Kawasaki Concours C14 Farkles

Some Concours farkle shopping...

(Lightly) Tinted headlight covers:  $40

The big googly eyes on the front of the Connie aren't my favourite styling aspect of the bike.  These tinted covers claim to offer a less obvious googly-eye without making the lights useless at night.  They also provide some protection from debris.

Corbin (heated!) seat for a C14:  $711US  ($864CAD)

This is the fanciest bike I've ever owned - this'd be the fanciest seat... with heat!  The Corbin on the Tiger makes it all day comfortable.

They're awesome seats, but they ain't cheap, especially if you get the back rests with them, but if you want to do high miles, they're the tool for the job.

MRA X-creen Windshield:  $265US ($322CAD)

Another Tiger cross-over.  The MRA that came with it has been bullet proof and the transformable.  The flip up spoiler all but disappears when you fold it down but does a great job of deflecting wind when up.  On the Connie's F-14 style swing-wing windshield it would cover all possible combinations of windshield required and all but disappear when folded down in the lowest position.    The smoked look doesn't look like the acres of clear plastic the stock one does either.  These are sharp, well designed bits of German engineering.

Got this one done already, no regrets, it's a fantastic bit of engineering.

Speed Bleeders for clutch & brakes  $38.68 ($46.56CAD)

Having wrestled with bleeding the hydraulic clutch, I can totally see the value in the Murph's Kits set of speed bleeders for clutch and brakes.  Typical bleed nipples open when turned and can let air back into the system.  Speed Bleeders have a valve in them that only allows fluid in but then prevent back pressure out so you have less headaches with air sneaking in.

If these lead to quick and easy regular maintenance of brake and clutch fluid systems then you end up with less headaches from contaminated fluid and internal damage to the system.

I've got them on order now - Murph only charges $15 for USPS shipping to Canada - I haven't received them yet but when I do I'll update with any additional costs.

NOTES & RESEARCH

http://www.zggtr.org/index.php?topic=288.0;wap2

https://forum.concours.org/index.php?forums/accessories-c14.78/

Ebay Concours farkle link

Trials Riding Wishlist

Trials Riding Wishlist

Trials Helmet in Gulf colours:  $76

Trials helmets are specialists.  They aren't designed for highspeed riding because trials bikes generally don't do high speed riding, but they are designed to let you breath freely while offering you maximum vision, especially down as you're picking your way over obstacles.

I'm a child of the 70's and the Gulf colours take me back to the mighty Ford GT40 race car dominating Le Mans.  A good design article on this colour scheme is here.

'94 Fantic 250cc Trials Bike   $2500

This lovely thing has been up for sale on Kijiji for some time.  He's asking $2700 but I suspect I could talk him down a few hundred.

I'd actually prefer a basket case I could completely rebuild (and then paint in Gulf livery) but trials bikes are vanishingly rare and (like dirt bikes) strangely expensive.  Maybe something better will come up that lets me do a full engine rebuild and restoration.

'01 GasGas TXT200 Trials Bike  $3000

This one's a step closer to a project bike but newer and more expensive. It needs brake work and fork seals. The photos are terrible and it looks like it's been well used, but being newer it'll perform better than the 80's tech in the Fantic.

As a project this one isn't a complete rebuild but it does need some TLC.

There ain't no such thing as a cheap off roader.  This beaten up old things costs almost as much as a brand new Chinese trails bike so it doesn't make much sense.

The Amateur Trials Association of Ontario

The ATA runs regular events throughout the riding season in Ontario.  They have an active Facebook group and seem very keen to welcome new members.

They have Tenaci-Wong TWA150A 150cc new trials bikes for about $3500+ PDI/shipping/taxes on the FB group.  That means a new adult sized trials bike is about four grand plus a few hundred more, which suddenly makes the abused and ancient things above seem like a bad idea.

The end of May event got pushed back thanks to Doug's on-again-off-again Ontario lockdown policy, but they're hoping to re-insert it into the end of June.

The ATA?ECTA schedule runs from the end of May to mid-October and offers a busy August of events.  If I'm looking for a relatively inexpensive way to combine competitive sport with motorcycling, this might be the thing.  I'm terrible at exercising just for the sake of it but given a  reason to work out, I do.  This might be just the thing to get my chasing fitness again.

A new Tanaci-Wong 150cc trials bike and competing in the ATA/ECTA events wouldn't cost much more than new hockey equipment and a season of beer league, and it would let me improve my bike riding skills.  I also happen to have a backyard built for trials practice.

This one's on the to-do list.

That Darned Tiger: Stalling issues on a Triumph Tiger 955i

The Tiger worked for a couple of months this spring but started recently stalling again.  The engine was getting rougher and any time I came off throttle quickly, such as downshifting, the engine would 'fall' right through where it normally idled and stall.  If I didn't downshift and let it drop to idle on the clutch it wouldn't stall.

If you're familiar with the blog then you know this isn't my first dance with Triumph's early fuel injection systems.  I've replaced the vacuum housing for the idle control system (a plastic piece that looks a bit under-engineered) and all the hoses and gaskets last year when chasing this thing, but looking over the deep winter maintenance I did I don't think I rebalanced the fuel injection after taking it all apart to clean it.

Balancing the FI on these 955i Triumphs is tricky because you have to take apart a lot of the bike just to get at the adjusters.  I've been in and out of this so many times that I'm quick - I don't even have to keep the fasteners sorted because I know where they all go.

To balance the fuel injection on a 955i Triumph engine, take the fuel tank and airbox off.  On the Tiger, if I put the fuel tank next to the bike the fuel lines are just long enough to connect so I can run the engine with the tank attached but off the bike.

I was going to use the Tuneboy to balance the injectors this time but couldn't figure out how to do it so just went back to good old-fashioned vacuum balancing.

Evidently you can balance throttle bodies off this but it jumps around so much I found it easier to use the vacuum balance I use for carburetors instead.  Perhaps the Inj #1, 2 & 3 P/W can be used to balance?

The Triumph triple is quite easy to balance once you've pulled it all apart.  The left side throttle (#1) isn't adjustable so you use it as your reference.  With that hose plugged in I balance the one next to it to #1 and then did the same with the far one.

I got this TecMate Carbmate Synchronizer from Fortnine last year and it makes the job quick, accurate and easy.  Just keep adjusting the screws between the throttle bodies until you have equal vacuum between them.

Don't balance two to three, just two to one and then three to one, so you don't need a non-existent three cylinder vacuum synchronizer.  I ended up buying the extender so I can do up to four carbs, but it isn't necessary for the Tiger, though it did come in handy on the Fireblade.

It took me about ten minutes to get everything from way out of whack to right on the green balanced light on the CarbMate.  Once I had it done the engine sounded less rough even with no airbox and missing sensors.

Running it like this pisses off the computer and throws up a whole bunch of warnings because you're not getting readings from the airbox sensor or the vacuum to engine management computer.  If you don't have a Tuneboy to clear the computer errors it takes a few runnings for the ECU to reset itself.  I just reset the errors in the Tuneboy system and then put it all back together again.

The bike immediately felt smoother and there were less backfires and hesitation when turning the throttle.  I took it out today and went for an extended ride and couldn't get it to stall even when doing things that caused frequent stalls last week, like down shifting to a stop and pulling the clutch as the engine was dropping in RPM.

If you're having stalling issues with a Triumph 955i fuel injected triple, balance the throttle bodies before you start chasing other issues.  Unbalanced throttle bodies cause stalling once the engine is hot.

I put some LockTite on the throttle body adjusters this time so hopefully it won't 'fall' out of adjustment again this riding season.  I'm still very concious of rubber parts perishing on this nearly twenty year old high-mileage bike.  Last summer's issues revolved around vacuum leaks in the idle control system so I'm going to keep a close eye on other rubber bits if I run into stalling issues again, but this time around it was just throttle body synchronization that seems to have done the trick.  Maybe next time I can work out how to do it with the Tuneboy so I can get it even more precise, though the CarbMate seems to have done the job with high fidelity.

NOTES & RESEARCH

955i Triumphs stalling links:

http://tkmotorcyclediaries.blogspot.com/2020/06/throttle-control-sensor-system-on-2003.html
http://tkmotorcyclediaries.blogspot.com/2020/07/triumph-955i-engine-stalling-next-steps.html
http://tkmotorcyclediaries.blogspot.com/2020/07/triumph-955i-stalling-issues-part-3.html
http://tkmotorcyclediaries.blogspot.com/2021/01/triumph-tiger-955i-old-rubbers.html

https://www.triumphrat.net/threads/955i-engine-stalls-need-help.16567/

Throttle balance?

https://www.thetriumphforum.com/threads/955i-stalls-and-wont-start-until-cold.27123/

https://www.thespeedtriple.com/threads/my04-speed-triple-stalls-the-engine.26192/

https://www.reddit.com/r/Triumph/comments/b45o3s/rough_idle_and_stall_out_problems/

Throttle balance (again) - do it with TUNEBOY this time!

Check rubber parts for perishing:

https://www.triumphrat.net/threads/stalling-and-fuel-adaption-problems.973460/

MRA X-Screen Windshield Installation on a Kawasaki Concours 14

No regrets aesthetically with this windshield choice and they make a point of talking about how the windshield stops back pressure and noise which means it should work well with my rejuvenated windshield raising motor.

I'm a fan of MRA windshields since one came attached to the Tiger, so the Concours is getting one, but this is my first time doing an installation.  If you're installing an MRA windshield you can expect detailed instructions and all the parts provided in clearly marked bags.

Assembly is straightforward with clearly presented directions and useful diagrams.  It took me about 20 minutes to put it together.  The parts are quality and go together like you'd expect a finely engineered German windshield to.

There is an option to have a simple single pivot or a more adjustable but complex double pivot - I went with more complicated because I'm like that.  The mechanism releases and locks in a wide variety of positions.

I'm curious to see how all the different positions work as I get to know this more complicated MRA windshield.  With the extender set high at the top of the windshield the thing is about as big as the big slab of plastic Kawasaki put on it, except this one is also adjustable to go even higher and at a wide variety of angles.  Set highest it'll be much more effective than the stock windshield.

When it's all the way down the MRA windshield looks almost like a sports windshield and offers a solid windblast to the chest or lots of ventilation on a hot day.

Here is before an after.  You can see how much taller the old stock windshield is:

The old windshield was going opaque with age and was quite pitted and rough.  It also produced an astonishing amount of back pressure at speed which might have had something to do with the motor having problems.  The new windshield is lighter, more aerodynamic, more adjustable, quieter at speed and seems to have no back pressure issues at all.  I took it for a run up and down the river today and I'm very happy with this choice.  Even at lowest setting, when I F-14 swing-wing the windshield up it still provides good wind protection and noise reduction at 100kms/hr.

It looks sharp too...

I picked this windshield up at Twisted Throttle:  https://twistedthrottle.com/shop/ergonomics/windshields-accessories/windshields/mra-x-creen-tour-windshield-for-kawasaki-concours-gtr1400-08-14-clear/?attribute_pa_color=smoke-gray

They used to have a Canadian warehouse but don't any more, though they've worked out a system with Fed-Ex so you don't get any customs headaches or surprise costs when you order (though you do have to order in USD).

A Bug Splattered Visor

 An evening ride out at sunset just a couple of dozen kilometres up and down the Grand River avoids the heat of the day, but in Canada you go from snow to bug season in a week, and we have!

How thick were the bugs?  Here's the visor after thirty minutes in the sunset...

On bike photos taken with a Ricoh Theta on a flexible tripod attached to the windshield and set to take a photo automatically every 6 seconds.