Midland BT Next

This is an edit of my previously published blog entry about my experience with the Midland BT Next motorcycle bluetooth unit. A few weeks after publishing a positive review, the unit broke. 

I am now using a Sena 20S. I am pleased thus far. The quality of the audio is loud enough to be heard over the wind rush and earplugs-as were the Midland and Cardo.

My Newest bluetooth headset - Sena 20S

The Midland BT Next broke after a few months use

I initially tried a Scala Rider G9 last year and had problems. The first unit I bought broke within the first week of use. One of the speakers quit working. I returned it for a replacement and in the rain, the replacement quit working and never came back even after an extended period of drying.

On the advice of Donald at Platinum Powersports in Ontario, I purchased the Midland unit you see in the photos.



I sewed the speakers in so they would stay put. Placement here in this helmet is ok but not directly over the ears. Performance would no doubt improve with better placement but not all helmets allow for this.

While no battery powered unit can crank out the power required to overcome wind noise and earplugs, I found it adequate while listening to MP3s streamed from my phone. FM radio volume is less loud and am unable to hear anything properly so I gave up trying to use it.

People I talk to on the phone say they can hear me very well, even while riding at highway speeds.

For longer trips, I use a USB battery pack to power it. The battery slips into the inside pocket of my Darien and I can ride all day.

Back in the Saddle

I've been very busy at work and have not been posting here. It's a shame because I have been riding. Not as much as I used to but enough to keep the cobwebs off the ST1100.

I was in Pennsylvania recently with the bike. A wonderful place to ride.

Just this past weekend, I fixed up the quick disconnect to the fuel cell with new clamps and an o-ring. Hope to do a longer ride this year.

End Of The XT Era

My wife's Yamaha XT225 has recently sold. She bought it with the idea that she may join in on one of my adventurous rides I take on the KLR650. Well she did just that on a ride we took to the James Bay region of Quebec a few years ago.

It didn't end well as the fatigue of riding for multiple days took it's toll. We ended the trip early. I won't soon forget the fatigue and emotion of her last hours on the XT. She has not once set on the XT since, and it has merely been taking up space in the garage. It hasn't even had insurance on it for some time.

Here is a photo taken the day it left with new owner Shawn.
 

Here is a nice photo I took on a local ride on the north shores of Lake Erie.

 

KLR Shifter

So I was riding along my road minding my own business when on my left a huge dog came galloping out of a driveway at full speed. I moved to the right to avoid him but he didn't slow down and nailed me hard right into my left foot.

He hit me so hard that my foot was driven into the shift lever and it snapped right off! I saw the dog tumbling on the road and started to slow and turn around to check on him. I coldn't make it back because I was in top gear and couldn't downshift-the engine lugged and stalled. I pushed the bike back after getting stopped.

The dog had a bloody face and there was blood on my riding pants. He was visibly shaken but walking. I borrowed a pair of pliers to use on the transmission shaft to downshift the bike so I could get it going and ride it the few kilometres home.

I have a spare shift lever in the garage but my toes are so sore I can't shift so I won't be riding it anyway. I can't drive the truck either as it's a standard and it hurts too much to depress the clutch pedal. The only thing I can ride is Jane's Suzuki Burgman 400 scooter!

The broken shifter - removed from bike

The new shift lever installed

My badly bruised toe.

Adventure "To Do" List

This list is courtesy of automotive Journalist Mark Richardson who is on a drive across Canada to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the completion of the Trans-Canada highway (and his 50th birthday).




1. You must drive for a while on a road you’ve never driven on before;


2. You must stop for a coffee or for lunch at a place you’ve never stopped before;


3. You must travel in both darkness and light, so either leave at dawn or arrive after dusk;


4a. You must have an alternative, easier or quicker route that you do not take; or


4b. You must have been able to take transit or fly, but chose not to; and


5. You can drive fast, but you must not hurry.


Those elements alone will turn a drive into a good road trip. They ensure a bit of adventurous exploration while also offering some sort of challenge. You don’t have to go far; you can drive away now and return this evening with a sense of accomplishment. This is one welcome occasion when length doesn’t matter.


But do you want a great road trip? Then you also need as many as possible of these:


6. You must cross water, preferably by ferry;


7. You must face some form of adversity, like a flat tire or heavy rain;


8. You must discover something about yourself, such as finding a relative in a graveyard, or fixing a breakdown on your own;


9. You must be surprised by something;


10. You must share at least some of the journey with somebody else.

You can follow Mark's blog here.

Half A Million

On June 27th, I reached the amazing milestone (kilometrestone?) of 500,000 kms on my 1998 Honda ST1100 motorcycle. This machine, which I bought new in March of 1998, has the original engine and has been an amazing companion to me in my travels.

Imperial Oil of Canada /Mobil1 oil were there to mark the occasion with a video crew. I have been using Mobil1 synthetic motorcycle oil in my machine since it was new. It is the best protection you can offer your engine. Thank you to Mobil Oil and Imperial Oil for recognizing my accomplishment. Here's to the next half a million!

April Trip

I've had plenty of experience with early spring motorcycle trips. Some of them have ended with snow. Hopefully this one will not.

Great Riding Today

It's another superb riding day in March in SW Ontario. I am off to Stratford Cycle to pick up an air and fuel filter for the ST.

I will be breaking in my new Alpinestar Goretex boots I got for Christmas. Excellent boots; comfortable and dry in all conditions.

New (To Me) Radiator

With thanks to Will England and Mike Turley of the ST Owners Club, I have a new (to me) radiator on my high mileage Honda ST1100. I have the exhaust system from this same motorcycle on the bike currently. The rad was delivered to me at the same time but I haven't needed it until now.

The rad has been in need of replacement lately as the fins are in poor shape and it is heavily gummed up. I was originally planning to remove the original rad to bring it to a rad shop to have it acid bathed and the fins looked at.

Removing the radiator yesterday, I broke a bracket on the rad as I was removing the fan. A seized bolt caused the bracket to twist and crack as I turned.

So my backup radiator was brought into action. Here is the photo.

Brake Job

The mild snow free winter and early spring warmth has meant an early return to daily riding and I need to get a jump on my maintenance or I'm going to be left behind.

Two jobs needing immediate attention are the front brakes (which have been squeeling for some time) and the radiator. The original radiator is gummed up badly and has a lot of bent fins.

I have a replacement radiator ready to go on after I finish the front brakes. Here is a photo of the brake pads I removed.

Snow

I guess this happens during the first snowfall. Happens every year. I've been taking my bike to work every day - not missing a day since early April.

Looks like I might have to park it soon.

ST1100 Keys

After almost half a million kilometres, I have finally made a copy of one of my ST keys. I haven't lost one, thank goodness. But I have come close.

Twice in the last month the key has dropped off the place I keep it, forcing me to retrace my steps looking for it. Both times I was successful in locating it. The following photo shows where I normally hang it on my jacket.



I like putting it there, because if I get all geared up and forget to put the key in the ignition, it is easy to get to with gloves on. I thought about just getting another key coupler, but I think I will just put it in my pocket.

I knew I had to do something, as the key I have been using is hardly worn. I would not want to lose it.

When I got the bike, I always used the same key in the ignition, for over 400,000 kms. (Let's call it key1). Eventually it had a lot of wear on it and it began to be difficult to turn on the ignition using it.

I started using the key I always carried as backup in my pocket. (Let's call it key2). That key works very well and has little wear. It is this key I almost lost. Here are key1 and key2 together. Key1 has noticeable wear.



Obviously I can't risk losing key2. So today I picked up a brand new key blank from Forest City Honda.





The new key was cut from my good key, and works well. It is now time to retire key2 to a drawer at home. I will use the new copy daily, and use my old key1 as a backup in my pocket.

I will feel much safer.

Mileage Milestone

Yesterday my odometer rollup to to the point you see in the photo. Looks odd, but when you apply the simple kilometre to mile conversion of .62, it equals 300,000 miles.

That's a pretty high and notable figure. In actual fact, if a more accurate conversion is applied, it is something like 300,600 miles.

No need for hair splitting, however. The number that matters most to me has yet to arrive. That number is 500,000 kilometres.

Half a million.

I'm not going to get there in 2011. But that figure should occur around May 2012 timeframe.

This winter I will give the Green Hornet a nice refresh with new fluids, filters, plugs, and brake pads in order that spring riding starts up and continues smoothly.

Stay tuned!

Back In Action

Bearings are in. Gord Inglis of Inglis Cycle Centre located the correctly sized bearings and he put them in last night after the shop closed.

I can't thank him enough for getting his hands dirty and fixing me up on short notice. I may have said it before, but Inglis Cycle Centre is a well run shop with knowledgeable and helpful employees. It is not the first time they saved my ass.

Here is a picture of Gord and my ST1100 rear wheel.

Secrets of the successful motorcyclist

I have an article published on the Halifax Chronicle Herald website. It is all about doing more miles safely and comfortably.

Click here to go the the site.

ST1100 Rear Tire

Well this is the second time this year that I have run over something with the ST and ruined a tire. I am on a ride now and about an hour from home and I detected the telltale shimmy of a broken belt or extra weight in the rear tire.



A new tire is already on order.

The first time this happened to me I was in Quebec. I had to stop for the night and go to a tire shop in the morning in Riviere du Loup. Amazingly, they had my correct size and tire in stock. The Bridgestone Exedra G548.

I'll nurse it home from here at low speed, but I won't like it. Here is a photo of the current mileage.

KLR Nerf Bars

I saw this KLR650 today that has Nerf Bars protecting the bodywork. I have always wondered why people use these things. They seem to be designed to protect the bodywork.



My own opinion is that the bodywork doesn't need to be protected. After my accident on the 401 where the bike slid on its left side, there was no damage to any bodywork at all. Besides, these bikes won't win any beauty contests and can take a scratch or two.

The only thing that might be critical to protect is the radiator. There is a simple add-on from companies such as Happy Trail that is much smaller and lighter that will protect the radiator. I have this bar on my own KLR and it is good peace of mind



This bike had very mild dual sport tires on it. His tires and the extra weight of the Nerf Bars make it much more likely that he will need those protective bars one day.

My recommendation for this owner would be to save the weight and money and get some KiLleR tires such as aggressive Dunlop D606. These tires, along with a minimalist travel style will help ensure he never crashes his bike.

Nissan Juke Advert

Check out this awful new ad for the Nissan Juke car:

Nissan Juke

I wrote to the ad company to express my displeasure. I also wrote to Nissan to tell them I won't be buying a Nissan.

Nissan can be contacted here.

My First Motorcycle Movie

I still really enjoy watching my first moto movie:

ST1100 Travels

I've made two trips to the Maritime provinces with the ST so far this year. Amazingly, I didn't need long underwear on either trip. It can get cold in eastern Quebec and northern New Brunswick.

I did use some heat, though. Both times, I retained the summer weight gloves. This meant I could use my defective new Gerbing heated liner. You may recall that the glove output plugs on this garment don't work. But the rest of it works, including the heat controller, which is invaluable for maintaining just the right temperature.

My left side grip heater also quit working in the fall at the same time the glove plugs quit. That was a very cold ride at minus 4 Celsius.

On this year's long rides, I brought along my trusty 11 year old Gerbing which has working glove plugs - just in case. The only problem with using the old Gerbing is it uses older SAE dual prong power inputs, which my heat controller does not work with. So it is either full on or completely off. A pain, but warm when you need it.

Which brings me to today's work. I replaced the defective left side grip heater. Still not necessary in southern Ontario, but *cringe* the fall riding season is coming. Here is a pic of the new one going on.




Whenever the local dealer gets my replacement wires, I will repair my new Gerbing heated jacket liner glove plugs.

Here is a pic from Halifax. There doesn't seem to be any more "Welcome To Halifax" signs anywhere. If you know of one, please let me know!



and another, dualsporting with a touring bike...



OK, just one more. This is the excellent seafood at the Bel Air Takeout and Restaurant in Cap-Pele, New Brunswick. Highly recommended.