gigero Posted October 30, 2015 Share Posted October 30, 2015 ...never go full minivan. HA! Sorry, 2 more q's: 1. Does H&B have a max load limit on their Lock It frame? 2. Are those the 30 or the 40l Xplorer boxes? So to answer at least some of these questions, at the absolute widest point, the brackets with the cases attached are 33" wide. The mounting brackets without the cases are 15" wide. The distance from the bottom of the bracket to the ground at the highest point is 26" and at the lowest point is 22" (Both assuming completely unloaded with no additional weight compressing the suspension, so these numbers are a bit variable. But that's the approximate). I was going to get you a picture and draw out the measurements, but I had to go to work, so this was done pretty hastily, haha. I can get you a more detailed diagram with more measurements after work, if you need it I have the 30l boxes, as I was trying to not go too overkill and add too much bulk and weight (And those were expensive enough as is). As for load limit, that I'm not sure. I've been told 20-30 pounds per case is the general rule of thumb to not affect handling, but I can't find any official word on weight capacity. Might have to actually ask them directly. You're a champion! Thanks for accommodating. I did a quick mockup to see what I'm dealing with the other night and the FZ is a very small bike. My mtb is almost the same size. I now have a good starting point and the measurements you provided should help substantially. But, definitely gonna be an eyesore due to the scale of our bike. However, if all else fails, I'll just bite the bullet and buy a KTM Super Adventure. Oooooh so tasty!! Thanks again, you rock!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlbatrossCafe Posted December 23, 2015 Share Posted December 23, 2015 Still much more to come! Next, I'm looking to add some form of lever guards/bark busters, some hard case panniers, and possibly a skid plate as money permits. If the need arises, I might end up swapping out my suspension too, but for now I'm content with the performance. Lots of things are available for these already on the other side of the pond, so it should be interesting to see what all I can do before any kind of ghetto rigging and fabrication is needed. So... any update? Dual headlights or deathhttp://fz07.org/thread/5384/albatrosscafes-galleryhttp://fz07.org/thread/5174/dual-headlight-upgrade-completed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member Mr.Puss Posted December 23, 2015 Premium Member Share Posted December 23, 2015 Im digging this thread. Keep up the awesome mods. Crush your enemies. See them driven before you. Hear the lamentations of their women. Fuss Life. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zombiphone Posted December 23, 2015 Author Share Posted December 23, 2015 Not much new to report, unfortunately, since I got caught up in the race/track season again, and that's been a bit of a time and money suck (As per usual). I also just bought a little KX65 that's all supermotarded that I've been playing around with on go kart tracks recently, and I've had trouble thinking about anything other than the ring ding ding of two strokes, haha But as for the FZ, I shipped off my seat to a place in Indiana called AS Tech Seats to have the foam redone for something more touring friendly, and they finished that up today, so I should be able to offer a nice write up on that as soon as it gets back to me in a week or so. And then I got some little things, like front axle sliders, which I plan to install at the same time. This doesn't translate to cool gadgets for the bike, but also in the same vein of stuff for this project, I also just got a full set of adventure touring gear (since all I own otherwise is track gear), so I've got waterproofing from head to toe, which should be great when I'm going cross country in the ass end of winter Not quite as exciting as bike pictures, and I'll get better shots once I can ride again, but so this update isn't pictureless- new gear! Because Dainese has always done right by me when I've hit the pavement in the past, I've got the Zima Jacket, the Tempest Pants, the Siren boots, Scout gloves, and and the AGV AX-8 Evo helmet Otherwise, still haven't pulled the trigger on hand guards, since I'm having trouble deciding on a set. and I'm still not decided on whether I really need a top case or not. I'll have a better update asap. Sorry, guys! Published 'Chronicles of a Motorcycle Gypsy' a book about my travels on the FZ, and a writer for Motorcyclist Magazine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member Mr.Puss Posted December 23, 2015 Premium Member Share Posted December 23, 2015 I am very happy with my Dainese gear as well. Avro C2 jacket, Pony C2 pants, SIDI vertigo boots and I also picked up a pair of Racer R-Safe gloves, these are pretty heavy duty but outstanding quality. All in all I feel quite well protected out there. Next year, if our dollar jumps back I'll be looking at some Motoport pants and jacket. Great mod work btw!! Crush your enemies. See them driven before you. Hear the lamentations of their women. Fuss Life. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zombiphone Posted December 23, 2015 Author Share Posted December 23, 2015 Yes! I love their stuff! I've gone through 2 of their race suits so far in a.... number of different crashes, and they've always protected me beautifully. Double points because they also produce the sexiest versions of every type of gear they dabble in Published 'Chronicles of a Motorcycle Gypsy' a book about my travels on the FZ, and a writer for Motorcyclist Magazine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member Mr.Puss Posted December 23, 2015 Premium Member Share Posted December 23, 2015 Haha. Im a long long way from track riding, it looks so exhilarating. Alas, Im still a noob out there at a piddly 650 km worth of street experience(first bike). My wife really likes the look of me in my gear, and I must say I do feel a little bit more handsome in it. Those Italians know their style. Hooked on Rizoma parts too, it's all really solid stuff. Crush your enemies. See them driven before you. Hear the lamentations of their women. Fuss Life. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Global Moderator sorkyah Posted December 23, 2015 Global Moderator Share Posted December 23, 2015 Why'd ya choose the evo ax-8 instead of the naked? also.... damn New jacket and pants look nice Rider aint half bad either ATGATT... ATTATT, two acronyms I live by. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zombiphone Posted December 23, 2015 Author Share Posted December 23, 2015 Not much new to report, unfortunately, since I got caught up in the race/track season again, and that's been a bit of a time and money suck (As per usual). . . Could you sneek in some pics of your track bike? I'm working on a deal with Santa on a new CBR600RR with the end goal intended for this very purpose. +1 on Dainese thanks & ride safe This question is akin to asking a cat lady if she can sneak in some more pictures of her cats My racebike is actually just a Ninja 250, so considerably less extreme than even my streetbike (Hell, I think my mini might have more power, haha), but it does have just about every supersport legal mod it can, short of engine work, so it's pretty fun: (My current race suit is a Spidi, since I got a good deal on it. Also good, although my old Dainese fit me a little better) This bike was actually the bike I basically learned to ride on, so it's gone from daily commuter, to road trip bike, to double duty track day/street bike, to "chopped off the kickstand mount for more ground clearance, never going to be street legal again" racebike. (Don't tell it that I might be trading for an R3 in the future though) And I don't have any riding pictures of this one yet, since it's still new to the stable, and I only just started getting into the mini scene, but my other track bike (Which has not yet been raced, but I've got some endurance and sprint races for this one lined up next year, too) is the affore mentioned KX65: ....... Ahem, yes. See- like asking a cat lady. Just with bikes instead of cats ^^;; Published 'Chronicles of a Motorcycle Gypsy' a book about my travels on the FZ, and a writer for Motorcyclist Magazine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beemer Posted December 23, 2015 Share Posted December 23, 2015 zombiphone What about this? It's seat height is only 32 inches and it's not big and bulky. Something you may like and consider in the future??? http://powersports.honda.com/2016/cb500x.aspx Beemer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zombiphone Posted December 23, 2015 Author Share Posted December 23, 2015 Why'd ya choose the evo ax-8 instead of the naked? also.... damn New jacket and pants look nice Rider aint half bad either There were kind of special circumstances behind this one. Which I don't mind, because I feel like Master Chief in the SuMo style helmet, haha. I might have to legitimately get dual sport tires on the FZ to take advantage of that visor Published 'Chronicles of a Motorcycle Gypsy' a book about my travels on the FZ, and a writer for Motorcyclist Magazine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zombiphone Posted December 23, 2015 Author Share Posted December 23, 2015 zombiphone What about this? It's seat height is only 32 inches and it's not big and bulky. Something you may like and consider in the future??? http://powersports.honda.com/2016/cb500x.aspx I looked at the CB500 and the 700 before ultimately picking up the FZ, and very strongly considered them. But after a test ride, there wasn't really a question anymore. The FZ just hit the right notes. But, with the current popularity of adventure bikes, I wouldn't be surprised if they start coming up with even more smaller options in the near future (c'mooon, pint sized Africa Twin). For now, though, forcing the FZ to be something it shouldn't be is fun, haha Published 'Chronicles of a Motorcycle Gypsy' a book about my travels on the FZ, and a writer for Motorcyclist Magazine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beemer Posted December 23, 2015 Share Posted December 23, 2015 I see, I only read to about this part on the first page: "but I'm not tall enough for a real adv bike, and I don't want a 250 single for long distances" and responded to that, thinking you were maybe looking for an adventure bike your size. I guess you just want to try and make your own with the FZ-07 and hit the dirt looking/feeling like Mad Maxine. Cool, good luck with that! Better to have knobbies on an FZ-07 than those old KZ 1000's in the original Mad Max. For inspiration: [attachment id=1193" thumbnail="1] Beemer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zombiphone Posted January 5, 2016 Author Share Posted January 5, 2016 Alrighty, so this is a visually minimal update, but a hugely important one- I got my seat back! So, after quite a bit of research, scouring the internet for seat solutions, and having to find a time where I could go without the bike for a decent period of time, I ended up deciding to take a gamble on a place in Indiana called ASTech Seats (http://www.astechseat.com/) based on some positive reviews I found on some cruiser forums around the web. The whole process took just under two weeks (I sent my seat off on the 18th of December, and I got it back on the 30th) purely because shipping was so slow. They called me as soon as they received the seat to verify what I wanted done, and within a couple hours, called me again to tell me it was done. So, I finally got the chance to take it for a nice long-ish spin on new years day. I went out for about 4 hours of solid riding in the morning, then a couple random half hour/hour and a half rides with friends throughout the rest of the day. With the stock seat, I was good until about the 2 hour mark, in which case it became an exercise in pain tolerance. With this seat? Not an ounce of discomfort at any point in the entire day. SO. FUCKING. STOKED! I couldn't believe it was as a big a difference as it was! I wasn't even walking funny after! The true test will be when I'm doing 500 mile days in my cross country trip, but I'm pretty satisfied with my purchase thus far. That said, there is one slight negative. with the new foam, the seat did end up very slightly shorter than stock (Although the seat height and width feels the same, which I'm also pretty happy about). This looks a bit more extreme because it's a back angle, but the gap: From the side, it's not particularly visible unless you're really, really looking for it, but you know, just wanted to tell people everything: But, all in all, I'm so completely elated with the performance, that I have trouble being bothered by that. I may look into doing something to make sure it's still weather tight, although I doubt this is much less protected than the stock version, considering the fact that you pull up the back to mount or dismount the seat, which means it was never sealed in the rear. And, in other more minor changes, I also got front axle sliders, which were probably the simplest install of any mod I've ever done ever, requiring just two 13mm sockets and about 1 minute of labor: And this isn't really a mod, but as partially seen above, I also added the personal race logos of a lot of my racer friends as a good luck charm while I travel In case anyone is curious, the 72 Zombie logo is my personal race logo, which I drew and designed myself. Oh, and one more shameless ride picture from new years just for fun: Happy New Years everyone! 2016 is gonna be great, I can feel it Published 'Chronicles of a Motorcycle Gypsy' a book about my travels on the FZ, and a writer for Motorcyclist Magazine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Global Moderator sorkyah Posted January 5, 2016 Global Moderator Share Posted January 5, 2016 Alrighty, so this is a visually minimal update, but a hugely important one- I got my seat back! Happy New Years everyone! 2016 is gonna be great, I can feel it that overflow channel... see if you can find the burnout penis... that jeremy clarkson(topgear uk) drew with a lexus lfa ATGATT... ATTATT, two acronyms I live by. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zombiphone Posted January 5, 2016 Author Share Posted January 5, 2016 Hahaha- I completely forgot about the "gentleman's sausage" until afterwards when another friend told me I should have looked for it. There were quite a few burn out circles and car meet ups down there as it was though! I'll have to go back once all this el nino clears up Published 'Chronicles of a Motorcycle Gypsy' a book about my travels on the FZ, and a writer for Motorcyclist Magazine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nekkid07 Posted January 12, 2016 Share Posted January 12, 2016 can i ask where that new years photo was taken? im from oc and want to check it out. you can pm it to me if its one of "those" kinda places. thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zombiphone Posted January 12, 2016 Author Share Posted January 12, 2016 can i ask where that new years photo was taken? im from oc and want to check it out. you can pm it to me if its one of "those" kinda places. thanks.Oh, it's nothing super secret or anything. That was down in the LA River, which you can apparently enter via a sketchy ass ramp near skid row in downtown la. I'm not 100% sure how to get to said ramp again, as I was just following my buddy on the street triple (That's hidden behind my bike in the picture) and I can't navigate downtown to save my life, but I'm sure you could google how to get down to the LA river. Might be a bit rough to go there right now though after last week's rain. Published 'Chronicles of a Motorcycle Gypsy' a book about my travels on the FZ, and a writer for Motorcyclist Magazine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twowheeladdict Posted January 19, 2016 Share Posted January 19, 2016 Thanks for the photos of those bars on the bike. I need a place to install my LED running lights and they look like they will do the job. I wonder if I can get a powder coater to match the frame. Probably too much effort and expense though. I did order the Puig dark tint sport screen to hide the wires. 2015 FZ-07 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member Mr.Puss Posted January 19, 2016 Premium Member Share Posted January 19, 2016 Not sure if I should even be asking this but, what in the hell is a "gentleman's sausage"? Only to be eaten with a silverware knife and fork and linen napkin? What ever it is, I must find a way to segue it into some future conversation. Crush your enemies. See them driven before you. Hear the lamentations of their women. Fuss Life. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member so1102 Posted January 19, 2016 Premium Member Share Posted January 19, 2016 Er, uh, twig and berries, family jewels,etc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zombiphone Posted January 19, 2016 Author Share Posted January 19, 2016 Not sure if I should even be asking this but, what in the hell is a "gentleman's sausage"? Only to be eaten with a silverware knife and fork and linen napkin? What ever it is, I must find a way to segue it into some future conversation. Hahahahahahahahahahhahaha *ahem [video src=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvwKEfI1lFk] Published 'Chronicles of a Motorcycle Gypsy' a book about my travels on the FZ, and a writer for Motorcyclist Magazine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Global Moderator sorkyah Posted January 19, 2016 Global Moderator Share Posted January 19, 2016 Not sure if I should even be asking this but, what in the hell is a "gentleman's sausage"? Only to be eaten with a silverware knife and fork and linen napkin? What ever it is, I must find a way to segue it into some future conversation. Hahahahahahahahahahhahaha *ahem [video src=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvwKEfI1lFk] Beat me to it Zombi @mrpuss A gentleman's sausage is the proper/polite term for a.... well.... a mans nether reigions and jeremy clarkson... is a genius the lexus lfa however.... an absolutely horrid car... 4 mpg and not worth the US$400,000 pricetag would be better spent on our fz's and perhaps a house... a sensible hellcat... and maybe even a dog or two (Sorry zombi i went off on a tangent there) ATGATT... ATTATT, two acronyms I live by. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zombiphone Posted January 24, 2016 Author Share Posted January 24, 2016 So, not TECHNICALLY a big update today, but a fun and time consuming one. This is the part where we get to go from finding cool bolt on mods to arts, crafts, and fabrication. This one will be a bit more picture heavy, so bear with me. So I really, really wanted a headlight grill, since I always thought they looked super cool and a little rugged and I just felt like it would look so much more mad max that way. Honestly, I didn't actually care about the functional benefits (Keeping bugs and rocks off the lens, I guess) BUT nobody makes a headlight grill for the FZ. Then I saw a tutorial to make one for a cb350, so this idea was born. Unlike a cb350 though, the FZ doesn't have a perfectly round headlight, so I had to build a custom frame, bending some pliable metal wire by hand: I considered a lot of different things for the actual grating- but ultimately settled on some chicken wire, which, after mocking it up in photoshop, I decided looked best laid out laterally on the frame. So I took some dikes and got to work: After much ado, stabbing myself about a thousand times, and struggling to not launch tiny pieces of metal clippings into my face, we had a winner: Now the question was, how to mount it? I really didn't want to drill into it or make it permanent just in case I needed to remove it for any reason or it didn't turn out as good as I hoped, so after much, much deliberation, I thought to myself "Wait, my lap timers stay on just fine with that weird plastic locking velcro-ish stuff, and this won't actually have much force on it!" So, I went to home depot, piked up a thin aluminum sheet, cut it into strips, wrapped it around the edges, and stuck some velcro onto each strip. Of course, because aesthetics are very important to me, I also determined I wanted it to be black instead of silver, so I also fired up my powder coating gun and a small toaster oven, and gave it a nice coating (The coating was done before adding the fastener, of course): And, after all's said and done, I attached it, took it for a long ride to verify stability, and so far it seems completely solid even after some canyons and fast freeway stints. Yay! It's not perfect, but I really, really like it, and I think it gives it a bit of a unique flair. Which was verified when I stopped at a local dealer, and one of the workers in the parking lot tripped out and started taking pictures of my bike, because he'd never seen an FZ decked out like this, haha. Still more to do, but it's almost cross country ready for real now! Published 'Chronicles of a Motorcycle Gypsy' a book about my travels on the FZ, and a writer for Motorcyclist Magazine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redbeard Posted January 24, 2016 Share Posted January 24, 2016 That looks great, especially for home made! Fits the theme you're going for well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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