Another farkle added during this time of social distancing

[rjs987]

No riding this week. Too busy social distancing. It is true that I am not anywhere close to others while riding. BUT all that changes if I should have the misfortune of needing medical help while out on the road someplace. That would expose me to paramedics who may not know they could be infected or since I have no way of knowing if I'm infected, yet, I could expose them. Being infected with this virus is something that has been shown no one can know until symptoms show up (since testing for it is restricted to those who are showing symptoms or have been in contact with someone who is confirmed). But the infection can be passed around long before that happens. Symptoms may not show up until possibly 28 days after infection but can be passed on at any time. So I could be infected from my last visit to Walmart for some essential supplies (really, getting oatmeal for breakfast and a few other food essentials is necessary) and I won't know for another 3 weeks.

Anyway, it's been raining most of this last week and since I don't HAVE to ride and with the current world situation I decided I'd busy myself with adding a few farkles to my 2013 Suzuki Burgman 650 ABS.
I took my time designing the electrical layout and making the electrical and wire lengths, at least what I could do while sitting in my office. That took an hour or two or three spread out over a few days starting Monday.
Since the temps outside were not great for trusting plastic tabs not to break I put off working directly on the bike until it warms up. All bikes with plastic panels have tabs that can, and do, break. Some more easily than others. I was waiting for a day with ambient temps at least up to 60F. Thursday was that day so I spent 2 hours working on the Burgman 650 to add a Knight Riderz LED light bar with tail light and flashing brake light and also installing a new-to-me official Suzuki top case and mounting plate. The official Suzuki top case is actually a Kappa K49 case that has a 47 Liter volume and has the Suzuki "S" logo circle on top in place of the Kappa logo. I could have just installed the top case and mounting plate in about 20 minutes total if that was all I was doing. And that would even include removing the factory backrest. All the rest of the time I took was designing, making, and installing the electrical connections for the LED light bar. I like mounting light bars like this on the bottom of the top case base plate so it's still there when I remove the top case, which I will do when I don't need it. Here is the result...

 

[the Ferret]

Nice work. Good looking scooter.

I once was going across I-64 in Kentucky and saw a headlight coming up fast in my rear view. A guy on a 650 Burgman dressed much like yours came past me and fell in ahead of me. We rode that way for maybe 30 miles and he made signals for me to pull over at the next exit. I followed him into a gas station parking lot. It was an older gentleman from Colorado. He just wanted to rest/talk awhile and offered to buy me a pop. I had bottled water in my tank bag and declined. Anyhow like I said he was from Colorado, had ridden to the east coast and was on his way home when he spotted me up ahead. He said the Burgman was a great vehicle, would run any speed he wanted all day long and was very comfortable. We chatted awhile and then I decided to continue on while he rested some more and got gas. I took a pic of him before leaving and sent it to his email. Got a nice email back. I ended up getting my wife a Yamaha 400 Majesty and then bought one for myself. Nice scooters. I hope they are still making maxi scooters in a couple years when I retire from motorcycles. I'd gladly have another.

 

[heffly]

Them bergmans run too.

 

[CYYJ]

That sure is a nice looking bike. I am pretty sure that a Burgman (or similar) will be my next motorcycle.

Michael

 

[rjs987]

Sadly the Burgman 650 seems to be going the way of the ST1300 and SilverWing. But hopefully only for a few years. Motorcycle sales have dropped all over for the bigger bikes. Yet, Yamaha still makes the T-Max 560 and T-Max Tech Max 560, new this year. Before that it was the T-Max 530 but they found adding a few more cc to 562cc enabled them to bring it within the Euro5 emissions spec. Look it up. It's also a really nice scooter. These all have frame mounted engines and are built more like a standard mc than any scooter. Just the gas tank relocated. If the time comes when I just have to replace this one I am hoping Yamaha brings the T-Max over here.

Oh, and yes it does run. Obviously not as fast as the ST, but at a top end of over 120 mph (verified by Montana State Patrol) it's no slouch. And that's more than enough for me. (but with that top case mounted it would likely be brought down to a max of only 110-115 mph)

 

[ST Gui]

That's a really nice looking scooter. Great pics but-- no video of your flashing handiwork??
I have to say hitting any real speeds on a scooter would make me really nervous. When it's time for something other than the ST speed won't be much of a consideration. Now it Honda brought back the 650 Nighthawk...

 

[Obo]

I love that they make a Corbin seat for them!

 

[rjs987]

OK, here's a link to a video of the flashing brake light. Let me know if you cannot open it. It's a Google Photos link.

Knight Riderz Flashing LED brake light bar

@ST Gui , that's another thing that makes this less scooter and more mc. I've been up to around 90 mph and this Burgman 650 is as steady and solid as my GW, ST or CTX ever were. Even the slightly smaller diameter tires (15 front, 14 rear) didn't seem to bother it or make it less so. Never felt I was going as fast I have been on it, and very quick to get up there.

 

[Obo]

OK, here's a link to a video of the flashing brake light. Let me know if you cannot open it. It's a Google Photos link.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/W6SXs1XQNCdjaTQ18

The link worked for me. When I saw the string the first thing I thought is is he using the scoot to pull a loose tooth out?

After that I was trying to figure out if you have a brake lever on what's the clutch side on most motorcycles.

 

[rjs987]

The link worked for me. When I saw the string the first thing I thought is is he using the scoot to pull a loose tooth out?

After that I was trying to figure out if you have a brake lever on what's the clutch side on most motorcycles.

Hope I don't need to loose any more teeth. I'm old enough and need every tooth I can keep.

Unlike a motorcycle the Burgman 650 has a true electronic CVT with a few different modes. It will simulate manual shifting if I want, but I never bother with that feature. In Auto mode there is a Power button to boost the rpm by about 1500 at any given speed, though I've been told that really doesn't do much after 5000 rpm which is where peak torque is found. Red line is about 8000 rpm. Even at 90 mph I was still just under that rpm. I have used Power mode to bump my speed for passing on the highway. That's usually when I hit 85-90 mph on county highways before I am even up to the cage I am passing.
Also unlike the new GW or any other bike with DCT I am not missing the lever on the left. There is really nothing to keep my feet busy so they just sit on the long floorboards finding the most comfortable position as I ride... changing that as needed. The left lever is for the rear brake, and the right lever is for the front brake (same as on any standard mc). One of the first things to get used to when riding a Burgman, or any other scooter like this, is don't pull that left lever unless you want to stop. The brakes do work rather well and pulling that left lever as if you were going to shift WILL dump you in a hurry... unless you're really fast about recovering.

 

[SMSW]

Symptoms may not show up until possibly 28 days after infection but can be passed on at any time.

Everything I have read says symptoms show up w/in a week for most people, 14 days at the most. I believe I've read quarantines are for 14 days for people who have been exposed.

 

[rjs987]

I guess true. There has been so much confusing information about it the last many weeks. At first it was said 2 weeks, then 28 days, and I don't remember hearing any correction other than everyone was still saying to quarantine for 14 days over this entire time of the last 3 months. I looked up and the CDC is showing symptoms should show in 2-14 days for most people. That still doesn't mean everyone however. Still, anyone can be exposed and not know it for a time while still assisting others or being assisted by others and spreading it without knowing.

And I've been known to be slow so maybe it is 3 weeks for me

 

[Larry Fine]

How do we know when to start, or re-start, the 2-week clock?

 

[beemerphile]

...Yet, Yamaha still makes the T-Max 560 and T-Max Tech Max 560, new this year. Before that it was the T-Max 530 but they found adding a few more cc to 562cc enabled them to bring it within the Euro5 emissions spec. Look it up. It's also a really nice scooter. These all have frame mounted engines and are built more like a standard mc than any scooter. Just the gas tank relocated. If the time comes when I just have to replace this one I am hoping Yamaha brings the T-Max over here.

I have an old 2009 TMax 500 and love it dearly. I had one before and missed, it so I located another. About as cheap as ST1100's. If they brought the new one with the cruise control, I'd probably spring for it.

 

[rjs987]

Looks like a RDL seat on that one @beemerphile .
Yeah, the new one is really nice with lots of bells and whistles. Remote key start, I think cell phone TPMS, factory cruise, even a remote locking center stand and more.

 

[beemerphile]

Looks like a RDL seat on that one @beemerphile .

When I get another motorcycle, Russell sells another seat. Wish I could get one for my tractor.

Yeah, the new one is really nice with lots of bells and whistles. Remote key start, I think cell phone TPMS, factory cruise, even a remote locking center stand and more.

Probably no chance of Yamaha bringing the new one. They brought them and quit bringing them twice. Neither time did the bike sell well. You could still buy new 2015's deeply discounted as late as last year. In the used market these things are a steal. They are legitimately dissed for difficult maintenance access - especially for valve checks but also even for belt changes. That should not be. The plastic part removal, though you get better at it, is lame. They are unfairly dissed (I think) by the maxi crowd for insufficient luggage space. True, compared to the Burgmans, however with underseat plus trunk plus seat bag I have never thought I needed more. It is the price you pay for its relative svelteness. I'd like more than the 130 mile range, but you get used to it and at the end of the day it does not add that much time to take on 3 gallons a couple of times. My TMax has made long trips and does it well with the Russell seat. The stock seat is a vinyl crucifix. It will run 75 mph all day with no objections. The handling and braking of the bike is phenomenal - the later models even moreso. Strip the plastic off and with the aluminum frame, it looks like a slammed sport bike. Mine embarrassed a couple of Atlanta Rich Boys on Ducatis in white/green/red roadracer suits so badly on Hwy 60 that when they got to Two Wheels Only they drove sheepishly on by.

 

[Andrew Shadow]

Wish I could get one for my tractor.

Genuine question out of curiosity- have you asked them? I know that they specialize in motorcycle seats but if you sent them the tractor seat would they refuse to do it?

 

[beemerphile]

Genuine question out of curiosity- have you asked them? I know that they specialize in motorcycle seats but if you sent them the tractor seat would they refuse to do it?

I don't know. It was a tongue-in-cheek comment. I don't care for the seat in my Kubota, but not for comfort reasons. I'd like to see a cab tractor seat, or better yet the entire control station, that was positionable sideways so that the operator could more easily see where the tractor was going and what the rear implement was doing.

 

[rjs987]

Just found my old Givi top case liner/bag that I bought with my original Givi top case that I put on my 2005 Burgman 650 many years ago. Haven't used it for several years and it's still in really great shape. Should work well in my "new" Suzuki/Kappa top case.

 

[Obo]

How do we know when to start, or re-start, the 2-week clock?

The 2 week clock is for when you either know you've come into contact with someone who is positive for the disease or you meet one of the (now basically outdated) criteria to self quarantine. As this is everywhere now the primary goal is for everyone to self isolate as much as possible to help slow the spread. There is no containment option any more.