| The informaiton on this page is specific to my 2016 F3T. Different years and different models of the F3 will, of course, be different. |
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EZ SPLICE-IN PIGGY BACK METHOD Minimum bulk - EZ to install - EZ to reverse *Click here for a background audio reading of this section. *Click here for an audio reading of this section. Since this method will be used throughout and there will be more additions to this page as time goes on, the description of the method used to connect the wires is right here up front! I don't like Scotch locks for wire splice in. Even LeverLocks , which are very large (often too large for tight spaces), require you cut a wire or two. BOTH are bulky, often  loosen over time
and
corrode. Soldering is best, but that is sometimes very
difficult if not impossible. I often use the "tuck and roll" method (shown at
right) which works
good on smaller connectors with light gauge wires, but that's sometimes not practical
with these tight mini connectors. Using, in the order of ease of use and
durability: best is a safety pin leg (good for waterproof connectors like these), a leg from a diode/resistor,
1 inch length of 20-22 gauge bell wire (solid copper not strands)
or a ceiling tile staple,
one can make a "probe" that will slip into a connector from behind on
the plug as shown. Grab a proper size gauge diode or safety pin and cut off
a leg leaving enough to re-use the diode. Solder your lead onto one
leg end leaving
about 1/2" or more of a leg free. Put on some heat shrink and lube it good with
bulb grease and insert tightly into the
back of the plug so that it makes good contact with the
connector of the needed wire. After "smoke" testing, zip tie  or tape it to the
existing wire and zip tie to the harness too for good
strain relief. (if doing a waterproof connector, you can add a dollop of
hot glue or bulb grease before tying off). This way, if you ever need to disconnect
that which you have connected, simply cut the zip ties
and "unplug" your piggy back EZ Splice. Works
great and it's easy. One helpful thing here is to use a
"Helping
Hand" soldering stand available at Radio Shack
to help make a neat solder of the wire to the leg/pin. I've been using this
method for 20 years in inclement weather of all sorts including snow,
salt and mud (on my quads) and have never lost a connection. To the
purist. A connector is a device which slides one metal "blade" over
another metal "blade" to make a connection. We are merely doing exactly
the same thing. There are commercial versions of this here: *click me* |
  This outlet/inlet supplies power for my heated
gear and doubles as a receiver from my battery maintainer. Pulled the
bag and used a 1/4" coaxial connection between the bag and body so that I can unplug it should
I ever need to remove the bag again. Drilled one hole and hid all the
wiring under the seat coming from the battery directly using the BuRP supplied fused SAE plug in the frunk. I merely changed to a 15 amp fuse in the factory pigtail.
This is Warm n Safe's outlet module.
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 To
load new routes (trips) on a 57 Nüvi from the sd, insert the card and
reboot the GPS (it takes some time). I could not afford nor did I want to spend upward of $700 for a zumo. I obtain inexpensive Nüvi off eBay
for use on my bikes. For weather proofing, just carry some sandwich bags
to cover it. It's still visible and workable. Too, even if it does get
ruined wet, you're only out under $50. RAM stuff is just too bulky. More suited for mounts on a dually truck! I am a minimalist so I went my own route. I bought a Garmin Nüvi 57 LM for $60 on eBay. I did utilize RAM's Garmin Nüvi 57LM cradle  ($12 eBay). I drilled and tapped 2 holes in my bar clamp for #10 screws. I
bent a hunk of 14 gauge light steel at a 45° angle and mounted it to my cradle
and clamp. The screws need to be hex head to both the clamp & cradle so that
one can tighten them in the
narrow space. Painted black with
DupliColor truck
bed liner it blends right fine
with F3T textured black motif. Power comes up from the OEM GPS System
power (which is found behind the left
rear lateral body panel near the GPS audio in) using one of these
GPS circuit connectors. I extended the GPS
OEM power connector (goes live with the key and dies 10 seconds after
key off) to up to the front under the service panel where I
put a "cigarette lighter" plug there to use
the supplied power cable from Garmin threaded
up
through the button/key shroud. Minimal. The pic to the left shows the
rider view and the full compliment of the Spyder dash is unobstructed.
The pic to the right shows the mount. Click
here to see a garage door opener mounted with
magnet. |
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 The F3-T has a radio. Included in the OEM wiring is a male 1/8" jack (like earbuds) to place into a 1/8" audio female plug. When the radio gets a  signal from
a GPS
connected there
it will mute the music and play the prompt from it ("Turn left at the
traffic light"). Some GPS models have a headfone /audio out female but most do not and if they do, they are way above my pay grade. I use a
Garmin 57 Nüvi which has none so I added an audio out to it by
soldering on the clearly labeled board the RED to the speaker + (plus) and BLACK to the s peaker
-- (minus) from a cut off
1/8" headfone extension female end. To get inside a
Nüvi take out the 4 #T5 Star screws then run a
spudger
or fingernail around the edge until the case pops open. Take care not to
damage the ribbon cable. On my Nüvi 57 it was
necessary to trim the plastic a little to make room for the
pigtail. I hot glued the
wire routed through the case so there would be good strain relief and a
dollop for dust/water proof where it exits the case. Snap the
case back together. It will fully snap shut once you replace the screws. I ran another 1/8" headfone
extension cord (6 feet should do) from the bike's male GPS audio input (which is found behind the left
rear lateral body panel) up to my Garmin mount and plugged its male into my
57's new female output pigtail. You must adjust the volume on your GPS
to match that of the OEM radio so the prompts won't shout too loudly. To activate it the first time, it may be necessary to switch your input to NAV and cause the GPS to sound. After that, it will work to mute any audio source (USB, line in, FM) for the GPS prompts. Click the pics for larger labeled images. The 57LMTraffic Nüvi sends a click about 2 seconds past prompt, but the 57LM Nüvi does not which is more pleasing. [hint] the GPS input is a full compliment audio capable of playing a full audio source such as a cell phone or mp3 player*. If you have a cell phone that reads your text messages to you, use this input to mute the stereo and play your message as if it was a GPS prompt. This is an IDEAL way to use a music capable ZUMO! Set the input to NAV for full time audio using this input for the output of the ZUMO. * If you have a model that does not provide an audio in for prompts, Kennedy has an interface that will do it for you. To load CUSTOM ROUTES into the Nüvi 57, create them (Base Camp etc) then copy them to the Garmin/gpx folder on the SD Card and reboot your unit. It will automatically (but very slowly so have patience) load them and you can find them under the "Trip Planner" app on the GPS! Easy Peasy! |
  LED 1156 Bulb installed on left. |
 Or how I beat the CANbus *Click here for a background audio reading of this section. *Click here for an audio reading of this section.  The
OEM turn signals in the rear are incandescent and hopelessly dim. I
wanted to add surface mount Ultra Bright LED lights (T3) in the guise of
Feniex T3 Perimeter Mount LED (Amber) to
supplement them. However, the CANbus is a pain in the BUS! When I first
tried to put these extra T3 lights on, I just (foolishly) hooked them
up straight to the signal wires on each side using the EZ-Splice method
shown above. The T3s worked. but the bike went into
 rapid fire bulb
out error. UGH! So now what? The lights draw about .3 AMPs which is
likely too much for the CANbus circuit to not error. The idea struck me
to insert a relay inline so the BUS would see very little draw
ameliorating the difference
between installed and not. The relay was small & meant for a computer,
but it still drew too much current. I had one Radio Shack reed relay in
my collection so I tried that... voilà! It worked! But
I only had one. On the other side I tried a smaller computer relay and
again voilà! I used the tail circuit (orange) to feed
+12v to the extra LED reducing the load on the signal wire. The OEM
signal +12v is fed to the relay coil and ground is ground. I
purchased some 4 conductor wire at Lowes which had RED, BLACK, GREEN &
WHITE wires. The pic illustrates which wires to where on the
reed relay (eBay) and the arrows show it on the
computer relay and if you need to know what the
relay terminal numbers mean, look >here<. These relays can be found on
eBay and @
Radio Shack.
The T3 needs to be set to full bright on mode which times out in about 5
seconds but it works well for a signal. That mode is between strobe once
then full (light just strobes as a signal so can't use) and constant on
but dim (clearly unsatisfactory).
How to for T3 surface program and wire at
this video.I replaced the OEM signal bulbs with an LED 1156 that has a resistor built in so the CANBUS doesn't get mad. It's about 50% brighter, but that is near impossible to photo. Works on my system and did not result in a hyper flash. YMMV of course. See the video at left or below. NOTE: All the above is BEFORE I discovered that there was a way to "teach" the CANBUS how to tolerate added lights. If you have a pre-2018 model, check the video below in the (PINK) beat the CANBUS another way article. It works and I have eliminated the relays and plugged directly into the T3 surface mounts from the YELLOW wire on the bulb side of the harnesses on each side. The above method is for those who may be able to use it on later models of the F3. |
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SUPER BRIGHT SIGNAL LIGHTS EZ Access to the interior of the light on F3-T To access the signal wiring remove the four body clips under the bag lid AFTER having taped in place the metal tab as shown. Under the bag is a #20 torx which must be removed. You can then pull the tail light bag assembly apart and out (like opening a clam) to reveal the inner wiring. Put a 2x4 block to keep it open. This will give you access to the inner wiring without much work. Click the pics below for a larger view.    |
| LED 1156 Bulb installed on left. |
 The video at left shows my T3 signals, T3 strobe/flashing brake light, Custom Dynamics Knight Riderz 21 LED top light bar (BLUE RUN - RED BRAKE - BLACK GROUND) and the tinted short bottom light bar. The four corners of my license plate frame also has white but not so bright strobe lights which flash until I let off the brake pedal.  The brake Feniex T3 Perimeter Mount LED (RED) strobes quickly once using a solid state 8 AMP brake light flasher module from Amazon which is barely the size of a quarter. It strobes quickly then goes to solid but..... because I have the T3 set to flash every three seconds the two units combined cause the T3 to strobe quickly CLICK here for the Feniex T3 wiring PDF  once then flash every three seconds on/off until I let off the pedal. For this video, I have masked off
the utlra bright flashing T3 brake light because it washed out all the others in the video. When viewed directly these T3
LEDs are remarkable. You can see the three L EDs through the tape. I ran into a bit of trouble with the CANbus with the long light
bar. I had it feeding from the tail light ORANGE off the right tail light
connector. When I put on the right signal, because I was feeding my T3 amber signal light from the tail ORANGE, the light bar
exhibited some strange behavior. It would flicker, run only in one direction, flash just 3 of the LEDs and other goofy
stuff. So, I set that light bar to run off the OEM GPS circuit and everything was then copacetic. The +12v input on the flasher unit is RED and the output is YELLOW with BLACK as GROUND.
On the F3T, the controlling wire for the OEM Brake light is WHITE
which is where you would install this flasher for the LED
version. On an F3s which has only WHITE for the brake BEFORE the
Brake/signal Box which is the wire you need to break into. On the T and LTD get the WHITE before the split to both separate bag lights. Note, your bulbs in all fixtures must be LED lights for the strobe work. |
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... The The video at the right shows my cubby vent signals which act as both a brighter indicator for the ryder as well as a visual signal to the public as side signals. This is accomplished using set of 4" amber LED strips from eBay. Installation is straightforward. Attach the strips to the cubby top along the outer edge and run the RED wire to the signal +12v and the black to the signal ground. They reflect off the service cover casting light outward to the driver next to you and the reflection from the front fairing panel is visible as an indicator for the ryder to see the signal is on. Some have complained that the OEM indicators are too dim. 2 strips per side - $9 per side solution! |
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The video at the right shows my eBay $22 replacement for my gone bad $180 BuRP signature light. I fought with BuRP for two years and they would not replace the defective LED under Warranty. Installation for my version is simple. One can power these lights with the OEM signature light circuit under the frunk liner and wire them up just like the signature light to the OEM wires. The only difference being that they must also get wired by their respective yellow to the left and right turn signals (shown with the 4 ways). They come on as white DRLs with the key and when a turn signal is activated, they will switch to amber and sequentially show the direction you will be turning. Costing 10 times less than the signature light, I bought two sets which gives me two spare lights just in case. I like them. Apply the 3M mounting tape under the rim with the frunk lid open. Check the pics. I duct taped the wires under the frunk liner as shown in this installation video for the Signature light. Instead of just a hole for the wire, I cut a slot in the plastic. There are mounted 2 Custom Dynamics Knight Riderz 11 LED side by side light bars (BLUE RUN - RED BRAKE - BLACK GROUND) tinted for the red scanners. The amber sequential lights in the grill are $17 from eBay as well - which is shown in the video to the right. To make it have the amber sequence shown, connect black to ground then all hot + right + left wires to the +12v on with the key. I have installed a set of these joined in the upper grille section and have both them act as a "signature" white light by connecting the red + ground wires. All of the amber and white lights go into a strobe effect when I beep the horn with the yellow (brake) wire fed +12v. They will flash for 10 seconds. |
  | BEAT THE CANBUS ANOTHER WAY ON PRE 2018 ... The video at the right shows how one can reset the the CANBUS and defeat the HyperFlash and other problems when one adds extra lights and accessories to the pre-2018 Can Am. Through all additions of signals and also the addition of my extra horns, I had to reset my ICU to be aware of the changes. For the signals, I would get hyperflash (fast blinking) and for my horns, if I beeped the horn, my audio system would reset and stop playing! The way to do this is to (a)start your bike* (b) Press and hold the hazard switch for around 30 seconds or, as shown in the video, until your dash lights flash once (c) release the button (d) turn off the hazards then quickly put on the offending signal (or beep the horn) then switch off the bike quickly once the task has been performed. By some reports, this doesn't work on 2018 & later models. By other accounts it does work on them. Also shown in Lamonster's video on hyperflash shown ->here.< * sometimes necessary to start it |
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 *Click here for a background audio reading of this section. *Click here for an audio reading of this section.  The
stock horn is one of those totally inadequate "gee, I'm sorry to bother
you but beep ".. pieces of junk. I
was always happy with my GL1800 horns and found a set (hi & lo) on eBay
for $24! The harmonics produced with the stock
horn and the GL horns is BLARING! The strobes fire for 15 seconds after
the first BEEP!
I've been running
horny strobes for many
years on all my bikes and never had a problem with any LEO. The horns
and wiring are mounted behind the grille with sticky tape in that big
cavern under the frunk.The necessary wiring diagram is shown below for just adding horns or at the left using a standard Bosch auto relay, a time delay relay and an alternating strobe module for strobes. Because the OEM horn wire is always hot, the horn button completes the ground at the horn. We use that GROUND to switch our BOSCH relay at terminal 85. I powered it all directly  from the battery
lead supplied with the F3T. I replaced the 7.5 amp fuse in it with a 10
amp fuse which the wire gauge will easily handle.
The LEDs I used were from an old set of remote
programmable strobes but the module it came with didn't
remember the setting after being unpowered so I just used the 4 LED lights
with another
alternating strobe module. I mounted the lights to the grille with
the sticky back that comes on them and a zip tie through the screen and
around the wire of each light. The end of the video below >CLICK<. shows the
action. You can run very many strobe lights off any strobe module by
using the same relay I used for my signals or the
10 amp version.
You will need two relays for alternating. Circuit here:>click<.
Video below or  ^^^^^^^^^^ For just adding horns |
 I bought and love an Ultimate Seat. In its slot I installed a Big Bike Parts 41-168A backrest anchored with screws as shown. I only used three parts as shown to mount it. I chose this backrest because it's low and easier to get a leg over than the taller ones. I have an Airhawk Cushion from 1998 which supplements on long rides (yes, it's 20 years old and still working great).. I use the method of running with the Airhawk for a coupla hours and then running without it for a coupla hours. I also run a full Merino sheep skin rug from New Zealand to ameliorate the seat's heat in the summer. I run both at the same time sometimes. To hold the Merino I simply sewed on paracord with monkey's fist knots to the back corners and capture them in the saddle bag lids outside of the gasket when I close them.    
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What you will need obtained at ACE
hardware or Home Depot: 2 4" (75mm) M10 1.50 Stainless bolts 4 m10 1.50 nuts 2 3/8"ID x 3/4"OD x 3/4"long steel bushings Hillman #883499 2 BMX bike rear stunt pegs (Walmart has good ones for $10) Cost about $20 + pegs |
 | Do one side
at a time.
 Some BMX pegs are recessed like the ones I used
seen at left (I had them
on hand). Some are not. It may be necessary to drill out the peg's
mounting hole to 3/8" (9.5MM) to accommodate the new bolt. You will use
the double nuts as spacers like I did or on the inside of a flush
hollow peg (as ssen at right)
to get the spacing correct. Your goal is to get the protrusion out of the
end of the frame cap to be 1" (25mm). Assemble your bolt and peg so that
the bolt protrudes 54mm or 2" beyond the end of your peg. Insert your
3/4" (19mm) Hillman spacer into the frame cap so that your bolt
protrudes about 1" when mounted (seen at left). Be careful when you screw that bolt
into the actual frame. You will need to move the frame member some to
line it up. Cross thread is probable unless you are very careful here.
If you do cross thread, all is not lost. You can "repair" the threads by
rounding and slotting the bolt (click pic). Tighten to about 25 foot pounds. Ryde! 
 CAUTION! RIDING WITH YOUR RIGHT FOOT RESTED ON THE THIRD PEG WILL INCREASE YOUR BRAKING REACTION TIME CONSIDERABLY. WE SUGGEST MOVING YOUR RIGHT FOOT FROM THE THIRD PEG TO THE BRAKE PEDAL WHILE AT A STOP MANY MANY MANY TIMES SO YOU HAVE "MUSCLE MEMORY" OF THE MOTION NEEDED TO BRAKE EFFECTIVELY! |
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     NOTE:I had a newer model F3 which meant I had "extra" channel stiffener sleeves/bolts shown above. The steps (in red) below may not be necessary if you have an older model with no pins. The instructions for the F3-T that came with my bar, though much better than most others, got a C+ grade. Why? Totally missing were: (a) remove the rain guard completely - four T25 and a Phillips body clip; (b) remove a SECOND 10mm bolt and nut with a sleeve each side in the frame as well as the one that holds the block ; (c) remove the T27 from the under frunk shield and move it out of the way with a bungee. The installation was, with those exceptions, well described. Because you need to remove both the 10mm bolts, the frame member will likely slip and need re-aligned with the frame channel (scratch-all does work but you have to yank a bit on the orange arms so make sure you are sturdy with your jack). You WILL NOT get that bar out or in on a jack with less than a 24" lift with those SECOND bolts & sleeves in place.  If you just got your first set of tools for Mothers/Fathers day, get
this done by someone else. I did most of the disassembly with the F3 on
a steady ATV jack but found it necessary to let her down and raise the
front with a full sized floor jack under the front frame to get
clearance to R & R the bar. Adding a rubber 1-2 inch block to the jack
cup would have helped a little as my jack topped out at just barely
enough. The new blocks were a bit tough to get in so, again, make sure
you are sturdy with your lifting equipment. I used a rubber hammer and a
hunk of wood to tap them into the channel.Shown at left a way to lift the front end to help the job along. It was a bit of a sweaty chore to get it installed because of the extra steps which were not in the dox I had before I started. I read the instructions and decided to do it myself because I'm kinda good with a wrench. However, had those steps been included (which they are included now), I might have had a helper or got it done at the dealer (I hate doing that). At the finish, it was a toss up that I made the right choice (not as young as I used to be). Pics show the extra steps left out of the old but included in the new instructions that come with the bar. They get an A- from me now. Now the meat: PROs Wheel bounce is greatly diminished. Wind resistance is at least doubled. Cornering is so much improved that I no longer need to do the monkey trick quite so much to ride the twisties. (see this post >CLICK ME<) The start up from a traffic light turn (say turn left once the light changes) is miraculous! Shazam! Just GO! Drifting is greatly diminished on uneven, bumpy Ohio roads. Yaw on crowned roads is greatly reduced and wandering is nearly gone (I haven't aligned her yet). Feels like it's on rails. Shyza! CONs HUH? |
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 FENDER MOUNTED HIGH VISIBILITY WITH ROAD LEVEL BEAMS USING 2.5" BLUE HALO LED PROJECTOR LIGHTS Get these LED fogs here from amazon or here from eBay. If you cannot buy at the link, make sure you buy solid white halo lenses, not the mosaic clear. These lights are great for conspicuity meaning they help others see YOU! For the fender,  The supplied bracket is curled around the base of the fog lamp
then zip tied to stay bent. The supplied Phillips screws with a washer
added is used to mount light to the bracket top & bottom use Loctite
or hot glue on threads. The assembly
is then
mounted to the fender using an M6 hex head bolt
(not Allen - you need to get an open end wrench in there to tighten) plus
washer into the top slot of the bracket into the original fender bolt
threaded hole. Switched using an
Olinco U19C2 push button switch with a blue halo (just like the lights)
+
the connector mounted in the OEM heated grips switch hole near the gas cap.
The light's blue halo is connected to the GPS circuit so that they come
on immediately with the key and turn of after a delay when the key is
turned off. The wiring is 22AWG 4 conductor wire from Lowes with red &
white twisted together as shown. |
 Click for printable scale pattern |
 UPPER STOCK MOUNTING HIGH VISIBILITY WITH HIGH LEVEL BEAMS USING 2.5" BLUE HALO LED PROJECTOR LIGHTS  Get
these LED fogs
here. If you cannot buy at the link, make sure you buy ones that
match the solid white halo lenses seen below, not the mosaic clear. These
lights are great for conspicuity meaning they help others see YOU! The
pattern at the left is for the two plates you must make for mounting.
 They
can be any suitable material. I used 1/8" aluminum procured at a scrap
yard for about $3. Choose something that is heavy enough to support the
lights and is easy to work with. Paint them flat black (duplicolor truck
bed liner?). The assemblies are then mounted to the body using 6 30mm M8
hex head bolts, 6 M8 and Nylock nuts and 6 3/8" fender washers through the holes in the frame behind the
upper body side panels. Switched using an
Olinco U19C2 push button switch with a blue halo (just like the
fender lights) &
the connector mounted in the OEM switch hole near the gas cap for
the fog lights. The light's blue halo is connected to the GPS circuit so
that they come on immediately with the key and turn of after a delay
when the key is turned off. The wiring is 22AWG 4 conductor wire from
Lowes with red & white twisted together as shown. You can run the power
from the original OEM harness with the proper 3 wire connectors. If done
with your own wiring like the lowers above, utilize the "USER" circuit
with those wires. Remove the heat shields on
the upper side panels to make room for the lights. To really polish the
job get a set of LIGHT shrouds.
Click here to see details in this picture and at the link. |
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 This ol' trailer, a Pace 7' x 12', modified to fit my wyder Spyder  It was necessary to mod my old Pace 7 x 12 trailer which hauled my GL1800 wings for many years. One mod that I had already made to get my wings up into it on rainy days was to use roofing shingles laid down with truss/lath screws for traction on the slippery when wet wooden ramp. These now serve the drive wheel of the F3 admirably. The old doorway was too narrow to fit the F3 front wheels & fenders. The next mod then was to remove the 3/4" door jam up to 24" from the bottom with a cut off wheel. I then laid down some paneling batten as a guide that was visible on the floor from the saddle of my F3 to keep the wheels aligned inside and spaced so that they would be centered preventing a scrape of the tires/fenders on the sides. I have several loops on the floor through which to run belts to tie the old girl down. These combined with the F3 parking brake keep her settled & behaved until we get to our destination.  I have modified my center hi running lights so they work like a high mounted brake light by wiring the LEDs with a resistor and diodes as shown >CLICK<. |
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  I
have employed a new method to tie her down using an E-track strip and a
single 2" heavy ratchet strap. However, what
seems easy is knot! For the F3-T, getting a single strap over the rear
tire for anchoring with
E-track is a challenge. There are two methods. Remove the mud guard
(which is a chore in itself***) and reach over the top of the tire to drop
the
2" E-track strap down in front of it. Works great just like what the RT
guys can do. Then re-install the mudguard once you untie her at your
destination (another REAL chore in itself but see *** below). With the mudguard on, it is impossible to get that strap over the tire and keep it centered. At your camping/trailer/hardware store,  find the 32" heavy duty
"pipe cleaner" Gear Tie shown. Fold it in
half then thread it through the wheel spokes inside the belt pulley and bend
the ends together in a hook pattern. Loop the
2" E-track strap over it & push it up as far as you can reach
on each side of the fender, then roll the bike forward about 28 inches.
Reach between the muffler and the rear side cover and flip the strap
toward the front where you can grab it with a telescoping magnet and
pull it through. Hook it into your E-track and move the bike back to
where you need it for weight distribution. Unset that brass then
re-set it just in front of the tire. Using another belt's brass, thread
the working strap through the slot and then clip that brass just behind
the tire. One cannot use an
E-track idler because it's too high so we
make an idler out of the second strap (which will work well with a plain
F3 rear fender). Go through the ratchet as normal
and crank it tight. To make a bit more firm, let some air out of the
tire and crank it tight then put the air back. We also keep that
extra strap for use on another setup if need be. Harbor Freight has all
the E-track
parts you need and any camping store has the 32'
Gear Ties. In addition to the single strap, I have replaced the
lower front shock bolts with M10 x 55 stainless eye bolts for tow or
tie. They will accept soft ties or hooks for tow to pull up on a flatbed
or for tie downs if need be. I got
them on eBay for cheep then cut them to size with a cut off
wheel and used the OEM M10 nuts for a solid mount.One other modification I made for my trailer was shortening the crank strap so my front wheels could make a bit more room at the man-door. I cut the belt from the orignal e-track hicky and re-sewed it using normal thread and a zig-zag stitch on a regular sewing machine (same machine I used for my heated grips). On the crank part, I removed the bolt so I could sew close to the end of the belt and then returned the bolt like it was attached originally. See the pic below... *** Having been completely frustrated (another BuRP engineer fuvx up) by trying to re-install the mudguard to its berth, and because in so trying I broke off two of the pins, I re-engineered the set up using some brains and real world experience (unlike the BuRP guys which have neither). I used some dykes and cut off all the pins. I  fitted the two body pins in the bags with new black #8 screws
from AutoZone and tossed the plastic OEM ones. I then duct taped the mudguard to the fender in place
leaving space where my screws were to go. As best I could for alignment,
I drilled four holes through both the fender and the mudguard with a 1/8"
bit while holding the mudguard firmly in place. With a firm grip on the
guard and using a low speed low torque power driver I ran 4 #8 of the
AutoZone #45570 screws as
shown in the pic. This snugged the assembly nicely. I removed the duct tape. Now to pull it for
putting the single belt on, I just remove the 6 screws and once you yank
the body pins from the bags, down goes Frazier! Easy peasy. I now
can easily remove the mudguard for tie down just like the RT guys can do or to show off my Kumho ECSTA AST 225/50R15 tire at bike
night (making sure I don't encounter wet pavement*). And putting it back is
painless for riding. This has a bonus for removing the rear wheel for tire mounting as well. Eventually the screws may loosen up so I can switch to #10's
or afix the 054030 Jnuts to the mudguard.
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*And if you ask "Why
don't you just leave the mudguard off?" Here are two pics of a ride I
took with it off and merely encountered a single 3" stream of dirty water
coming off a driveway. All the speckles (pic1
Pic2) are from just that single 3" stream. I
had some on my jacket back and some on my helmet. Imagine if I had
encountered dirty construction water for miles! No thanks. And a side
note, there is a gasket in the fender and and drain holes in the
mudguard. |
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First of all, this 11.5 inch (280mm) Moparty extender arrived on Monday in one day from Amazon. I installed it and went   I have an F4 tall with their extra hand wings and Slingshot side extenders from Baker to which I added extensions of my own. I have an old football neck injury that requires me to have good air control without a full coverage helmet which is too heavy for me to wear. I've always wished that the F4 was bigger like on my GL1800*. When it's cold, my eyes, glasses with a rattling insert & my sinuses get cold. The xcreen clone gave me the finishing touch by ending that problem. Would I recommend the xcreen or this $40 Moparty clone 11.5 inch (280mm)? YES! As always, YMMV! |
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 @ LEFT: Desperately hating Torx. I am on a mission to eliminate all Torx (star) screws on my F3. I am using m5 x .8 x 20mm stainless black oxide pan head phillips screws. I got them on Amazon but you might be able to find them elsewhere. I bought 50 of them for $13 on Amazon. Considering that each of the OEM Torx are $4 each and just one side needs four it's a bargain. I also use these on my quad as well. @ RIGHT: Finding a protected place to mount my GoPro 7 Black, I settled on using the plastic slide mount from the packaging attached to my dash visor using Command Adhesive strips which don't permanently mar the finish and allows me to bridge the peak on the visor top while keeping the camera centered. Applied some flat black PlastiDip to the glossy glove box lid to keep reflections on the shield to a minimum.  For power for my XM in the glove box, my GoPro on the dash and whatever else I may need power for above the dash, I have mounted a set of cigarette lighter sockets under the left service panel. From those I can put the business ends of the power supplies up to the units by snaking under the dash up through the vents on either side of the glove box. If I'm not using them at this time, I merely loop them over the ribs of the vent. Do zip tie the lighter parts together under the service cover or they may vibrate apart. |
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Bought a
36mm combination wrench for belt adjustments and
tensioning from Menard's. I cut it in half with an angle grinder and cut off wheel to use it on both the axle bolt (box end) and the axel nut (open end) without pulling the split pin. Axle nut torque is 160lbs. Got a $9
36mm socket off Amazon for both the axle and oil filter cap
which makes getting the oil cap off a breeze! Used a
Krikit 2 for checking the belt tension which should be between
160 and 190 by that gauge with the wheel OFF the ground following
instructions
in this video. If you can't get your dealer to install that
Kumho or Toyo tire (they normally won't unless it's a Kenda
purchased from them) then you will need to remove your wheel and
sprocket taking in your tire with you to an independent power sport
shop. I got mine mounted at
Cycle
Specialties in Taylors SC for $40 in 30 minutes while I waited.
Your local shop might be able to remove it and do it all, call them
and ask. Rear wheel removal and strip is shown
in this video. Related, if you need to check your rear brake pads for wear on a bagger (F3t or ltd) get a selfie stick and orient your camera just right and you can get a pic of both pads on the rear wheel. Why is this important? Because they often don't wear evenly and getting the outer pad too thin makes getting the screw in piston to engage the cylinder threads can be seriously difficult. |
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 Instead of just adding bar end weights, I tried to make the balance useful by installing a s  et of two bar end mirrors. With the bars rolled all the way forward to the top (best reach for me), it
takes some work to look into the OEMs which ends the quick glance
procedure. I put these 3" on the end to restore the frequent glance.
They are convex wide angle. If I see something in the mirror that
needs more attention, I'll just lean forward & look in my stock
mirrors (but I rarely need to). They work pretty good as vibration
dampeners too. Screws right into the bar ends with an M6 x 30mm long phillips (or whatever you have on hand). I started with a
different 3 inch mirror
though (pic above). For that one use the supplied bolt through the
pipe mount. See pic for more. |
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Bungee loops for tie downs & RACK   |
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I searched SpYder boards for jacking points on my F3T yesterday because I'm doing my 3K inspection and oil change. I found many references to the A arms and rear shock with admonishments to NEVER USE EITHER! One fellow said that he put the front wheels on ramps and jacked the rear with the lower shock eye. He got the same admonishments from many respondents. I have an MC/ATV lift, but for the F3 the balance point requires me to put the pads so that removing the drain plugs would be next to impossible. So, I did my due diligence and searched the F3 service manual and found on pages 473 and 679 the following instructions to use BOTH or either when jacking the bike!
At left see how to restore a scratched finish. Click it. |
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 Click me to see! |
My shock loses about 5 pounds a week air. I grew tired of pulling the seat to check the pressure with a tire gauge, plus the fact that the air bag is so small, using a gauge loses pounds by the action itself. . I got a 6"x4"x2" tiny tire pump on eBay ($22) and dropped a female CCTV pigtail into a 5/8" hole that I drilled in the back of the bag for power. I got some tire valve braided 12" extenders for the air ($12 a pair). I then threaded the valve extensions joined end to end through the frame and down into the hole with the power wire and screwed the pump onto it. Note that road grime can enter your bag through the hole unless you use silicone to fill the hole essentially making a "grommet" to seal it. Now all I need to do is open the bag and check the still connected pump's gauge. If it needs air, I plug the pump into the +12v and flip the switch. If I need the pump to actually fill something else, it's easy enough to disconnect it and free it up for the other job. The pump comes with an 8ft power cord with a cig lighter plug and I have made a pigtail with two of those (for fone charging) and another female CCTV for the pump. Win! Win! WIN! |
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Construction of a laser alignment tool is relatively simple and inexpensive. For mine I used bar of aluminum 6" x 3" x 0.25" 6062 aluminum bar off Amazon but you can use a chunk of wood to achieve the same result. I already had the Laser Gun Sight for use on my XD-40 SubCompact but you could easily use a simple cat toy laser pointer so long as you align it perfectly along the center and attach it to your "brick" firmly. Make sure it has a slide switch to keep it on, not a push button that you need to hold. For leveling, any line level can work, but I chose to use the one that sells at Walmart for $3 because it affords two points at which to align your tool with your rim. To attach it to the aluminum, I used Loctite Power Grab construction adhesive which you can use to attach your cat toy as well. I screwed the Picatinny rail piece to the aluminum along the center line to mount the gun sight that I already owned (if you use screws make sure they to not protrude out the back of your "brick"). Center the laser and the level and you are good to go! Check the You Tube video to see how it all works once you make it. |
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Toyo Proxes T 185/55-15 up front - I'm in love! These Toyo Proxes T 185/55-15 tires go where you point them. Sounds odd, right? Well, compared to the Krappy Kendas this bike ships with, it isn't odd. The Kendas, with their checkerboard tread pattern, would go everywhere, especially when you needed to brake quickly. If you got on a road that had a little character, they wandered badly. They would follow every dip, patch and hole they could find. Not the Toyo. Rock steady unless you get on a really really bad road. They are fat. I had to shim my fenders toward the bike some (thanks Mike!). On the right side I needed two stacked 3/8" lock washers just putting the shim on the front brace not the back and it moved the fender in about .20". On the left, one 3/8" lock washer for .10" up front did the job. The tread pattern is a good match for my Kumho ECSTA AST 225/50R15 on the back. These Toyo tires roar in the turns. But while they roar, they stick to the road like glue. Now, I don't want you to think these tires upset the nanny because they DON'T! I have yet to have the nanny interrupt my fun with the Kendas or these Toyo tires. They seriously make this bike more stable and much more fun! For example: On State Park Road there is a 60° left sharp curve and halfway through that turn for some reason there is an off camber dip in the road (off camber meaning the road changes from banking for a left that helps make the turn into an opposite bank that hinders it creating a nightmare). With the Kendas, that change in bank made the road try to pitch me into the right hand ditch. With the Toyos, no problem. They just get a bit louder and navigate the turn just fine and faster than I ever could with the Kendas. I barely notice the hazard. I've experimented with pressures from 18# to 22#. I run 20# right now and have settled on that being the proper pressure. 20 PSI will do it. No slop and no feeling every pebble in the road. Just sweet sweet traction. Don't hesitate getting these tires. The guy that mounted them didn't have cones small enough for my new PP wheels. I added 2.5 ounces of balancing beads in each tire using EZ Tire Beads from Amazon. Got the MC kit 2&3 ounce bags and took .5 ounces out of the the 3 oz. bag adding it to the 2 oz. bag. Smoooooth. See the video at right for help with beads. Don't ask me how I know the following... If you have extra fender lights and wiring along the front fender pipe, make damn sure you have the wires pulled all the way toward the bike outside the fender zip tied & taped away from the tire to the max. Those little 3 conductor wires cannot take a joke. |
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 Materials needed: All PVC shown are 3/4" Schedule 40. .. 1" x 8" x 2 foot pine board. .. 2 foot section of pipe .. 4 elbows .. 4 adapters slip-on one side threaded the other side .. threaded plug (but see optional) .. 3/8"x 4 four inch bolts & .. 4 3/8" nuts .. 8 3/8" washers 1 inch OD .. 4 (M6 x 65) Phillips screws When you drill through your 1 x 7 x 2 foot board for the seat bolts, use a big 3/4" drill bit because the screws are hard to line up. For the 4 PVC & plug holes use 1/2" bit. You will need 1 inch longer (size M6 x 65) Phillips screws to replace the screws supplied  to add the board. You will need to cut away the vinyl from
around the holes in bottom of the seat in any case or good luck getting
it lined up & the screws started. I used 3/8" bolts for the handles because that's
what I had on hand. If you use smaller bolts you will still need to get
1" OD washers. Finger tighten the supplied bolts then mark the board
where you will drill for the seat. Assemble the seat & board to the braces first
then do the lower bolts & acorn nuts before tightening anything down.
Have fun! |
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I run a $70 Quansheng TG-UV2 and/or a $25 Baofeng UV-5R both purchased a few years ago. I have two of each. The radio is hung on a homemade panel mounted to my right bar with extended screws and spacers as shown at right. I put a hook Velcro piece on the mount and each radio has under the belt clip on the battery the loop Velcro mate which prevents the radio from rattling and ensures it stays in place. I use just the Rubber Duck seen at left which works well enough for bike to bike communications when the radio is mounted vertically on its bracket. The wiring diagram
for keying the headset is
shown at left (just mash the
ground of the pins together).
I built my own key
method for my
special needs boom mic. I used two very thin terminals to insert under the radio's
headset pins so they touch the GROUND on each pin. To those I soldered the red and black wires (keeping them isolated) of the cut For gloved hands, I do have a mounted "stylus" on my bars that serves as a stylus when the pen point is retracted for the Garmin and point extended as a pen for making quick notes on paper if need be. It is attached to the bars with a spring loaded key/ID card reel so it won't get lost and there is a neodymium magnet epoxied to it so it rests handily on my Ham bracket. |
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INJOY! And shout out for KD8OVH from time to time. I can be
found in NE Ohio and North or South Carolina.
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