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[Fire-medic]

The 1st think I do w/anything I acquire using keys is to get spares made, w/key fobs labeled & stick 'em into my key safe. When I go somewhere away from home, I always carry a spare key to whatever I am using. I don't use hide-a-keys.

I have been to Montreal vicinity to visit friends there and always had a good time. It is true that the Quebecois do not tip, it must be a cultural thing. They like their beer, they like their poutine, smoked meats, and many smoke. About another month and you will start to notice the 'Je me souviens' plates here in SE FL. As you get closer to the new year then they really show-up.

My opinion on the 'run-it-or-not' winter storage is that if you can get it started every couple of weeks, I think that is a good way to go. If it won't start, then drain the float bowls & keep it filled-up & await the spring weather to resurrect it.

 

[SPX38]

The 1st think I do w/anything I acquire using keys is to get spares made, w/key fobs labeled & stick 'em into my key safe. When I go somewhere away from home, I always carry a spare key to whatever I am using. I don't use hide-a-keys.

I have been to Montreal vicinity to visit friends there and always had a good time. It is true that the Quebecois do not tip, it must be a cultural thing. They like their beer, they like their poutine, smoked meats, and many smoke. About another month and you will start to notice the 'Je me souviens' plates here in SE FL. As you get closer to the new year then they really show-up.

My opinion on the 'run-it-or-not' winter storage is that if you can get it started every couple of weeks, I think that is a good way to go. If it won't start, then drain the float bowls & keep it filled-up & await the spring weather to resurrect it.

The reason why Canadians don't tip as much as our American counterparts is that our minimum wage is around 10$. If I remember correctly, American waiters/waitress get a much lower hourly salary and rely heavily on tips.

As for the bike in storage, I decided I will run it every couple of weeks. I made room in the garage, so I know my baby is nice and warm:clapping:

 

[SPX38]

I got another question for you vmax gurus. I really stupid for asking this but how the hell do I get a trickle charger onto the battery of the vmax? I bought the bike used and it didn't come with the manual and I already looked it up. Do I have to take the seat off or is there another way to get a trickle charger onto the max?

Thanks!

 

[gamorg02]

I got another question for you vmax gurus. I really stupid for asking this but how the hell do I get a trickle charger onto the battery of the vmax? I bought the bike used and it didn't come with the manual and I already looked it up. Do I have to take the seat off or is there another way to get a trickle charger onto the max?

Thanks!

take the driver portion of the seat off, battery is under that.

 

[Fire-medic]

And you should use one of those eyelet attachments on the battery to a cord so you can bypass the seat removal, and just plug-in for a charging session. Be sure it's fused like this one, as-close as-possible to the battery. Just say "no" to electrical shorts and fires!:biglaugh:

 

[ninjaneer]

i just installed one of these that came with a trickle charger i bought this weekend. i've hunting down some problems that turned out to simply be a low/dead batt.

Regards from my Taptalking Hercules Android

 

[gamorg02]

And you should use one of those eyelet attachments on the battery to a cord so you can bypass the seat removal, and just plug-in for a charging session. Be sure it's fused like this one, as-close as-possible to the battery. Just say "no" to electrical shorts and fires!:biglaugh:

yup. one usually comes with the trickle chargers. if not its a very common connector. i just ordered one for my nt650 from ebay for like $5 i think.

 

[SPX38]

Thanks for the input guys! I will go buy one of those adapters so I don't have to take the seat off every season.

 

[Fire-medic]

You can also use it for accessories, like heated undergarmets to extend your riding season! or a GPS, or a trouble light. Those LED flashlights are hard to beat though.

 

[magna_dude74]

I was wondering about running a jacket off the pigtail from the Battery Tender, but the las thing I want is to drain more juice than the stator can put back, my dumb luck 120 miles from home I would be sittin on a dead battery...

 

[Fire-medic]

Get a Ballistic lithium ion battery, almost twice the CCA of a stocker. Lose 5 lbs too!

I was wondering about running a jacket off the pigtail from the Battery Tender, but the las thing I want is to drain more juice than the stator can put back, my dumb luck 120 miles from home I would be sittin on a dead battery...

 

[SPX38]

You can also use it for accessories, like heated undergarmets to extend your riding season! or a GPS, or a trouble light. Those LED flashlights are hard to beat though.

Some good information there. I'll definitely look into that.

On a side note, I am going to install the bar end mirrors pretty soon. Got them off ebay and they actually look really nice. I will probably wait until I get some new grips before the install because these mirrors are pretty notorious for leaving a gap between the grip and the end of the mirror. Also in another month my brother is coming back from the states and he is bring back all the goodies for the 'max. Going to install the flyshield and saddlebags over Christmas!

 

[ZackDaniels]

How do you guys that have them like the bar end mirrors? The stock mirrors don't really let me see directly behind me because they're too low and close too the center. I get a look at my shoulders and can't see the ******* behind me on a cell phone creeping up into my tire.

Higher mount and bigger mirrors would fix that but they'd take some of the style away. Do the bar ends let you see your own *** since they're further out?

 

[ninjaneer]

love my bar ends. i started off with the 3" circles, but am now running some of those rectangularly-ovalish 5x3s simply on aesthetic preferences. it took me a couple rides to get use to them. i see nothing but the cages behind me--not the shoulders, nor the ***, of either myself or the passenger.

Regards from my Taptalking Hercules Android

 

[Fire-medic]

Required 'Truth in Advertising:'
"Ninjaneer" is not what one would refer to as an 'extra-girth' size, so there really isn't that-much of him to block rearward vision!:rofl_200:

love my bar ends. i started off with the 3" circles, but am now running some of those rectangularly-ovalish 5x3s simply on aesthetic preferences. it took me a couple rides to get use to them. i see nothing but the cages behind me--not the shoulders, nor the ***, of either myself or the passenger.

Regards from my Taptalking Hercules Android

 

[gamorg02]

How do you guys that have them like the bar end mirrors? The stock mirrors don't really let me see directly behind me because they're too low and close too the center. I get a look at my shoulders and can't see the ******* behind me on a cell phone creeping up into my tire.

Higher mount and bigger mirrors would fix that but they'd take some of the style away. Do the bar ends let you see your own *** since they're further out?

i bought 2 sets of the cheap ebay ones and really like them. (2 sets for when i obviously hit something with one of them i have spares ready to go).

i can see 100x better than the stock mirrors and you see 'more' since they are convex.

i'd recommend them.

just plan on doing something with your left grip as a part of the bar will show without the bar ends.

i used a bandsaw and cut a donut off an old grip.

 

[ZackDaniels]

Cool, thanks. I figured they would be better than stock as far as vision goes but it's nice to get confirmation before dropping the bucks on a set.

My biggest problem with urban riding is the car behind me at stop lights. I can't count how many times I've had to scoot up to avoid getting bumped when somebody just doesn't see there's a bike already sitting at the light. I leave it in 1st and ready to roll until somebody pulls behind and is settled in, and then I feel safe to put it in neutral and give me hand a rest.

 

[gamorg02]

you do have to look a bit 'further' down as your eyes slightly off a front view, but it doesn't bother me any, may bother some people.

 

[SPX38]

i bought 2 sets of the cheap ebay ones and really like them. (2 sets for when i obviously hit something with one of them i have spares ready to go).

i can see 100x better than the stock mirrors and you see 'more' since they are convex.

i'd recommend them.

just plan on doing something with your left grip as a part of the bar will show without the bar ends.

i used a bandsaw and cut a donut off an old grip.

Mine are the ones off of ebay. I will definitely have to pick up another set of grips and cut up the stock grips to fill in the gap between the bar ends and the end of the stock grips. As for vision, it is the middle of winter here and I won't be riding the bike for the next couple of months but it does look a lot better and it seems like the visibility is better also.

http://www.ebay.ca/itm/290572283190?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2648 is the one I got. Just for a heads up the end caps are bright blue not black but I will plastic dip them anyways. Also the mirror quality isn't great, already scratched up and hazy looking.

 

[Boostmax]

Mine are the ones off of ebay. I will definitely have to pick up another set of grips and cut up the stock grips to fill in the gap between the bar ends and the end of the stock grips. As for vision, it is the middle of winter here and I won't be riding the bike for the next couple of months but it does look a lot better and it seems like the visibility is better also.

http://www.ebay.ca/itm/290572283190?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2648 is the one I got. Just for a heads up the end caps are bright blue not black but I will plastic dip them anyways. Also the mirror quality isn't great, already scratched up and hazy looking.

I have those too. I like them. The lenses are fine on mine, but the bolt is all rusty. The only other thing I dont like is that they dont fit super tight in the bar end so once I pass around 120MPH, the passenger one flies back and smacks me on the wrist.....I consider it my speed limiter....hehe.... Makes up/down adjustments real easy though.....