Return from near 4,000 mile trip

Again I don't know where to put this-----riding is more important than form format---but should be interesting read.

Got back yesterday after noon from round trip Chattanooga TN to Nova Scotia and back, near 4000 miles. Following notes and experiences---I am no beginner, 77, over 1.5 million 2 wheel miles, now nearing 80,000 miles on 2 different bought new Silverwings. I do not modify bikes or add electronic junk, use road maps to get there.

Bike ran, rides like lumber wagon on N America's ruff/super ruff roads.

MPG=strong 55 plus------2 or 3 tanks on back roads VT/NH/Maine, 60 plus----reg gas 87

Feet forward not really good position for serious riding--spine and lower back came take beating----20 hours or so after arriving home, my 77 year old lower back recovered.

Stupid thing I did----used plug in Air compressor to adjust tire pressure-----added to front tire, but on rear the thing seemed to bleed down pressure----got it pumping up again and of course it killed battery!! SilverWing, in middle of north woods of Maine=scary as no kick starter/no bump start possibility. But next morning, got guy in eating place across from motel to give me jump start-----went to gas station to use air pump to bring rear up to 33-36 psi---pump didn't work. Local guy went home to get his truck with compressor and profession air chuck.
Worked------I like to be self contained----going to look into foot operated pump-----I have small hand pump, but too much work when you have other choices.

Rain 3 or 4 times----Darien Jacket kept me dry/Joe Rocket rain pants---Wolverine Waterproof boots work fine. One rainy morning MAINE/Harley rider worrying about getting cowboy boots wet---I asked about,"where are your rubber boots?" drew blank.

Looked up output of electrical---@ 5,000 rpm system may balance------worried about replacing 2 year old battery.

I travel light--heavy stuff under seat, 2 rubber Ortlieb bags on rear seat----Givi box 46L And of course that exceeds Honda recommendation.....bike does handle badly loaded my way

Dog, Donald, 8 month old---first long trip----rode in Givi Box and later on Givi "Hump" bag. Tied of course. He is now well trained

V belt light came on---how to turn off, not in owner's handbook,but in shop manual.

Bike needs--Wash/oil change/turn V belt lite off/ check everything.

Buffeting which I hate, still present even with Givi adjustable windshield=tiring under some conditions.

Knowing that SilverWing is old design/out of production, I am thinking ahead to next new one.Yamaha SR400 looking good to me right now

Thinking about scooters I have owned which might have been better fo this trip: Yamaha TMAX---fun to ride, Helix I really liked, trailing link front end worked great on bad roads and my Vespa PX150E---front luggage rack=handy and bike lite.

Muscle: I think it takes a lot on SilverWing.

 Nice ride report Mr Grinsel. Thank you. But where'd ya go in NS?

Tim

john grinsel wrote:

Again I don't know where to put this-----

John,

The post belongs in the rides and stories section.
Maybe an on-the-ball mod will move it.

But I give you credit for not posting it in "introductions"

john grinsel wrote:

Bike needs--Wash/oil change/turn V belt lite off/ check everything.

So you will turn off the warning light, but not change the belt ???

Welcome back John. I hear your back is giving you some problems from the ride. I finished a 600 mile ride the end of July on my 1500 GoldWing. Even a heavy touring bike such as the Goldwing beats me up. One thing I do like about the SilverWing is the legs out in front of me, I get crazy leg cramps from anything else. I guess my point is, long hours on anything can be uncomfortable.

Back bother me for about 20 hrs-----feet forward at least part of cause. Good night's sleep did wonders.

Interesting. What motivated you to ride to Nova Scotia? Do you have family there, or just wanted to see that part of Canada? The longest trip I've taken was 1,200 miles, but I think I could have doubled that easy enough. Four thousand miles would be quite a feat, but something I might like to try if I got that many days free. Hope you took some pictures and can figure out how to post them! Thanks.

I do not take pictures----I decided to ride to Nova Scotia, simply because I had never ridden there. Present SilverWing has been as far east as NS and as far west as BC in Canada.....it has been to Alaska,too.

Back roads in NY/VT/NH/MA---interesting on the way.

Will turn off V light, not change belt until it has 20,000 miles----which has worked for me in past on fresh new scooter.  I keep written records.

and here I was proud of the 307 mile "trip" I took! hahahaha!!!
Mr. Grinsel, , you are awesome! :-D

John,
When using my DC air pump, I first start my bike for fear that I would wear down the battery and not be able to start my bike.

going to look at my inventory of pumps today----maybe even buy a new "foot" pump. Once again on this trip, modern/electric, electronic junk screwed things up. SilverWing and battery capacity not designed for external connected pump. Leave the bike stock and you may get home no trouble.

Kevin Jackson wrote:

and here I was proud of the 307 mile "trip" I took!   hahahaha!!!
Mr. Grinsel, , you are awesome!   :-D  

With a dog no less!

There are rechargeable "jump start" batteries that include an air compressor. The battery holds a charge for months and if you use the juice to run the compressor you can just charge it up the next time you stop at a hotel or whatever. They cost between $40 and $60. Seems like a good solution to your problem.

I have one and it's small enough to fit in the very back of the left glove box.

I bought a $12 foot pump at WalMart this AM In 25 years of rubber band drive scooters, near 400,000 miles, including cold weather, my first dead battery experience.

Going to try pump fit/pumping in garage. Looks like pump will fit well in underseat storage box.

john grinsel wrote:

I bought a $12 foot pump at WalMart this AM    In 25 years of rubber band drive scooters, near 400,000 miles, including cold weather, my first dead battery experience.

Going to try pump fit/pumping in garage.  Looks like pump will fit well in underseat storage box.

Seems like the foot pump may take up a lot more space than the electric one?
On the Swing, space is so precious. Especially when touring. If there is space as you say, then good for you.

When using the air pump on my Goldwings I always did it with the engine running so the built in air compressor wouldn't flatten the battery. I carry a small 12V compressor on my current scooter and will do the same. You also need to keep the engine running fast enough to make sure the battery is charging. A throttle holder is handy for that.

exavid wrote:

When using the air pump on my Goldwings I always did it with the engine running so the built in air compressor wouldn't flatten the battery. I carry a small 12V compressor on my current scooter and will do the same. You also need to keep the engine running fast enough to make sure the battery is charging. A throttle holder is handy for that.

I would not use a throttle lock when working with the tires. Even with the parking brake activated, it is an accident waiting to happen. As long as the engine is running in idle all should be fine. After airing the tire, go for a ride to charge the battery. And that is my 2¢

John,

I realize you are anti "electronic junk", so I wouldn't suggest anything of that nature for you.
However, for someone who rides as much as you do, and as off the beaten path as you sometimes do, I invite you to consider the value of a better battery with more CCA and more AH than stock, and nearly 6lbs lighter.
Here are links to the  Shorai Lithium battery and the stock Yuasa battery for comparison:

http://shoraipower.com/lfx18a1-bs12-p86
http://store.yuasabatteries.com/p/ytz12s

Feature:----------Shorai  vs.  Yuasa
AH:------------------18----------11
CCA:----------------270---------210
Weight:-----------2.31lbs--------8.1lbs.

Yes Yuasa batteries are cheaper, but you get what you pay for.

From the time it was first introduced, I have had them on my Silverwing, and now on my NM4.  
Very happy. Never a dead battery no matter how long I don't ride for, or how much "electronic junk" I put on.  
Peace of mind is a wonderful thing, and I'm willing to pay a little extra for it.

PS:
Yes I have a nice comfy air conditioned car that I use on hot or rainy days.  
Don't give me any grief for not riding as much as you do.
NOBODY rides as much as you do.  

You're not paying 'a little extra' for peace of mind, you're paying a lot more for a Shorai, just as you are for another upmarket brand like Odyssey. Add to that the cost of the correct type of battery tender/charger if you don't already have a suitable one. That's  quite a bit of cash to splash out, especially if you change scooters regularly like Mr G, or only come out to play in the 'riding season'. The only advantages of these  batteries seem to be they're smaller, lighter, have additional cranking power, (and you get the bragging rights on forums like this one).

Look up a few forum reviews, those who've fitted them are either pleased or they think they're expensive junk that can suddenly die. There's also a bit of debate about whether lithium batteries are suitable for the electrics of older design bike.

The OE Yuasa I had on my Helix was still going strong after almost 8 years of ownership, and was connected to an Optimate when it sat in my garage. The OE Yuasa battery on my Silver Wing is coming up to six years old, I have no trouble starting, but after long rides it's taking longer and longer to get the green light on my Optimate, I sometime get a red light when connecting up, or it takes ages to go from yellow to green, or it'll stay at green for a few days then go to red, and back to green if I reconnect it again.

Anyway I'm going to replace the battery and I'be chosen the type and brand. But just like helmets, bulbs, tyres, oils, spark plugs, screens, and all the other stuff riders buy, I can read forum posts and reviews recommending this brand, and others rubbishing it.

Isn't is best to do your own research and make your own mind up.

Good to hear you have returned home safely John! And I hope you enjoyed your visit here.

August was really hot this year with more sun than normal. But we tell visitors that it is always like that here. Some camp grounds were closed as fire bans were put in place with dry conditions and a few forest fires burning in the SW part of the province. But like Tim asked ... where did you go, what parts did you see. Hope you got to Peggy's Cove and Lunenberg or maybe the Cabot Trail in Cape Breton.

Also hope the bumpy roads treated you well. I asked a group of bikers from the US when at Peggy's Cove ... what they thought of our roads ... they simply responded that they certainly keep you awake.

If you rode around the downtown of Halifax, I hope the rough streets with some old tram rails coming through the asphalt didn't bother you too much.

Wherever you went and what ever you saw ... I hope you enjoyed the experience. Coming back again?

Mike

I made the error of traveling in high tourist season=no rooms, overpriced/crowded.

Roads in US are much worse for the most part.

Our worthless $$$ or rather the strong US $$$ has a lot to do with the overcrowding and over-pricing.
For us, the gas has been cheap too.  People visiting and checking out NS, driven by the Trump thing may be a slight factor as well.

Meant to mention ... , the memorials for Swiss Air Flt 111 crash into the sea within sight of Peggy's Cove are worth a reflective visit. One on either side of St Margaret's Bay.  The plane from New York to Geneva came down (fire due to the entertainment system wiring) about 10:30pm , Sept 3, 1998. https://www.google.ca/#q=swissair+111+memorial&gws_rd=cr

Glad you found the roads better than I do.
Mike

Meldrew wrote:

The only advantages of these  batteries seem to be they're smaller, lighter, have additional cranking power, (and you get the bragging rights on forums like this one).

Look up a few forum reviews, those who've fitted them are either pleased or they think they're expensive junk that can suddenly die. There's also a bit of debate about whether lithium batteries are suitable for the electrics of older design bike.

Isn't it best to do your own research and make your own mind up.

Bragging rights aren't really important to me, any more than John considers his mileage and experience as bragging.
We state credentials so that people know we speak from experience when we share knowledge.
The difference isn't in what you say, but how you say it.

I'm not sure what other "advantages" you would look for in a battery.  Did you want it to make tea too?
The only disadvantages I see in some batteries, are cold weather starting, and as you said, a special charger.

I doubt even John chooses to ride in weather cold enough to challenge the battery, as it would also challenge him physically.
I'm sure he could if he wanted to, and probably has in the past, but he has many times mentioned his physical limitations.

The reason I mentioned it in the first place is that John would probably not have run out of juice in the situation he was in if he had a higher AH battery.

Experience tells me the Lithium battery is fine for the Silverwing.
Sudden death of a battery (assuming it is not defective in and of itself) always has extenuating circumstances/causes.
Defective products are a risk we take and what a warranty is for.
Shorai's track record with quality is excellent.

As you said, it is best for each person to do their own research and make up their own mind,
which is why I provided the necessary links in my post.

I ride in all weather----have right clothes/gear for it. Hondas in great shape/no electronic junk added that has static draw start nice down to 20 below zero F in my experience. In cold temps Suzuki GS500Earound zero F, I had to take battery out, warm it in warm weather in the sink.....then it would go.

After61 years and over 75 new bikes, I will stick with standard/OEM stuff.

dspevack wrote:

Meldrew wrote:

The only advantages of these  batteries seem to be they're smaller, lighter, have additional cranking power, (and you get the bragging rights on forums like this one).

Look up a few forum reviews, those who've fitted them are either pleased or they think they're expensive junk that can suddenly die. There's also a bit of debate about whether lithium batteries are suitable for the electrics of older design bike.

Isn't it best to do your own research and make your own mind up.

Bragging rights aren't really important to me, any more than John considers his mileage and experience as bragging.
We state credentials so that people know we speak from experience when we share knowledge.
The difference isn't in what you say, but how you say it.

I'm not sure what other "advantages" you would look for in a battery.  Did you want it to make tea too?
The only disadvantages I see in some batteries, are cold weather starting, and as you said, a special charger.

I doubt even John chooses to ride in weather cold enough to challenge the battery, as it would also challenge him physically.
I'm sure he could if he wanted to, and probably has in the past, but he has many times mentioned his physical limitations.

The reason I mentioned it in the first place is that John would probably not have run out of juice in the situation he was in if he had a higher AH battery.

Experience tells me the Lithium battery is fine for the Silverwing.
Sudden death of a battery (assuming it is not defective in and of itself) always has extenuating circumstances/causes.
Defective products are a risk we take and what a warranty is for.
Shorai's track record with quality is excellent.

As you said, it is best for each person to do their own research and make up their own mind,
which is why I provided the necessary links in my post.

Thank you for your qualified review of that battery system.