Toynut

You would get the most bang for the buck by changing just the front sprocket one tooth larger. This would typically reduce your highway RPM by about 8% in most applications. The larger front sprocket also reduces the wear on the chain due to the increased radius of the gear. It would take about three teeth off of the rear sprocket to get the same effective ratio change. IMPORTANT! Make sure your chain or gear does not hit the inside of the engine case/chain cover, which can happen when installing larger sprockets.

While you have the cover off, do a really thorough job of cleaning the spooge off of the inside cover, clutch rod (as described above) as well as the engine case. A lot of that crud contains bits of abrasives that when warmed up will potentially carry road grit, metal shavings, etc. to crud up the new chain and sprockets. In ADDITION, use this opportunity to de-grunge your control arm and chain guides (after inspecting them for excess wear and tear) as well as your chain guard (tons of crud will accumulate in there, too). A bike lift and a parts washer simplifies this chore tremendously (Christmas is coming). BTW, if you are changing to a smaller, 16 tooth sprocket, don't line up the old chain next to the new one for length purposes, you will end up with too many links and not enough adjustment!

The good news is that the current deal on the jackets and pants will still be honored for at least a month or so. Anyone who wants to take advantage of the deal is welcome to do so.

For those of you who have already placed orders for the jackets or pants, Linda should have emailed you the current status of your orders. I will summarize for the rest of you. First Manufacturing shipped out about a half dozen pieces to Motor City Power Sports. They decided to do a production run on the jackets and pants to resupply their New York warehouse properly. Apparently the jackets were in pretty high demand among their distribution network and their initial inventories ran dry. In hindsight, I probably waited too long a period to allow the orders to accumulate for the 50 piece minimums (my bad). Linda contacted the top people at First Manufacturing who assured her that the warehouse will be fully stocked by August 25. They will also include the zipper pulls that I had asked for which were not originally on the stock jackets. The patches are in my possession, the extra YKK zipper sets were already en route to Linda. I do communicate with Linda a couple of times a week. I spoke to Linda about the delay, as I was concerned that members who had placed an order may have a limited riding season (like in Michigan). While quality leather jackets/pants are durable items that last for years, we all understand the various time constraints/patience that individual members may have for such an item. On the positive, any members who were sitting on the fence, or making financial arrangements, or just came across the postings, can feel free to place an order at this time, as inventories will be back to normal shortly. While the delay is an unforeseen event, Linda cheerfully agreed that anyone who has placed an order can have a full refund should he/she not wish to wait another 3 -4 weeks or so. I got involved with this GB to try to make some people happy and a get them a good deal on some quality protective gear, not for any remuneration, whatsoever. It is not our (Linda or mine) desire to have any dissatisfied forum members. While I believe this gear is worth the extra wait involved, Linda will honor any refund requests made at this time.

Hi guys, I received the XX patches last Friday. I ordered them in a size that is 10 inches long (end to end). The reason I settled on this size was to be able to create a patch that will fit the majority of jackets worn by the members. This is to take in consideration for the great variations in size (small-xxxl), and the fact that many jackets have vertical zippered vents in the rear, or various types/styles of padding, aero humps, seam line location, etc., that reduce the available real estate for a transcontinental Harley-sized banner (though, they could make a larger one if there is sufficient interest). The CBR was lightened a bit from the original rendition to provide a bit greater contrast against black leather jackets. The threads do change color and contrast a bit depending on the viewing angle. This photograph is a reasonable rendition.

PM sent.

OK everyone, Here is the current updated list of forum members interested in the GB on either the jacket or pants, or both: Spicholy- large jacket CBRXXQuad – large jacket, 36 pants, Women’s 8/10 jacket (women’s pants not available) shotsfired- large jacket, 36 pants Flitemedic- XL jacket, 38 pants UvaldeXX –large jacket, 36 pants Hobicus- (jacket and pants- size unknown) JRinNC-XXL jacket, 40 pants Note- They will not be able to supply us with a perforated version John01XX-medium jacket Pavdog- ?? Bob the Fish- (jacket and pants- size unknown) TPXX- (jacket and pants- size unknown) alf03- jacket (size unknown) 01xxallen-3X jacket zypp-XXL jacket, 34 pants T REX14-XL jacket Obby-38 pants From the CBRXX.com forum: flblackbird- medium jacket ArmyStrong-XXL jacket, 40 pants Sandsquidxx-large (42) jacket, 34 pants tonyz-large jacket HukitAK-XXL jacket, 40 pants Kacbrxx-large jacket fstallin- XL jacket, 40 pants Other than those of you who have not committed to a size, the totals are under 50 men's jackets required for a custom production run. HOWEVER We are able to still get the right price from Linda Royer at MotorCity Powersports (248) 858-2300, on the production First Manufacturing jacket and pants. I will include the back patch and back zipper in the box separately for the same prices as we discussed at the top of the thread. The quality of the stock production jackets, just as they are off- the- rack, will speak out for itself. The garments are exchangeable for size (as nlong as they are in new condition), freight prepaid. Men's and Ladies jackets, up to XXL, $185.00 each + S&H (approximately $15.00/package (lower 48), whether you order the jacket alone or a combo). XXXL and larger jackets are $10.00 extra. The pants are $110.00 a pair (they already have a back zipper installed). I have arranged for you to make payment directly to MotorCity Powersports via their Paypal account. I am not interested in handling any funds unless requested to. I am not making a dime or receiving any consideration for this transaction. Orders will be shipped ASAP. I am having my local embroidery shop make me the back patches. They are approximately 10 inches across and should fit all of the jacket sizes nicely. They will also fit on the bottom panel of the majority of the jacket sizes for those looking for that "tramp stamp" look. After all the orders are filled I will make the balance of the patches available to the rest of the membership, as I will need to order a quantity of at least 50 pieces for the best price (should be under $10.00), as long as supplies last. To make sure that everyone's orders are handled as expeditiously as possible, I will ship the clothing from my warehouse, ASAP, along with the patches and zippers enclosed in the box. You will have to either sew them on yourselves, or have them done at your local leather shop/tailor probably for about $10 or so each (if you ordered the pants, the bottom half of the zipper is already attached). For all of you who committed to the GB, kindly PM me with your final orders. I will PM you back with the payment information and keep a log of your order. Anyone inclined to add to this order (ladies jacket perhaps?) or join in the deal, feel free to do so at this time. Thank you all, in advance, for your patience and consideration!

The jackets will only be available in the solid version whether or not we reach the 50 piece target required for the customized version. It would take a 100 piece production run for them to offer it both ways. It is still a very well vented jacket that I could wear in up to 85 degree or so temps, as long as it is not too humid. But then again, we "larger" guys don't like muggy climates all that much, anyway!

I would suggest you order the leather pants as to what would be your most recent jean size. The leather will stretch to fit a bit if they are on the tight side, And the waist band system and elastic panels are "forgiving" to non perfect tapered torsos ((ahem ). I would guess that they can stretch at least a half a pants size or so, in the seat, waist area, and thigh (up to the knees), where the materials are flexed the most as you mount your bike and lean forward. The pants are a stock, off- the- shelf production items that are exchangeable for size AS LONG AS YOU DO NOT WEAR THEM OUT ON A RIDE. I don't think it would be cool to ask the distributor to take back a sweated up or scuffed up pair of pants, NO WEARING THEM COMMANDO ! :icon_barf: The return freight back and forth on the pants should you need an exchange should run under $10, each way, in most cases (lower 48).

No problem, though I would hold off on buying the Genmars. If the VFRs don't do the trick for you, you can sell them in about 15 minutes on this forum. Once you get much past the degree of rise and setback offered by a set of Helis or VFRs you will need to install longer brake and clutch lines. The other two companies I mentioned offer the proper lines to do that (Spieglers are already included). To use the FULL maximum range of the Convertibars (adjustable to about 4 inches of rise and approximately 3 inches of setback), you would also have to install extended length throttle cables that you can buy fairly inexpensively from Motion Pro.

There are a couple of other bar options for you to consider to give you a more comfortable ride. Convertibars will allow an even greater range of adjustment than Helis. http://www.convertibars.com/ I have seen a few fellow riders install a set of Spiegler LSL tubular handlebar conversions on their XXs that work extremely well and give you excellent leverage in slow speed handling. http://www.spieglerusa.com/cfm/sbk.cfm

When I installed the rear aftermarket shock with the height adjusted for the increased lift and a pair of Traxxion cartridge forks, I found that the front end of my bike had lifted substantially higher relative to stock which led to sluggish handling. I read that Hyperpro had suggested raising the tubes approximately 10mm from their stock setting to accomodate the stiffer springs altering the stock ride geometry. I raised my fork tubes in the uppers about 10mm as well. In the 500 miles or so of testing, at both low and high speeds, the bike handles as great as ever, and turn in has greatly improved! YMMV, but, at least in my case, this approach seemed to have corrected a problem. BTW, It also reduced the side stand lean angle a bit. These picture show the difference between my Traxxion equipped '03 bird on the right, and my 0 mile, bone stock, spare '03 on the left (viewed from the front).

On a slightly different note................. Thank you again Angee for taking the time in your hectic schedule for modeling the jacket for the members. :icon_clap: I was hoping this would encourage some of you guys to get some safety gear for your spouses/girlfriends/etc. (flipflops, thongs, and shorts are only good for beachwear. ). This is not the way to gear up for riding: :icon_doh: Interestingly enough, I received a women's jacket in a size large and it does have a removable back pad. I wonder if the fact that yours does not have one incorporated into it is strictly due to the size of your jacket, as the larger versions do have them? :icon_think:

Sorry John, They will not do a perforated version unless we get a 100 jacket order together. The solid leather unit has tons of air vents in it though, but honestly, don't expect miracles in +95 degree, humid air temps, particularly if you are stuck in slow traffic. Even perforated leather won't help you there.

Hello everyone! I am posting a summary of the current status of the Group Buy on the jackets for your consideration. I originally had requested the manufacturer to modify their otherwise excellent stock production jacket with some enhancements that I tend to like on my garments. Their initial requirements necessitated us achieving a goal of 100 men’s jackets for them to incorporate changes into a production run. I posted the offer on the .org site as well as the CBRXX forum (many of you post on both) as well as the FJRforum. The initial responses were encouraging, but not enough to satisfy the 100 piece requirement for a special production run. When I returned from a family vacation, I contacted the First rep and asked him if they can reduce the minimum order requirement for the group, as too much time has passed and interest would diminish if we would have to wait for the required 100 jackets. First agreed to reduce the requirement to 50 pieces provided that they do not have to install the gathering straps as it would require an approval unit be made and add at least a month to the process. They also would not offer a perforated jacket on the small run. I was a bit surprised that only a few of you were interested in a jacket, for their wives, girlfriends, etc. Friday, I shipped a jacket to Angee to get a woman’s critique and evaluation of the garment (women’s pants are not available). Fair enough, here is an initial list of people that had expressed an interest in ordering a jacket or a pair of pants. I have a few others who have posted an interest on other threads or in PMs which I might have missed. Feel free to add to this list as we can still use all of the help we can to make the 50 men’s jackets required. I plan on ordering a dozen extra jackets, in different sizes to help make this GB happen, and for the inevitable size exchanges/ late add on orders/gifts/ etc. Spicholy- large jacket CBRXXQuad – large jacket, 36 pants , Women’s 8/10 jacket (women’s pants not available) shotsfired- large jacket, 36 pants wheely- medium jacket, 32 pants Flitemedic- XL jacket, 38 pants UvaldeXX –large jacket, 36 pants Hobicus- (jacket and pants- size unknown) JRinNC-XXL jacket, 40 pants Note- They will not be able to supply us with a perforated version John01XX-medium jacket Pavdog-medium jacket, 32 pants Bob the Fish- (jacket and pants- size unknown) TPXX- (jacket and pants- size unknown) alf03- jacket (size unknown) 01xxallen-3X jacket zypp-XXL jacket, 34 pants T REX14-XL jacket Obby-pants (size unknown) Helvet- (possibly up to 10 jackets for riding buddies) There are a few others (5-10 members) that I am waiting to hear from or had questions about sizing (I will do the best I can). If I missed anyone, or, I have included anyone that is no longer interested, please let me know. From the CBRXX forum: flblackbird- medium jacket ArmyStrong-XXL jacket, 40 pants Sandsquidxx-large (42) jacket, 34 pants tonyz-large jacket HukitAK-XXL jacket, 40 pants We are still a bit short of the count for the CUSTOM version. The First Representative asked me to allow approximately 5 weeks for the custom order. I will ship these out myself, from my company, to expedite the delivery process. The other option available to us will NOT involve any order minimums. I can still get the special pricing on the stock production jacket. I will include the patches and extra pants zipper set, separately in the box, for you to sewn on locally at your leisure after you verify the size and fit. The time frame will be considerably shorter, but I will probably have to have the patches made locally. If anyone has contacts or photo ready artwork available please contact me as it will save us some time. The prices will remain the same as I had previously posted. I would like you responses/additional orders/corrections/ sizes by June 6, 2008, before we proceed to the next step. Thank you all for your patience.

The jacket and pants have approximately 1-1/2 to 2 inches of additional sleeve length incorporated in them to accomodate a riding position. This can also be tailored a bit by changing the armor type (both kinds included) that is installed in the sleeves and shoulders. Unless you have extremely long arms and legs for your size, they should be able to fit you. These jackets and pants are not skin tight, so they will fit the majority of the physiques out there, give or take a bit. The pants have elastic backet leather slits on the bottom and are designed to be worn inside your boots. They will conform to your ankles, therefore, the length is not as critical as a plain open cuff design would.

Interestingly enough, I just received a refund for my rear Galfer from the GB vendor. Apparently, they are having difficulty filling the GB orders for the rear discs. I find it a bit odd as I received an e-mail from them about 2-3 weeks ago stating that they were about ready to ship the rears. BTW John, did you have any alignment/backspacing issues with the rear disc?

Hi everyone. I am currently vacationing in Italy with my family and will be back on the 14th. My last phone call to the rep prior to leaving concerned reducing the minimum order quantity for the modified jackets, as I don't believe 100 pieces will be an obtainable target. He thinks that they will accept 50 pieces, which with my help, should be doable. I will report back as soon as I get back.

Since you probably won't be wearing the liner all that much in Texas, I would suggest the XL. The 38 pants will probably be a bit loose, but not too bad. You can probably try for the 36 pants as there is no snap to the top of the pants, they are held closed by a leather, Velcro-backed gathering strap/belt (see pic), so there is a fair amount of leeway up there. Remember, the leather will probably stretch a 1/2 size or so, if you wear them long enough.

Are you planning a trip to Sturgis anytime soon?

One of each will do the trick! The jacket has 2 wrist vents in the forearms, 2 in the biceps, two long vertical ones (one along the inside of each cargo pocket) and 2 vertical back vents. The perforated jackets will be perforated throughout except the cargo pockets and attached front panels, also not perforated; the top of the arms up to the shoulders (the bottom of the sleeves will be perforated).

I have to PM some people who made direct inquiries back. Keep posting your preorders and I will put up some numbers shortly. Thanks, everyone!

Angee, thank you for alerting me to my social gaff on this thread. To give proper credit to the people who deserved it. It was Ira (Lensmanxx) who first contacted me about the Batman jacket, when I could not get any west coast members to visit Leather Paradise for a product evaluation. After we both ordered a sample jacket for evaluation purposes, Ira and I both concurred on the lack of suitability of the Batman jacket for the group, particularly in regards to fit. That is what prompted me to look for a more suitable supplier for this GB. Brian has given his time and has driven quite a distance to check out and evaluate this current jacket for the group. TopXXcop supplied the photo for the jackets logo. Thanks you all!

At least I wasn't wearing flip flops!

OK....................................Here goes.........................All 260 svelte pounds of me in my stocking feet. Any razzing and I'll pull the pics! :icon_silenced: BTW, The pants are a size 38 (I currently wear size 40w/32l jeans), from 5 or so years ago. This is the stock production jacket. The modified jacket will incorporate the following changes: *Velcro on neck and sleeves in lieu of snaps..........Much easier to close with gloves on as well as greater adjustment range. *Leather pulls on all zippers.................................Easier to open/close with gloves on or adjusting vents while riding. *Back zipper installed on jacket...........................Should you ever want to buy the matching pants or any other brand, will come with other matching half of the zipper. *Removable neck gaiter......................................Still working on this one. * I asked for some foam padding to be installed on tail piece of jacket ..........easier to grab while reaching for zipper and adds a bit more body to the back of jacket (resists flapping). * Gathering straps on sides of the jacket................To be able to adjust fit on torso and help prevent jacket chafing against chest at high speeds (ouch).