ran up to the local Petco and found a nice little digital unit for $14.95 made by Zoo Med Laboratories. Reads both F and C. It only came in bright yellow, however some black electrical tape fixed that, and some sticky backed Velcro mounted it in place. The probe just hangs inside the fairing well.

This morning it read 54.9 in my garage. A mile up the road the gauge indicated 42. Four miles up the road I dropped down a big hill toward the river and the temp dropped to 38 by the time I got to the river, a tenth of a degree at a time. It rose back to 42 as I came back up the hill on the reverse ride. The thermometer outside my house on the porch read 42 when I checked it when I got home, so it seems to be fairly accurate. Who knows.

Don't know how long it will last (It's got a year's guarantee they said) but it didn't cost much and provides info I was lacking/missing. For $15 I'm happy with it so far.

 

[670cc]

Very nice farkle. I view the OEM ambient temperature readout on my Goldwing often. I wish all my bikes had it. A problem with some aftermarket external thermometer solutions is that they get easily influenced by sunlight.

 

[Deleted member 10242]

Great idea and at that price, can't go wrong.

 

[the Ferret]

Working out quite well actually so far. Forgot to mention there is an on/off switch in the upper r/h corner if you don't want to leave it on all the time. I've taken to turning it off at night when I'm not riding to conserve the battery.

On yesterday's ride 35.4 degrees

 

[mzflorida]

Working out quite well actually so far. Forgot to mention there is an on/off switch in the upper r/h corner if you don't want to leave it on all the time. I've taken to turning it off at night when I'm not riding to conserve the battery.

On yesterday's ride 35.4 degrees

Ferret, how often do you see other riders out on days like that? I'm curious, not judging. Actually, the opposite of judging as I think you're one of the greatest enthusiasts on this forum.

 

[the Ferret]

Ferret, how often do you see other riders out on days like that? I'm curious, not judging, Actually, the opposite of judging as I think you're one of the greatest enthusiasts on this forum.

Occasionally I will see someone else out riding on days like this, which is surprising, and they are usually Harley riders... Then again that is about all we have around here, and they always wave. I often wonder if they say "Hey, I saw another nut out riding today", to their wives like I do ? lol

 

[potter0o]

In my area I see one regular cruiser almost year round. I don't see him riding specifically but I do see his motorcycle parked at his worksite as I pass by. I am usually commuting within a couple degrees of freezing.

 

[dduelin]

How long is the cable to the probe?

 

[the Ferret]

How long is the cable to the probe?

Dave, it's 3' long, I just left it bundled up with a twist tie and dropped down in the fairing tunnel.

 

[dduelin]

Dave, it's 3' long, I just left it bundled up with a twist tie and dropped down in the fairing tunnel.

I was thinking of trying one in my Honda Fit but by the time I snaked it through the firewall there would not be enough cable to get out of the engine compartment.

 

[the Ferret]

10 months in ...

As an addendum, with the probe down in the fairing tunnel, at a stop light the temp will show an increase due to motor heat, but the temp will go back down to normal ambient temp once you are riding again.

I have taken to turning it on just when I am curious about the temp, usually a few miles after taking off, noting the temp, and then turning it off again instead of just leaving it on all day. If I get curious how much the temp has risen during a ride, turn it on, check the temp, turn if off. But that's just me.

 

[combatcrab]

One thing I got used to on my ST 1300 was the digital ambient temp gauge. Was a disappointment that the NC 750 didn't have one. On my 2021 there's even a dandy place for it in the upper rh corner of the gauge package to the right of the digital clock, but Honda apparently decided it wasn't important.

There's also a dandy spot for a small aftermarket one on the fairing right below the gauge package and above the key, a nice small flat spot.

I tried finding a small one online without much success, when someone suggested one for an aquarium from a Pet Store. Could be used wet or dry, which would come in handy for something used outdoors in all conditions.

So, I ran up to the local Petco and found a nice little digital unit for $14.95 made by Zoo Med Laboratories. Reads both F and C. It only came in bright yellow, however some black electrical tape fixed that, and some sticky backed Velcro mounted it in place. The probe just hangs inside the fairing well.

This morning it read 54.9 in my garage. A mile up the road the gauge indicated 42. Four miles up the road I dropped down a big hill toward the river and the temp dropped to 38 by the time I got to the river, a tenth of a degree at a time. It rose back to 42 as I came back up the hill on the reverse ride. The thermometer outside my house on the porch read 42 when I checked it when I got home, so it seems to be fairly accurate. Who knows.

Don't know how long it will last (It's got a year's guarantee they said) but it didn't cost much and provides info I was lacking/missing. For $15 I'm happy with it so far.

Is that a garage door opener at the top? It's funny, I just added one to my keychain but have been thinking about taping/velcro-ing to the bike somewhere.

 

[670cc]

Is that a garage door opener at the top? It's funny, I just added one to my keychain but have been thinking about taping/velcro-ing to the bike somewhere.

For the last 30 years, I’ve just put a door opener control in my right jacket pocket. I push the button through my coat. If it were mounted on the bike, I’d probably need to water proof it somehow, and get 5 controllers because I have 5 bikes.

 

[670cc]

10 months in ...

As an addendum, with the probe down in the fairing tunnel, at a stop light the temp will show an increase due to motor heat, but the temp will go back down to normal ambient temp once you are riding again.

I have taken to turning it on just when I am curious about the temp, usually a few miles after taking off, noting the temp, and then turning it off again instead of just leaving it on all day. If I get curious how much the temp has risen during a ride, turn it on, check the temp, turn if off. But that's just me.

I always wondered if it would be best to mount an ambient temperature sensor inside the airbox. Is that not where some FI systems do their measurement? With constant air flow when the engine is running, but it would seem like the most consistent and accurate place to take the measurement.

 

[Doc True]

I'm curious, do you use this information for anything, or do you just like knowing what the temperature is?

 

[the Ferret]

I'm curious, do you use this information for anything, or do you just like knowing what the temperature is?

I started riding in 1965 and from 1965 to 2008 I kept no records at all and always wish that I had.

From 2008-2013 I started logging mileage and rode 67,030 miles in those 6 years, averaging 11,173 a year.

Have no idea how many days per year I rode, or what the weather conditions were back then

In May 2013 I retired.

Since Jan 1, 2014, I have kept a daily log which contains all of that missing information

example yesterday 10/22/23:
55 degrees and sunny
22/270
16,909
NC 42 mi

So: daily weather conditions at time of ride, I have ridden 22 days for the month so far/270 days for the year so far, 16,909 total miles for the year so far and rode the NC, 42 miles

Today will be, let's say for example

63 degrees sunny
23/271
16,959
NC 50 mi

etc

So, I know since retiring, I have ridden 219,878 miles, an average of 22,552 miles a year, ridden 2,988 days, average 74 miles per day, and average 302 days riding a year
Adding in mileage from 2008-2013 and I have ridden 286,908 miles as of yesterday

Can you tell I don't have any other hobbies?

See, so I collect totally useless information, in many log books, stored upstairs in my motorcycle room, that my son will have to clear out and put in a dumpster after I'm gone in a few years lol.

 

[combatcrab]

I started riding in 1965 and from 1965 to 2008 I kept no records at all and always wish that I had.

From 2008-2013 I started logging mileage and rode 67,030 miles in those 6 years, averaging 11,173 a year.

Have no idea how many days per year I rode, or what the weather conditions were back then

In May 2013 I retired.

Since Jan 1, 2014, I have kept a daily log which contains all of that missing information

example yesterday 10/22/23:
55 degrees and sunny
22/270
16,909
NC 42 mi

So: daily weather conditions at time of ride, I have ridden 22 days for the month so far/270 days for the year so far, 16,909 total miles for the year so far and rode the NC, 42 miles

Today will be, let's say for example

63 degrees sunny
23/271
16,959
NC 50 mi

etc

So, I know since retiring, I have ridden 219,878 miles, an average of 22,552 miles a year, ridden 2,988 days, average 74 miles per day, and average 302 days riding a year
Adding in mileage from 2008-2013 and I have ridden 286,908 miles as of yesterday

Can you tell I don't have any other hobbies?

See, so I collect totally useless information, in many log books, stored upstairs in my motorcycle room, that my son will have to clear out and put in a dumpster after I'm gone in a few years lol.

I was inspired. Actually had about six of these in a bin (from raising ducks in containers) and used a little double sided tape.

First observation: can't see em in the dark .

 

[jeremyr62]

That's part of the problem for me. I ride all year round and most of my longer trips are to the UK and back overnight (with a ferry crossing included) so knowing the ambient temperature is important in winter. Most of the those cheaper digital thermometers don't have backlights and even the ones that do, pressing a tiny button with winter gloves is not easy. When the road is well lit you can see the LCD panels but more often than not, I can't see the reading. My 2004 FJR didn't have a thermometer so I tired a lot of different ways. The best by far was a US sourced Kisan Chargeguard which doubled up as a voltmeter and ammeter. Good bit of kit that, as it was powered from the bike battery and was lit all the time.
My big bike now has a thermometer built in so I'm OK. Hopefully Honda will stop cheaping out and fit a colour TFT to the next iteration of the NC with an ambient temp gauge.

 

[dduelin]

That's part of the problem for me. I ride all year round and most of my longer trips are to the UK and back overnight (with a ferry crossing included) so knowing the ambient temperature is important in winter. Most of the those cheaper digital thermometers don't have backlights and even the ones that do, pressing a tiny button with winter gloves is not easy. When the road is well lit you can see the LCD panels but more often than not, I can't see the reading. My 2004 FJR didn't have a thermometer so I tired a lot of different ways. The best by far was a US sourced Kisan Chargeguard which doubled up as a voltmeter and ammeter. Good bit of kit that, as it was powered from the bike battery and was lit all the time.
My big bike now has a thermometer built in so I'm OK. Hopefully Honda will stop cheaping out and fit a colour TFT to the next iteration of the NC with an ambient temp gauge.

Just an idea… on my ST1300 the buttons to change the mpg readings and dash lighting were not backlit. Single LED lights are very inexpensive so I sourced a red one and mounted it above the buttons and powered it off the running light. The single LED illuminated the area just right.

 

[the Ferret]

The Zoo Med labs temp guage does NOT have a background light, but I almost never ride at night.