Archive for the 'The Shop' Category
For years I have been using a Battery Tender to keep my scoots battery charged and ready when I am not riding. Since we have more than one scoot there is almost always one connected to the tender. About two weeks ago the battery tender went south after over 6 good years of reliable service.
If you are looking for a great and affordable charger to maintain your bikes battery then I highly recommend one of these little Battery Tenders.
Since mine broke (like I said it was over 6 years old and was pretty much used constantly – it didn’t owe me anything), I decided I wanted to get a charger that was a bit more versital – that I could use for my car, truck, motorcycle – whatever. My wife picked me up a DieHard 10/2/50 Amp automatic charger from Sears that will charge at 2 Amps, 10 Amps, and has a 50 Amp engine start. It also has automatic maintenance and reverse hook up protection.
The only problem with it was that it would not work with the quick disconnects I had installed on the bikes for the battery tender.
Hmmm… I had two choices. Cut the clips off the new charger and solder on the quick connect, or…
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VIPS (Vehicle Integrated Protection System) Motorcycle Cover Review
The guys over at EmpireCovers.com sent me one of their VIP Motorcycle Covers and asked me to check it out. Now just so you guys know I do not use a cover, I have a garage and besides that my bike hardly sets still long enough to be covered. I know there are a lot of folks out there that either do not have a garage or store their bike over the winter, the VIP cover would be a great product for you folks.
Even though I do not personally use a cover on my bike I would recommend the Empire Covers VIP Motorcycle Cover to anyone looking for a cover to protect or store their bike.
The VIP Motorcycle Cover is designed to protect your bike from moisture, dust, and the sun. The manufacturer states that the cover will fit every mass-produced motorcycle up to 1500cc. It fit my Heritage with 20″ apehangers just fine with room to spare.
The VIP Motorcycle Cover In It’s Storage Bag
The cover is a 2 piece cover that completely covers your bike from top to bottom. The lower cover is made from a heavy rubberized material and the top cover is a heavy duty polyester which is lined to protect your bikes finish.
When folded the VIP motorcycle cover measures about 16″x11″x5″ and weighs approximately 8 lbs.
About the only thing that I can say negative is that the cover did not come with any instructions so it did take me a bit to figure the thing out the first time I used it. After that it did not take anytime to cover my bike.
Since the cover did not come with any instructions I was not sure if you could use the cover on a motorcycle while the engine and exhuast was hot so I a dropped a note to Empire Covers Customer Service and they said that the cover was designed so that it could be installed on a hot bike. Just so you know I did not try this, and I would recommend that you wait for your bike to cool at least some before installing this cover or any cover. Covering a hot engine can lead to condensation inside the cover which kind of defeats the purpose.
