Making it mine

[AZRider]

I thought that I'd start a thread about the little changes that personalize a bike to it's owner. I'll get this off to a colorful start with a color change to my panniers. The color match isn't perfect, but at 60mph who's going to notice?

[SpudRider]

Nice job! The color match might not be 'perfect,' but it looks pretty good to me. :tup: What paint did you use?

[Adjuster]

Looks great!



/

[jct842]

A bit late now but these places that have computer paint mixing are supposed to be able to match paint perfectly. I was going to try it right before my chinese scooter got tangled up with a dog under the front wheel. John

[AZRider]

I was walking through my local Walmart and saw that they had some spray paint odds and ends on clearance for $5. The paint is Rust-Oleum Caliper paint and in the store the color looked like a good match, and after application was still pretty good. I had some clear coat and after 4 coats of paint, I applied 3 coats of clear.

[SpudRider]

Other than free, 'clearance prices' are the best prices. :) I can't tell a difference from the photograph, which means most people will never notice a difference while viewing the bike in person. ;)

[Huck369]

Looks good:)

[Weldangrind]

That's a good look. It would be a nice detail to have a bit of the same red on the trunk as well, like a small pin stripe. Maybe there is pin stripe tape in a similar red also.

[oldqwerty]

SUH-WHEET!!!! I'm so glad I sent my son to WyoTech to learn how to refinish motor vehicles.

[woodlandsprite]

George, can you fit a full face helmet in that travel trunk? and did you have to change out the mounting plate on the bike to get it attached? I'm thinking I need a slightly larger top case than the stock CSC one...

[AZRider]

That's a good look. It would be a nice detail to have a bit of the same red on the trunk as well, like a small pin stripe. Maybe there is pin stripe tape in a similar red also.

You're right, but I also use this case on my Valk and the reds don't match. If I decide to use it exclusively on the RX-3, then I'll stripe or paint an accent section. Thanks.

George, can you fit a full face helmet in that travel trunk? and did you have to change out the mounting plate on the bike to get it attached? I'm thinking I need a slightly larger top case than the stock CSC one...

A full face helmet will fit and this Coocase was designed with that in mind. Unfortunately, this particular model, the V-28, is no longer available so you may have to do some research into finding an equivalent. It comes with a base plate that is held onto the rack with 2 nuts and bolts that line up with precut holes in both the rack and base plate. It's very sturdy, but if you were to take on a passenger and use the case as a backrest, I would add a third nut and bolt. For that you would probably have to drill the rack.

I did have another rear case for a while from JC Whitney that was much larger, 48 liters I believe, but it was old and didn't hold up to offroading.

[Huck369]

George, can you fit a full face helmet in that travel trunk? and did you have to change out the mounting plate on the bike to get it attached? I'm thinking I need a slightly larger top case than the stock CSC one...


I've used the large travel Trunk from JC Whitney on several bikes for years...it is a know off of a GIVI, and will hold most full face helmets....for under $50.00 ...I used the CSC mounting plate and mounting points, bolted on the Trunks plate(Had to drill the Trunk's Mounting plate to match the 3 holes in the CSC plate) I've posted a couple pics...but don't have them here with me...
The trunks are a great value...this newest ones mounting plate is thinner metal than the earlier ones I've had, but does the job OK

[SpudRider]

Yes, I love the J.C. Whitney/Garage Pro Travel Trunks. :tup:

http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq146/spudrider/XRL%20Rides/challisaug2011430_zpsfe7ebdf4.jpg

http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq146/spudrider/Magruder%202014/Magruder2014229_zps014fa9a9.jpg

http://www.chinariders.net/showthread.php?t=12271
http://www.chinariders.net/showthread.php?t=14279

[AZRider]

Added a Ram GPS mount between the windshield and instruments. Makes for a better sight line.

[AZRider]

A few more pics.

[AZRider]

I also added a gel seat pad that was on sale at Cycle Gear for $50. I don't have enough riding time yet to post a report, but initial impressions are positive. Size is medium.

[Weldangrind]

That Garmin is a good size, and I like the idea of that gel pad also.

Many of our members over the years have had good luck with this gel cover: http://www.walmart.com/ip/Coleman-ATV-Comfort-Ride-Seat-Protector/16777864

[Adjuster]

I have owned the WalMart Coleman for around 6 months. The color is fading a little bit but it appears to be very high quality with no indications of wearing out. Something you sit on needs to be very tough in construction and this pad is holding up very well. To be honest I fully expected the stitching or the straps to fail but so far no problems at all. Pretty comfortable to sit on as a bonus.


/

[SpudRider]

Your location for the RAM ball is very creative. :) Also, thanks for posting the good review of the gel seat pad from Cycle Gear. Those are two, very nice modifications. :tup:

[AZRider]

A quick update. I went for a 250 mile ride over freeway, side roads and and a bunch of dirt and graded gravel with over 8 hours in the saddle. The verdict is, I'm very satisfied with the pad. It's a couple of notches down from the custom Ultimate seats on my Valk and Spyder, but way better than the standard seat. It's a keeper until a custom seat is available. :tup:

[woodlandsprite]

all that riding and no pretty photos? ;) I imagine you were too hot to want to stop :) I'm having a hard time thinking about gearing up fully to go for a ride with the temps reaching for 110F

Glad to hear that seat is a good add!

[JTHSPACE]

I bought some body armour that consists of shoulder, elbow, forearm, chest and back hard pads all joined together on a mesh vest. Hard to see the mesh in the photo, With a long armed t-shirt underneth, you get a fair bit of cooling through the mesh.

http://i908.photobucket.com/albums/ac281/jthspace/SkyTeam%20Raptor/Clothing/Screen%20Shot%202015-06-10%20at%2018.33.10.png (http://s908.photobucket.com/user/jthspace/media/SkyTeam%20Raptor/Clothing/Screen%20Shot%202015-06-10%20at%2018.33.10.png.html)

http://i908.photobucket.com/albums/ac281/jthspace/SkyTeam%20Raptor/Clothing/Screen%20Shot%202015-06-10%20at%2018.33.28.png (http://s908.photobucket.com/user/jthspace/media/SkyTeam%20Raptor/Clothing/Screen%20Shot%202015-06-10%20at%2018.33.28.png.html)

Jeff

[alex_in_az]

all that riding and no pretty photos? ;) I imagine you were too hot to want to stop :) I'm having a hard time thinking about gearing up fully to go for a ride with the temps reaching for 110F

Glad to hear that seat is a good add!

it's not so bad as long as you keep moving and are covered up enough. I have an 8 mile each way commute to work, it's perfect in the morning and in the evening it's bearable as long as I keep my visor down.

[AZRider]

all that riding and no pretty photos? ;) I imagine you were too hot to want to stop :) I'm having a hard time thinking about gearing up fully to go for a ride with the temps reaching for 110F

I posted pics in the ride report section, hope you like them.

I have a cool vest, but this time I used a cool towel around my neck and it worked well. Essentially, a cool towel is a synthetic chamois for drying vehicles and is the same material used for camping and swimming towels. Available at your local Walmart, it is highly absorbent and keeps your neck cool.

[SpudRider]

Thanks for posting the tip on the synthetic chamois, George. :)

[Weldangrind]

I have a cool vest, but this time I used a cool towel around my neck and it worked well.

Great tip on the synthetic chamois, George. What is a cool vest?

[AZRider]

Great tip on the synthetic chamois, George. What is a cool vest?

It's a specially constructed vest that has absorption beads built into it. You dunk it in water for several minutes to allow the beads to soak up the water, gently squeeze out the excess, then put it on under your jacket. Great in dry, hot climates, but no good in high humidity as it works on evaporation principles. Joe Rocket and several other manufacturers have them from around $35. Here in Arizona they're a godsend.

[Weldangrind]

I've never heard of that. Probably because I live on the Wet Coast.

[SpudRider]

I've never heard of that. Probably because I live on the Wet Coast.

You probably would have enjoyed wearing a cool vest on the trip to Bonneville Speed Week in August. ;) I might get one myself.

:hehe:

[woodlandsprite]

I've heard good things about LD Comfort layers - they are on the pricy end, but with temps hitting 115, I'm thinking I better get out my wallet if I want to spend time on my bike this summer :P

[rjmorel]

Cooling vests and heated clothing are a Godsend when needed and make an unbearable situation very pleasant I've experienced, rj

[Scrami71]

Fully agree rj. Having lived in SoCal for 17 years, a cooling vest is a must. Now that I live in North Idaho a heated vest allows me to ride till late October mid November and still be comfortable. Last summer I hauled out the cooling vest when I did 2 trips in BC

[AZRider]

This may not be a mod that the off-roaders will embrace, but since most of my riding is street, it works for me. Because of my advancing years, I have added highway pegs to all my bikes and the RX-3 is no exception. These pegs are an easy install, but I did need to buy shorter bolts from home depot, as I couldn't tighten the pegs enough to prevent them from moving. Also, the anti-vibration feature is minimal as some vibration still gets through.

http://www.amazon.com/Anti-Vibrate-Engine-Clamps-Softail-Touring/dp/B00W67TI9Y/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1444348950&sr=8-1&keywords=Black+anti+vibrate+guard+footpegs

[Weldangrind]

It pays to have alternate foot positions, especially if one occasionally suffers with sciatic trouble.

[woodlandsprite]

thanks for the link, George! I've been thinking I might want highway pegs on my bike for longer trips.

[SpudRider]

Those highway pegs look good. :)