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So much of motorcycling impresses me as ethereal. "In the head?" Unquestionably, motorcycling is a heady experience. And an emotional one. These aspects certainly can cloud our methods and technical impressions. We are not the first to allow the heart and feel and head to cloud the technical matters . . . "A skittish motor-bike with a touch of blood in it is better than all the riding animals on earth, because of its logical extension of our faculties, and the hint, the provocation, to excess conferred by its honeyed untiring smoothness. Because Boa loves me, he gives me five more miles of speed than a stranger would get from him." – T. E. Lawrence

A perfect spring day for a ride out

What l meant was, l have installed 3 now, Shindengen 847 regulators, Much Better. Charging now 14.5 to 14.7 idling. Connects directly to the battery, not going thru 30amp fuse. I like it. Cheers Tom.

Just a note of caution on LiFe batteries. They may be fine in fact I've got one in a Sporti, but be aware these batteries have lower internal resistance and can absorb and discharge higher currents. This could lead to problems with the Reg/Rec on older bikes. The Ducati forums were full of guys installing them and then having problems, some more serious than others. I can't remember off the top of my head but their charging regime is slightly different too. You can charge them with a conventional charger usually, but any de-sulphation cycle on the charger must be disabled. Some now have balance circuitry and overvoltage protection built in others not. If the battery doesn't self balance then a balance charge should be conducted ocassionally. Over the winter they are best stored at 80% charge, this doesn't mean 80% voltage, you need to get the relevant chart off the manufacturer Although I've had no problems with mine, I'm just pointing out some of the differences. If I had the Shindengen 847 like @Tomchri I'd have no hesitation in using one. They can be great, light, small, faster charging, long life and lots of cold cranking power (except in cold conditions) but just be aware that there are differences in the technology John

They are unbelievably inexpensive. I bought 5 for less than $5, but had to wait for the boat from China. Surprisingly, the first one is fine at the 2-year mark. They have a blink-rate adjustment screw between the pins, and a tab so they will pop into the OEM rubber mount. These at the Amazon link are horrendously expensive - almost $3 ea., but you get five of them tomorrow. https://smile.amazon.com/Adjustable-Electronic-Flasher-Relay-Signal/dp/B07JYY6H3W/ref=sr_1_13?crid=1E2W3F33YJIFM&keywords=adjustable+led+flasher+5x&qid=1650760934&sprefix=adjustable+led+flasher+5%2Caps%2C132&sr=8-13 So, a monkey paw trap full of spare Osrams and flashers for the journey!

Hey VtwinStorm Move on from AGM. All you’re doing is lugging an anchor around - & imo the old PC545’s are waaay overrated now. These have proved to be superior in every way in a V11 - even with Mike Rich HC pistons. Prismatic cells LiFePO4 battery with BMS (battery management system) is best. https://www.batterybusiness.com.au/store/product_detail/ssb-high-performance-lithium-battery-lh7l-bs Listed as suitable for Bimota 1100 SB6 four cylinder & TM 530 thumper engines - so our relatively lower compression twins are a breeze. So small - so light - in time any initial disbelieving trust issues just eventually evaporate away!

I had pretty crappy fuel economy till i discovered a nasty crack in my mistral crossover. It was right next to the lambda sensor too. Actually i’ve only just last week had it repair welded and popped it back on the bike.

There are many LED strobe units available - all somewhat different as to flash rate and number of flashes. They are less than $2/each if you order from AliExpress and are a bit patient. Somewhat more from eBay and Amazon. The second LED brake light was a snap to wire, as the OEM tail light connectors are the "flag" type and there is plenty or room beside the crimp to solder (or de-solder) the small gauge LED wires alongside. Rather than drill holes, I routed the wires through one of the grommets under the license plate and behind the middle inner fender plastic and to the tail light connection. I ran them inside a silicone rubber hose so that the 1-inch exposed section is well protected. As to the narrow focus of the typical LED beam, I aimed the lower brake light where drivers' eyes would be in the bright spot.

Only LiFePO4. Butch : Lead's dead, baby. Lead's dead. “LiFePO4 batteries are the safest of the lithium batteries, because they will not catch fire, and won’t even overheat. Even if you puncture the battery it will not catch fire. This is a massive upgrade over other lithium batteries, which can overheat and catch fire. LifePO4 batteries have the safest lithium chemistry. They weigh up to 70% lighter than lead acid batteries. AGM batteries will do plenty of damage to your wallet, and are at high risk for becoming damaged themselves if you drain them past 50% capacity. Maintaining them can be difficult as well. LiFePO4 Ionic lithium batteries can be discharged completely with no risk of damage. Charge efficiency: a LiFePO4 battery will reach full charge in 2 hours or less. Self-discharge rate when not in use: Only 2% per month. (Compared to 30% for lead acid batteries). Runtime is higher than lead acid batteries/other lithium batteries. Consistent power: same amount of amperage even when below 50% battery life. No maintenance needed.” https://lithiumhub.com/lifepo4-batteries-what-they-are-and-why-theyre-the-best/

Here's a night shot of the B/LT setup. Also, another shot from about 30º to the right, showing that the light, for me, is still plenty visible.

First few things to try: > Loosen the battery terminals and clean the terminal stack and bolt, apply some Vaseline or (better Caig DeOxit) and make sure they are good'n tight. > Inspect the 30 amp charging fuse for tightness, damage, or signs of excessive heat. > Make sure there is a ground wire from the regulator case to the timing chest of the engine.

All of mine were plugged; 6 front and 9 rear. The plugs are actually rubber, maybe I'll do some homework and see if I can reconstitute them chemically without destroying them. Also; if Docc's wheels don't have seventeen pounds of road grime in them, they probably don't matter.

When my LM1000 came to me it had the 16" front wheel and was shod with Metzelers (15 years ago, and the tires weren't new) The front end felt totally untrustworthy. After reading a lot of anecdotes, I swapped on a 18" LM3 wheel, with new Metzelers. The front then was extremely stable, but heavy and slow. I ran through 3 sets of tires subsequently, Metzeler x2 and most liked Michelin Pilots. But where it all went right, was while restoring it I put the 16" front back on, added longer rear shocks, dropped the forks in the trees 1/2" and it turned magical wearing Pirelli Road Demons. The Mille GT is wearing some Shinkos, or other no-name tires; they're old, a bit scary looking but not worn. They are very neutral handlers on that bike, with only the slightest tip-in in turns. I do recall on the LM that when the rear center wore, it tended to drift on fast straight roads (which are all I have at home) I always tend to 'sticky' tires, because I imagine I'll go ride some nice roads far more than I actually have opportunity. I think the Tonti is less affected by the profile than the geometry- 'feeling the difference' is not the same big change as setting the geometry correctly. But you *can* feel the difference, where I really never noticed on the Asian bikes I had. The Sport-i is far more sensitive to tire profile than the Tonti, which is a function of tire width probably. FWIW, the Mille GT will get Michelin Pilots if they're still available when the time comes. *the above statements are not paid endorsements, nor are the opinions expressed valid beyond the skull of the author*

While that's probably true, it can't happen without changing the profile at the same time. The definitive answer will never be known because you can't buy identical tires ten years apart; and if you could, I defy anyone to tell the difference while street riding.

It worked. Thank you, @docc!!! Battery light started flickering under 2k RPM on the way home, so now I have to figure that out...hmmm.....

You will probably only be able to get 1st and neutral without turning the back wheel to line up the dogs on the gears and drive sleeves. Find the neutral position on the selector assy and move all the drive sleeves in the gearbox to the mid position between the gears and dry fit the cover and make sure it seats. Then carefully remove and apply sealant and install. make sure the cover seats by hand, don't use the screws to "pull it into the seated position" Read this. Ciao

It's not only the tread that wears and degrades but the carcase as well. New tyres feel and steer nicely because the carcase isn't fatigued and degraded through millions of flex cycles and is it's true shape and stiffness. Ciao

Ok...so I decided to stick the spare stock spring in for now and will switch out for the super spring later. I striped it and put in the new spring no problem. My question is with regard to reassembly. Remember my bike was stuck in first gear so it's tough to know where things should be for the box to be in neutral prior to refitting. I'm pretty sure I got the shifter wheels right as it seems neutral is just one 'notch' back from the dot markers on them that I think corresspond to first. I think I found neutral in the box by messing around and dry fitting the cover and checking the back wheel moves freely. Then removed it again and refitted with gasket maker. Before I fill with oil I thought I'd check if I can shift through gears but seems I can only select first and neutral. However I think that this is all you can get in the box without the engine running...is this correct or is it possible I have the shifter arms incorrectly positioned? Thanks

Docc Museum. Hope to visit it one day.

Lots of PC545 and regulator lore logged here. The PC545 does have some rather specific charging requirements, per the manufacturer. Link to a lengthy thread, below. Otherwise, turn the ignition/lights on while you finish putting your helmet and gloves on, before starting. The draw will chemically warm the battery and enhance the start discharge current. I found this totally non-intuitive and hard to accept. Reality can be like that sometimes.

All good thinking. I struggled with LED being very unidirectional, becoming alarmingly less visible from even slightly reduced visual angles (read: inattentive driver from the rear, off-center to the lane of travel). I updated the link in this thread. This simple LED tail/brake unit has been awesome. It was like ten bucks US . . . I remember learning that LED color must be matched to lens color for maximum effect.