Zero Knievel

I know this isn't a XX topic, but if anyone is in the know.... Dad has his 250 Nighthawk. Likes the idea of my Givi top case (or a similar product). Givi has no listed mounting options for the 250 Nighthawk. I can see why. Two good mounting points on the rear pillion (at the turn signals), but you really need at least 3, optimally 4. The XX uses the grab rail bolts and the exhaust pipe mounts. The Nighthawk mounts the exhaust pipes to the swingarm which makes them movable, not fixed. Any suggestions on what might work for this type of bike? Pic so you have an idea....

Well, you gotta have balance. When you have 2-3 months a year you really won't be out riding, it's easier to plan everything major around that time slot.

Not a believer in routine maintenance? :icon_think: Spark plugs...check every 2 years, expect to replace every 3-4 years...depending on quality of plugs used. I know these new iridium ones will last 50K+ with no issues, but since getting to them is a pain, I dwell on replacing them when I have the bike down for winter maintenance. Air filter...K&N needs to be dismounted, cleaned and recharged every year. Stock filters you should check every year. Brushing off dirt might buy you an extra year but expect to replace it every 2-3 years no matter what. Other than the loom fix, these issues were easily preventable from the start. Maintenance can be a pain to do, but it prevents the "WTF is this crap" moments throughout the year. Had a chattering noise coming from my motor. Just replaced the CCT (70K on the motor). Didn't hear a chirp or feel a vibe coming from the motor when I rode it yesterday.

Question, for the shifter, those who adjusted it to compensate for the lower peg, by how much did you adjust it?

It's also possible that the rod was still connected but loose and when it was unscrewed it undid off the rod :icon_think: When I replaced my springs one of the caps was screwed down lower on the rod than the other True. The real pain is getting that rod tightened into the cap and then raising the tube up to screw in the cap. Do it wrong and I don't doubt it will work loose in time.

I'll let you know once I get it working properly. Since it works for others, I'm hoping this is more a matter of adjusting and breaking in the product to find the right setting as compared to Karma coming by with some KY to teach me a lesson. I saw a sweet Throttlemeister-type device on some guy's bike (it was basically just a plastic cog that tightened against the grip). Worked in the same way but rather than be limited in turn, it could tighten a whole lot more and come completely loose. I think it worked perfectly, but I didn't ask where he got it from. The heated grips are an inherent problem with Throttlemeister-type devices, but I think more of the issue is having the right length. If the end of the grip can flex and compress, nothing will tighten enough to hold it. You need rigidity inside the grip, and they guy who owned the XX before me put grips that were 1/2" too long. Even the shorter ones go about 1/4 inch past the bar's end, but when you put on the bar end weight, it goes in near perfect, so I suppose it's normal that way. As far as how the VFR bars perform. I hope to find out tomorrow.

Well, here's where I'm at. Once again put plastic weld on the foot and recut it to fit perfectly. I also used some galvanized steel wire and safety wired the Vista in place. This ensures it does not move at all, and it seems to work better. Maybe it just needs to be fiddled with until it breaks in and I find that "sweet spot" where it works right (or someone who knows more takes a look). For now, it's in place. I also found that with the VFR bars, my control for the Pro-Oiler doesn't fit. I spent about 30 minutes wandering around Lowes to find something to rig up to solve the problem. I basically needed a block of metal to raise the surface I needed to attach to. I found some thick aluminum material. Figured I could cut it and layer it to make a block as needed. It took some time, but I sandwiched two strips together and glued them with metal-bonding epoxy. Attached that in place with a dab of clear silicone adhesive. Once that's nice and cured, I will bond the Velcro patch for the controller to the aluminum plate. Just about had the bike back together when I discovered one of those nut/rubber grommet things broke on me. Gotta pick up a couple spares tomorrow in town. I should be able to test-ride the bike this weekend and see how the adjustments feel.

They don't work with heated grips. I should know...I just sold the ones I had. I'm just about at wit's end here. I put on the Vista Cruise. Tested it. It seemed to work well. Today, I epoxy on the heated grips. Now it won't work. It either holds when on but binds when off (unacceptable) or it lets the throttle move freely but won't hold the throttle worth shit. Needless to say, I can't reposition the grips now that the epoxy has hardened...not without a lot of work. What am I doing wrong? :icon_think: I'm thinking of putting a single strand of safety wire around the foot on the Vista to secure it along side the throttle cables. When I held it in place, it worked perfectly. Now that it's on its own, it's not working. An easy thing to test and see if it solves the problem.

SOLD.

Well, it's a bit late for that now. :icon_wall: Spent today wiring in the new heated grips (the ones that fit better). Used a glob of plastic weld on the Vista to rebuild the foot I cut a bit short. Let it harden overnight and trimmed it into a better fitting piece. Slapped on some black paint. Then I used a dab of clear silicone adhesive under the tab to ensure it will hold tight when put in position. Tomorrow, it should work perfectly with everything dried off. The silicone will hold tight but give if I want to remove it. Just have to double check the grip positions and then epoxy those on. Secure up any slack in the wires then put the plastic bits back on. Pics to follow.

So many options. As suggested, pull the line to the radiator cap. You can also flush with clean water.

$40.00 USD Post Paid. Badfahts blamr4@comcast.net Offering to pay or did you want me to give you $40 bucks to take them off my hands? E-mail sent.

Well, I got these for the XX and they never worked very well because my HOT GRIPS were too long for the handlebars and that posed problems with getting the correct tension. I'm putting shorter HOT GRIPS on, but since I'm also putting on a Vista Cruise, these are now redundant. If you have regular grips that are sized properly for the length of your handlebars, these should work. I'll clean them up some, but they should be in good repair. Make an offer.

A bump for any last-minute advice on mounting the Vista. I hope to have it done in the next day or so.

Rode my dad's Nighthawk 250 down the road and back for gas. He had shoulder surgery, so he's not riding it regularly. Gad...fuel injection has spoiled me. Had to keep messing with the choke because I was probably halfway there before I could close it 100% with no engine issues.

More unfolding drama, but getting closer. Today, my dad fabricated a new metal post for the clutch side switch housing. Took a pop rivet, cut it to size, then used a power drill and sandpaper to "lathe" it to the right thickness on the part to go into the plastic housing. Used two tiny drill bits to make a pilot hole then tapped it in. It's in tight, so it won't come out. Better than a nub of plastic that's prone to crack off. To get it out to work on the bench was a pain. No instructions in the shop manual how to take stuff out, and the horn button was the biggest pain to pull out and put back in, but I eventually got it done WITHOUT breaking anything (yay me ). Now that I got things almost back together (heated grips are last), I'm still having issues with the Vista Cruise. The pics show how it fits now. I've adjusted it and it works good (so it appears) as it is now. A dab of adhesive silicone at the throttle cables would hold it firm so it doesn't move at all, but I thought others suggested Dremmeling the Vista so it fits better up against the switch housing. I can see how it's not a perfectly even fit, but the place where I'd think to "shave" off some plastic on the Vista is at what appears to be one of the thinner parts on the device already. Look at the pics. Make suggestions, please.

Here's my install. I think I have them correct. There was no diagram, and this looks like the best fit. On neither side does the spring seem to work right, but I can't make out from the other pics here how to adjust the springs so they work with this modification. *EDIT* Never mind. I didn't realize the pics up top could be zoomed in on (I got thumbnails when I clicked that didn't show much).

Well, the drama so far. Got the VFR bars on. Had to drop the front end about 1/8". Loosened the top bolts then tightened them just enough. Loosened the bottom bolts. Carefully took some tension off the top bolts then used a hammer and block of wood to drop the front a bit at a time until the locking ring groove appeared. Tightened it all back up. Once the bars were on, had to check for fit. No issue on the clutch side (likely because of the new lines). Throttle side was a pain. Tight fit. Had to Dremmel the tab off the master cylinder so the banjo bolt could face more forward to reduce tension. Also loosened the base of the throttle cables so they could reposition better. Because the positioning tab on the clutch side switch housing broke off (not shown), I have to drill a hole and find something to put in to serve that purpose. Honda really should have done as it is on the throttle side....using a metal post. I ordered new (shorter) heated grips. They arrive Monday. I'll see what works better, what I have or the shorter grips and mount the set I like better.

Perhaps, but there is something called an "administrative cost" to doing things. You can spend 2 hours looking for something that will do the job a little cheaper, but what is that 2 hours of your time worth? I got the Fuzeblock for my XX, and it was almost $90 with shipping....ouch. Still, I don't have the skills of others here who could whip up a homemade device in an afternoon. To put something together with something cheaper would mean buying other parts needed to make it do the same thing. In the end, the guy did the design and testing to make a quality product. Unless I can make my own easily, it's worth the $$$ for someone who did the work for me. Paid almost $700 to fix the truck A/C at a shop (w/2 year warranty). Not happy about that, but I might have saved $100-150 in parts by doing it myself (but 1 year warranty max) and still have to bring it in for shop to evacuate and charge the system. Add in the time and aggravation to do it on my time, and the labor charge (while unwelcome) was easier than doing it myself. I only have reason to be pissed if the repair work doesn't last well beyond the warranty period. You pay to avoid the hassle of doing it the hard way.

I found this site for generic pin connectors for vehicles. http://www.vintageconnections.com/ The only problem is that you have to order like a bag of 5 of them for any given set. If you want the unlatching kind, you can just get the latching kind and snap the latch off so you always have the option.

Semi-WOOT! Got the VFR bars in today. Saw the charge come through on the company card. Called the salvage yard to see when they shipped, and they happened to show up today. Cleaned them up and test fitted them. Gotta drop the front end (raise the fork tubes) about 1/8" so the retaining ring slot clears the new collars.

The problem is the unique connector the R/R uses. I know some (for the R1 replacement) just to a wire-to-wire redo of the harness because (IIRC) the R1 isn't a perfect match (same wires...slightly different plug design). Another option would be to get the proper harness side plug (from a used wiring harness...contact motorcycle salvage yards) and then you just need to change out the harness side plug. You might be able to do that by pushing out the connectors from the old plug and reseating them in the new one...repairing the one that got burnt with a segment of new wire. That a yellow wire burnt out means you REALLY need to check your stator to be sure there's no shorts or grounds in it. Hopefully it's just damage from the R/R overheating.

When in doubt, replace it, but triple-check your stator to be sure there's no short there or you'll toast a new R/R in no time.

I've sold over 200 and fitted about 75 of these to Blackbirds. Please note: DO NOT Dremel anything on the bike, you ONLY need to Dremel the Vista (like in the pictures of Evelakes). Well, the Jaws instructions indicated that that ridge on the throttle sleeve had to come of, so it's gone now. Why the control housing isn't perfectly perpendicular to the sleeve is a major ??? in my book. With that minor ridge in place, the Vista would not go on. Once I get the VFR bars in, I expect with a spot of clear adhesive, I can mount the Vista with no problems. The heated grips are already too long by 1/2 inch (recommended kit is 5.25" and the other option is 4.75"). I might get the kit for the shorter bars which should fit properly. I was already using spacers to just to make the Throttlemeister fit on with the existing heated grips.

So impressed that you said it twice.