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Toddicus
Magalia, Ca (NorCal, above Chi, CA, US, 95954
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Alias:
Toddicus
About:
30+ years in wholesale mtg lending. Toured Alaska twice, Nova Scotia etc. Big into platform gaming (Xbox360, PS2, etc). 500+ DVDs (No idea why). Riding since I was 12. Have had 8 Wings as well as 8 HD's and maybe 20 other bikes. Totaled the '03 seen in my Pics, I turned in front of a Wente Winery truck that wasn't there a moment before(lol). I now have the '04, same color.
I have evolved from Iron Ass ("I can ride 750 miles a day..." braggadocio) to Zen riding. Anyone who believes racing along the freeways is the way to see our world and makes them a `rider', is missing the whole point. Back and County roads are immensely more rewarding. I still do 450 mi a day if I have too, but now its all zen, and I EXPLORE. I plan to move to the east coast (NC) as soon as I ride there and find a place I can afford to live.
I have evolved from Iron Ass ("I can ride 750 miles a day..." braggadocio) to Zen riding. Anyone who believes racing along the freeways is the way to see our world and makes them a `rider', is missing the whole point. Back and County roads are immensely more rewarding. I still do 450 mi a day if I have too, but now its all zen, and I EXPLORE. I plan to move to the east coast (NC) as soon as I ride there and find a place I can afford to live.
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Occupation:
semi-retarded..uhm..retired...no..retarded...no, wait....retarded...yeah. That's it!
Favorite Quote:
"It looked like it was paved on Mapquest...."
Member Since:
03.22.2007
Bike 1:
Arrest Me Red 2004 Honda GL1800
Bike 2:
- No Bike 2 -
Bike 3:
- No Bike 3 -
Toddicus has not yet written any comments.
ME 888 Marathon Ultra Tires for GL1800
ITEM CODE: PG36097
05.28.2015
This is a follow up
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Again, I want to point out I did not buy these tires from Wingstuff. I am a `test' fro a friend who owns our local dealership. At 1800 miles, the hum and vibration in the front tire is worse, especially on turns. Now the rear is singing like an acapella choir. A few months ago, my parts manager informed Tucker Rocky rep. Rep said, "We've had no other complaints..." and blew him off. Tech rode my bike and agreed with me, that they have an issue. And, dealer had another Winger on a trip who stopped and because he had the same problem with only 2500 miles. Dealer is trying to get TR to take the tires back. We'll see how well that works. My own opinion is, these tires are new. Released in 9/2014. Sometimes, a new release needs feedback in order to better the product. There may be tweaks made in the future, and if they fix the vibration/noise issues (and I mean out the door), I will buy them. I like the tread pattern, and they do stick. But the horrible initial performance outweighs me having them right now. Again, I did not buy these from Wingstuff, and my post in no way should reflect on Wingstuff. |
F4 Scratch Resistant Clear or Tinted Windshields for GL1800
ITEM CODE: PG20048
03.07.2015
My review error
| I meant Plexus, nit Nexus. My bad. |
ME 888 Marathon Ultra Tires for GL1800
ITEM CODE: PG36097
03.07.2015
They `hum'. Not a good hum.
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Ist off, I didn't buy these from Wingstuff. My local dealership is owned by a close friend, and he asked me to be a test for these tires. The new 888s are supposed to get better mileage (I was happy with my 880s getting 13k-16k), and shed water better. Out the door, mine hummed. And I felt a vibration from the front tire I never experienced with the 880's I have always bought. A new tire should have NO vibration or make any noise. Mine do. But then I looked again at the tread pattern. I attribute the noise to the new pattern. It does change over varying road surfaces. And yes, I pulled in the clutch at varying speeds to make sure it wasn't engine vibration. Same issue. Loud, and annoying. The positive is, like any good Metz, they stick like glue in a turn, but any good tire should. Bottom line, if this is the future of Metz, the tire I have run for 30 years (yes 30 years going back to my GL1200s), I will have to consider switching to Bridgestones, whch seem to be the GL1800 most popular. |
F4 Scratch Resistant Clear or Tinted Windshields for GL1800
ITEM CODE: PG20048
03.07.2015
2 years with replaced F4 and all good
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I installed my 1st F4 on my 2004 in 2010. I was VERY careful cleaning it. Never used a spray cleaner (instructions said propellents held contaminants). Used a clean tight weave terry cloth towel with the edges cut off so no seams to scratch the screen. Used a mix of alcohol (no, not whiskey, THAT was for me!) and water. It scratched horribly to the point all I focused on was all the fine scratches. I gave the item a very poor rating. Out of the blue, in January of 2013, the F4 sales manager e-mailed me. He was concerned, and we ended up talking on the phone. He believed my problem, and felt I may have had a faulty screen. Since it had been a few years, it was not under warranty, but he stood by the product, and allowed me to buy a new one at a VERY discounted cost, a bit lower than a stock Honda screen. He also told me not to use a cloth towel, but to use paper toweling. AND, to use fingernail polish remover occasionally to strip the screen to factory. I promised to return the bad one. As it happens, I backed over the old one (I had laid it behind my car...DUH!) and shattered it. So it went into the garbage can. Now, as to the new one. After two full years, I am VERY happy with the new F4. It has one 1" hairline scratch that was my fault. I now have the perfect way to clean the screen. In a hand spray bottle, mix a few ounces of fingernail polish, some alcohol, and then fill with hydrogen peroxide (H2O2...basically water but it dissolves bug bits in a heartbeat). I let the spray sit for a bit, and softly wipe clean with paper toweling. The a dry paper towel to clean off residue. I use a clean tight weave terry cloth to buff it until slick. Every few cleanings, I lightly spray Nexus on a paper towel and lightly run it over the screen, and use the tight weave terry cloth (oh, and never use fabric softener when washing), to softly buff. Works like a freaking charm. Amazingly clear and the screen is slick and sheds water like a frog's butt. And once a month, I wet a paper towel with fingernail polish, and strip the screen. I have absolutely zero scratches after 2 years, I mean ZERO, and 100% total clarity Sorry this was so long, but I wanted pass on F4 cleaning that has worked for me. I also want to say, a big thank you to F4 for standing behind their product. The only reason I didn't give 5 stars is, well, it is very expensive, otherwise I would give it a 5. |
Motorcycle Tire Ceramic Balancing Beads
ITEM CODE: PG27738
10.31.2011
5 Stars
|
My initial review was on 8/2/2009 (still there!), and I thought I should update. I have had Metzlers my whole biking life, and yes, they have a stigma of cupping and trashing quickly. Most I ever got was 10,000+, but I desire their stickiness. I only make this point, to make another. I am on the same set of Metzlers I had mounted at my 8/2009 post. No weights. I now have 14,000+ miles on this set and they are showing MINIMAL cupping (and I mean minimal). They are silky smooth at all speeds, and the tread is still very deep. I have no doubt they have 5,000 to 7,000 miles left to go. My theory is a combination of the beads and the All Balls tapered bearings (a MUST on our bikes) have lengthened the life of the tires. That, or I was blessed with a surprise from the Metlzer Tire Gods. I doubt the latter. Oh, and I have had racetech springs since 2006. Not to be long on this, but do I believe the beads are an easy and very inexpensive way to keep our tires balanced through their life. |
ITEM: PG01049
06.12.2011
3 Stars
|
This WAS my 2nd set in 3 years. With both sets, my right deflector has snapped in half while riding at less than 55. I have no idea why they broke, but each time, I got off the bike and the right one was missing the top half. Each set was almost 2 years old so maybe simple fatigue (I leave them on year `round). BUT, I like these, and am ordering another set. |
All Balls Steering Bearings for GL1800 & F6B
ITEM CODE: TR416233, SKU: TR416233
05.24.2010
5 Stars
|
In short, I found this, and new fork springs (I installed racetechs) the simplest way to reduce or in my case, eliminate front end wobble, and make your wing `tight' and `dialed'. I am a Metzler fan. BUT, we all know they have a lousy record when it comes to tires wobbling, or wearing poorly to the point of `singing' on turns. I had the All Balls installed at 40,000 miles. They immediately made my ride tight and I had no wobble. My Metz's did not cup or wear poorly. My bad was, I forgot to re-torqued after 1,000 miles. At 70,000 miles, I ran through a set of Avons I thought I'd give a try (cupped and humped at 7,000 miles). I slapped myself and re-torqued my neck bearings. RE-TORQUING IS VERY EASY TO DO! A VERY VERY SIMPLE 4 BEER JOB! Installed a new set of Metz (bought at Wingstuff) and at 8,000 miles, there is NO wobble, a smooth ride, and even wear. It's a way cheap improvement compared to a $2500 front end total re-do, which leaves more cash for trips. Honda boned us all by not using tapered bearings from the factory. Spend the money to have the tapered bearings installed. One thing, at first I torqued to the 28-30 lbs shown on the All Balls site. Too tight in the turns. I backed off to 25 lbs and I am happier than a new episode of Family Guy. |
Avon Cobra Chrome Radial Tires for GL1800
ITEM CODE: PG23038
09.26.2009
3 Stars
| addendum...I have the dyna beads in these tires. I wonder if that might be why the rear is so bad? I doubt it. |
Avon Cobra Chrome Radial Tires for GL1800
ITEM CODE: PG23038
09.26.2009
3 Stars
|
This is an update. With 3,500 miles on new Avons, I left for my annual trip around the Northwest Volcanoes. No trailer, only sidebags packed. At 4,000 miles, rear tire started making a bit of noise. Noticed light cupping (already?). Pressure at 42 PSI... I know the urban myth, that twisty roads burn off cupping. Well, I finished 3,800 miles of winding roads through Or, Wa, Id, Mt, back thu Or, and home to Norcal. My rear tire, at 7,300 miles is jumping around, LOUD, and the cupping is at least 1/2" difference one side of tread to the other. Checked pressure...41.5 PSI cold. My Metzlers never dupped this bad. Would change previous rating I gave, to zero stars, but front tire is like brand new, which tells me to try another rear and see. If it junks out, I am going back to Metz. At least there, I KNOW what I am buying, and they don;t have that poor slow speed `walk'. |
Avon Cobra Chrome Radial Tires for GL1800
ITEM CODE: PG23038
08.03.2009
5 Stars
|
Okay, this may be a bit long, but it will be in depth... Been a Metzler guy for 20+ years, even with the 2 out of 5 tires sucking. But I weigh the stickiness over the inconvenience of replacing a bad tire. I decided to try the Avons, since I liked them on my HD's. I put them on 1500 miles ago, using the Dyna beads for balancing (GREAT combination) fully aware the Avon reviews asid they were good for 7,500 to 12,000 miles, depending on how you ride. After all, I was happy to get 10,000 solid miles from my sticky Metz's. Here are my pros and cons about the Avons.... Pro's-Sticky and fantastic handling! Man do I feel confident in the turns, just like the Metz's, with one big plus. The tread pattern avoids all the `humming' I got from the Metz tread pattern as they wore. These tires lay down so sweet in the turns, and ride so soft on the highway. They are smooth as freaking silk and so damn quiet I don;t know they are there. I can actually hear the low end thrumm of the engine when I accelerate. So here is my only negative....the front tire has an alternating `hatchet' rain groove pattern. At slow speed, say 18 mph or less, the front tire `walks' with the pattern. For me, it was not minor, it was very pronounced. At first, it really bugged me, but then I realized, I don't snail crawl on my Wing unless traffic calls for it, and then, it's very short lived. So here's the other pro, the `walking' goes away over 18 mph. And then the the front is solid. Over SLOW speed, there is no `following' highway rain grooves, just like my beloved Metz's. Since I only have 1500 miles on these tires, I can't give a rating on mileage. But I am one of those riders who doesn't need to brag about how I got 20,000 on my tires. I will take sticki-safe and 10,000+ miles over slippery and 18,000 miles any day. I believe my skin is worth much more to me than any mileage comparison. Overall, I really like these tires. Major confidence on turns. Silent as a ghost. |
Motorcycle Tire Ceramic Balancing Beads
ITEM CODE: PG27738
08.03.2009
5 Stars
|
Mounted new Avons, using the beads. Bought beads and tires from Wingstuff, but my local dealer Service Mgr is a friend, so he mounted both tires for $25 since he wanted me to tell him how the beads worked out. His `high speed' balancer really only spins at 15 mph (or less), and both tires showed .25 ounces off. So for the first 100 miles I could have sworn I heard the `rice in bamboo rain forest' sound off the back tire. Okay, it was just me. And it was kinda cool. But there is no `humping' from unbalanced tires, NO front wobble, and now I don't have to have weights. Yippee! In reality, the ride is smooth and I will continue to use thee when I mount my backup Metzlers. Very interested to see if these help with the Metzler wear issues, or if they really create a smoother wearing tire. But as is, so far, I LYKUM!. |
Deluxe Luggage Rack Bag w/Rain Cover
ITEM CODE: WSRACKBAG, SKU: WSRACKBAG
07.14.2009
5 Stars
| This bag replaced my snap-fastener Kuryakin that finally rotted out after 8 years. My initial reaction was...mistake. Due to the length of the velcro straps, and th ethick ones on the bottom of the bag, every single strap stuck to each other. What a pisser to mount. At least until I figured out HOW to attach the straps (there are no directions). The wide bottom straps aren't too difficult to figure out, but the side and front straps are long, and they don't attach to each other unless awkwardly twisted. So-don't mount them that way! Wrap each strap around the rack rails in a different `rolling' direction, and the strap with attach itself to it's own back. In the front, I wrapped on strip around the rack footing, and the other along the front rail. On the sides, I wrapped one froward, and the other behind. Once I figured this out, this bag sits tight and doesn't budge. My snap-mounted bag had too much play in the front tags, thereby hanging halfway off the back of the rack. A quick scetch could be included in the bag to ease some initial frustration. |
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