Ten Spyder Thoughts Right Now (Yeah, I'm bored!)

[daveinva]

Been loving the warmer weather out here on the East Coast, I've been able to ride every week, but it's getting colder now here, and this weekend looks like it'll strain to get above the mid-30s. That won't be enough to stop me from getting out there if it's sunny, but still... blech.

Too cold to ride definitely means it's too cold to tinker (if only I had a garage). Which is probably pretty good, since no tinkering means no $$$!

Anyway, here are my bike related thoughts for the past few weeks:

1. Dang, the Spyder still is plenty of -eating grin fun, ain't she?

2. I love love LOVE my new helmet (bought a Shoei Qwest a few months back). So comfortable, so quiet. I always thought a nicer helmet would make a difference, I'm surprised it makes THAT much more of a difference. Best investment BY FAR. Of course, Shoei had to go and release their new Neotec modular, their Schuberth fighter, this winter, so now I'm lusting over ANOTHER helmet... never ends!

3. Picked up a Sena SMH-10 headset so I could play tunes via Bluetooth off my iPod. I've only had it on the helmet for a week, but very impressed with the ease of installation, use and quality. Only downside is that I ride with earplugs in over any serious miles, and even at full volume, the Sena is unavoidably a little muffled. Probably not a bad thing from a safety/distraction perspective, all things considered, but it's made me ponder switching to a lower-rated earplug just to get more tunes in.

4. Months after trying to order a parking brake extension, I finally resolved that situation, and immediately turned around to order one direct from the source via ISCI. From phone order to delivery was no lie three days. Took five minutes to install it (the easiest install yet!), and it does exactly what I wanted it to do. Nice when things work as they should, no?

5. My Spyderpops "Missing Heat Shield" wanted to go, ummm, missing. While installing the parking brake extension the other day, I noticed that it was hanging by one corner, resting atop the exhaust. A big chunk of the plastic was melted through, the rest of the "glue" area was all fouled with dirt and gunk. I just ended up tearing it off and throwing it away. I never noticed that much exhaust feet to begin with over there (the fan was worse, got the air dam/air management system for that), so I don't think I'll miss it. Still, it lasted maybe 1000 miles before it came off.

6. Still loving my Bike Barn, too. Another product that does exactly what it's designed to do, and does it well. No problems with it at all except for one-- if you let snow/ice form atop it, and you DON'T have it secured/weighted to the ground, the barn can wobble like a Weeble AND fall down. I had to check something on the bike, I opened up the barn no problem, but when I let it shut the whole barn came tilting forward towards me. Oops. No damage, no chance of damage, fixed in a jiffy, but learned my lesson-- clear off snow before opening the barn!

7. I have a two mile commute to work. I know, you're all jealous, but it's actually TOO short-- getting in all my gear, warming the Spyder up, etc. takes more time than the actual ride! I usually end up hitching a ride with the GF in the morning, or taking the bus, but on the days I know I can leave work early to goof off, I still make a point to ride in. Best five minutes of my day .

8. My Spyderlovers friends know that I had weight-loss surgery just last November. Figured an update was in order.

Everything's great! Just since November 8th, I've lost.... drum roll... EIGHTY pounds! Insane, absolutely insane. I'm now down to ~225, which I haven't weighed since college twenty years ago. And the docs say I have another six to eight months of weight loss to look forward to, albeit at a rapidly slowing rate. All told, I'm within range of my pre-surgery goal of being under 200 lbs, and I've got a good shot at being even less. I'm feeling great, my cholesterol and BP are fantastic, my new way of eating sure ain't easy but it ain't hard either, life is good!

The downside? NOTHING I owned from before fits. Goodwill had a *huge* donation from me this Christmas season, thousands of dollars worth of suits, jackets, etc. It hurts to think I spent all that money for nothing-- and it hurts some more to spend *even more* $$$ on NEW clothes now-- but hey... nice problem to have, right?

Anyway, the Spyder tie-in to all this is that 90% of my old motorcycle gear no longer fits. I'm still using my Firstgear Kilimanjaro jacket (thanks, Bajaron!) and HT Overpants, but both are really too large for me (still fit enough to provide protection, but I need to replace them soon). I've just been trying to stretch out my use of them for as long as possible because I don't want to buy new motorcycle gear that won't fit me in six months, but I figure I may just break down and buy some cheaper gear to tide me over (Leatherup, here I come!).

9. A downside from the surgery: despite getting lots of protein via diet and supplements, not to mention hitting the gym, my muscle mass has unavoidably atrophied. That shouldn't last, but right now, riding the Spyder long distances is out of the question. I'm not on the bike more than 30 minutes before my back starts hurting (and not my lower back like before I got the footboards/risers/upgraded seats combo-- this is my MID-back, which NEVER hurt before in my life). I'm just thinking that it'll take time to build up my strength again, but for now, it's got me a little bummed. I'm just hoping it settles down by the time I take my spring trip (which I'm reeeeeeeeeaaaaalllllllllly looking forward to).

In the interim, I figured a little bit more support (not to mention protection) for my back couldn't hurt, so I invested in a proper back protector/kidney belt combo. I haven't worn it yet, but it fits nicely under my jacket, and the kidney belt alone is worth it. I'll let folks know more after I take it for a spin.

10. Lastly, I'm not a big dreamer when I sleep, but the last week I've had no less than *three* dreams in a row where I was tempted to buy a two-wheeler. Nothing fancy in my dreams; I distinctly remember one being a Kawasaki Versys (sat on one recently at the International Motorcycle Show, really liked it) and the other being a Suzuki TU-250 (always been a fan of the little guy). I told the GF about the dreams and she just stared at me with that "Don't you go off and spend money on something stupid" look.

Stay warm, and safe riding!

[ABQ_Spyderman]

Thanks for the update, and congrats on your weight loss! Amazing!!

[fastfraser]

on the wieght loss ! Man that was a nightmare you had about getting back on two wheels .

[daveinva]

on the wieght loss ! Man that was a nightmare you had about getting back on two wheels .

I know, tell me about it!

[dancogan]

Congrats on the weight loss!

I use the Sena's also. For about $30 you can get the part that mounts on the helmet and that allows you to plug in earphones, in place of the helmet speakers. I have some earphones that were custom made and the sound is great. You could probably also use something like the Etymotic earphones and get great sound quality. In any event, I can listen to my iPod and hear my wife on the intercom with no problem.

[ARtraveler]

on the weight loss.

[daveinva]

Congrats on the weight loss!

I use the Sena's also. For about $30 you can get the part that mounts on the helmet and that allows you to plug in earphones, in place of the helmet speakers. I have some earphones that were custom made and the sound is great. You could probably also use something like the Etymotic earphones and get great sound quality. In any event, I can listen to my iPod and hear my wife on the intercom with no problem.

Thanks for the suggestion. The main reason I chose a headset, however, was to *avoid* earphones-- I never can get them to sit right in my ears AND still get a FF helmet on (if I had a modular, probably would be a different story). I always end yanking them out.

Like I said, for me the stock Sena speakers at full volume are actually plenty (too!) loud without earplugs in, just a lot less so with them in. I own a whole box's worth of NRR 33 earplugs, I might swap out some 30 or less plugs for the times I'm less worried about the wind noise while riding, and more eager to enjoy the tunes.

(I've also read some people getting better volume from plugging their iPod directly into the Sena unit... I'll try that, but that kind of defeats my intent of not having to deal with wires, either to earphones OR to a music player).

[NancysToy]

Thanks for the suggestion. The main reason I chose a headset, however, was to *avoid* earphones-- I never can get them to sit right in my ears AND still get a FF helmet on (if I had a modular, probably would be a different story). I always end yanking them out.

Like I said, for me the stock Sena speakers at full volume are actually plenty (too!) loud without earplugs in, just a lot less so with them in. I own a whole box's worth of NRR 33 earplugs, I might swap out some 30 or less plugs for the times I'm less worried about the wind noise while riding, and more eager to enjoy the tunes.

(I've also read some people getting better volume from plugging their iPod directly into the Sena unit... I'll try that, but that kind of defeats my intent of not having to deal with wires, either to earphones OR to a music player).

Check your helmet speaker locations. If they are not directly over the ear hole, the volume will be reduced...especially when wearing earplugs. You would not believe the amount of diofference 1/2" makes.

[mowin]

Daveinva, I also had WLS. Its been a little over 3 yrs, and 200 lbs lost, Good luck with your new lighter life

[Bob Denman]

Just one quick thought to add for you...
The sun is starting to get higher in the sky every day now... The season is coming!!

[daveinva]

Check your helmet speaker locations. If they are not directly over the ear hole, the volume will be reduced...especially when wearing earplugs. You would not believe the amount of diofference 1/2" makes.

Thanks Scotty. I recall the speaker pockets in my Qwest being effectively the same diameter as the Sena speakers, so I doubt I have much room to move them laterally around the hole (although I'll check).

That said, I read last night somewhere else that bringing the speakers in *closer* to the ear helps for some folks (duh.... thankfully, should be easy to do, I'll just double-side some velcro to "bridge" between the velcro I have now). If that become uncomfortable, no biggie, I'll just try something else.

I also found folks using an inline amplifier (like this one) to increase the Sena's volume. Again, not 100% desirable as it would require me to plug my iPod into my helmet, but I'd much rather have one cord *outside* my helmet than two cords and earphones *inside* my helmet.

Bottom line: I'll figure something out that works best. As it stands now, even at speed (70 mph) and with earplugs in, even if it's not rockin', the Sena is still certainly audible, I can sing along with the tunes if I want them louder.

[NancysToy]

Thanks Scotty. I recall the speaker pockets in my Qwest being effectively the same diameter as the Sena speakers, so I doubt I have much room to move them laterally around the hole (although I'll check).

That said, I read last night somewhere else that bringing the speakers in *closer* to the ear helps for some folks (duh.... thankfully, should be easy to do, I'll just double-side some velcro to "bridge" between the velcro I have now). If that become uncomfortable, no biggie, I'll just try something else.

I also found folks using an inline amplifier (like this one) to increase the Sena's volume. Again, not 100% desirable as it would require me to plug my iPod into my helmet, but I'd much rather have one cord *outside* my helmet than two cords and earphones *inside* my helmet.

Bottom line: I'll figure something out that works best. As it stands now, even at speed (70 mph) and with earplugs in, even if it's not rockin', the Sena is still certainly audible, I can sing along with the tunes if I want them louder.

Another option is custom made earphones with built-in earbuds. If you can wear regular earplugs without losing them when you put on your helmet, you could wear those. It is another cord, but it is a viable option.

[chickridin]

1. Yes she sure is!
2. Amazing difference when you get a good helmet that fits well!
3. I really need to get something so I can communicate with hubby while we're riding. Not that he doesn't hear enough from me but......
4. I haven't had a issue with using my parking brake yet. Not sure if I would benifit from an extension.
5. I really must check to see if I have heat shields on my Spyder. I bought Max used and he came with some extra's already installed but I haven't thought of that one.
6. Sounds like your Spyder didn't want to come out of it's web.
7. I've vowed to myself to ride to work more this spring!
8. OMG!! Congratulation!! What an awesome accomplishment! Keep up the hard work!
9. Just take things slow and easy. Your Spyder would miss you if you couldn't ryde any more.
10. Your dream is actually a message from your Spyder warning you NOT to ever buy a 2 wheel, ever!!

[Tin Can]

ON THE WIEGHT LOSS... GREAT JOB...IT'S A LOT MORE FUN BEING HEALTHY...

[dancogan]

Another option is custom made earphones with built-in earbuds. If you can wear regular earplugs without losing them when you put on your helmet, you could wear those. It is another cord, but it is a viable option.

This is what I'm using with my Sena, and there's no problem getting the helmet on or off. They are flush with the outside of my ear. No pressure, no pain, no problems. I should have explained better in my earlier post.