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Motorbike tips

Submitted by Rickjr on Fri, 04/04/2014 - 2:53pm

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Hi all,

Thinking it would be great if we can share tips about our motorbikes and gear. Are you like me and find you look at other bikes to get idea's on how you can set up your bike and gear?

I will kick off the idea's - recently purchased two light weight dry bags from Anaconda (sea to summit 8lt and 13lt bags).

Use these to store my first aid kit and wet weather gear. These bags let you stuff in the gear and you can roll them up tight to save space. 

Comments

John_Cook

Thu, 12/03/2015 - 4:54pm

On the Bombala ride it was pointed out to me that my tail light was rather difficult to see in daylight even though both globes were working.   The taillight assembly is 10 years old.  

A close inspection (after cleaning the bike) revealed the outside of the red and orange plastic lens cover was very "cloudy" or murky looking.  I was afraid to use an abrasive cleaner or polish as I shudder to think what a new assembly would cost.

A bit of a rub over the lens using a soft cloth and white vinegar seems to have performed the deed - the light is now much brighter and looks cleaner.   I did the same to the dull reflectors on my top box. enlightened

All good so far smiley  If only the bike didn't smell like I have been eating vinegar and chips blush

Now I just have to wait and see if it lasts  wink

John_Cook

Tue, 08/03/2016 - 4:07pm

I bought two 20 litre bags as suggested by Rick.   They are great.  On a really wet day in NZ I even put my wallet and phone in one and they stayed dryyesenlightened even though I didn'tblush

My solution on cleaning clouded lenses didn't last long.

Andrew then gave me some Maguires plastic polish which looked good for a while but the plastic then became "cloudy" again.frownangry.  Still working on keeping old plastic lens (red and amber) clear so that the lights remain more than just visible.         

From what I have read WD 40 is the ants pants for everything, so why not try it for old lenses

Member since 1987, makes 24 years.
 

With the Ice Ride only a few weeks away, I thought I would share this tip.

Two years ago I brought a Jett Riding heated vest which is great to wear on those cold rides in winter. My son (who is in a wheelchair) also loves to wear the vest when he goes to the footy. I believe this is a popular item with golfers too.

Comes with 2 batteries which take a few hours to charge and then they keep your core body nice and toasty. Combine with heated grips and some decent winter riding gear and riding in the cold is no longer an issue.

Here is a link to the website: 

http://www.jettheat.com/riding_heat_vest.html

You can do a phone order and do pickup from Hawthorn shop.

 

 

John_Cook

Mon, 01/03/2021 - 11:28am

Well that didn't last actually.
Thanks to a tip from Andrew Kennedy I have used lens cleaning products a couple of times and that really helped but it doesn't last "forever" and I do worry how much it is taking off the lens seal.  Keep in mind that my lens are now 15 year old plastic and the latest polish I gave them really helped.   

John_Cook

Mon, 01/03/2021 - 11:33am

  1. While I don't want to be seen as an OAPIL (Old Age Pensioner In Lycra), I have found particularly on long hot days that bicycle shorts do help stop the discomfort often experienced from riding pants particularly those with internal raw kevlar.  
  2. My son has some undershorts marketted by KLIM which also have really good impact cushions on the hip area and he wears them for both cycling and motorbiking enlightened