[Baxter]

The 10 day forecast is for temps about 5 to 10 F below normal. There can still be some decent riding weather for a good while here in Milwaukee, but the opportunities are dwindling. So I filled the Ninjette's tank and added SeaFoam. I also filled my 5 gal. gas can and added SeaFoam as well. The stabilized fuel will get all through the engine and injectors the next time we go for a ride. And I'll just top off at home from my gas can.

The rest of the winterizing can be completed in the garage.

Last year, it wasn't until Christmas Day that Milwaukee had snow that lasted. But I'm always wary of ice. That stuff ain't nice.

 

[Baxter]

I just installed a set of Hotbodies Racing adjustable levers. This was a very easy thing to do, and I'm hoping to get out for a ride this afternoon to try them out & make certain that the clutch is adjusted right.

https://www.sportbiketrackgear.com/hotbodies-racing-kawasaki-ninja-400-2018-mgp-levers-set/

I bought them from STG and they even have a video installation guide. As a British friend once commented about an easy installation, and had to translate for me, fitment was a dawdle.

Edit: after riding about 45 miles this afternoon, the levers are a great fit. I don't even have them at their tightest/smallest setting. And I was pleasantly surprised that my initial adjustment of the clutch cable was spot on. Maybe I'm getting the hang of this stuff?

 

[Baxter]

Tonight’s work sponsored by Coors Banquet Beer

Installed an R6 quick turn throttle tube, Renthal grips, reinstalled my Norton flashed ecu, installed an eBay rear seat cowl. Went with faux carbon fiber because I was worried the red wouldn’t match my bike. Figured carbon fiber didn’t have to match anything.
Installed a Zero Gravity Corsa windscreen. Going to continue tomorrow with upgraded clutch springs, Norton spec clutch pull rod and Norton clutch cable mod kit.

Congratulations! It sounds like you should be riding again very soon.

 

[Baxter]

I added an Arrow Pro-Race slip on. It looks like about 8 lbs. weight reduction and a lot of size reduction. And my right heel no longer hits the pipe.

I can't wait for the expected thaw early next week to take her out for a ride!

 

[Baxter]

So what does everyone think of this?

Originally i was going to put my XGrip there but decided against it. Its now the best backpack, jacket, shopping bag hook I ever owned. Definitely recommended.

Is that a ball mount that came with an XGrip? It looks to be an excellent helmet hanger as well.

 

[Baxter]

Installing rear sets, have to order a new linkage rod for the quick shift sensor, pretty much hit a stopping point until the rod comes in. For $107 bucks I am impressed with the quality. Can’t see myself spending the money for name brand when these cheapies are this nice.
Debating whether to try GP shift pattern or stay standard.

I wonder whether the gp shift pattern would confuse bike thieves? Kind of like the occasional news report that car thieves were blocked by a manual transmission.

 

[Baxter]

:sigh: Great photobomb!

 

[Baxter]

I gave her a pat as I walked by to drive my car in the snow.

My best guess is that Ms. Noire will end her hibernation in about 6 to 8 weeks.

 

[Baxter]

I mailed in my license tab renewal. It's not a big deal, but that and less than 50% snow cover makes me feel good.

 

[Baxter]

Regarding hard to remove oil filters, here's a technique I saw a few years ago but haven't had to do myself.

 

[Baxter]

It's late, so I'll post pics later. But I disassembled the fairings according to the SBG video, installed a radiator guard (there were already some slight dings on the radiator), tightened some misc. screws, installed a Denali SoundBomb and the plug-n-play relay kit but it didn't work, wasted a lot of time troubleshooting, called Revzilla and they will take it back, so I have to uninstall the SoundBomb and wiring tomorrow. Also put clear 3M protective film where my saddlebags contact the rear side fairings and I'm thinking of relocating the controls for my heated grips and my Scottoiler. Tomorrow I will also replace the Scottoiler emitter with a dual sided emitter (they call it a "Scorpion") and clean up the tubing.

While I was waiting for Revzilla on the phone, I remembered I had some spare reflective tape, and cut out some pieces and stuck them to my trash and recycling cans so that cars can avoid hitting them if I leave them out overnight. Perhaps not necessary, but it was something to do while waiting on the phone.

And my car hesitated to start when I pulled it out of the garage. So I put it on my trickle charged while I was working.

 

[Baxter]

Continuing my spring adventure in farkeling Ms. Noire, I finished repositioning the controls for my Scottoiler and my heated grips, and completed the dual sided emitter for the Scottoiler. The manufacturer claims that I'll be able to keep the chain oiled with the pump on a lower setting by using the dual emitter. This should increase my range between refills and also reduce fling so Ninjette and my luggage will stay cleaner for longer. She likes being clean and sparkly.

I also removed the SoundBomb and wiring kit, and will be packing that up to return tomorrow. I don't know whether I want to bother with this again or not. I just put the old horn back on for now.

Kiwi, the 3M tape works good and is invisible when tediously applied. I had it on my Little Red Ninja, and it worked very well.

I dropped two fasteners when reassembling my fairings. I heard them hit the ground, but couldn't find them despite getting on my hands and knees. There is no floor drain for them to vanish into. I may end up removing everything from the garage tomorrow. My local Ninja store said they can get replacements in two working days.

Which reminds me: Newton's Fourth Law of Motion states that an object dropped from a workbench will roll to the nearest inaccessible place. Baxter's Corollary to Newton's Fourth Law of Motion is that the force attracting a dropped object to the nearest inaccessible place increases exponentially in relation to the difficulty of replacing the object. If these parts were no longer being made, they most certainly would have been sucked into a wormhole and ejected into a black hole.

 

[Baxter]

I've been able to get out for an afternoon ride almost every day now. It's still great to be retired!

 

[Baxter]

Ms. Ninjette Noire needed a bath--she even seemed to giggle a bit from the suds.

I use Turtle Wax's Zip Wax, which is a light cleanser with a light wax coating in one. It seems to make it easier to remove bugs between washes.

I also lubed the chain despite having a Scottoiler. I relube after every wash. And I still occasionally scrub the chain--but the fling off from the Scottoiler seems to help keep the chain cleaner than before I used it.

And while I was at it, I washed and lubed the chain on my pedal bike.

There may be time to go for a ride this afternoon as well.

 

[Baxter]

Regarding Ms. Noire's bath--this is my first bike with an upswept exhaust, so I bought her an exhaust plug just to keep any spray from dripping down into the pipes. Maybe it's not a big deal, but it's a cheep accessory and is transferable to the next bike. It'll also be good to keep mice out during winter.

I trust that nobody will make any inappropriate butt plug jokes.

 

[Baxter]

Ninjette and I rode to the bank to deposit a check, only to find that the branch was closed, even the drive up. A quick internet check revealed that all branches for my bank now close at 4. Oh well, it's an excuse to ride tomorrow.

 

[Baxter]

Ninjette Noire was nowhere in need of a bath as much as Banjoboy's hard-used Z, but I gave her a light cleaning just so she can sparkle in the sun. She wants to pass everyone and look good while doing so. Yep, Ninjette's that kinda girl.

Otherwise, the morning turned into a light garage day. The cars also didn't need cleaning except a bird seems to have eaten something disagreeable and sent it all over one fender, so that was taken care of at the same time as Ms. Noire's bath. I also took some headlight polish and removed some scratches from my helmet's visor. My Pedal Ninja had a flat, so I fixed that. Then I noticed that the storage shelves I mounted when we bought Chateau Nouveau last year somehow seem to have accumulated dust and grime!?! Really? It's just been a year! So I pulled everything down, cleaned, and reorganized. There's also some stuff that hasn't been used in a year, so later today there should be a discussion about whether some of these things can go away.

 

[Baxter]

I fixed a broken bracket for my Oxford heated grips. I was riding the hilly sweepers north of West Bend yesterday, and noticed that the bracket for my heated grip controller broke at the hole for mounting on the bike. So after taking a pic for a potential warranty claim, I snipped off the excess with my tin snips and drilled a new hole in the remaining bracket, and then reinstalled.

I'm wondering if the length of the bracket, combined with movement induced by Wisconsin's bumpy roads, caused a stress fracture at the hole's location. Perhaps the repaired bracket being shorter and the attachment hole being at a wider part of the bracket will mean that this will not be repeated. We shall see ...

 

[Baxter]

Just added an icebear sticker to the front View attachment 15015

I'm curious, what's the reference?

 

[Baxter]

I increased the preload from 2 to 3. Then I went for a ride on the usual routes. The expansion joints still hit hard, but maybe Ms. Noire felt a bit more planted, maybe it was my imagination. And considering that there are only five preload levels, I'd thought that the buttometer would have felt more of a difference.