Just installed V-strom hand guards on my Gen 1 1200

[Red01]

LOL! No book.
Maybe your meds are making you cranky.

Maybe 3 months isn't a short time to you, but it is to me.  

Reminds me a little of the guy who owned my B12 before me. He traded in 3 bikes in less than a year to the dealer I bought it from... he'd traded a few month old Busa in for the B12 (new) and 3 months & <600 miles later traded the B12 in for a used BMW. I don't remember what he had before the Busa though.  He had to have taken a beating on trading in those near new bikes though! And I'm sure the salesmen loved to see him walk in the door.

[ZenMan]

LOL! No book.
Maybe your meds are making you cranky.

Maybe 3 months isn't a short time to you, but it is to me.  

Reminds me a little of the guy who owned my B12 before me. He traded in 3 bikes in less than a year to the dealer I bought it from... he'd traded a few month old Busa in for the B12 (new) and 3 months & <600 miles later traded the B12 in for a used BMW. I don't remember what he had before the Busa though.  He had to have taken a beating on trading in those near new bikes though! And I'm sure the salesmen loved to see him walk in the door.

No, the meds make me feel great. It's the pain that makes me cranky. Sorry about that.  

I didn't actually trade the V-Strom in... we paid cash for it and a DR200SE for the 'Ol Lady for her to learn to ride. When she didn't, I sold the DL650 to a private party for what I paid for it, minus the cost of a few accessories. We used that money to buy her an Ozark and the down payment on my Bandit.

Now we're going to sell the DR200 and pay off the Bandit. I don't usually buy/sell so quickly, but things didn't work out on her part. I just about broke even, got a huge deal on the Bandit, and everything will be free and clear within a couple months. Any other questions?  

Now I have a question for you... know anybody who's interested in a mint condition '07 DR200SE (blue) with less than 100 miles on it? MSRP is $3949... I'll let it go for $3400 clear title. It's going on Ebay next week.

[Red01]

on not having to take a bath on the sale of the DL.  

Sorry, don't know of anyone looking for a DR200.  I wouldn't mind a DRz400S or SM, or even the older DR350 dual sport, but that's not in the financial cards at the moment.

[ZenMan]

Personally I wouldn't mind one of the bikes you mentioned either, but it's not in the cards quite yet.

This DR200SE is a perfect beginner's bike for a teenager or wife/girlfriend, or ideal for a college student commuter bike, or a great bumper-mount for the RV motorhome. It's electric-start, street-legal, and hauled my 260 lbs. over 70 mph on the way home from the dealership. Handles the trails pretty well, too... reminds me of a trials bike sorta.



Well shoot. I guess I'll stick this in the "For Sale" section where it belongs...

[Frisk Fisk]

To get back on topic, I saw something at the Triumph store that looked interesting.  They are a textile sock kind of thing that fit over the grips on each side, and you put your hands in them so that your hands are covered.  Someone earlier in here referred to bar snakes; maybe that's what they are called. The dealer said that you can ride without gloves in the winter with these - although I don't think I'd want to do that.  I have universal hand guards on my 650 V Strom (they do the trick but don't fit too well), but I think I'll try the socks (snakes, mitts, whatever) on my B1250.  There's no substitute for a wide fairing, however.  The Concours I just sold was great in that respect.  What I hate are thick winter gloves.  I wear elkskin ropers with separate silk liners, and when it's too cold for that, I don't ride.

[Red01]

Sounds like you're talking about HippoHands:

[ZenMan]

Yep, that's what I thought he meant.

Isn't a "bar snake" an anti-vibration rope-like device you put inside the handlebars?

When it comes down to practical functionality and style, there's a place where I draw the line.

Hippo-Hands crosses that line.  

Also, you'll never see any big fat top-cases jutting out on the back of my motorcycle... I don't care how convenient they are. They are just plain freakin' UGLY.

[Red01]

HippoHands cross that line for me, too.
Yes, a bar-snake is an anti-vibe device that goes inside a tubular handlebar.
As for the top case, I don't mind their looks as long as there's side cases, too. When they're alone, like the pic above, they just look bad to me. (For some reason, I don't find them as objectionable on a scooter.) Not that my Ventura pack rack is a thing of beauty, but at least it's only on my bike once in a while.

[ZenMan]

This is my Dowco RallyPack soft luggage on the V-Strom:



I'm putting the whole set on my Bandit. I switched the blue inserts to black ones. I think it'll look very cool... all black. And my bedroll with tent and mattress fits inside a nice black stuff-sack and straps down on the passenger seat... makes a good backrest, too.

As far as security, hell, all you need is a tire-iron to get into a hard case... or a sharp knife to slit open a soft case. I use little padlocks or cable gun locks to secure my zippers and straps when I go into a store or cafe. I just try to park where I can see the bike from inside... and if I stay in a motel, I take the bags inside and park the bike right outside the window.

I wouldn't be against a set of hard saddlebags if I found ones that looked good and didn't stick out too far. But those big, bulbous trunks are just ridiculous... and HIDEOUS!  

(no offense meant... just my old-fart opinion)  

[Frisk Fisk]

The Hippo Hands in the picture above are obscene!  Like size 42 panties on someone with anorexia.  What I saw were fairly svelte, and followed the curve of the bars.  
As we are once again off topic, talking about hard luggage, it's just something more to get messed up if you go down. Also that stuff looks good on some BMWs and the Concours, but I think it's a bit too much for the Bandits and the V Stroms.  I use expandable Oxfords on my V Strom and Bandit.  On one side I can fit a three-rib standing roast beef and a half gallon of Jose Cuervo.  On the other I can fit a watermelon.  But after unloading the Cuervo I usually forget about the melon.  I don't think top boxes look good on any bike, but when I needed the capacity I used to use the Ventura system (brackets, rack, and two big bags that zip together), but you had to be a really high kicker to get on the bike in the side stand mode.

[pmackie]

I've got Kappa hard bags on mine. (I think they come out of different doors of the Givi factory?)

They definately stick out too far, but you know, once I'm on the bike and rolling, I don't ever notice them. Sure are convenient. I don't have a good picture, but here they are in the background. (Cargo7 and his B12 in the foreground)

http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t52/pmackie_photos/100_0643.jpg

[Frisk Fisk]

I went to  the Triumph dealer here and bought a pair of Snow Paws for $29.  They are made of Cordura-type material, fleece lined and fit over the hand controls and the brake and clutch fluid reservoirs.  Nice and toasty.  You can slide them off when you aren't using them.  They are also interchangeable with other bikes - unless you have rigid hand guards on them.  MUCH more svelte than Hippo Hands, which must have been made for the Elephant Man.  I'm quite pleased with myself.

[ZenMan]

Pics???

[Frisk Fisk]

No digital camera, no pics. Use your imagination to picture a black, heavy nylon sock with fleece lining that is large enough to fit over the bars, the controls, the reservoirs and your hands.  While I'm here, I'll provide a bit more information.  My research indicates that they are a snowmobile accessory made by Lemans Seat Company and available through Parts Unlimited (as well as some snowmobile and motorcycle dealers).  There is a Deluxe version which seems to be 2" longer and $6 more, but my "13 1/2" $29 version is fine.  This might be a good time to suggest looking in other places for things.  In addition to snowmobile shops, I have found glove liners and sock liners in tack shops, and an army/navy surplus store was the source for my tall, leather Wehrmacht boots (suitable for riding BMWs and Zundaps, as well as stomping on Untermenschen).

[ZenMan]

You don't need a camera:



You can get 'em for $24.95 here: http://www.absolutesnowmobileparts.com/sledparts_179.htm

If you need help on how to capture pics off the net or post links , PM me and I'll do my best.