Motorcycles BS Thread 2.0

I have the SS C1 Sport Yellow Standard's on my F800GS and they're OK. They're not as bright as my LED headlight (it's actually surprisingly bright..) and I don't think I'd replace my headlight with them. Granted, they're the least bright option they have, so your mileage would vary depending on color and product line you go with. They help supplement really well, but it's hard to get the same centerline brightness as a headlight in the middle of the bike. I have mine mounted on my crashbars to get a triangle of conspicuity going.

Not the best pic, but it's the one I have. This is my headlight's parking light, too, not the main projector even on yet.


All that being said, I think they're worth the $130 or whatever they're on sale for right now. I paid the same last year for them, I'd buy them again.

 

soo if the weather is below 50 i dont ride lol. now i have ridden in 40ish degrees and then it warmed up later to be in the 70s but if its at 40 and it stays at 40 my bike stays inside lmao. now the dirtbike id still be down to ride but none of my buddies are out riding so its also just sitting on its little stand thingy.


for me 50-90 is my range now ive ridden in 95 and a bit higher but... it just sucks ass... its hot af and humid and not enjoyable at all.. so ill drive my truck over taking a bike lol.

 

Yeh when we got it I didn’t expect it to become the daily. I’m just asking an awful lot out of it on the 50+ miles every day up and down these foothills at highway speeds.

 

Thanks for the input, about what I was expecting I guess. I know I could drive my F250 with only the SS3 Pro SAE Fog as a replacement of the Low beams if I ever needed to, but figured it would be a hard ask for a single led chip to replace (mostly) a headlight. The SS3 are way too big for the small frontal are of my bike, imo. I think any light mounted on the nose like that would not look good, but if they performed I could swallow it (easier).

Oddly, I watched a video by Headlight Revolution where they said the SSC1 Sport was actually brighter than the Pro version, which I would not have expected. I need to go back and watch that again.

 

I dig the T7's. I don't think you'll be unhappy.

 

I have SSC2s with the cutoff beam to not blind others and while they’re not bright enough for me to trust as my only headlights they are bright and the pattern is super wide. I also got the yellow ones so the white would probably be brighter. I like them a lot.

 

Looking for some opinions here.

I believe I posted here several months back about the Iron Butt Rally being cancelled for 2025. I had originally planned on putting my name in for the event and hoping to get lucky enough to have my name drawn as an entrant. After reading of the cancellation I've moved on and started looking at vacation plans for next year. Last night I got an email from the Iron Butt Association informing me that after months of struggling to find insurance for the rally and the retirement of the 2 rally masters they have now had someone step up and offer to put on the rally and they've secured the necessary insurance. Now I'm not sure what to do.

As a long distance rally participant and Iron Butt member this is something of a bucket list ride for me. I have no aspirations of winning the thing I'd be proud enough just finishing it. Problem is this, ordinarily names would have been drawn back in early June and deposits for the registration fee started in July. I have until December 10 to fill out an application with names being drawn by December 30. If I get picked first installment of the registration fee would be $1500 by January 14 and the remaining $950 by early April. Start/finish will be in Iowa roughly 900 miles from my home and the rally will take place June 16-27. I will need to use up every bit of my vacation for the year to do it.

When I heard there would be no rally for 2025 I basically stopped thinking about it and hoped it would return in 2027. Now the opportunity is thrown in front of me. I was messaging a friend in LA who is in the same predicament and he's not sure what he wants to do either at this point.

Thoughts?

 

I’d probably pass on this one and see how the rally goes with the new rally masters, and then go the year after it it goes well for 2025.

 

I saw that email and wondered what you were thinking. Would you be content waiting for the next one? I say if you feel prepared and can swing taking the days off, what better time than now?!

Also happy birthday

 

I’m keeping my fingers crossed they can make something work for me!

 

The new rally master is a gentleman named Paul Tong and he's already hosted some multi-day events. He's the RM for the LDX rally and from the ride reports from this year's event it looks like it would have been an absolute blast of a rally. I have absolutely zero fear in his abilities to host a top notch event. Here's a link to his most recent creation from earlier this year. I happen to know or have at least met 4 of the top 5 finishers.

https://www.ldxrally.com/2024-ldx-earth-vs-aliens-files

If you check it out you can see Paul knows how to throw some curves yet make it fun and exciting.

 

Thanks!

I can swing it but waiting might be smarter. It's like when I was talking to you Saturday, I need a new cell phone and laptop soon. I've been looking at new helmets. My riding pants are over 10 years old and no longer waterproof. Dianne has offered to pay my registration fees so there is that. I keep running scenarios through my head of all the things that need done to really, seriously undertake this. Do I ride the bike to Iowa which means 900ish miles of tire wear just to get to the start and hope I can do a route that will let me do it all on the one pair of tires? Do I trailer my bike to Iowa so I can trailer it home afterwards, saving the bike tires? Do I put fresh tires on my other FJR wheels and drop ship them to myself at the second checkpoint?

My friend Nate, in Louisiana has already offered me an auxiliary fuel tank if I want to go that route. He just picked up another FJR with a 10.5 gallon Frankentank already on it, paint matched and all. I can use his tail tank he has if I want. That means drilling my fuel tank and adding fittings plus one more variable at tech inspection.

If I DO wait that gives me the time to do a few more cert rides to build up my riding resume including doing a multi day ride which I've not really done. I did crank out a Saddlesore 2k but that was with another rider along.

Hell, I don't know if I want you guys to convince me to do it or to talk me out of it!

 

Maybe its just the cheapass in me.... those things are cool and make life easier but for how often sag isnt set after an initial setting in my experience.... whats wrong with a buddy and a tape measure/string?

 

finding a buddy, ha.

repeatability imo. i think the issue is actually not checking it often enough. i didnt after i set it and later was fighting the bike turning, checked it and it was off 3mm. that was enough to make a good/bad difference.

it also only takes seconds to check by yourself and adjust once its on the bike vs measure/realign tape/measure string

 

no clue what any of that stuff does lol

 

Man 3mm of sag difference felt!!! thats the difference between having a burito before or after a ride hahaha.

 

My only concern would be...if they had trouble getting it set up for 2025, will they continue to have trouble in later years? If it were me I would hate to pass for a future year only to miss the opportunity altogether. But if you are confident it would happen in later years, I would probably spend the time to prepare without rushing and save the money. Unless neither of those would apply and you could still get ready for it in good time.

Also didn't know we had the same birthday, happy birthday!

 

You'd be surprised what it changes. Just like how sitting vs standing on the bike makes a drastic difference. I think it's worth the money.

 

If you're in my age group, you ain't gettin' any younger. Two years from now a lot can change. Just throwing that out there.