Slabbing and stuff to do it with.

Strider · Jan 13, 2016

Those of you that have done long distances how was it? What items would you say the bike needs to make it right. I'm still holding out hope that TuneBoy will have electronic CC for us this year. I'd like to do suspension all around too. I need to do something with the seat or pegs as my feet fall asleep after a while on the bike. Risers would be nice as my short legs can hardly get my knee into the "tank" when I'm riding hard...

appliance821 · Jan 13, 2016

I wear padded compression shorts, earplugs and am thinking about a throttle lock for brief wrist rests. Otherwise I just dress for the weather and go.

The only thing I can think of special is an EZPass - or whatever electronic toll system you use. Saves a lot of mucking around.It's velcroed inside my right hand guard. Inside the left is my electric liner/glove controller.

Not much tank to grip, that's for sure. Don't know if a riser (I'm thinking you mean higher pegs) would help - might help your feet.

I slab only as long as it takes to get to the good roads - try to keep it 2 hours or less just so i don't fall asleep.

monocog007 · Jan 14, 2016

I've got a fabbri windscreen, and it definitely stopped the wind against my helmet. But before that, I've done 700 miles in a day and didn't feel like I needed to get off. I find the stock seat to be pretty comfortable, but if your feet are going to sleep, it's more than likely a problem of blood flow. Try some padded bicycle shorts.

Jokeshopbeard · Jan 14, 2016

What is slabbing?

appliance821 · Jan 14, 2016

Jokeshopbeard said:
What is slabbing?

That is ripe for so many replies, but no... It's highway riding - the super slab.

BlueSwede · Jan 14, 2016

Strider, go East... lots of nice County roads with curves in Wisconsin... Peter Egan is always raving about it....and having lived in WI I tend to agree.

+1 on the bike shorts. Avoid cotton which traps too much moisture.

Off road pegs with the screws on top for good grip would be easy to modify to add some height to the peg level.

Strider · Jan 14, 2016

I ride lots of WI roads not much to entertainment in the Twin Cities area HEH. I'm planning to do some touring this season and I'm thinking I may want something even more TOURING. I kinda wish I would have bought a KTM 990 SMT originally it has more "fairing". I also would like to have better passenger accommodation although I don't NEED them as I rarely carry a passenger (maybe three times in my riding tenure). If I could afford it I would just go straight out and by a Hyperstrada 1200.

I always wear bike shorts for sure!! I even wear them at track days!

As for my peg situation I think the seats width is slowing down the blood circulation to my feet. That teamed up with the vibs isn't doing very good for me. The higher pegs will give me better feeling of being locked into the bike when playing.

I asked a member here to review this screen.

It is a little strange (any screen is weird on our bikes really) but it looks like it pretty wide and may make a decent sized bubble.

zippy49 · Jan 15, 2016

Got one of those on my Strada, have not had a chance to ride it any distance yet though. It appears to offer a bigger "bubble" of still air, and is adjustable for height. The OEM shield scratched up way too quickly. My only complaint is the logo, which is screened on and not easily removable. I put a VR46 sticker over it!

Many of our "free"ways are made of concrete slabs, 15 feet long. They tend to sag after a few years, mostly in the middle, causing "freeway hop." It's especially noticeable above 70 mph. The Strada was pretty bad on this, better now that the forks have been fixed. But you would need very soft suspension to make it smooth. Weight helps too; our Harley was not too bad, but the 390 Duke is just terrible. Got an Ohlins on order for it.

My solution is to put as much of my weight as possible on the footpegs. And avoid the slab!

zippy49 · Jan 15, 2016

Here's a pic of mine, it's all the way up. Looks just fine to me!

appliance821 · Jan 15, 2016

zippy49 said:
Got one of those on my Strada, have not had a chance to ride it any distance yet though. It appears to offer a bigger "bubble" of still air, and is adjustable for height. The OEM shield scratched up way too quickly. My only complaint is the logo, which is screened on and not easily removable. I put a VR46 sticker over it!

Many of our "free"ways are made of concrete slabs, 15 feet long. They tend to sag after a few years, mostly in the middle, causing "freeway hop." It's especially noticeable above 70 mph. The Strada was pretty bad on this, better now that the forks have been fixed. But you would need very soft suspension to make it smooth. Weight helps too; our Harley was not too bad, but the 390 Duke is just terrible. Got an Ohlins on order for it.

My solution is to put as much of my weight as possible on the footpegs. And avoid the slab!

If you could post a review of the windshield after you get a chance to use it, that would be greatly appreciated. Both MRA and its distributers have no info and I can't afford to take a chance (no return after mounted.)

My main issue with the standard screen os that the air is directed right under my helmet - lots of noise - earplugs cure this but.... If this screen is a real improvement I'd buy it. Otherwise I'm thinking of spacers on the OEM.

Yeah those slabs - I had a van that, at the right speed, a constructive harmonic would set up as you bucked from slab to slab. Scary the first time - varied the speed after that.

zippy49 · Jan 16, 2016

Appliance, I had not much complaint about how the original worked. I feel that its main purpose is to reduce wind pressure on my upper body. I have a short torso for my 6' height, and the wind tended to rattle my helmet's shield a bit but did not get underneath much. I don't think this one will be much different, but I'll take it out as soon as the weather warms up a bit!

The secret to getting smooth flow around a windshield is having some air come underneath the shield to balance out the flow over the top and sides. A local company, Laminar Lip, makes add-on deflectors that do this. I've had good results with them. You can adjust the MRA about 2" up and down to get the flow you want. Up would be max, and that's where mine is now. It's easy to change, takes an allen wrench though.

jwfoulk · Jan 21, 2016

Is that the clear or the light grey mra?

appliance821 · Jan 21, 2016

zippy49 said:
Appliance, I had not much complaint about how the original worked. I feel that its main purpose is to reduce wind pressure on my upper body. I have a short torso for my 6' height, and the wind tended to rattle my helmet's shield a bit but did not get underneath much. I don't think this one will be much different, but I'll take it out as soon as the weather warms up a bit!

The secret to getting smooth flow around a windshield is having some air come underneath the shield to balance out the flow over the top and sides. A local company, Laminar Lip, makes add-on deflectors that do this. I've had good results with them. You can adjust the MRA about 2" up and down to get the flow you want. Up would be max, and that's where mine is now. It's easy to change, takes an allen wrench though.

I've got allen wrenches! Look forward to your thought on the windshield. I'm OK with the stock screen but if wind noise can be lessened - and maybe some screen clearing in the rain, I'd give this serious consideration.

RSL · Jan 27, 2016

What's considered long distance on the Hyperstrada?

1,000 mile days?

Strider · Jan 27, 2016

1,000 mile days would be extremely unlikely. I believe I recognize you from Advrider.com so I know you like to go long. I'd like to build up to longer days but for now I'm looking at 3-500 mile days. I may do an iron butt this coming season.

RSL · Jan 28, 2016

300 to 500 mile days are easy with the stock Hyperstrada. The key is figuring when to get gas. At low elevations and WFO riding it is about 130 miles, at high elevations and conservative throttle application it is easily over 150 miles. I watch the fuel mileage average for an indication.

At 500 miles+ I start to squirm in the seat. Any seat. Any bike.

My preference with the Hyperstrada is 250 to 400 mile days. Planned gas stops added to the GPS route. But then, I have been riding with a GPS since 1999. Won't ride without one.

I plan all rides in advance on my computer, then load it to a GPS. Far more pleasurable knowing where good gas it, where to spend the night, having reservations. In addition, I plan a number of alternative options for weather.

RSL · Jan 28, 2016

I also keep all the GPS data for future ride route planning.

RSL · Jan 28, 2016

So, my point is that longer rides are made easier by planning because fatigue is as much between your ears as your bike & body.

On the Hyperstrada we are the windscreen. This offers the benefit of having the helmet in clean air but the challenge of additional wind noise. Inside helmets it is common to have sound levels exceeding 100 db. As such, permanent ear damage occurs quickly.

Most earplugs say they offer 30 db of sound reduction. Those reductions are in the high frequency range, NOT the sub 500 hertz range wind noise is in. A false sense of protection with common earplugs.

I ride with custom molded medical grade silicone ear monitors. Purchased from a gold certified audiologist, I had these tested in my ears and learned that I'm getting 40 db of protection. Reducing the background sound level so much allows me to better hear different sounds, like horns, sirens and engine sounds. Better than without ear protection because of the frequencies these other sounds are at.

Loud noise = Fatigue

Reduce the loud and your long ride is much more comfortable.

appliance821 · Jan 28, 2016

That is a magnificent portrait of your ear there

I've found standard foam plugs to work very well - one trick I use is to moisten them a bit before putting them in. This gives a good seal. I was in a band so I know the signs of hearing damage.

It's funny - we seem to like to ride the same sort of places - though I'm east coast - but do it completely differently. I get to the good roads and get lost - I only use gps to find where I am when I start looking for a campsite.

But 250 - 400 miles back road scratching is many hours and more than enough for me in a day.

You've been rigging your bike for more dirt riding. Something I'm considering as cash allows. One thing primary in my thoughts is the gearing. When I hit the rocky inclines ( and the dort roads here seem to always turn into that) I'm clutch slipping and fighting the machine. Thinking of one gear down on the front sprocket or I'll be looking at a new clutch and a broken leg.

Slabbing and stuff to do it with.

Strider

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Strider

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