What have you done with your V-Strom today?

[kwackboy]

Handle bar muffs in the summer ..? 

[Dark-Strom]

Yeah , but it was cold back in March and I like my bikes to be different 
 Plus the hand muffs won't get marked up like hand guards would...
I

[rus998]

Added some LED brake lights on the top box and some straps on the top box & pannier lids

[The Doctor 46]

I wonder if those lights could be wired to use as fog lights too and, would that be legal? I used to ride quite regularly over Haldon Hill on the A38, Devon. in winter there is often fog. I (stupidly maybe) kept my speed up to the maximum of safe because I was always afraid of someone running into the back of me.

[infidel]

Rode a Z650 to the dealership (awful thing - SV/DL650 better bikes by miles).
Rode the new 1050 for half an hour - Niceeeeeeee.
Rode my L7 home. Like a comfortable pair of slippers - really missed it having had to ride the z650 for three weeks.

Parallel twins. I hate em.

[Barbel Mick]

Finally got it back from the workshop sorting the suspension on it. Although it's taken two weeks it's not been a real problem as we wouldn't have been out on it that much anyway.
The first delay was the workshop got stuck on a couple of other jobs, then when they took my shock off and stripped it, it was knackered, new seals, spring and fresh oil (or whatever) wouldn't have sorted it.
After a conversation with them I decided to go for a YSS shock and YSS emulators in the forks. Unfortunately it doesn't have the remote preload on it, but it doesn't seem to be a problem adjusting it manually if necessary.
On the 35 mile ride home I definitely felt a difference, a good bit firmer all round without being harsh. I was on my own, Deb was in the car, so a trip out two up ASAP to test it properly is required. I'm confident my hard earned was well spent. 
 

[hotbulb]

Part way through fitting braided brakelines to the Glee. Asalways happens, I got sidetracked - changed air filter, ACF'd the connections under the tank, touched up paint on the rad, cleaned the bits I can't normally see ......
With luck, tomorrow will be reassembly, fit new brake pads, and bleed everything.

[SteveO]

Had it serviced, including brake fluid change.

Found a good independent mechanic, will certainly return.

[The Doctor 46]

I haven't actually done anything to my bike today but, 3/4 weeks ago, I ordered some decals on Aliexpress.  They were not cheap (by my standards) $18 inclusive, about £15.

I have not fitted the decals yet but they look like good quality and are reflective. Just thought I would put up a link in case anybody else is looking for decals but then noticed that they now say that they can't post to the UK.

Anyway, because I'm impressed with the decals and company, I thought as a thank you, I would post the link. I'm sure that one day in the future, they  will send to the UK again.

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4000687130790.html?spm=a2g0o.detail.1000060.3.662b3a4aaC5GYu&gps-id=pcDetailBottomMoreThisSeller&scm=1007.13339.146401.0&scm_id=1007.13339.146401.0&scm-url=1007.13339.146401.0&pvid=5a6ec061-589d-4629-8ef0-ab7b1a88aff9&_t=gps-id:pcDetailBottomMoreThisSeller,scm-url:1007.13339.146401.0,pvid:5a6ec061-589d-4629-8ef0-ab7b1a88aff9,tpp_buckets:668%230%23131923%238_668%23808%234094%23194_668%23888%233325%2310_668%232846%238115%23895_668%232717%237558%23157

[The Doctor 46]

Sorry, I've just opened this link again and, it's not showing "No UK deliveries. Oh! and there was no taxes to pay.

[Froglodyte]

That site does not recognise the default delivery country as "GB". If you change it to UK it does work

[UK_Vstrom650]

I managed to get a bit of time in the garage today to continue working on the valve clearances 

Re-measured the front cylinder valve clearances and decided my original measurements were right.
Managed to remove the all front cylinder shims and measure them. The exhaust shims had numbers printed on them which was really hard to see but I measured them as 1.68 which is about what I could make out on them. The inlets had no visible writing at all, so am relying on my measurements of 1.78. Interestingly, Suzuki's chart in the service manual only goes up in 0.05s, so 1.65 or 1.70, and 1.75 and 1.80...
All buttoned back up in readiness for measuring the rear cylinder shims hopefully tomorrow. Then I can get some new shims ordered 

[bladeowner]

Been trying to find a place on the bike to mount my action cam that doesn't give the jello problem due to vibration. So I made a little bracket for the brake reservoir and it seems the best place so far.

[TLPower]

Ingenious.

[UK_Vstrom650]

Measured the valve clearances/shims in the rear cylinder. All clearances were the same as previously measured. The exhaust shims were both 1.70 and the intake shims 1.75. However the clutch shim had 172 printed on it, which I could get if I squished them hard which I didn't do when measuring the others.
As all the intakes are within spec (0.14, 0.13, 0.14, 0.15) I think I'll leave them alone, and move all the exhausts back to around mid-range.

I've then turned my hand to the electrics and butchered improved Bigpie's headlight relays by installing some waterproof connectors in the loom so I can remove the front again if needed without having to cut the relay loom free from the 100 cable ties that were holding it in place.
The connectors seem OK (unlike my soldering/crimping skills) albeit they cone with no instructions so naturally I installed the pins in the wrong connector at first 
Fingers crossed it still works when I eventually reassemble the bike 

Here's a few pictures and a link to the connectors I bought (I bought the 2 pin ones but you can get up up to 6 pin ones if you have a load going up)

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Auto-Car-Waterproof-Electrical-Wire-Cable-Automotive-Connector-2-3Pin-Way-Plug/163566704723?_trkparms=aid%3D888009%26algo%3DDISC.LISTINGS%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20161005235629%26meid%3De26e4753f5c549989b3a2e091181e7d2%26pid%3D100689%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D12%26mehot%3Dnone%26sd%3D183439183667%26itm%3D163566704723%26pmt%3D1%26noa%3D1%26pg%3D2386202%26algv%3DDiscV2%26brand%3DUnbranded&_trksid=p2386202.c100689.m4649

[rus998]

Did about 30 miles as I had to get fuel for the strimmer so went the long way as you do  The new exhaust sounds mint and the new levers worked well 

[rus998]

UK_Vstrom650. I did the same as I have my big pie fuse box mounted up front in the fairing. Used these as it is easier to solder wires to wires than wires to pins                      https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/4pc-kit-2-pin-way-car-waterproof-electrical-connectors-plug-with-wire/112233499255?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649

[UK_Vstrom650]

  cheers rus998. I've just ordered some of them to make my next wiring bodgery easier. I do need to buy a better soldering iron as mine is pants and doesn't work very well.

Today I'm ordering some shims, I reckon 1.60 shims would put the front exhaust somewhere around 0.27-0.29 LH and 0.25-0.27 RH, and the rear exhaust at c. 0.24 (LH) and 0.26 (RH). I might put a 1.55 on that rear LH one...

I was then thinking even though the intakes are in spec, if I used the current exhaust shims in them, I could possibly open them up to the wider end of spec (particularly the 0.13 on the front), so hopefully I won't need to check them again for another 30,000 plus miles... decisions, decisions 

[porter]

I'd open them up, do it now while you're in there then you can forget about it for 30k. That 0.13 one could be on minimum 0.10 in 10k. Good luck

[hotbulb]

Finished the brake hose job om Saturday (haven't yet done the rear- looks a bit awkward to reach the connections!) and put the bike back together .... plenty of ACF50 in the hidden places. Yesterday took s very brief 4-mile test ride ... just to make sure the brakes worked, you understand 
Today, stripping wallpaper