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Hi Dave,
Thanks again for the great Christmas Card and perfect timing we rec'd. it on Christmas Eve.
Is that a UFO in this posting......sure looks like one. Did you and Teddy get to go for a ride in it?:roflblack::roflblack::ohyea::yes::roflblack::r oflblack:
Happy New Year,
Jim
That looks rough! Glad to see it out of the garage though.
That person in the rear seat will ride any kind of Spyder.
Dave, Happy New Year to you and Teddy..............looks like slow but sure is getting the :spyder: done. Hope to see you at Spyderfest this year!:yes:
It looks a bit like a transformer that's been caught mid-stride... :shocked:
But it is out of the garage! :2thumbs:
My right arm is still messed up and has me pretty limited in my functioning, so much so I've been pretty limited on my internet usage cause even typing causes more pain, so I'm chicken pecking the screen of a tablet right now. Good news is that my new insurance has kicked in and I go to see a specialist after work tomorrow.
A world of thanks goes out to Pete from Kansas City, as many of you know, he made the trip of hundreds of miles to come and spend the weekend helping to get Teds Red Sled put back together and of course, spend some quality schmooz'n time with Teddy.
A couple days after Christmas, KingGeek came over for a few hours and helped us continue the process of the rebuild. Being so close to completion but hampered by my arm, made for a very frustrating Christmas break, so his help was invaluable, not only for getting Teds Red Sled back up and running, but for my own spirits as well. We were so close to actually having it running, but since it had sat so long (since Lamonts Bar-B-Q) the battery was low and it kept trying to turn over and would actually start a couple of times, but soon died after about 20 seconds or so. Seeing a little smoke from the engine area brought some concern, so we thought it best to stop where we were and I'd continue with what I could the following day.
The next day, after having the batter on a charger over night and adding some SeaFoam to the gas tank, I was EUPHORIC when I turned the key & hit the start button and Teds Red Sled roared back to life. I wasn't really sure what to expect with all the mods that we've done, especially with the removal of the stock air intake and the adding of the K n N Intake system from KewlMetal, but she didn't sound all that much louder than before. Doc had told me that the system works well in the RT application, but with having the resonator along with all the side panels off, I kind of expected it to be really loud, but was pleasantly surprised that it wasn't.
I couldn't believe that the bike actually started, and with not throwing a single fault code. I thought for sure I screwed up big time, in forgetting to disconnect the battery before we removed the frunk, as I read somewhere that the ECM is ALWAYS powered & to disconnect the battery before disconnecting anything to it, which I'm sure some of the connections in the frunk area are, so we got lucky there.
I quickly strapped Teddy straight to the back seat and took his Red Sled out for a quick test ryde, just to see if it would actually go without blowing the engine or anything catching on fire. Thats the pictures I posted at the beginning of this new for 2013 thread. And YES, that is actually my neighbors house, a solid silver UFO house. He's right up the street from us, so I snapped a couple pics for all of you to see, that we are still alive and Teds Red Sled is just about ready to once again hit the road and start new Adventures here in 2013., thanks in large part to many of you out there in SpyderLovers land that have helped us in so many ways. THANK YOU ALL:bowdown::bowdown:
Dave I see Teddy has a small jacket on but upset about the Spyder - How would you feel if someone put you out in the Snow with
most of your clothes removed !
Just glad to see the progress on the rebuild is well underway - Happy New Year to you both and I do so hope 2013 will be much more kinder to you than 2012 was at least it looks like you turned the corner - judging by the angle of the front wheels
Great photos - As always keep us posted
Eddie Sheppard
Reading UK
Out on the road with a half-nekkid Spyder, a sore arm, a cute dog, and snow on the ground...
It sounds as if it's gonna be a GREAT year! :2thumbs: :roflblack: :firstplace:
Glad to hear that the rate of progress is increasing! :thumbup:
You know how you get used to something, say like your right arm but then all of a sudden, you can't use it anymore. Sure, you can live just fine without it, we're human, we acclimate and make adjustments, but its just NOT the same. Kind of ironic, as I'm not really talking about my arm this time at all, but more along the lines of Teds Red Sled.
Most of you know how I crafted the Teddy-Cam so I could keep an eye on the lil star while we're riding, without having to keep turning around and actually looking at him, adding to the miriads of other distracted drivers out there on the road. The system worked well for the past 2 years, but I (along with Mother Nature) killed the lcd monitor a few months back, leaving me without my constant watchful eye on The Tedster. Ryding without it, after being so use to it, just wasn't the same and my level of apprehension was a little higher, bringing down the enjoyment level just a bit. I mean, we love get'n on it in the twisties, as I'm sure Lamont and MrOrange can attest to after our ryde of The Dragon, HellBender and all the other great roads we did while enjoying Lamonts Bar-B-Q this past year and the year before even.
But without being able to see Teddy, as I said, adds a little concern to the ryde, especially after our first major incident where I thought I had killed the poor lil guy. Some may see a 'Teddy-Cam' as overdoing it, but I see it as doing what I need to do to make sure the lil guy is safe, without adding me as another distracted driver.
So, with all that said, and my buyout check in hand, I was able to find a unit that is actually designed for the outdoor elements, the first on the market, waterproof 7"lcd monitor to replace the one that died. I couldn't believe it when I found it, and they actually warranty it, unlike all other manufacturers . Most that I've seen are NOT for outdoor use, so if it gets wet, your loss. Sure you can try an aqua-box, but even then, its not warrantied, so your still taking your chances. The new one I found is even rated for High Pressure wash downs, like a car wash, tho I had to laugh when I read the claim that the unit was 'EXPLOSION PROOF!!!' Huh??? Yeah right, are we talking like M80, hand granade, dynomite or what??? Til my brother clued me in that in the industry, it means that the unit can be used in volotile conditions like gas filled rooms and the unit will not produce any sparks to 'CAUSE' an explosion. Still gave me a chuckle tho....
So now, having the new unit in hand, Teds Red Sled is now even more apart than in the pictures, as I'm having to rewire the entire bike to add the new 'Teddy-Cam' along with a rear view camera so I can also see behind when we're on road trips and pulling the camper, which is actually a little taller than the Spyder, leaving me guessing when its in tow. I've added a Moto-Lite fuse block to wire everything in and not give Teds Red Sled indigestion by all the power draws, hopefully keeping all its systems nice and happy.
Doc, as soon as I get home from work today, I'm going to take one more reading of the belt tension, and finally get your tensioner back in the mail to you. My heartfelt thanks for all your assistance these past few months and I also apologize for keeping it so long, and for everyone else waiting so long who have been wanting to try it out as well. Its been a long time getting to this point, but dare I say it, we're almost there.
Disregard the PM i sent a few minutes ago...hadn't read this yet!!
So glad to see the Spyder OUT of the garage!! We are SO looking forward to seeing you and the Tedster at Spyderfest!!:yes::yes::yes::2excited:
You have been put through the wringer and I sure was glad to see the Sled out of the garage. Do keep us posted too on that arm. Its got to be well before spyderfest! :yes:
I'm glad to see progress again. I would be worried that I'd have forgotten critical details learned during disassembly to reassemble with confidence. Glad you're doing such a great job!
I'm also please that you'll see your doctor soon. Keeping you in my prayers.
Looking good Dave! You and Teddy will be back riding and spreading joy, before you know it!:ohyea:
Happy New Year to you and Teddy!! Glad things are starting to come together for you, and you will be getting your arm taken care of, as well!! I hope this New Year brings you joy and happiness and Teddy gets back on the road spreading joy!!
Dee
I had to go thru Teds 2012 thread to find the actual date of our last ryde, and it was on 9/9/2012 coming back home from Lamonts Bar-B-Q when our rear tire went flat, just as we came off our home exit.....116 days ago:shocked:
Had an issue with the Xenon Depot HID foglights, where I thought I had been sent the wrong kit, as the connections wouldn't hook up with the OEM connector. I sent Steve (Xenon Depot/KBcarStuff-Site Sponsor) a PM about the issue and Danny gave me a call back, as Steve is off til Friday. After a little talking, I went out to the garage to verify what we got, and Danny let me know that we did in fact get the correct kit. So why doesn't the connections match up? Well duh Dave! Try connecting it at the right spot and see if that works:opps: Hey, its been 116 days since our last ryde, gimme a break:banghead: I'm lucky I'm not in some mental ward from depression and suicide attempts, ok?:lecturef_smilie:
So yeah, BRAINFART ALERT*** as Danny pointed out, its pretty much drill the hole in the cap and then its plug in play (to the correct wire) I realized all was right once again, and we'll be installing the HID fogs tonight after I get back home from my Dr's appointment about my arm. Still got things torn apart, figuring out the best way to go about all the wiring for the Teddy-Cam system and also his heated seat for the winter time rydes, but its almost there.
Was 21 degrees this morning on the way in to work. Gee, I hope I haven't gained too much weight to fit into my 1stGear Thermo Riding Suit, as it was a bit snug from last season, and I know I've gained a little since then:opps:
I'm hoping to have us back on the road by this weekend:yes::bowdown:
Tell teddy to stop giving you so many snacks... ;) That'll help keep Firstgear as your "onlygear" :thumbup:
I'm amazed at how far this project has taken you... and us! :clap: :2thumbs:
Dave, as long as it's all back together by mid-April that you can make Spyderfest. The MoGang is looking forward to seeing their honorary mascot!:yes: That's Teddy, in case you were wondering!:roflblack:
When I originally injured my arm, I went to my General Practitioner within a day or two, cause the pain from my elbow was so bad, I couldn't even turn a key in the ignition of our car. I pretty much assumed & my doctor concured from her assesment that I hadn't broken it, but more than likely had soft tissue damage. She gave me some muscle relaxers and suggested ice/heat therapy and to limit use as much as possible which I've been doing since. Here we are 6 weeks later, the pain is a constant 2 on a 10 point scale with bursts of 8-9 if I try to make that certain move with my hand, like applying pressure using my thumb, to as where before, that same motion was off the charts, dibilitating whee I'd immidiately drop or release whatever it was I was trying to do. At least now, I can do those things, just grinning and bearing it, but by no means is this a comfortable way to live. So I went to a hand surgery specialist who deals in everything hand, wrist, forearm and elbow related.
Here's a pic of my xray of my right arm thats injured, just verifying what we had already deduced, nothing bone wise was broken or fractured.
:shocked: Whoa! REALLY nekkid Dave pictures! :yikes:
I couldn't bring that pic up slose enough for any details... Were there any signs of chipping in the bonework, or debris laying in that joint?
Nope, nothing bad was showing with the xray, no chips or spurs fractures or cracks, which is what I thought going in. I was hoping that this new specialist would have odered a CT scan or an MRI, whichever one it is that shows soft tissue like ligaments the best, but sadly, he didn't agree & settled for the xray only.
While sitting in the waiting room, I googled the Dr. and was a little concerned by what I found. I don't know how things are done/scheduled as far as doctors go in your part of the country, as I'm sure with all the different insurance companies, HMO's and plans, it can be done many different ways, but here's my experience.
After 3 weeks of not much improvement, I called my regular doctor (General Practicioner) and explained my continuing issue and was referred to call a specialist thats 'in my plan' & to make an appointment to be seen by one of their specialists. I was referred to the Cincinnati Hand Surgery Specialists as they deal with all faccests of the hand, wrist, forearm & elbow. So I called & the soonest I (being a new patient) could get an appointment was 3 weeks out unless my issue was considered as an emergency, which it wasn't. The first available appointment was with Dr. F as the group contained a number of specialists, so I agreed, wanting to get in as soon as possible to hopefully get relief from my symptoms. Hindsite being 20/20, I guess I should have researched the group and their doctors before calling, but I didn't know what to expect & didn't do that.
When in the waiting room, another patient there with her elderly mother was taking a census from all the other patients about their appointment times, cause she wasn't happy with how long they had been kept waiting. When I signed in, I was told the Xray machine had gone down earlier, and that the doctor was running a little behind, but shouldn't be all that long of a wait. I got there at 2:50 for my 3pm appointment & was finally taken back about 3:40, so that gave me plenty of free time to google the Dr. just to see what came up. Seems there's now websites like MedGrades among others that keep track of patients experiences with doctors and shares their ratings with the world.
Whereas the average rating of similar doctors in the same specialist field from across the country was around a 8 or 9 out of a scale of 10, my doctor rated a 5-6 which left me feeling a little deflated in the hopes of my inpending experience with him. Have to admit, my experience mirrored very closely with the ratings other patients of his had given him. Seems many doctors pay more attention to inputting data onto charts instead of acutely paying attention to their patients communication with them at the time, or at least this was my experience among those of his other patients as they rated him low on the scale as well for 'Giving attention & Understanding your issue'.
It wasn't until I was about to leave & asking his reccomendation to where I should propperly keep my forearm brace placed to provide the best support. When originally explaining that the Spyder fell off the lift and I basically caught the entire weight of the bike in the soft tissue inside crook of my elbow, that's where he concentrated his investigative prodding. Noting that the Xrays showed my bones were fine, I had to have suffered a soft tissue trauma, to which my thought was 'No Duh!' On the inside of the elbow, the only thing really that attaches there is the bicep muscle, which I've not had an issue with. I had explained the dibilitating pain is only when I'm applying pressure using my hand, especially my thumb, like when trying to turn the key in an ignition. If he was paying attention, I think that should have clued him in to my issue, but he didn't get that connection & was concentrating on my bicep muscle connection instead of the tendons on the back side of my elbow. Upon my showing him where placement of the brace provides the most relief, he said he thought I would have it in the front instead of at the rear. Upon this realization, he stopped his paperwork & prceeded to poke and prod some more, now dealing with the tendons and ligaments of the elbow. After this, he declares I have Lateral Epicondylitis or more commonly referred to as Tennis Elbow. Really??? I've played tennis 4 times in my life, not that that really matters, but ok, your the specialist, so how do I fix it?
I was hoping he'd order an MRI or CT to visually see what trauma had actually occured, but he said he'd rather I try a dosepack of steroids & start a physical therapy routine and see how I'm progressing in another 3-4 weeks. He's thinking the steroids should help with the pain, try heat applications and take Ibuprophen to help ease the pain.
So, thats where I stand today with my arm issue. No matter how this progresses, Teddy and I are making preperations for making SpyderFest in the Ozarks for 2013. Unfortunately, I have no personal time left at work, but as long as my department is caught up and well ahead on parts, my boss shouldn't have much issue with me taking off that Wed. Thu. & Friday as unpaid days off. Just to get things rolling, I even talked with my co-worker Mary about it & she agreed, it shouldn't be an issue & she even commented, after you guys not being able to ryde for so long, you guys NEED this. AMEN!!!
Another cliff hanger I see. Your posts are some of the first I read every day and again you leave us hanging out there waiting for more. Get well and I'll see you and Teddy at Spyderfest.
Bill
Don't be too fast to discount your doctor's approach. The answer to soft tissue injuries, where physical damage is not apparent, is usually steroids, anti-inflammatories, and PT. You may also be surprised at what they find (or treat)in PT. My wrist and elbow pain, which started after I rode a ladder down to the concrete patio from my roof, turned out to be based in muscles in my hand and forearm. The sites of the pain were far from the actual sources. Take the pills, do the PT, and see how you feel in a few weeks. BTW, bad tendonitis usually needs about 4-8 weeks before it starts to feel a whole lot better...then it often disappears overnight. Don't ask me how I know.
:agree:
Hang in there, Dave...I've done similar things, though not quite to the extent of yours....follow orders, do the PT, (be faithful about it, too!) and things WILL improve!
:pray::pray: are with you for a complete recovery. And better rub Teddy's tummy for me..:thumbup:
See you in April!!
Pete & Janet
So on Saturday morning, Teddy and I headed out to the garage to work some more on our electrical mods that need to be completed. With my buddies assistance from last week, we completed the install of the Moto-Lite fuse block and after he left, I was able to fumble around and actually got the new LCD for the Teddy-Cam installed on the dash. Talking about creative engineering- as the mounting bracket that came with the unit had it sticking out from the dash about 8 inches, almost hitting the handlebars when turning, so I knew I had to cut the mounting bracket down to Spyder friendly size, and I have to admit, tho crudely done, I'm very happy with the end result of my pseudo fabrication and the new position and placement of the screen. Not nearly as svelt as our1st gen monitor that died, but that one also wasn't enclosed in a weather/explosion proof case either. This one should last the test of time, at least I'm hoping it will.
So that brought us to running the wires from the LCD on the dash, down and back thru the Spyder and coming up thru the seat using the same hole as the Utopia Backrest uses. I had forgot that this was a new seat, and wasn't our old one, which I had already modified long ago, so that meant I needed to drill or cut another hole in the seat pan, to allow for the size of the video connectors to fit thru, and then fish them thru the foam and out the top directly behind the bar that firmly holds the Utopia in place. I don't know about you, but drilling and cutting on a perfectly good seat (or body parts for that matter) is always a little disconcerting for me, but it needed to be done.
I didn't have a drill bit large enough, and the larger cutting bits I had were to large, so I opted instead to use our sonic Fein Tool & was able to cut a rectangle right above where the bar mounts on the pan side & it worked very well with the added benifit of being mostly hidden, not that you would see it underneath the seat anyways, but made me feel better for it not looking too sloppy, ya know.
So I had to run 2 video cables and one power cable up thru the seat, that the cables will connect to two different cameras and all the connections will be safely housed in the leather pouch on the backside of the Utopia BackRest, providing for a mostly clean and unseen installation. The actual Teddy-Cam, pointed at the lil star will again reside in a crude hole that I cut into the back flap of the backrest that covers the pouch, as it is the most direct placement for viewing Teddy while he's ryding in his carrier.
With the new addition of Teddy's Sun- Canopy, that gave me the idea of installing the second camera on top of it and facing reward, for the times when we're towing our Camp
So on Saturday morning, Teddy and I headed out to the garage to work some more on our electrical mods that need to be completed. With my buddies assistance from last week, we completed the install of the Moto-Lite fuse block and after he left, I was able to fumble around and actually got the new LCD for the Teddy-Cam installed on the dash. Talking about creative engineering- as the mounting bracket that came with the unit had it sticking out from the dash about 8 inches, almost hitting the handlebars when turning, so I knew I had to cut the mounting bracket down to Spyder friendly size, and I have to admit, tho crudely done, I'm very happy with the end result of my pseudo fabrication and the new position and placement of the screen. Not nearly as svelt as our1st gen monitor that died, but that one also wasn't enclosed in a weather/explosion proof case either. This one should last the test of time, at least I'm hoping it will.
So that brought us to running the wires from the LCD on the dash, down and back thru the Spyder and coming up thru the seat using the same hole as the Utopia Backrest uses. I had forgot that this was a new seat, and wasn't our old one, which I had already modified long ago, so that meant I needed to drill or cut another hole in the seat pan, to allow for the size of the video connectors to fit thru, and then fish them thru the foam and out the top directly behind the bar that firmly holds the Utopia in place. I don't know about you, but drilling and cutting on a perfectly good seat (or body parts for that matter) is always a little disconcerting for me, but it needed to be done.
I didn't have a drill bit large enough, and the larger cutting bits I had were to large, so I opted instead to use our sonic Fein Tool & was able to cut a rectangle right above where the bar mounts on the pan side & it worked very well with the added benifit of being mostly hidden, not that you would see it underneath the seat anyways, but made me feel better for it not looking too sloppy, ya know.
So I had to run 2 video cables and one power cable up thru the seat, that the cables will connect to two different cameras and all the connections will be safely housed in the leather pouch on the backside of the Utopia BackRest, providing for a mostly clean and unseen installation. The actual Teddy-Cam, pointed at the lil star will again reside in a crude hole that I cut into the back flap of the backrest that covers the pouch, as it is the most direct placement for viewing Teddy while he's ryding in his carrier.
With the new addition of Teddy's Sun- Canopy, that gave me the idea of installing the second camera on top of it and facing toward the rear, providing a view of whats behind us while ryding with the Moto-Mate Camper in tow. Being as large as the Spyder, this has given us issues in the past and we tried a wireless license plate mounted camera on the back of the camper, but that option proved poor results with the set-up that we had, so I'm thinking using a wired camera on top of his sun canopy should provide us with a good view over and to the sides of the camper that we're missing now.
TBC. . . . work work work
So around comes 3pm & my best friend calls and wants to know if I planned on watching the game. What game you ask? The Dejavu game of the Cincinnati Bungals. For the second year in a row, they made it to the first round of playoffs and for the second year in a row, they were matched against Houston at their deaffening stadium. But this year, the Bengals actually had a really good defense, tho no offense to speak of.
But yeah, I told him that Teddy & I were out working in the garage, but that we had planned on breaking to watch the game & he asked if it was cool for him & his daughter to stop by & watch the game with us, which of course it was.
So Teddy and I stopped our working and progressed back to the warmth of his condo, and I readily started a fire in the fireplace to warm our chilled bones from hours out in the garage. We have a small heater out there, but the best it can maintain is around 50-55 degrees & thats with keeping the garage door constantly closed. There is no other door, so if you open it, all the warm air is gone and your chilled for the next couple of hours till the little heater can bring things back up to 50 or so. So it was nice to take a break then anyways.
Sadly, the Bungals lost againthis year, 2nd time to make it to the playoffs, just to be knocked out by a mediocre team for the 2nd year in a row:banghead:
Teddy really enjoys when Doug & Madison come to visit. We joke that Teddy reveres Doug as God, as Doug usually brings good treats for Teddy & he was the one that taught Teddy to 'Spin' when he was stopping by every day to take care of the little guy back when I had my back surgery.
Then Madison & I got on the floor and played keep-a-way with Teddy with one of his favorite balls, but no matter how hard we try, Teddy usually wins handily, he's just so fast, but its all good fun. After our game I went ahead and 'refreshed' Teddy's Viper Red color of his MowHawk & Tail, cause his black roots were longer than the Red part, and we can't have popperazzi snap'n pics of him looking like that -lol. I did this while we frustratingly watched the Bungals lose once again in the first round of playoffs. Its been 21 or 22 years now since the Bengals have had a winning season, so to say Cincinnati fans are a little frustrated would be needless.
This was the first time that Madison was present to see me do Teddy's hair & she was amazed at how calm he was for the entire process, dozing off a couple times even while we were waiting for the color to set. Teddy is used to it & doesn't fight me at all, as he knows he gets a really good treat once he gets done & believe me, this is one VeryMotivated dog when it comes to him getting a treat. If I'm smart enough to figure out how to communicate what I want him to do, with positive reinforcement and most of all treats, I think I could train him to do just about anything.:firstplace:
Anyone out there that's reading this that may be a relatively newer Spyder Owner, allow me to share a learned lesson with you. If you pose a question here on SpyderLovers and your fortunate enough to have Scotty (NancysToy) chime in with a nugget of advice, do yourself a favor and LISTEN TO THE MAN:bowdown:
So after the game, Doug & Madison took their leave & Teddy & I had just lost ALL motivation to head back out to the chilly garage, as it was now in the upper 20s, so we decided to call it a night and hit the garage again on Sunday.
Seeing as I had the Spyder more apart now than ever, as I had to remove the entire seat to thread the video & power wires, If you've ever done this, you know how much of a pain this is to do the straight forward way, cause there is very little room at the rear of the seat to remove the 2 bolts that hold it on, and you hopefully know to stuff a rag or something down into that black hole in the center, otherwise you will surely loose one of the speed nuts or worse, a spacer down this bottomless pit, never to be seen again. After doing a little research, I saw where someone suggested removing the built-in passenger back rest, as it is very easy to do, like 3 bolts and 2 push-pins and it pops right off and that leaves you with plenty of space to access the 2 bolts that you need access to in order to remove the seat. Thank you whomever suggested this, as it does save alot of knuckle busting trying to get into that tight space at the rear.
One major issue I ran into was after I was finished with the seat and ready to reassemble everything, I can't locate where I put the 2 bolts that hold the passenger sensor to the bottom of the seat. See what happens when I start something & stop midway thru. Teddy & I looked for over an hour with no luck, so I guess I'm going to have to order 2 more of them:banghead:
One major issue I ran into was after I was finished with the seat and ready to reassemble everything, I can't locate where I put the 2 bolts that hold the passenger sensor to the bottom of the seat. See what happens when I start something & stop midway thru. Teddy & I looked for over an hour with no luck, so I guess I'm going to have to order 2 more of them...
May I respectfully suggest that the next time you remove your seat, instead of removing the sensor from the seat, just follow the wires and unplug it. It makes things a lot easier.
So I realized I was stopped in my tracks with the seat reinstallation, so I doulble checked all my electrical connections that had just been completed, and turned the key to once again bring life to Teds Red Sled to confirm that the new Teddy-Cam was working propperly, and am proud to report, success on that front.
Ok, on to our next mod. Last winter, I found a really nice weather-proof indoor outdoor heating pad made for outdoor dog kennels in cold climates & I was able to get it with a 12 volt connector to use on Teds Red Sled, but my issue became how to power it. I usually take off his carrier when I'm ryding alone, like going back & forth to work, that way I don't have to worry about water getting it all wet or building up if it rains or snows.Do to this, I needed a way to power his heating pad, but it had to also be easily removable, so direct wiring was out. This is where a very wise Spyder Owner suggested that I get the BRP 12 volt plug accessory and install it at the rear of the left side heated passenger grip. If you've ever looked there, there is a prefab cut-out already in place just for this reason. At the time, I was too stubborn to shell out the $25 + the cost of install so I figured there had to be another way to go about it.
So instead, I took the more problematic & difficult route. I drilled a small hole in the rear of the passenger backrest, under the cussion part where its just the plastic wall leading to the rear trunk where there's already a 12 volt plug readily accessable. For fear of water getting in from ryding in the rain, I originally only did a small hole large enough forthe 14 gauge wire to fit thru. I then cut and spliced the wire leading from Teddy's heating pad to the 12 volt connector on the end, and I fed the wire thru the hole and reconnected the wire & plug using Posi-Taps, so it was easy to unscrew the caps, take the wire apart, and remove the heating pad when not needed.
Well, this approach, while not perfect did work and provided the heat for Teddy when needed, and was also easy to remove when not needed.
That is, til we were on a road-trip last winter, with it being around 30 degrees and I realized Teddy was shaking in his carrier (glad I had the Teddy-Cam) it appeared with the twisting off and on over and over again, the wires broke off down to the casing, and they were no longer making a connection, nor completing the circuit, leaving Teddy without any direct heat source. We were on the road, after dark, out in Gods Country somewhere, so I had to figure something out. With the wire strippers being barried somewhere in the tool box stuffed in the camper, I was a little panicky to say the least. at what I could do for the little guy as we still had a few hours to go to reach our destination. Being on the road allot, I've learned to always have back ups for many situations, and if we can, have those back ups that don't require power, just in case that's not an option, like now.
After a little digging, I finally found my stash of Hand and Insole Warmers that I always keep in the trunk when on road trips in cold weather. Learned that lesson our first year doing a hundred mile trip to Indy in 16 degree temps. when I thought for sure my toes were going to get frost bite, even tho I had Insulated boots and thermal socks. Thanks to BajaRons 1st Gear Thermo Ryding Suit, and the RTs heated grips, windshield and full face helmet, everything else was fun, except my feet. Thats when I discovered they also make Insole Warmers just like they do for your hands, and have always kept a stash ever since. And thank God I did, cause I opened 8 of the Insole Warmers and lined his enclosed carrier with them, and within about 15 minutes, he was no longer shaking.
TBC..... work