I started getting ready for preparations for riding the TaT this summer. I ordered a bash plate (to cover the voltage regulator), radiator guard, headlight guard, MX foot pegs, and mounts for highway pegs. Tires and aux lighting will wait until January. Everything will be installed in February which is my 'update/service month.'

 

Would love to see a long term review of these tires!

 

it’ll be several months, it’s pretty much end of season here. They are a little noisier than the stock tires as they are a bit more aggressive, but I expect that’ll quieten down when the leading edges get a little wear. They seem to stick to the road well, I’ve hit some corners pretty hard and they felt sure. I’ve not been in dirt or gravel with them yet.

 

Just a little bit of extra belly protection. On sale too….

 

Not strictly today, but my Pan got a new clutch and side stand sensor.

For the clutch, the bike had been getting really hard to get into neutral and shifting out of neutral to first or second was getting very clunky. The bike would also drag a little at times when left in neutral, and with it up on the centre stand, the rear wheel would spin.

Dealership diagnosed warped clutch plates and as I have extended warranty, it was covered. They ordered up the parts, which took ages but the bike was perfectly rideable, so I kept putting the miles on.

Eventually the clutch parts came in and were fitted. Problem resolved and shifting is lovely again.

For the side stand, I had been having intermittent "Side Stand Down" errors come up on the dash when the side stand was clearly up. This was a pain in the *** because if you come to a halt, it cuts the engine. Which isn't what I want at red lights - especially if the bike still thinks the side stand is down and won't let you engage first gear.

Dealership said they thought the side stand was slightly bent (which was worrying) and they couldn't adjust the sensor any further. So they ordered up a new side stand for me. I asked them to fit the one with the larger foot, which they did. Again, this was covered under the extended warranty.

I picked the bike up, got about a mile down the road and the "Side Stand Down" error happened again. OK, back to the dealership. They ordered a new sensor which came in 3 days later. 5 minutes to replace it and they did the latest infotainment SW update at the same time.

All is now good. And I have to say that the extended warranty has already paid for itself. It cost me $450 for 2 years extension.

 

Today I finished up the GPS bracket installation and the 'positioning' of the new Carpuride Android Auto device which will function as my GPS. I call it 'positioning' because I have not started the wiring for it yet. As a test I did wire it to the USB port on the side of the Cluster. Works pretty good. The photo shows On-X GPS in satellite mode. Please excuse the messy garage!

 

I now have the accessories for the front half of the bike done (oops, except for the radiator guard). I purchased a set of Denali aux light brackets made specifically for the PA and then installed my aux lights. I also added a USB Hub to the handlebars, and retained all the wiring. I bought an accessory harness from H-D for the Touring bikes and added four new takeouts with waterproof connectors. I should have made 5 (explain later). So I wired the GPS, the USB Hub, and the aux lighting to the accessory harness. The last connector will be for a USB hub inside the rear trunk for charging my laptop while I ride. The fifth, missing connection, will be needed for a new Innov v5 camera system I have yet to purchase. Not needing wiring but also installed is my roll chart holder for the TAT maps. Stuff is moving along!

What is left now is the radiator guard, the new bash guard, the rear USB Hub in the trunk, and new tires.

The headlight guard and aux lights.

The view from the cockpit. The roll chart holder is in the center on the handlebars. The Carpuride W702 is up top. The switch for the aux lights is barely visible on the left side behind the Carpuride screen. The USB hub, with voltmeter, is just to the right of the roll chart holder on the handle bars.

 

My project to put "power into the top box" is now complete. I drilled a small hole in the bottom of the box and used a grommet to seal it off. I put a waterproof 2-pin connector just outside of the box so the top box is still easily removable and this now brings accessory power to the inside. At first I put a USB Hub in the box but I discovered it would not charge my laptop. It did charge my phone, camera batteries, and Android tablet.


So I removed the USB Hub and changed it over to a 150w Inverter. My laptop now charges as it only needs 35w. This device also has 2 USB ports and a 12v power point pass through so I can also use my tire pump if needed. It will only pass a total of 150w and it has a thermal breaker, and high and low voltage shut downs.



So now I can charge my laptop and/or my camera batteries while I am riding on my trips. If I end up in a dispersed campground without electrical service for the night it won't matter.

 

My favorite Pan America Mod @ 18:10.