Twisted Edge Adventures

Boosterplug Smooths it...

2010-06-17T18:59:00.000-07:00

I just want to share my experience coping with and finally smoothing a rough running engine in my 2007 R1200GSA…

I bought the bike new, it now has 30K+ miles on it. From day one this has simply been a rough running R1200 (love the bike regardless!). I have owned two other straight GS’s and my keeper bike naturally has to be the one with the rough at idle engine and especially at low speed and low rpm – difficult to ride and shift smoothly when slow. Again, I’ve ridden several other bikes with the same engine and know what smooth feels like, my bike has never been it.

I’ve tried everything, multiple tunes, valve adjustments, computer tweaking at the dealer… it’s just always been rough and I basically conceded to some sort of a balance problem. Then I started reading about Boosterplug (Boosterplug.com), and other makes of similar products, that adjust the temperature of the intake air downward in order to fool the bike into believing that the OAT is cooler than it actually is. This tricks the fuel controller into producing a richer mixture.

I was hesitant to try it, and then I really took a good look down into my exhaust and could see that there was absolutely no black residue at all, it was obviously burning very hot. This is where I should jump in and tell you that I am a now retired professional pilot and in the piston days spent many hours out of sheer boredom (and occasional necessity) playing with and adjusting mixture. In the reciprocating engine airplane world the accepted practice is to lean to peak EGT (Exhaust Gas Tempurature – approximately peak RPM), and then RICHEN slightly off peak. There are some guys who will LEAN off peak slightly believing that they get better fuel burn and a cleaner engine, but they are in the minority and almost no credible source teaches that (these are also horizontally opposed engines).

At any rate, after reading a couple threads on ADV (ADV Forum - Boosterplug, ADV Forum 2), and especially reading Jen’s remarks at the end of the second link, I decided to take a chance and try it. The plug arrived in very timely fashion considering it came from overseas with no problem, and when I took it out could tell it was very well made and heavy duty. I took off the bike’s left side cover, unplugged the OAT sensor coming from the airbox, plugged in the Boosterplug, plugged the airbox feed into the receptacle, and laid the new OAT sensor alongside the rear side of the tank. Total install was less than 5 minutes, only needed a couple of ties to make it real pretty.

I had read that it sometimes takes 3 engine cycles before the bike’s computer begins to process the inputs properly, but I noticed the difference on the first start and ride. First of all, the engine turns over once and is running, not 2 seconds later, it fires right now! Then idle is stable and MUCH smoother. Slow speed riding has no surges and shifting is way smoother. The bike still accelerates the same, and on high rpm decelerations does not pop and spit near as much as it used to. Overall the bike instantly felt as if I had installed a new engine.

But I hadn’t run it in any warm weather until this weekend. Saturday I rode my wife over to Yakima (87 degrees) via Chinook Pass (50 degrees). Our destination was Los Hernandez Authentic Tamales… a hole in the wall with the BEST tamales I have ever had, the pork as well as asparagus & pepperjack cheese were delicious and worth the ride:

She had no idea I had installed it, and as we were eating Connie remarked that “the bike seems way smoother!” That said it all – and I have spent hundreds tuning and primping never getting measurable improvement.

I checked mileage and it was the same 40 mpg exactly that I always get. The bottom line is I think the bike was running way too lean and this has radically changed its character to the better – well worth it, and it came after I had given up hope for smoothness.

Reading around this seems to be very common with this vintage engine, and not just the 1200. If you are having some of the same symptoms (like engine surging just above idle in low gears), you might want to look into it. I’m sure the dealer may have a problem with it warranty wise and I’m sure the South Sound guys can chime in on that. All I can say is that I don’t often endorse products and I get nothing for reporting on this other than the pleasure of hopefully helping out someone with the same frustration. Install was simply plug and play.

Cheers,

Nate

A Video From Houston

2010-03-04T19:44:00.000-08:00

I'm back hanging at SheepShaggers while we count down the days to head back into Mexico.

As is typical, we don't know where we're going, so I'm not going to try to predict, here. But in the meantime, for anyone who's curious about riding in and around Houston, here's another video I put together with me following Sheepshagger around. I hope you enjoy.

I'll be back on this RR when we hit Mexico in a few days, so if you are still interested, don't kill your subscription yet!

DayRideWithSheepShagger3 from Arno Jones on Vimeo.

Heading Back - The Ride Through Guatemala and Mexico

2010-02-19T04:30:00.000-08:00

Forces have conspired together to force me to act like a responsible adult. In particular there's one government entity that hasn't been pleased with my travels, plus, I've simply underestimated what the cost of a trip to South America would be. So, with a heavy heart, I turned the Spec Ops bike northward to Texas.

The road through and out of the jungle in northern Guatemala. I'm heading east toward the town of Naranja, where there's a brand new border crossing into Mexico. It's shown only on the 2010 Roji Guia maps.

This is kind of common in this region - that the jungle has been cleared in order to raise cattle. Of course this is sparking a lot of controversy and there are a lot of people who say raising cattle here will fail, too.

[[IMG]]http://drrags.smugmug.com/Other/HomeThruMexico/P1010334/791708929_o9ut4-L.jpg[/[IMG]]

[[IMG]]http://drrags.smugmug.com/Other/HomeThruMexico/P1010335/791709327_Kagv9-L.jpg[/[IMG]]

At the Mexico side of the Guatemalan and Mexican border. Brand new. They got angry at me for taking pictures

Past the border heading to Villahermosa:

I took the cuota caraterra all the way to Texas and managed to get from Guatemala to the Texas border in only two days. That probably cost me over $200US to do though.

Rising out of the foggy, wet jungle into the central highlands of central Mexico, heading for Mexico City:

This climb when on for a long time. It is an excellent, high-speed, twisty road.

This is the brand new Mexico City bypass. Once again, a great road found only on the 2010 version of the Roji Guia map (the 2009 version does show this road being constructed though). For the first time though, I broke out my electric jacket. It was cold the whole way to Texas. Anyway, you can pick it up at KM 195 just before Texmelucan and follow the signs to Queretaro.

I hit Quero two hours past dark, searching for a hotel. The hotels on the cuota are expensive! I kept searching, not knowing where I'm at. I'm tired and cold. Finally I find a motel that turns out to be an auto-hotel. $260p/night and they are great rooms. I swear, that's the only way to travel. Super clean, room service, a garage, big tv, etc. Did I mention relatively cheap?

Just before you get to Monterey, I took Hwy 31 to Linares. I did it to avoid paying any more toll, and that turned out to be fortunate. The scenary was unexpected and astonishing. Highly recommended. I didn't get all the pictures of this area I should have.

I made it to the Los Indios border in time, but I couldn't find my visitors pass. It turned out to be in my traveling pouch all along, but I just didn't see it. I checked myself out of Mexico no problem, but by the time I got done with this, the border had closed and I couldn't check my bike out. So... I took a room at the hotel at the border for the night. Quite possibly the most miserable room I've ever stayed in.

Well... that's all folks. I'm in Houston and this trip is over. From here I'll look for work, and if I have my way, I'll pick up where I left off next year.

BTW, thank you VERY much to all the folks that clicked the ads on my blog. It was worth over $200 and very much appreciated.

Last of the Photos from Tikal

2010-02-19T03:26:00.000-08:00

Most of the pyramids have you climb these kind of stairs instead of the treacherous stone steps. The stone steps are narrow and steep. If you fall, you fall all the way to the bottom. This is better.

Yes, there are still more pyramids...

The view from the top of the pyramid:

This is about a 90 degree panorama:

There's no mistaking that you're in the jungle...

It was a long climb...

Another tiny pyramid

And finally, some creepy bugs doing the nasty. For scale, they are about 4 inches long.

Thus endeth the photo-journey through Tikal. I hope you enjoyed them.

Pyramids on Tikal

2010-02-19T03:24:00.000-08:00

And then... something gigantus in the distance

No, it's only a little shrimpy pyramid, only twice as tall as I am

Since you're deep in the jungle, you don't really appreciate just how large this place is. I started to realize this when we came upon the courtyard. Here, we're in the center of things.

Imagine being King and looking down on all the peons below, wondering who's head you're going to lop off.

The structures that we've seen so far are actually built upon older ruins. At one time archeologist's were dicking around and the floor caved in under them. Instead of getting in trouble for grab-assing, they were honored for discovering new stuff. Here's a big face in the wall. Probably some important (and ugly) guy. I'll bet it scared the crap out of the grab-assers.

Another pre-ruin ruin.

More Photos Inside Tikal

2010-02-19T03:22:00.000-08:00

Some unrestored blocks. To the left is a still as-of-yet unrecovered pyramid.

The gang in front of a hut covering some more blocks.

Another secret to be discovered one of these days. There are still many still-covered mounds, but it will take many more years to see what's all there.

And then...

I'm glad I brought my tripod

An apartment complex. The walls are thick enough to where I think the neighbors could play their stereo pretty loud and not bother anyone.

Inside Tikal - the Start of the Tour

2010-02-19T03:20:00.000-08:00

I went in with some other people and hired a guide. My part was Q100 ~ $12.00US.

The tour starts off a little slow, but picks up the pace...

First, pics of signs

A gum tree. At one time all the chewing gum came from these trees, but now it's all artificial.

This is a spiritual tree. The branches support the heavens. The roots, which I forgot to take a picture of, look rather similar. And they represent supporting the earth.

I brightened up this shot so you could see the branches.

I like monkeys

Some blocks. I forget what they're all about. Sorry.

Debajo:

Encima:

Some kind of ceremonial gathering place. When all of this was described to me, I thought "yeah, I can remember all of this..."

A lot of these blocks were pushed over. During the reconstruction they were cemented back together. Here you can see a relief of a chief dude.

Creepy looking turkeys:

And shiny, too!

A toucan.

Getting into Tikal

2010-02-19T03:12:00.000-08:00

First off, this pic is a good depiction of how I felt on that leg of the journey. A little self-indulgent, but wtf

Into the jungle I go:

With lions and tigers and bears, oh my!

Drive/ride all the way into the park itself:

Ah yes, the dental work

2010-02-11T05:13:00.000-08:00

First, a picture of my classroom where I spent about two months That's my maestro, Byron.

The receptionist who always had a smile for me:

My Dentist - always busy. He probably works 14 hours a day.

The A Team

That's a mouthful of new crowns!

My Dentists parking spot

Yup, so far I'm happy with my new teeth. It took a little bit to get used to but it's all good now.

Mas Fotos

2010-02-11T05:11:00.000-08:00

Casa de Don David. Probably the place to stay. I stayed at a nice hotel, but it was a horse hotel (lots of horses). I forgot that where there's horses, there's lots of flys.

There's the lake out there, but it's washed out in this pic.

Ahhh... mi moto...

Main road, but you still need to cross this river on the ferry.

I got this sticker...

From these folks

More Pics of the Tikal Area

2010-02-11T05:09:00.000-08:00

But I have to wait until I get better upload speeds before I can upload the pics of the ruins themselves.

The view in front of my hotel:

The Road to Coban/Tikal

2010-02-10T19:30:00.000-08:00

Bandwidth is limited today - let's see what I can get away with.

This is the road to Coban. The road just... ended.

This is the detour:

And some random pics of the area:

Moonrise over Xela

2010-01-31T19:48:00.001-08:00

I don't know which one I like best so I'm just gonna put them both up

Ok, You Guys Asked for it!

2010-01-31T19:30:00.000-08:00

Ok, you guys asked for it...

So... for the last few days I've had a low-grade fever and slight nausea. No diarrhea or anything else. It was starting to take the life out of me, so I described it to my teacher in case he recognized the symptoms. He didn't, but he told the dueña. She gave me some tea that she said would help. It seemed to, but the next day (today) I felt like crap and had yet another fever.

So, back at school I tell the dueña again and she gives me a little cup and tells me to poop in the cup and take it to the sanitarium for analysis. Ha ha, when was the last time you had to poop in a cup?

So I sashay on down to the local sanatorium with a cup full of poop. This is not in my vocabulary yet. To say that I was unsure of what exactly I was doing is an understatement. Well, the sanitarium girl took my cup of poop like it was an everyday occurance, and I guess it is for her, and charged me Q15 (what, $1.05?) for the analysis.

Well, I guess either the thing I had ran its course, or the tea worked, because the analysis came back negative and I felt better afterwards Another mini-adventure...

(no, I didn't take any other pictures, this will have to do, ok? )

Just Some Random Pics of People

2010-01-31T19:27:00.000-08:00

Here are just some pics I've taken.

I whipped out my camera as this guy was just waking up.

It's a lot of motorcycle for either a 125 or a 250:

I'm not the only one taking pics...

La Policia - still riding 250's

Just a couple of pics

2010-01-22T14:27:00.000-08:00

I took today. I remembered my camera

This is actually quite common - guys passed out on the sidewalk. It gets below freezing here at night and I wonder why these guys don't die of hypothermia

My X-Ray tech:

That's it! Nothing new, still going to school and going to the dentist.

The Dentist

2010-01-12T09:47:00.000-08:00

Today was Day 1 of my grueling month-long dental procedure. So far, so good. I am happy and confident with my dentist so far.

It's the white building on the right:

The reception area. I was here first thing this morning, so there is no crush of people.

I always ask to take a picture, and most of the time the folks say yes, but when the camera comes out, everyone scatters. Here they are, caught in the act of running away. I was too quick for them today

The one and only chair:

Ok, when was the last time you saw a dental patient in a ride report?

lol, yes, that's me. Xela is at about 8,000 feet and the temps range from 0 to 20C, but nothing has heat. That bigass wool chumpa is permantly attached to me.

Main Road from Xela to Guatemala City

2010-01-12T09:34:00.000-08:00

This is just a sample of the road system that will take you through Guatemala. It's most excellent, but you still have to remain ever vigilant.
The altitude on this sample ranges from 8,000 to 10,000 feet.

You asked for it, so I hope you enjoy!

GuatemalanRoadsSample from Arno Jones on Vimeo.

Riding Down the Hill to San Pedro Video

2010-01-10T20:50:00.001-08:00

Here's a sample of the road to San Pedro.

SanPedroRoads from Arno Jones on Vimeo.

Wiring in San Pedro

2010-01-10T07:51:00.000-08:00

What do you do when you need to run a wire or a cable into your establishment?

Why, just make a hole where you need it!

Some random pics of the crossroad that's called San Pedro.

A Laid Back Weekend in San Pedro

2010-01-09T14:58:00.000-08:00

Crashmaster and I boogied over to San Pedro today. San Pedro is on the other side of Lago Atitlán from Panajachel. It is way more laid back than Panajachel. There are a lot of hippies here and the things that go with them Very mellow.

The view going down the mountain side to San Pedro:

Entering town:

Of course, riding a bike down a treacherous, twisty road is a lot of work and can tire you out easily

Dental Recuperation

2010-01-09T14:55:00.000-08:00

Originally Posted by Blakebird

Spend every afternoon recuperating from your day in the dental chair with cocktails overlooking Lake Atitlan and post pictures.

You mean like this?

Of Dentists and Fly Fishing

2010-01-09T06:39:00.000-08:00

Snafu? Do tell.

FYI - all the ads that came up this morning are dental offices here in Atlanta. Now, if you would write about hiring a flyfishing guide, I could click on some ads for good guides down there.

Google is pretty smart ya know. Are you sure you don't need to go to the dentist?

Ok, so you're interested in Fly Fishing. Let's give it a shot. I'll post this in the blog and lets see what kind of ads pop up for flyfishing and guides.

Experience the Country You Are In

2010-01-07T18:07:00.000-08:00

I've been in Guatemala for about a month now, and I'm starting to understand the culture. There's no better way to experience it than living it.

Well, I'm experiencing a new aspect of it now. Today I got to experience finding a dentist, or more specifically, an orthodontist. Then I got to experience checking in, and listening for my name in a crowded waiting room reminiscent of some 50's movie; all the while hoping that I checked in properly and that my name will be called. Then, I got to experience describing my symptoms to the dentist. Then, I got to experience trekking across town to find the x-ray place to get x-rays.

Things that we take for granted in our home country are a new mini-adventure when you're a weirdo from another planet. But, in spite of towering over the 5 foot tall populace, the people here are super-friendly and go out of their way to help me, all the while, all of us always laughing at my rotten Spanish and Tarzan sentence structure.

So... I signed up to have some major dental work done. Something that would cost me $25,000 in the US (actual quotes) is going to cost me $2,500 here. It will take about a month to knock it all out, so, it looks like I'm going to be here another month at least. Yeah, it will cut my trip short, but this is something I've wanted/needed to do for years and I think the trade-off is worth it. I'm kind of excited about it. (who the hell could be excited about seeing the dentist?)

Don't lose hope dear readers. I'm sure something exciting will happen in the next month to keep your eyes glued to this ride report. I'll at least remember to bring my camera and take some pics of the dentists office

Not Much Going on Today

2010-01-06T20:13:00.001-08:00

Not much going on today. I rode down to Esquintla to meet Daniel. This is Lake Atitán (5,000 ft) from a point at about 9,000 feet or so. It was cold and cloudy up this high.