Farkles on my mind

I know that when I bought my ST back in September I said that I was going to wait until I had more seat time to start thinking about farkles. I wanted to put more than 1,500km on the bike before I started changing things so I didn't change things that weren't necessary. Seems logical, right? Well it's the end of November and my beautiful ST has been put away for the winter for over a month and its going to be April before I can ride again. There are only so many good biker movies out there so I have to get my 2 wheel fix somehow so I'm starting to shop for farkles! I figure that my ST came in way under budget for what I negotiated for with the Wife so I shouldn't get any static.

Helibars. I know that I wanted to get more seat time on the ST before messing with it, especially the ergos, but so far I do notice that while the ST is miles more comfortable than my Bandit, but I do notice a little discomfort in my wrists and palms. The Helibars are supposed to come up 2", back 2.5" and rotate the wrists 2.5 degrees to a more natural position. Anyone have these on their ST and can provide some feed back? Are they comfortable? Was it worth the money? I see that you can get them with an optional ball mount for RAM products as well as a power source right there. That seems very convenient!

That leads me into my next possible farkle, a GPS. I'd love a GPS for my bike. The idea of being able to plan a route and have it right there in front of me sounds great. I took a look at the Zumo 595LM yesterday. It has a lot of great features including the ability to have it plan routes on the curvy/hilly roads to make the trip even more fun. The only problem I have with it is the $900+tax (CAN) price! Ouch! Not sure if it is worth it given the somewhat limited riding time I have.

So if the GPS is too pricey, I just downloaded "WAZE" a GPS app for my phone. I'm going to trial it in the car over then next few months and see how I like it and how much data it munches up while using it. If I do like it I'll need a phone mount for the bike as well as a waterproof cellphone case. What does everyone here use?

I saw today that a company called "Motorcycle Larry" makes a break/clutch cylinder cover that has RAM ball mounts on them. Does anyone here have one? What do you have mounted on it and how do you like it?

Tip over bars. Not a sexy item but still something to consider. Does anyone here have a set and had to use them? Were they worth the $$? MCL or BygDawg?

Auxiliary lighting. I'd love to have a set of extra lights up front. I prefer the look of the ones that mount down by the front fender but open minded. What do you guys use/recommend?

Tank Bags. I had a map only tank bag for my Suzuki Bandit that held on with a strap and magnets. It was fine but after a while I started to notice some hazing in the clear coat on my tank from where the bag rested on the paint. I'm interested in the type that mount with a ring that screws onto the fuel cap ring. Does anyone here have one? Does it ever touch the paint? I'd like to be able to put a water bladder and drinking tube in one specifically. Other items too, but drinking on the go is a big part. Also I'd like one with map pocket on top, again if I can't afford a GPS I can go old school!

Maps. Can anyone recommend a good set of motorcycle touring maps? Preferably ones that highlight fun to ride roads or scenic routes. Also, ones that are tank bag sized so I'm not trying to fold a map into crazy shapes to get it to fit!

Cruise control. I have a "Go Cruise" throttle assist that seems to work descent enough but I was wondering about the Kaoko Throttle lock. Anyone have one? How do you like it? Is it worth the $$?

Lets leave it there for now. I'm not even going to get into seats yet as I want to put a lot more time on my stock seat before I make any decisions there.

If you run WAZE expect it to suck the battery dry without an external power hookup.

I use a Vista Cruise throttle lock (not the universal one) Cheap and effective

So for tip over bars are you guys recomendding the byg dawg ones? I haven't seen any others except them and the MCL ones.

As for the Helibars is it worth it to spring for the ones with the powerlet power port and ball built in? It would make for a clean looking set up, no wires reaching across the bike.

After my accident back in 2008, where my phone was sitting in my tankbag, away from me... I have determined that my phone needs to be on my body, so I carry it in my mc jacket.

I have a Zumo 660 (older model that I paid around $250 for) It connects by Bluetooth to my Sena 20S for phone calls and mp3 music, so I it works (with some minor flaws...like lousy connection which requires rebooting the Sena) okay.

I have my Zumo mounted on my tankbag (utilizing Cortech-GPS-Direct-Mount-Bracket and custom mounting it to my tankbag)


As for fork mounted lights, ebay again: 10x-2inch-10W-Spot-Led-Pods-Work-Light Yeah, I bought 10 of them for my four ST1300s (counts for 8 plus spares) that are ride-able, plus a few extras... But they are cheaper or close to it, than most lights for two!

Now, for the tip over bars, I would go with the GW type and adapter: Gold-Wing-Crash-Bar-to-ST1300-Adapter-Plates He may also have some crashbars or you could pick them up separately.

Depends on what is already on the bike. I would start with a good aux fuse box like the PC8 from easternbeaver.com. Then I would put a Stebel horn on.
Next, Evitek G6 LED headlight bulbs.
Then clear turn signal lenses with switchback LED's.
Then Hyperlites or Whelen lights on the rear along with LED turn signal bulbs..
Then LED driving lights up front.
There's a lot more you can do but that's where I would start.

I've had good luck with the Chinavision Rage GPS system. There's a thread here on the forums dealing with its care and maintenance. The best thing about it is its CA$ 154 price tag. I have mine mounted on the clutch reservoir using standard RAM parts.

Re GPS: I am trialing the Cruiser, Scenic and inRoute apps.
I like the simple interface of Cruiser except when it is turned to landscape there is a lot of lost screen real estate due to a search box that I can't seem to get rid of.
Also it has downloadable maps so no data is needed. I have verified this by putting it in airplane mode and it still works.

Scenic is nifty as it lets you plan routes with waypoints. I haven't spent a lot of time with it though. It has downloadable maps.

inRoute has an really powerful interface with some neat features for trip planning and logging; elevation changes, temp data. It also has downloadable maps.

Re tip-over bars. I have the Goldwing bars on adapters. They work a treat. the only complaint I have is that the diameter of the bar intrudes on passenger foot space.

DavidR8 said:

...
Re tip-over bars. I have the Goldwing bars on adapters. They work a treat. the only complaint I have is that the diameter of the bar intrudes on passenger foot space.

Click to expand...

Which my wife complained about on our last ride together...but she rides so little, I'm not sure I'll do anything about it!

SupraSabre said:

Which my wife complained about on our last ride together...but she rides so little, I'm not sure I'll do anything about it! [emoji57]

Click to expand...

Likewise but in my case it's because my partner has tiny feet. [emoji4]

One thing about the adapters and bars I discovered when I did the preload adjuster. I had a hard time removing the side panel because it is effectively trapped between the frame and the top mount of the bar. To remove the panel I had to bend it so it would disengage from where it clips under the rear bit of trim.

See the red circle.


Edit re space: I see from this post from my TOB (Tip-Over Bar) install that the ByDawg bars may also intrude into passenger footroom.
https://www.st-owners.com/forums/showthread.php?160638-Goldwing-tip-over-bars-installed&p=2040737&viewfull=1#post2040737

DavidR8 said:

Likewise but in my case it's because my partner has tiny feet.

One thing about the adapters and bars I discovered when I did the preload adjuster. I had a hard time removing the side panel because it is effectively trapped between the frame and the top mount of the bar. To remove the panel I had to bend it so it would disengage from where it clips under the rear bit of trim.

See the red circle.


Edit re space: I see form this post from my TOB (Tip-Over Bar) install that the ByDawg bars may also intrude into passenger footroom.
https://www.st-owners.com/forums/showthread.php?160638-Goldwing-tip-over-bars-installed&p=2040737&viewfull=1#post2040737

Click to expand...

I have a set of the original ByDawg bars (hanging around in my garage) and I had to remove them before the wife could ride. There was no space for her feet! 4:

My bike already had the Helibars Tour Performance HR01032 riser on it when I bought it in 2016. This model riser has a RAM mount built in, but not the power outlet. It fits perfectly and works great as far as I can tell. Never a problem with my wrists. With my GPS on the RAM mount it is a bit difficult to insert/operate the ignition key. I did have issues with tired hands due to the small diameter of the grips; a set of Grip Buddies solved that problem.

Tip-over bars: I bought the BygDawgs, to support the guy here in Alabama who makes them. Shipping them to Canada would be very expensive. The GoldWing setup is a lot cheaper. If you go with the BygDawgs, and you will be riding with passenger, I'd recommend looking for some MCL passenger footpeg lowering brackets. The BygDawg bars interfere with the passenger heel space. I don't think this problem occurs when using the GW bars.

GPS: mine is the TomTom Rider 5, no longer made. The current model, Rider 400, is US$335 on Amazon. My Rider 5 works great, I have no problem recommending TomTom units.

Trip planning software: MyRouteApp.com. Works great for route planning, and you can download the route directly into your GPS with ease. There is a smartphone app, but I find route planning to be much easier on a PC.

Tank bag: I use a magnetic bag on my '83 Kawasaki and had the same experience as you; it has damaged the paint somewhat. I didn't want to repeat this with the ST so I got a Motech bag with the tank ring mount. Many tank bags hit against the ST horn button when the handlebars are at full left lock. Search this site for threads. I have the EVO DayPak model. I intentionally got one of the smaller models to avoid the horn problem, but the DayPak did hit the horn button once recently (first time in about 2000 miles of use), so that was quite disappointing. The tank ring mount works beautifully; the bag never touches the paint. Removing and reinstalling the bag at fuel stops is a breeze. It's not advertised as "waterproof," only "water-resistant," but does come with a rain cover.

You'll want a louder horn. One of my winter projects is to fit the Fiamm El Grandes. There are many choices available for louder horns, and several discussion threads on here about installing them.

Cruise control: Throttlemeister throttle lock (on the bike when I got it). Not perfect, but cheap and effective.

Technically not a farkle, but this thread about sticking fuel caps may be of interest. As a fellow fairly recent newcomer to STs, I'd recommend checking your cap for the shiny marks. It's a very easy check and also an easy fix. Really saved me a lot of frustration.

Happy farkling.

For what it's worth I estimated the landed cost of the ByDawg bars to be approx $350 CAD.

Way to rich for my West Coast blood.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Quote (Helibars

Cruise control. I have a "Go Cruise" throttle assist that seems to work descent enough but I was wondering about the Kaoko Throttle lock. Anyone have one? How do you like it? Is it worth it)

Helibars I have Hebars Gen II adwill be moving to Gen III. I rode someone else's ST13 wit Gen III an there is a big difference. So I will be purchasing these myself early next year.

Cruise control (throttle lock). I have used the Go cruise on my other bikes and then switched to the atlas throttle lock, which was much pricier. I can say with conviction that the Go cruise is an outstanding value as far as throttle locks go. All throttle locks have problems holding speed on hills and slopes.

etalors said:

... All throttle locks have problems holding speed on hills and slopes.

Click to expand...

The difference between a "Throttle Lock" and a "Cruise Control"...

st11ray said:

Depends on what is already on the bike. I would start with a good aux fuse box like the PC8 from easternbeaver.com. Then I would put a Stebel horn on.
Next, Evitek G6 LED headlight bulbs.
Then clear turn signal lenses with switchback LED's.
Then Hyperlites or Whelen lights on the rear along with LED turn signal bulbs..
Then LED driving lights up front.
There's a lot more you can do but that's where I would start.

Click to expand...

+1 G6 LED head light bulbs! Very bright.
+1 Hyperlites on rear ( set for 4 flashes then steady on brake lights) traffic seems to keep more distance.
The only thing better than a stebel is two stebels!

All of the above.

I have a powerlet above the steering head tube that is used for my Iphone (in a RAM X mount) and my GPS - a garmin 590. This is no longer made by Garm, but you can get them reconditioned for about half of what a 595 sells for. The differences are minor and of no import to me. Check both out - there are comparison tables on line.

ByDawg bars for me. They have saved the saddlebags from scrapes at least once when the tip over guards landed in a pothole.

You might consider having stuff shipped to one of the mailbox companies along the border in the US, then driving down or having a friend pick them up for you.

Motorcyclelarry used to be a great source of parts, but as said above, more than a few people have been experiencing no communication from mcl after sending their money with an order. And, no parts. At least one had to resort to his credit card company to recover money.

I would consider an electronic or vacuum operated cruise control, nice winter project. Twisted throttle has ram ball mounts of various types including reservoir units. I run a rage gps and am very happy with it. Consider a communication system such as a Sena. If you’re on a budget you can get the BT-S2 for $29US a piece shipped connects to your phone or GPS. I will echo a fuse bloc or similar for hooking up some of your farkles
have fun

You might be able to get a Zumo 660 still at Radioworld (Steeles and 400) if you are in/near Toronto. I got mine there last April so they may have another in stock. I paid $600 for it. The new (to me) bike I bought had the harness already installed, so I saved time and effort on the install.

The stock tipover bars on my ST 1300 have handled any of my drops. Admittedly all at low or no speed, but isn't that when they happen? I have a throttle lock which is way better than nothing, but do admit I am glad my other bike has electronic cruise for long highway riding.

The bar risers are also a good addition. Mine have the RAM mount which holds my phone/GPS when I am on the ST.

Power - you will need outlets for some gizmos.

Post some pictures of your farkling. Help all us Canadian riders make it through the winter. I'm still riding to work but know it is only a matter of a few weeks until the white curtains will fall again.

My bike came with helibars with the ram mount and powerlet. I use my old car gps when I need one. I bought Bydawg bars and tipped the bike over a couple of weeks after I mounted them. Only damage other than pride was a scratch on the bars. I want to add a fuse box, heated grips and driving lights before next spring. I have a RKA tank bag that I swap between motorcycles. I wouldn't have a bike with out one. keep my wallet, cell phone, sunglasses, flashlight ect. in it.

I have the Heli Horizon Bars. Only thing is you can't use a tank bag. I don't need one as I have a trunk. If you need more space go buy a Goldwing. They set you in an upright position and are adjustable in three different planes. You do have to rotate them forward if you need to raise the tank which is no big deal. I have a thread on here with pictures.

Maps- if you live on the west coast anywhere near BC, WA, CA then you need Destination Highways books and maps. Well worth the money. The guys who make them live in Vancouver.

http://www.destinationhighways.com/

Seat- I believe that the stock seat is awful. I put an airhawk seat pad on it. Makes it work but a Russell Day Long is in my future. To much air in the airhawk is a common mistake.

I have a SENA20S and use my phone for GPS. My phone stays on me most of the time. I went down at speed due to water filled dips on I-80 (Mile Marker 28 in Iowa East bound, still there). When I got up I had my phone and was able to use it at 0530 in the dark as the rain continued to come down. Used it's flashlight app.

I don't know what gear you have but I would use allotted money on me first. Good all weather gear that you will actually wear because it works and is vented well and waterproof and fits. Heated gear is good especially when you live on the west coast and mountainous areas. Good Waterproof MC boots. It will also extend your riding season on both ends (Spring and Fall).

I have an Aerostich Roadcrafter. Use it from cold (32F to 115F) with heated gear. Daytona Road Star boots, IXS summer gloves with the Kevlar resin reinforced knuckles which saved my left hand in the I80 incident. Didn't even know that my hand had hit the pavement until later and saw that some resin was scraped away.
Many good boot and clothing companies out there.

It is really nice to be able to charge your phone, GoPro and extra GoPro batteries, computer, and now Drone batteries while going down the road
So power sources are nice to have.
Fuse block first as who knows what gizmos you will put on and running 3 or 5 to the battery is a mess.

I have a radar detector and a H.A.R.D system that lights up just below my sight level when my detector alarms.

Tires made all the difference in handling on the 1300. Many good tires out there but after the water incident I have gone to PR4's (GT) and for me they are much better in the wet. I don't get the pucker factor anymore. They feel planted.

Have fun Farkling. It is endless!

Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk