Tony's Magna Book

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Tony's "Magna Book"
As a supplement to the MagSab FAQ

Introduction
This section contains a summary of some of the experiences that I have had with the V65 Magna. As time permits, I will separate the information and include it in the relevant sections. So if you don't see it here, look in the main area, and I probably have a special page devoted to the topic!

This section, titled the "Magna Book" will, as of the present time, mostly chronicle my experiences with the V65 Magna. A lot of the information is applicable to the whole V-4 family, including the Sabre and the New Magna. I have included other MagSab members' exeriences and how-to's as I feel appropriate, to supplement the FAQ. As time goes on, I intend to extend the range of this page, to include any modifications owners have performed on any of the V-4 family, but that depends on YOU. Send me any photos, experiences, and especially details on any custom work done on your bike, and I will include it in the site. For bikes that are completely stock, send the photos to the MagSab Gallery.

.My first motorcycle was an old 1973 Suzuki 250, 2-stroke street bike. In the mid 80's, I moved up to an '81 Yahama Maxim 550, which I was happy with, until I saw & rode a V65 Magna. No bike since has really caught my eye. The Magna had everything I wanted, shaft drive, water-cooling, cruiser styling, the most powerful, smoothest engine of its time, and arguably, to date. It took until 1992 for me to finally break down and buy one, and I wasn't disappointed. To me, the only other bike that comes close is the V-Max, and in my opinion, it is just too ugly to even consider.

I put a lot of miles on the Maxim (over 100,000) and learned a lot about motorcycles in general in that time. When I first bought the Magna in 1992, (a 1984 with 4000 mi.) I planned to have it serviced only at the dealer, since it was under warranty at the time. The gas tank rusted, and the starter clutch gave way, both under warranty. When the warranty was over, I still brought it to dealers, and I just wasn't happy with their service. I started doing all the work myself, and it worked out great, since I was putting an average of 25,000 miles a year on the bike. It was relative trouble free in the 80,000 miles that I owned it. I did no oil modification to the heads, nor any other radical mods. The only item that I had to fix was the starter clutch (again), which I replaced new. The engine started making a little noise around 60,000 miles, which I now attribute to the head oiling and poor cam adjusters. I did, at that time, free up the adjusters which calmed the noise a little bit.

Last summer, July '95, I wiped out the 1984 Magna on the highway. I was going at about 80mph and lost control. The reasons will be described later as a suspension "Lessons learned", as well as "proper cycling attire" lessons learned. Anyway, the Motorcycle was still driveable, but no longer in showroom condition. I do not use the term "Showroom Condition" lightly as a lot of people did when I was looking for another Magna. I really do not understand what gets into some peoples heads to have the nerve to call the bikes they are selling "Mint". Most of them looked like they should be in a junkyard. It's really disturbing to look at a "mint" bike (at premium prices, no less), that is in worse condition than the mangled wreck that is the reason you're looking for a new bike in the first place. After looking at quite a few junkers, I found one person who said that his V65 Magna was in "alright" condition. He described it perfectly. The bike was a little dirty, and needed very little cosmetically, otherwise it was in "almost mint" condition, which I guess constitutes in my mind "alright" condition. It has 13,000 miles, original owner, and I bought it in September, 1995. I went through it totally, making all the modifications on it that I've learned in the past 3 years of ownership. It is still running strong at 23,000 miles (April, '96).

I just came back from meetings at the cape, and I read all the messages on "engine noise." This discussion seemed very appropriate, because my engine started making some terrible noises at the beginning of the trip. Of course, at first, I assumed the worst. The noise is a "knocking, Clanking, rattling" which gave me visions of cam chains, loose rods, piston-slapping, and piston pins. That was compounded by reading some of the "horror" stories yesterday concerning cam chains and loose connecting rods. Especially the connecting rods. The engine makes the noise when revved, but not under load or at idle, mostly. I was not in a good mood. As always when I have a bike "problem" (remember the jets?) I imagine the worst, and ignore the way the bike feels. Or I just imagine that performance is degrading.

At first, before all the horror stories went through my mind, I could have sworn it was an exhaust rattle. I tightened all the bolts, even the bolt that connects the exhaust to the engine. This did no good. I even did the "screwdriver" trick to try to trace out the knocking. No results. This confused me, since the engine seemed to be running as fine as ever.

I rode with the knocking for days, and when I came back, yesterday, I brought it to a Honda dealer whom I trust. Yes, IMO, a reliable dealer exists, Honda of Nashua, since Nault's Honda of Manchester are a bunch of $#%@'s. I was pleased to see him do the same "screwdriver" trick that I was doing to trace out the problem. After that told him nothing, he brought out the heavy artillery, a very long stethoscope. (I have to get one of these) After going over every point on the bike, he concluded that the noise was coming from the exhaust, in the bottom common area. He ruled out completely the inner engine. He informed me that since the double-walled exhaust is only spot-welded, and prone to cracks (Which we all know) one of the welds probably broke, or the inner wall had cracked. I didn't tell him about the number of rocks on the "road from hell" that I bottomed out on, but I'm sure this had something to do with it.

Anyway, in conclusion, sometimes a noise is just the opposite of what we think it is. Look for the obvious, easy solutions first, then the devastating ones. I will remove and replace the exhaust this weekend, just to make sure the noise goes away. If not, at least another explanation is ruled out.

Remember a couple of months ago when I had the "engine knock?" I brought it to the dealer, and he "Stethoscoped" it and informed me (skeptical at the time) that it was coming from the exhaust, and not the engine. Well, never taking anyone's word for it, I switched exhaust systems this past weekend, and -- NO NOISE!! Looking closer at the double walled pipe, it has separated at the stress relief hole near the front right collector. I have previously welded the left side, and now will have to do the same to the right. I have no doubt that the added stress/banging/bottoming out on the road from hell caused such a major separation. However, I feel it is a Honda design flaw, since I have yet to see a totally Un-separated exhaust inner wall in the three exhaust systems I have been inside of. Anybody else have the inner wall split? Of the three I've seen split, this is the only one that makes any noise. It's too bad, too. It was the one I had re-chromed. I guess I could deal with the split inner wall if it didn't sound like a clanky Yugo-Davidson.

I replaced the clutch on my V65 Magna at about 60,000 miles with a Kevlar one from Barnett. It cost less than $80. The symptom was slipping at high RPM's. The replacement was relatively straightforward. I had ordered the special "toothed" tool from Honda Warehouse ($15) in order to remove the clutch. The "nut" that holds the clutch in is a special keyed one, and I don't know if another tool would have done the job, or done it as easy. The metal plates between the friction plates were fine, but I had spares around just in case. They are cheap, and if I didn't have spares, I would have ordered a new set. I also replaced the clutch "spring" while I had it apart. All the clutch spring is a stamped piece of "flat" metal, pre-curved to cause it to apply pressure to the plates when inserted. The "spring" was less than $10. The only snag I remember was aligning the removed housing after removing the basket. In looking back, I guess I didn't even have to remove the basket.

Changing the clutch on a V65 is a fairly easy process, if you have the right tools a little time and all the parts...Take this as a warning! The right tools for a V65 can include a special wrench that Honda affectionately refers to as: 07916-4220000. Price was quoted to me to be about $38, if you have a friendly Honda dealer you may be able to borrow one. Good Luck! It's a black tube a bit bigger than a spark plug wrench with six teeth evenly spaced around the circumference of the business end. There's a hole in the back end for a bar approximately 1/4" in diameter, and also a 1/2" socket attachment. If your clutch friction plates are Kevlar made by Barnett, they probably say that they were made for a variety of Kawasaki motorcycles, they also fit the V65. If you bought or are buying s/s lines by Russell, it is likely that they indicate that they will fit '83-85 V65 Magna's, they also fit the '86.

Prior to pulling the right case off, it's a good idea to clean out the master and slave cylinders for the clutch hydraulics. You'll need several Q-tips or something to get the goopy fluid out of the corners. I'm quite confident my bike had never had this service before because much of the hydraulic fluid was the color and consistency of hot caramel. Every time you open up the slave cylinder, there are three pieces that should be replaced: Oil seal, piston seal and 'insulator' (a non-sealing gasket) that goes between the slave cylinder housing and the engine case. Be sure to check the specifications of worn parts before putting things back together again.

Bleeding the air out of the system is a bit of a hassle and will probably take several minutes. Be patient and make sure that you get good clutch response before going on to the clutch. You may want to stop here and go for a ride to see if it has resolved your concerns with the clutch. It may be the last time you'll be able to ride your bike for a few days because you cannot know what parts you may need once you open the case. I have never experienced Honda having all the parts that I needed in stock.

Prior to doing anything on the right side case, be sure to drain the oil, unless you like the challenge of oil all over your floor. Clymer recommends that the clutch handle be blocked with something so no one can actuate the clutch while it's apart. After pulling off the brake pedal, and footpeg on the right side of the bike, remove the side case. Don't lose the two alignment pins! And don't fool with the pin that holds the gear that turns the starter! It's very easy to remove, and much harder to line up to get back together. If you did pull the pin, line the teeth up and turn the starter motor until the pin will fit back in.

The clutch on an '86 V65 has a retaining circlip about 4" in diameter. You may want to consider purchasing circlip pliers prior to this if they are not in your tool chest. You will want the kind that compress the circlip and have two small pins on the end. The way I did it was to use two screwdrivers. First, with a screwdriver or knife, work the circlip out of its seat and the put the second screwdriver between the circlip and the seat. Gently move around the circle enabled me to pop the circlip out. Now remove the clutch lifter plate below it. This is a fairly close fit, but with a little jiggling, it will come out. Keep it as straight as possible so it will not bind on the edges. Once the clutch lifter plate is removed, you should be able to see the nut that holds the pressure plate on. On the 1986 V65 the special tool mentioned previously is needed, however the Clymer book shows the nut to be a normal metric nut. Find out what you need before ripping things apart or investing in this pricey tool.

After removing the nut, you'll pull off the lock washer, spring setting plate, clutch spring, two washers and the pressure plate. At this point you should be able to remove the friction plates and clutch discs (steel plates).

While the bike is apart several things should be checked to assure that the clutch will perform as it should when put back together. Please refer to Clymer's or the service manual for the specs on your bike. Putting things back together should be just a reversal of the above activities. Soak the friction disks in oil for 10-15 minutes before putting the clutch back together to avoid having them bind when you try to use the clutch the first time. Don't forget to put on a new filter and oil in the crankcase before firing your bike up again.

On the Magna, there is a little brass insert at the pivot end of the clutch handle that tends to wear out. This 'insert' pushes a little pin, which pushes in the piston on the master cylinder. When the insert wears down, it doesn't push the pin enough, and the clutch fails to engage. As I remember it, it was quite drastic for just a little wear. One day it was working, the next day it wasn't. That would be the first thing I would check, even before bleeding if your clutch is not engaging.

This switch fits many Honda car applications, 1975-1991 Honda Civic All 3 door(hatchback) and CRX models also 1986-1991 Acura Integra, all engine sizes.

Clutch & Front Brake master Cylinders (Location of outlet on side as opposed to on front)

The coil tray is a pain. What I did was to cut the little 'tabs' which hang on to the frame. Only about halfway, and only the ones which really gave a problem. Then, I punctured little holes in the bottom of the plastic, where it sits by the frame, and used the thick black plastic wire ties to attach it to the frame, in all four places. Not only does this aid in removal and assembly, but with proper insertion of the tie wraps, the coil tray will not hit the top of the rear valve cover. The only drawback is that you have to cut the tiestraps for removal, and you waste 4-5 of them each removal cycle. This is no difficulty, I advise everybody to have a bag of tie wraps sitting around for general purpose applications.

The UNI filter is flimsy, cheap and inadequate. The K&N filter works fine. The stock works OK, but it is expensive, and disposable.

I am currently using a K&N filter, which I clean regularly, and have used it for about 80,000 hard miles.

In taking apart the Carbs this weekend, I re-noticed what I believe to be the biggest problem with the Magna's air filter system. It is hard, if not impossible, to assure adequate contact between the gasket and the lower part of the housing.

The gasket on the UNI filter is not even worth mentioning. The gasket on the K&N filter is nice, but it peeled off of the filter at one time (at about 40,000 miles). I called K&N and the sent me a free replacement. It had a peel and apply adhesive, and it seemed to work OK. This weekend, however, I noticed that the gasket was peeling. I said forget he self stick adhesive, and used some two part epoxy to attach the gasket. This worked great, and I don't think I'll have to worry about the gasket anytime soon. Remember though, this is a filter with about 80,000 miles on it. I think it has served well.

The lower part of the air filter housing on my bike, I've also noticed, is gouged in the area where the filter meets it. This, I assume, is from someone (previous owner or mechanic) not being careful when assembling/ disassembling the structure from the frame. Look for this when changing the filter.

It seems that they must always be having "blowout" sales, because last year I bought a few items that were "discontinued" or "half price." At first, being skeptical, I purchased a one-piece leather. It came with full body armor, and the price was really good, if not the color. Since there is no way to judge the fit, I was recommended a size over the phone. It came, and was too small, so I sent it back, and very soon received a larger one which fit great! Now all I have to do is find someone who will dye it gray or something.

I liked the armor, which was in all the right places, Shoulder, elbows, back, front, knees, shin, etc. It is vented, but I have yet to see how effective the system is. The vents are right by the pits and back, and are small, so I don't know. I got it mostly for race school, where they require one piece leathers.

I decided to make the plunge into a Kevlar Suit, at half price. I'm glad I did. This time they were right on the money with the fit. This 2 piece suit is also vented, and comes with their tri-body armor also. For casual wear, and warm weather, its great. I wear the body armor on the elbows, back and front, and it doesn't feel uncomfortable or awkward at all.

I also purchased a woman's leather jacket for the SO, which was a little small fit, but she hasn't worn it enough to break it in.

I ordered a set of gloves, which I really wasn't happy with. But for $5, I really can't complain.

The leather on the suits seems kind of thin compared to the Hein-Gereke V-pilot that I have. What the suit lacks in leather thickness, it makes up in armor.

I have replaced the stock brake and clutch lines with the braided steel type (BSL) on my 1984 Magna, which increased brake and clutch performance. The BSL I purchased from Flanders Co. in California. They informed me that most BSL applications (especially on the older models) are not "off the shelf" and have to be custom made. I think that's where Russell gets them from, also. The price is still the same, and so is the delivery time, which turned out to be about 3 weeks. Since the parts had to be custom-made anyway, I decided to make the top front line and the clutch cable 2" longer than stock, since I put longer K&N handlebars on previously. I really could have gotten away with 1", but it worked out good anyway. Installing them was relatively easy, and messy, of course. I really have to buy a vacuum pump.

When I wiped out the 1984, none of the chrome or the add-ons were damaged. So I transferred the parts including the BSL from the 1984 onto the 1986. I noticed the difference in location of the connections to the master cylinder immediately. (see "differences between the 1984 & 1986") It made no difference, I don't know if it was because they were 2" longer than stock, or because I could have twisted them into the proper orientation.

I did all the hydraulic lines, which there is a total of 6. The front lowers (2), the front upper (1), the clutch (1) and the rear brake (1). The total cost was about $200.

As it sits today, since I lowered the front forks by 2", so the lower front brake cables are kind of scrunched. I will eventually replace them with a shortened version.

My advice is to fix the handlebars the way you want them, first. Then you can determine whether you want the stock length for the 2 affected cables, or a little longer. Also, instead of purchasing them from a dealer or supplier, go directly to the manufacturer, Flanders (1-800-423-4438). Since each line is custom made, they should have no difficulty with the 1986 - specific type. They are very knowledgeable and helpful over the phone, and have a giant free catalog.

I guess you are familiar with the easy way to remove the caliper pistons? Just leave the brakes connected (with fluid) when the calipers are off, and block one piston(or a pair), and the other(s) will move out a little. Then unblock the first one and block the other(s), and the first one will move. Repeat this until they both (or all four) are almost all the way out, and then they are relatively easy to grab with a soft jaw & remove the rest of the way.

Alternator Cover
Clutch Cover
F & R Valve Covers (3 pieces)
Seat Railing (3 Pieces)
L & R Air Cleaner covers
Rear Fender

All 3 Calipers
Front Forks
Fork "Stabilizer"
Rear Caliper Brace
Rear Caliper Mount
Oil Pan

Sidestand
Centerstand
Passenger Footpeg Mounts
Radiator Covers (L&R)
Coolant Bypasses (2)

About Chroming. Unfortunately, the prices I got at first were high. The chroming places have a price list that is geared towards Yugo-Davidsons, and since they are paying ridiculous prices for the motorcycles (yesterdays technology at tomorrow's prices) I guess they see nothing wrong with paying over-inflated prices for chrome plating.

I don't mean that plating is easy. The major work, according to the shops, is in prepping the pieces. The shops I talked to said that since the Yugo's use the cheap sand castings for their parts, that they are extremely difficult to prep. The Japanese bikes, however, use late 20th century technology to make their castings, so little prep work is needed.

I almost had a heart attack when I saw their chroming "price lists. I think this is to "scare" you into paying almost any price they say, or to make the Yugo people think they are getting something. It seems that the more Yugo-Davidson buyers pay, the happier they are.

There is a way out. What I did was to bring in a box full of parts to have plated. There were about 20 parts, which by their "price list" came out to well over $1000. I will tell you that I would never pay that kind of money. I told them that and we dickered back and forth, until a price of about $400 was reached. This averages out to about $20 a part, which is not too bad.

There are different grades of plating. I'm not talking about the materials, they should only use the Cu-Ni-Cr type. The different grades I'm referring to come from the different quality surfaces which they must prepare. I guess there are numbers associated with this, but I always thought of them as Show Grade and Non-Show grade. I couldn't tell the difference when they showed me two parts like that.

Much less has to be done to the Japanese parts to get a decent surface. They know this and you can use it to your advantage when making a deal .... and unfortunately, that's just what it is. I felt like I was at some garage sale, fighting to get a decent price on an item. I do not like doing that, but it seemed that's the way these particular shops worked.

The best way to clean old pitted chrome or aluminum is with Simichrome polish. It is expensive, but a little goes a long way. Usually, it is about $5 for a small tube. To get around that, I just buy a big can from Dennis Kirk for about $15.

When I first got the items chromed, they advised NOT to use any polishes. It would eventually tarnish the chrome, since polishes are inherently abrasive. I asked them how was I supposed to clean it? They recommended glass cleaner. You know as well as I do, that glass cleaner is not good enough for a motorcycle that is driven daily. But I didn't want to ruin the chrome, and I wanted to keep it clean without polish. I found a product, Xtreem Metal Magic, which is not a polish, but a sealant. It works great.

I have successfully installed a Dyna stage 1 rev limiter. This is their entry level device. At first it didn't work! I called Dyna, and they were very helpful, knowledgeable, and friendly on the phone. Their technical rep informed me that the rev limiter might not work on some bikes. The reason is that the spark timing overlaps so much, that the rev limiter cannot distinguish between pulses. He said that they've run into this before, and he sent me (free, of course) a little kit (just two heat shrinked wires) to install in-line with the rev-limiter. This worked great! So before ordering the rev limiter, give Dyna a call & get the circuit first.

I have never had the experience of 'outriding' the 100w H4 the stock 60/55 is just a tease

the stock 60w hi however is only barely ok (up to a max of 60 MPH) the 55w low beam is adequate (in town) but the hi just doesn't do it

the 100hi/60lo H4 IMHO is the most practical solution..... and I have been using this choice for about 6 years halogens for 10 years

often neglected by the 130w enthusiasts is that there are DoT rules in addition to the electrical/heat issues the super high power lamps can tend to bring extra 'enforcement' to bear in fact, even the 100w is also illegal just not as blatantly.

if you do a lot of back roads riding at high speeds... and find the 100w in some way inferior to your needs.... I have two suggestions....

I haven't added a PIAA but sometimes would like to have one..... but only for real twisty dark mountain roads where I probably shouldn't be going that fast anyway :

I've put over 110,000 miles on the V65 in 4.5 years, including two cross country trips of over 15,000 miles each, and the "road from hell." The key is to set up for comfort. I will list the things that I feel make for a more comfortable long distance ride, in order of importance:

First and most important: a windshield. Rifle is good, but expensive, and there are many Plexiglas type ones out there. Look in the DK catalog. I would not recommend the Tracy brand. I am still looking for a frame mount V65 fairing, however. See fairings.

Second: Good seat. Maybe also a backrest. Some people move up to a Corbin seat, some a Mustang. I have both, and I like the Mustang better. I think it's due to my size (5'6")

Second and a half: For me, due to my height, I find the handlebars uncomfortable. A handlebar with more pullback, such as a K&N Magna substitute works quite well. Fill the handlebars with a putty type material to dampen the vibrations (like a barsnake).

Third: Good tires. Tires can make all the difference in a comfortable, good handling ride. See "Tires" for more details.

Fourth: Good luggage. I have tried Eclipse, which IMO is the best soft side bag. I have moved up to GIVI hard luggage, the ultimate (and expensive) luggage for any motorcycle. For a tank bag, I've had Eclipse, but I've changed to Sharp, since they have a lifetime warranty, and I go through tankbags quite fast.

Fifth: Suspension. The stock shocks and springs are adequate, but better handling/comfort can be obtained from after-market suspension mods.

Sixth: Proper tuned and running engine/drive train. Synthetic oil, both crankcase and gear oil. If your engine is running rough, you will feel it on a long trip.

I've ordered thousands of dollars of stuff through mail order over the past four years (probably close to $10,000 worth of things) and had mixed results. The things I learned are:

1. The people who work there are not, in general, motorcyclists. They are order takers. With a few exceptions. If you get one on the phone who is diligent, and knows about MC stuff, get his/her name, and ask for them the next time you call.

2. When giving the order, make sure that they check to see if everything is "in Stock". If they can't answer that, then go to the next MOH. I find that when they say "it will be coming in next Thursday," that it means nothing.

3. Call around. The MOH who has a really good price on one item may have a totally off-the- wall price on another.

4. Don't get pissed off because of one bad experience. If it occurs more often, ask for the manager, and explain to them your difficulty.

I too would like to buy from a dealer. I wouldn't mind paying an extra 10-20% to show my support. However, the prices are usually 50-100% higher, and there is no excuse for that.

Honda Warehouse (Genuine Honda Parts, inexpensive!) 800-636-1140 These people are an authorized dealer, and everyone there knows their stuff!.

I too have a sliding KG backrest, which came with the Magna when I bought it in 1992. I went through trying to research KG, only find that they got out of the MC business long ago (early 80's). However, when one of the aluminum arms on the backrest broke, I thought I was SOL. I was even thinking of welding the #%$!@# thing. However, after some research, I found out that when KG made the thing, they made it the smart way. The only thing different on the assembly for each different bike was the slider. All the backrests/arms were the same. I was told to look at MC dealers which kept a big inventory. Last year, I was at Cycles 128 in MA, and just for the heck of it I thought I'd ask. They had one, and I bought it on the spot! It did take me a while to explain to them what I wanted, and to find someone who actually knew what I was talking about.

So, any KG sliding backrest will do, as long as you have the sliders, and I can imagine they are not that difficult to find, maybe even at a junkyard.

Givi Saddlebags are the ultimate in motorcycle luggage. The look outstanding, and their carrying capacity is tremendous. Unfortunately, in the past, the only importer in the USA was Capital Cycle. I cannot recommend dealing with them. As a mail order company, they are obnoxious, deceitful, unreliable, and generally unhelpful. I would rather not have the luggage than have to deal with them. As a matter of fact, to bypass them, I actually purchased the bags using other means.

I think Givi realized the mistake it made with Capital, and has since selected another company to handle its sales in the US. To fit the Givis I just purchased the mounting kit. The kit was made to go with the "wingrack," which is the Givi-made two or three case mount. It was expensive, and just adequate. I consider it terrible compared to the quality of the wingrack and the luggage. For a quick mount, it was OK. It consisted of bent tubular bars, and sliding u-type bolts which I used to connect to the top of the rear shock, the rear footpeg mount, and the under the seat bolts. It survived the "road from Hell" but I am not happy with it. It's too chincy for the money they want. What I will do over the winter is to use aluminum "strips", and custom bend them to fit. This worked out good for other projects. If you are ever in the area, come and check it out. I hope to have it finished by the MagSab East in the spring, so you can see it there.

I have a final drive unit at home, so I will check this, but, I'm almost positive that the fluid 'seal' comes from inside the assembly, with the gear that connects to the drive shaft. This means that there does not need to be a gasket between the assembly and the swingarm, under ideal conditions. The gear is a 'toothed socket' type, and the drive shaft end that fits into it is a 'toothed male socket' as I remember. The 'toothed socket' gear on the final assembly is smooth on the outside, and I assume there is a bearing/seal further on in the assembly.

I actually have a small amount of leakage myself on the 1986, but have ignored it.

There is no seal between the two pieces, and you can slip back the drive unit a minimal amount by loosening the bolts. If you pull it too far, then you may have to re-align the drive shaft and the gear, which I have never done. I don't think you want to do it.

1. Get a good shockproof CD player. I bought the Sony Discman, with a 3 second music storage capability. (I've since upgraded to a 10 second model). The thing almost never skips! I keep the unit in the tankbag, and run power through a plug which protrudes from under the seat. A plug for the speakers also protrudes through a little slit I cut in the bottom.

2. Good in helmet speakers. I tore apart a set of headphones to get mine, and inserted them under the liner in my Shoei Helmet. Removing the part around the mouth/ear is easy, and the helmet is not affected. I ran the wire to the back of the helmet. This is a small plug, and when not in use, just tucks under the rear 'flap'. I 'wired' my jacket, so that I could connect the helmet to the wire in the jacket, and at the bottom of the jacket, I have another plug which plugs into the tankbag.

3. Wear earplugs! The wind and road noise is relatively loud, even with a windshield, and I feel that I want to protect my hearing. With the earplugs in, I just crank up the volume a little, and I get music with no wind noise.

The above is all unnecessary now, since I just got the Pichler fairing, and I will get a real stereo system!

Fill each cell with acid to the upper line marked on the side of the battery case.

Let battery stand for half an hour for entrapped gases to escape. Top off with more acid if necessary.

Place battery on a charger for 3-5 hours at the current equivalent to 1/10 of the battery's rated capacity, or use chart below if you are using a 1 or 2 amp charger.

Note: Voltage reading should be a minimum of 12.65-12.9 volts after charging. If open circuit voltage reading (with voltmeter) is not 12.65 volts or more, repeat charging cycle.

Check the battery after correct charging time to verify a voltage reading of 12.6. If the battery is not above 12.6, continue charging for an additional 25% of the charted time. If the battery is bubbling and gassing before the charted time has been reached, you may stop charging.

If the acid level goes down after charging, refill with distilled water or pure drinking-quality water.

Check electrolyte level once a month. Add distilled or other pure water (not acid) if needed to restore proper level. A battery not in use tends to run down and create sulfate deposits. After your battery has been filled and charged it is essential that you keep adequately charged either by running the vehicle, or by using an independent battery charger. Charging should be a maximum of 1/10 of the battery's ampere/hour rating until the batter tester reads 1.260 to 1.280. Slow charging (under 1 amp) tends to remove some of the sulfate deposits.

Clean battery case and terminals with baking soda and water and make sure the battery is fully charged before storing. Check charge every 45-60 days and add clear water if needed.