TPMS (Temperature Considerations)

My TPMS quandary (nothing to do with pressure)... 

The questions are ... 

(i) Of what is the temperature being read by the sensor? and 

(ii) How should we interpret the reading and to what are corrections required?

Most Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems (TPMS) provide temperature readings in addition to air pressure readings. After using a TPMS for half a year on my 2019 Yamaha Tracer 900, I've decided that I find the temperature readings odd and have started to wonder what exactly is being read for its temperature and how such information should be applied in maintaining my motorcycle.

By way of background, the TPMS model I use is the wireless, motorcycle-specific CAREUD M3 that I purchased on Amazon for around $50. I have no complaints or issues whatsoever with its operation; I just decided that I don't understand the temperature monitoring feature. 

As can be seen in the photo above of my Trace barr, the TPMS Monitor is mounted on the handlebar. There is an internal rechargeable battery in the monitor that is charged on a USB Charging Cable. The Sensor, as shown below, is mounted on the wheel valve stem. The sensors are powered by replaceable button batteries and are secured to the valve stem with a security nut; tightening tool included in kit.

What does the research say?

Research on this topic as it specifically relates to TPMS consistently seems to point to the temperature of a tire as being an extremely important feature to measure; the hotter the "tire," the more likely that it will fail. They actually don't come out and say it, though. It's just inferred. I don't disagree with that anyway. I think the issue of heat and tires just goes without saying. In fact, I found this quote about tire temperatures in the Bendix Blog entitled, Why Temperatures Matter!

"Most experts consider 195 degrees Fahrenheit as the "Line in the Sand" when it comes to tire temperature. Beyond that point, the temperature will start impacting the tire life. At 250 degrees, a tire will start to lose its structural strength and experience tread reversion."

My overall impression on the TPMS-specific information articles is that the articles are asking me to "assume" that the TPMS temperature readings are those of the tire. I don't think that's the case and, if not, back to my lead-in questions!

What does my TPMS manual say about the temperature?

Well, here's what it sez ...

No questions here. The CAREUD TPMS owner's manual explicitly states that the temperature reading is that of the tire.

Essentially, the CAREUD model is designed to trigger a warning when the "temperature of the [front] tire" reaches a presumed dangerous level. The CAREUD temperature trigger level is preset to 66 degrees C (150 degrees F); I left it at this level. For the record, both ends of the motorcycle are subject to continuous measurement and displayed for temperature and the temp trigger level is separately adjustable on either end.

Let's take a closer look at that "tire temperature" representation and put it to the test.

A closer look into a TPMS Temperature Reading?

The initial odd and confusing observation that brought me to these questions was that the temperature readings I was seeing for hot, active tires was very disparate between the front and the rear, and quite significantly. The temperature for the front wheel would actually hover around the outdoors ambient temperature after long, fast riding while the rear temperature would reflect the "expected" heat increase from friction with the road surface. I noticed other motorcyclist TPMS-users commenting about this very same observation.

To better illustrate, I took and documented readings from my TPMS on a recent ride that included a good deal of highway travel. Here's the info and comparo:

A couple notes:

• Is the temperature reading on the monitor accurate? Well, I've tested it to and it's accurate to ambient temps several times during this process. For heated temps, I took a cold (46F) sensor off the valve, sat it on a flat thermometer and brought it up to 80F with my shop hair drier. When reinstalled, the monitor reading tied out with the thermometer.
• Tread reversion being the cause of overheated tires, the hot tire temperature readings with the infrared thermometer were take on the rubber tread at several locations around the tire and averaged. However, readings were all in-line.

Results....

First and foremost, the "seemingly" low front temperature reading on the monitor compared to the much higher rear temperature is present in this test. The "hot" front temperature is exactly at the ambient air temperature. 

Ambient Temperature 68F

Monitor Cold Front Temperature 66F

Monitor Hot Front Temperature 68F

The second test result, established by use of an electronic infrared thermometer, clearly illustrates that the TPMS temperature reading simply can't be the actual tire temperature. The monitor and the thermometer are just two very different numbers.

Monitor Temperature, Front 68F. Infrared Thermometer, Front 85F.

Monitor Temperature, Rear 87F. Infrared Thermometer, Rear 110F.

Based on this information, I think it's reasonable to draw a couple detail conclusions at this point.

As it relates to the disparate temperature readings being experienced between the front and the rear temps...

... the only sensible answer is that the front tire/wheel and TPMS Sensor are right out there in the open taking the full brunt force of air as the motorcycle steams forward. It's like blowing on a spoon of hot soup. The rear tire does not experience the same brunt force because it is largely tucked back behind the frame, the engine and the exhaust. Further, air blowing through the frame and making it to the rear wheel is actually being heated by the hot engine and exhaust. Overall, on this point, the locations of the wheels relative to the motorcycle design is the natural explanation for why the front temperature reading is at or near ambient temperature and the rear is significantly higher.

As it relates to the "what" is having it's temperature read, well ...

... it's obvious that the Monitor isn't displaying the tire temperature, or the correct tire temperature. This conclusion was drawn by simply comparing the readings of the handheld infrared thermometer obtained on the actual hot tire carcass to the monitor's readings. The temps between the monitor and actual carcass are far too disparate; 25% too low on the front and 26% too low on the rear. What good it that? 

Honestly, such a conclusion wasn't necessarily hard to deduce since, as can be seen in the photo, the sensor isn't even connected to or even close to the tire. Rather, it's sitting up away from the tire and wheel on the valve stem. As such, the sensor is subject to all kinds of temp-influences ranging from the brunt affect of the tire rolling into the wind (front) and the heated air flowing off the engine and exhaust (rear).

I'll go as far as saying that radiant heat rising off the road has more influence on the sensor's temperature than does the tire itself.

So, on question number (i) in the lead-in , which was ... 

... Of "what" is the temperature being read by the sensor.

The "what" is nothing more than the sensor itself, and the sensors (front and rear) are obviously being significantly influenced by lots of "external" factors other than tire temp such as the ambient temperature (front), radiating road heat and the heat from the engine and exhaust (rear). That's it!

Perhaps, hopes that the actual inner tire air that works its way up into the valve stem influences the sensor enough to replicate tire temp. Unfortunately, those hopes were dashed by simply testing the temperatures as I've done.

On question number (ii) in the lead-in, which was ...

... How should we interpret the readings and to what are corrective actions required?

Well, there's really no need to interpret the readings, because the temperature readings of the sensors themselves serve no real purpose. Saying the sensor reads tire temperature is like putting a thermometer in your tank bag and saying that it's reading your body temp. Bottom line, it appears that the intention of the temp readings were to provide early warning of tire failure from excessive heat. It doesn't appear as though that's going to happen with the valve mounted TPMS sensor. 

Now, having said the temperature readings serve no purpose, they are there, so how about we all agree that, in exercising an abundance of caution, if the temperature warning is triggered, we stop and have a look at what's going on?

And, the Blue Knob Ventures conclusion is ...

I like having a TPMS to keep an eye on my air pressure. Cutting out those few minutes checking air pressure with a traditional pressure gauge has great value to me. However, the temperature display on a TPMS Pressure/Temperature monitoring system (if as designed like my CAREUD TPMS) simply has no relevance or value to the motorcycle or its operation or its maintenance ... whatsoever. Sorry, but it's useless information. 😊 

__________________________________________

Other TPMS issues:

Is a TPMS really useful on a dirt bike or dual sport? My views in this BLOG POST. 

Tail of the Gecko

 Mid December, stuck in Florida. 

Yeah, it's great to be able to ride twelve months. It's not so great being stuck in Florida for seven of them. An opportunity though to visit some old riding tracks.

This past weekend one of those past riding tracks that I decided to visit was Tail of the Gecko, a track I haven't been on in over ten years. 

At 12.8 miles, Florida’s Tail of the Gecko is similar in length to North Carolina/Tennessee's Tail of the Dragon (11 miles), but it naturally falls way short in the “curves” department, in fact 291 curves short. I counted ‘em, 27 curves on the Gecko. Actually, in the land of long straight roads, 27 turns for that length of pavement is a rarity, indeed.

It’s still an interesting and fun ride through some remote and extremely “narrow” west central back roads. Much of the paved surfaces are so narrow they can’t even accommodate two cars; no problem on the motorcycle, although you probably won’t even encounter a car. It's more likely that you'll encounter large farm equipment since farms are about all that's back there.

Overall too short and too remote for us locals, I can't recommend the Gecko as a stand-alone motorcycle destination. Heck, it's a 100 mile round trip for me just to get there and back from Plant City. Rather, I see the Gecko as a terrific opportunity for those touring through west central Florida on nearby Interstate 75 to stray off the highway for a short break and enjoy some fun back road action. 

Accordingly, I've built an approximate 48 mile GPS route for our files with entry and exit points on Interstate 75 that travelers can follow to visit the Tale of the Gecko on their next trip though west central Florida. Enjoy!

Tail of the Gecko .GPX

Green Swamp Loop

The Green Swamp Loop, of which there are many variations, is a popular motorcycle loop that circumnavigates a section of the Withlacoochee State Forest that encompasses two Wildlife Management Areas. The larger of the two is Richloam; the smaller is Green Swamp. 

The loop is 138 miles with an estimated 4.5 hours saddle time. While, as discussed below, the loop includes some fairly rough surfaced roads and a few unpaved roads, it was designed to be suitable for street motorcycles.  While tracking through a largely remote area, fueling and food is readily available either on the loop or nearby.

The map tracks  through some fairly remote areas but follows maintained public roads. Some of the roadways may be rough (even washboard surfaces) and the track includes some short unpaved sections. I have not included any unmaintained roads. However, there are some stretches of "maintained" road that have a light sandy surface, surface gravel and/or may become muddy/slick when wet. As stated the Green Swamp Loop is designed for street motorcycles; however, if you can't handle rolling through any dirt, any gravel or any sand, the loop ain't for you.

The loop currently stands at 138 miles. The 4.5 hours saddle time estimate comes from BaseCamp Software that I think is a reasonable estimate. The track is available in a .gpx format at the link below.

Green Swamp Loop_Route.gpx

AMA Cross Florida

Unfortunately, I missed registration for the AMA Cross-Florida Rally that was held November 8-9. The rally was the second leg of the AMA Adventure Series that was originally to be held back in April. However, with the delays arising from the pandemic, registration was delayed out to October and I simply missed the deadline. 

Not to worry...

As you know, I have a number of my own Cross-Florida tracks, including my Florida Coast2Coast that runs from Tampa to Daytona Beach; tracks available in the August 2020 post.

The next running of this track will be on Supercross Saturday during Daytona Bike Week in March.

Stay tuned...

Honda Reflex Valves and Timing

Highly Rated Video:

So, I have a bad habit of taking on "other people's" projects/troubles and found myself with a 2005 Honda Reflex Scooter that was owned by a family friend.

It was spewing clouds of white smoke, an indication of moisture in the cylinder. Ultimately, a leakdown test determined that the cylinder head was cracked near the intake valve allowing the intrusion of coolant into the cylinder. So I simply replaced the top end with a used assembly that I purchased from a part-out on eBay.

Having pulled the engine to replace the top end, I was set up to take the viewer around the engine and explain the operation of the 2005 Honda Reflex valves, clearance and adjustment and the timing. 

Considering that this video is the second highest viewed video on my YouTube Channel, someone must be getting something from it...although it only has 13 thumbs up and 5 thumbs down.

Florida Keys 2020

 I've never considered the Florida Keys to be a "motorcycle destination." However, I make the pilgrimage from time to time...and carry my fishing gear.

Bahia Honda State Park

< Old Trestle Bridge     Seven-Mile Bridge >

Notes:

My telescopic pole is an Eagle Claw PK555SP, extends to 5' 6". It travels well, but has a natural slow/light action and is limited to about 4-10 pound test. The pole runs about $30 on Amazon. I use a Shimano spinning reel.

Cortech Super 2.0 10L Tank Bag

 I have been using the same Sedici Tank Bag on many different motorcycles over many years but, unfortunately, it was irreparably damaged on my most recent trip up to Smoky Mountains. So I set out to find a new bag that would suit my needs and landed on the Cortech Super 2.0 10L Tank Bag ($99.99 on Amazon).

The bag is secured by 8 very strong magnets and has a security strap connector on the front for further protection from loss.

The tank bag is expandable. In it's unexpanded position, as shown, the bag is a convenient 5 liters. When expanded, the volume is increased to 10 liters.

The map window is removable. Removing the map window when not needed will lessen the wear and tear...and scratches that inevitably arise.

The bag is not waterproof, but comes with a rain cover that is enclosed in a forward pocketed compartment.

Overall, the Cortech Super 2.0 Tank Bag fits my 2019 Yamaha Tracer 900 perfectly. It's rugged and I look forward to using it on my next track.

See my review of the Cortech Super 2.0 Tank Bag on my YouTube Channel:

Puig Touring Screen for the Yamaha Tracer

 After seven weeks and 2,700 miles, I decided to invest in a touring screen for the 2019 Yamaha Tracer 900. It was really the North Carolina Trip last week and the 1,200 Interstate miles that pushing me in the direction of a touring screen. On any other roads, the stock screen is fine. On the highways, riding in excess of 70 mph, the stock screen wasn't really much protection from the buffeting from high profile vehicles and high winds.

While there are a number of options for touring screens, I'd previously modified my 2015 Kawasaki Versys 1000 LT with the Puig Touring Windscreen that worked out very well and that's the direction I went on the 2019 Tracer. The screen was $135.84 at Revzilla.

Similar to my Versys experience, the new screen comes with all necessary hardware consisting of grommets, sleeves, bolts and bolt covers.

The measurement metrics are as follows:

As the photos show, the Puig Touring Screen provides much better coverage.  It adds 3-1/8" inches in width over the Stock screen. The Puig Low and High settings add 4-1/2" inches each over the Stock screen Low and High settings, respectively. If normal ride is the Stock High setting, which was my case on Interstates, the Puig Low setting of 59-5/8" inches adds 2-3/4" inches over the Stock High Setting pf 56-7/8". Therefore, I found the Puig Low setting to correct the buffeting problem at highway speeds that I was expecting.

The Puig did not interfer with the handle bar and the stock hand guards at either the high or low setting.

The Puig itself did not flex at high speeds. However, the motorcycle's mount assembly did, in fact, show flex apparently from the additional wind resistance of the screen. The screen is mounted on a plate with four metal screws (3mm hex key) into four well nuts. That plate is part of the contact and adjustment assembly that has two bump stops on the top. See the photo below. The flex that I'm seeing is essentially built into the wind screen assembly. 

Whether it's strong enough to hold up to the higher wind resistance of the larger Puig Screen is questionable. However, I'm not seeing any information in reviews and on the Tracer 900 forum that indicates that owners have had the problem. So I'll just move on and keep an keen eye to the start of any degrading or fracture of that screen assembly.

Below is a link to a video on our YouTube Channel covering our installation of the Puig Touring Screen. 

Tracer meets the Dragon

September 1, 2020

Tail of the Dragon

For the first time in all the years I've been visiting the Tail of the Dragon, I actually stayed overnight at the Deals Gap Motorcycle Resort. Normally I stay at Iron Horse in Stecoah, but that place has just gotten crowded and overpriced. Deals Gap was a simple, but very pleasant experience at a very reasonable price of $74.

Of course, they put me in the room with the Tree of Shame right on my doorstep. It didn't turn out to be the omen that I thought it might.

Calderwood Dam off in the distance at the Overlook near the north end of the Dragon Tail.

Route 66

This is a re-produced post from my Versys Ventures Blog that chronicled my sport touring activities on a 2015 Kawasaki Versys 1000 LT. I put over 25,000 miles on that motorcycle in 13 months and visited a lot of awesome places. One trip given consideration during the those months was riding the Famous Route 66 from beginning to end. No, I didn't do it and what follows is my explanation of why. 

Is it worth considering with my new sport tourer, the Yamaha Tracer 900? Well, definitely. Will I do it? We'll see.

     *     *     *     *     *     *   

  

Original Post Route 66 from May 10, 2015.

While pondering some potential future travel plans, I tripped over a map in Mad Maps for Route 66 that runs 2,400 miles from Chicago to Los Angeles. I have several Mad Maps and have always found them useful. "What the heck," I thought, it may make for a nice Summer trip, and ordered the Map for $16.95.

The above photo isn't from Mad Maps. It's just a stock photo I found and presented to show you the overall route.

Mad Maps are always very nice quality. They provide travel directions, road houses/restaurants and information about roadside attractions along the way. Same, of course, for the Route 66 Map that I received.

What I initially found interesting and quite surprising about the Route 66 Mad Map is that the travel directions were extremely long and complicated. Lots and lots of turns and lots and lots of very short directional instructions! I suppose I was being a little naive here, but I was thinking the whole trip was going to be like one road (as in, Route 66) all the way. Apparently that's not the case anymore. :)

The Mad Map actually subdivides Route 66 into five legs starting in Chicago and ending in Santa Monica, effectively breaking down the entire route into manageable sections of travel directions and attractions.

• The 1st leg of the map covers 320 miles from Chicago to St. Louis and includes 91 directional instructions. A directional instruction is simply an instruction to make a turn or keep a bearing, as in turn right or turn left or bear right or bear left. The suggested time on this leg, which I believe includes estimated time stopping at attractions and roadhouses is 1-2 days.
• The 2nd leg of the map covers 423 miles from St. Louis to Tulsa and includes 78 directional instructions. The estimated time is 1-2 days.
• The 3rd leg of the map covers 688 miles from Tulsa to Santa Fe and includes 110 directional instructions. The estimated time is 2-3 days.
• The 4th leg of the map covers 813 miles from Santa Fe to Barstow, CA and includes 66 directional instructions. The estimated time is 2-3 days.
• The 5th leg of the map covers 158 miles from Barstow, CA to Santa Monica and includes 26 directional instructions. The estimated time is 1 day.

Crikey! That's 371 turns and up to 11 day to cover 2,402 miles. Dang, what the heck happened to Route 66?

Well, it is what it is, and after taking a step back and studying this whole touring prospect I've got to say that Mad Maps really did a kickass job putting their map together considering all the changes that have apparently been made along the route over the decades. It really must have required a ton of work and required a lot of time.

So the question is, do I want to take it on? I've got 11 or more days to throw at a trip like this and I can take on 2,400 miles (plus all the miles to and from) without a thought; done that many times. The issue is that I'm not really enamored with all the short directional instructions that I'm seeing in the route that now makes up Route 66. I'm referring to routes that are full of little short <1.0 mile roads. I could go crazy on a touring bike following routes like that. In some instances, there are so many directional instructions that I'd clearly have to build a route in my GPS to follow. I wonder if my GPS would even hold that much data.

Seriously, I like the idea of riding the length of Route 66. I could pick up two states that I've never ridden in (Oklahoma and California). Plus, the last time I was out in Arizona on my bike I regrettably missed my chance to visit Meteor Crater near Flagstaff. I'd always planned to go back and it's actually an attraction in the Mad Map.

Well, I just don't know. I invested $16.95 in the map so I think I owe it to myself to at least give it some serious thought. I'll let you know....

August 25, 2020

Of course, I never did the ride...on the Versys.

Co2 Inflation Devices for Motorcycles

This post has been carried forward and updated from my discontinued but visible Blog, Versys Ventures.

Florida Coast2Coast (GPX Route)

The Florida Coast2Coast motorcycle ride was a popular annual event that ended in 2012 for reasons I'm not sure of. The original route was a 209 mile ride from Sefner to Daytona Beach largely on paved Florida County Roads. I've taken the old route and knocked off a few areas that have now been developed, added a few routes that I've learned over the years and relocated the two ends, this time to include Daytona International Speedway as the end or the beginning. The new map is 207 miles with BaseCamp projecting just under 6 hours ride time.

GPX Tracks (click link for download):

C2C-East Route

C2C-West Route

C2C-Track

Ozello Trail Loop on the Tracer

The nine-mile Ozello Trail from Crystal River out to the Saint Martins Aquatic Preserve is often called Florida's Dragon Tail. Well, that's a big stretch; however, it's a nice scenic ride, there's a great restaurant called Pecks Old Port Cove on the trail and it's otherwise all we have.

I have a number of versions of loop that include the Ozello Trail; the loop above starts and terminates in Wildwood, Florida near Interstate 75, making it quickly accessible for travelers approaching from the north or south. The loop is 136 total miles and requires about 3.5 hours of saddle time. Here's a link to a .gpx route for this loop.

.gps Ozello Trail

Here's some video from Pecks back to the Ozello Park Boat Ramp.

Digi-Synch for Throttle Bodies

The 2019 Yamaha Tracer 900 is an in-line triple that requires throttle body synchronization at 600 miles (the running-in service) and every 4,000 miles thereafter. Historically, synchronization, where required, has been accomplished using my Motion Pro Sych-Pro-Tuner, which is a mercury based manometer.

After purchase of the Yamaha Tracer in July, I read posts on the Tracer Group in Facebook about a digital peaking manometer from Digi-Sync that I found very interesting.

If you've ever used the mercury-type manometer, like me, you probably find the bouncing around of the mercury in the vacuum tubes while the engine is running calls into question how accurately you're getting the synch squared up. A bigger issue for me and my dated Pro-Synch is my understanding that the mercury in the vacuum tubes of a liquid manometer actually evaporates over time. The idea of a digital meter is quite attractive.

Yes, there are and have been other digital solutions, but when I looked at the Digi-Synch web page, I found their tool to be a reasonable price. The company offers a 2, 4 and 6 channel device with pricing of $129.99, $159.99 and $189.99, respective. That's just not a lot more than my 4-channel Pro-Syn.

Given the reviews that I've read and my belief that the Pro-Synch should be replaced, I went aheard and dropped $159.99 plus $12.50 shipping on a 4 channel Digi-Synch Digital Synching Manometer and was able to put it to work at 630 miles during my first running-in maintenance.

Whether my old Pro-Synch or the Digi-Synch, performing the synch procedure is very simple...once you can get to the throttle bodies. However, getting to the throttle bodies requires considerable disassembly of the body; panels, tank, and air box. And then you have to put it all back together!

As it relates specifically to the Tracer 900, there are some YouTube Videos that show the disassembly and the biggest takeaway is that prior owners have figured out how to avoid removal of the tank by swinging it around and laying it where the seat is located (seat removed, of course). That was helpful, but it's still a lot of work.

The Digi-Synch connected directly to the vacuum tubes and, after warm up, produced a consistent reading across the three throttle bodies at 1212 RPM (spec is 1100-1300, which is at idle on my Tracer). Note that the reading of 26 is the fourth, unused vacuum tube.

The 185 readings for each of the three throttle bodies is in kPa (or kilopascal), which is simply another measure of air pressure (like psi and bar).

Mercury vacuum manometers use a different measure called cmHg or mmHg which is the pressure exerted on the manometer fluid (i.e. mercury) in the vacuum tubes causing it to move up and down. Most mercury vacuum manometers have a range of 0 cmHg to 40 cmHg (or there abouts).

The Tracer Service Manual states that the throttle body readings should not differ by more than 1.33 kPa (air pressure) or 10 mmHg (fluid pressure). My manometer is in cmHg, so the spec is converted to 1cmHG and essentially means that the bars of mercury should not be more that 1cm different between throttle bodies.

A quick online conversion site converted 1.33 kPa to .20 psi. I can't think of what that spec was on past model bikes that I had to do this procedure, but I can tell you that there was no way that my mercury vacuum manometers could be read to that level.

Overall, purchasing the Digi-Synch was a good decision on two levels. First, it's clearly more accurate than the vacuum mercury manometer. Second, it takes only minutes to check and then, if necessary adjust, the throttle bodies; however, by the time the service department at one's local dealer gets the motorcycle ripped apart and then reassembled, the price tag is likely going to run $500. Anyone can do this maintenance.


One last thing!

The rubber vacuum cap on the vacuum tube of the far left throttle body is a little difficult to get your fingers on. This tool will do the job both taking the cap off and putting it back on.

UPDATE August 2021:

I recorded video of my most recent throttle bodies sync check along with the spark plug replacement. Enjoy!

Sugar Loaf Mountain Loop on the Tracer

In 2015, I trekked up Pikes Peak (14,110 feet above sea level) on my Kawasaki Versys 1000LT.

This is what we call mountains in Florida...

...and why most Florida motorcyclists travel to other parts of the country to enjoy our sport.

The curvacious roads in North Georgia, Tennessee and North Carolina up next.

Okeechobee Loop on the Tracer

The running in on new motorcycles can be a pain, but it's necessary.

I have a couple loops that I have developed to work on the running in of new motorcycles, the first of which is always my 400 mile Okeechobee Lake Loop.

Here's some video of the layover at the Port Mayaca Locks. Enjoy!

2019 Yamaha Tracer 2019

We have moved back into the sport touring category!

Between March 2015 and April 2016, I enjoyed over 25,000 miles of sport touring on my Kawasaki Versys 1000; see my blog Versys Ventures and More. Between then and now, I've been most active in dual sport, which has been largely isolated to dual sport rallies. While I enjoy the dual sport rally circuit, it's too much time behind the wheel of my truck dragging my toy hauler all over the southeast. Time for a change, and the change is back to sport touring...

...but not back to the Versys. It was one of the greatest motorcycles I've owned but, where I paid a little under $13,000 for mine back in late 2014, momma Kawasaki now wants over $19,000 for a new 2020!

I almost purchased the Yamaha FJ-09 sport touring model motorcycle when it came out...can't remember when that was, and landed on the FZ-09 instead. A couple years later, Yamaha rebranded these models. The FZ-09 became the MT-09 and the FJ-09 became the Tracer 900.

So I went back out and searched show room floors at area Yamaha dealers for the Tracer 900 and found a bright, new 2019 model at Cahills Motorsports in Zephyrhills, Florida; close enough and in my price point at $10,500 out-the-door!

July 18, 2020, the adventure begins....

The Hooch 2020

Earlier in the year, I didn't think I wanted The Hooch Motorcycle Rally out of Two Wheels of Suches on my rally calendar. However, as I got closer to the June rally, I decided that I'd probably like to go...and, include a do-over of the three-day Smokey Mountain 500 (a ride we weren't able to complete in August 2019).

Unfortunately, the rally was sold out, but after complaining on Facebook about my bad planning, a friend offered me his ticket that he was no longer able to use. He got his otherwise non-refundable money back and I got to go to the rally and take on the Smokey Mountain 500...this time successfully.

The Hooch is a nice rally through the forest roads in the Chattahoochee Forests of North Georgia. My 1985 KLR600 was the oldest motorcycle represented in the rally. The next oldest was a 1994 Honda XR. We rode together the first day.

Here's a video of the walk around before the Day-1 riders meeting.

Smokey Mountain Redo

As previously reported, I made a "failed" attempt at the Smokey Mountain 500 in August 2019. The Smokey Mountain 500 is a popular three day dual sport ride (about 50/50 dirt/pavement) with layovers in Suches, Georgia (Two Wheels of Suches), Telico Plains, Tennessee (Cherohala Mountain Trails Campgrounds) and Stechoa, North Carolina (Ironhorse Motorcycle Lodge).

We launched out of Suches in 2019, but the only section of the loop that I completed was the track from Robbinsville back to Suches.

The problems we/I encountered were:

1. One of our riders crashed off one of the gravel dirt forest roads in the Chatahoochee Forest somewhere around the Georgia-Tennessee border. Here's the first of a series of three videos on the mishap.

2. The clutch cable on my 36 year old Kawasaki KLR600 snapped no more than 10 miles out of Telico Plains causing me to leave the group to find a new cable...that I couldn't find until I got all the way over to Robbinsville.

On June 9, 2020, the week before the Hooch Motorcycle Rally hosted by Two Wheels of Suches, I took on the Smokey Mountain and, with only one close call, knocked it out without any problems...solo. We can now check that off.

The close call was a very poorly marked washout on a forest road right on the Tennessee border.

SuperTrapp Repacking

My 1985 Kawasaki KLR 600 came with a SuperTrapp E.A.R. (Environmental Acoustic Reduction) Muffler that, like many motorcycle mufflers, needs repacking from time to time.

Repacking is essentially packing the muffler can with sound deadening material. The most common material is fiberglass, but there are other types of packing...everything from ceramics to steel wool to the fiberglass insulation from one's attic. Of course, I would advise only using commercial motorcycle-specific products.

The frequency of repacking motorcycle mufflers is dependent upon a number of variables. High compression 2-stroke mx racers may need a repack between every moto. However, most trail thumpers like my KLR600 should get at least a year out of the packing, even with a aftermarket can.

When I purchased the KLR600, I repacked the muffler mainly because it was loud. It was about 40% degraded, which essentially means that 40% of the packing broke down and got blown out the back. While I normally use fiberglass packing materials, for some reason I decided to experiment with a ceramic material after doing some research. The product was:

Thermal Zerom, MPK1 Ceramic Muffler Packing Mat (12" x 24")

My Blog Post entitled Supertrapp E.A.R. Series chronicles the initial repacking from June 2019.

The following video shows my repacking in May 2020 at +1,581 miles following my first packing.

In short, I unexpectedly found the ceramic packing had deteriorated and all of the fibers had blown out the muffler. This isn't to say I got 11 months and 1,581 miles out of the ceramic packing. On the contrary, based on when I started to sense the decibel level on the rise, I'm guessing that the ceramic packing started immediately deteriorating under the back pressure and was probably gone at +750 miles. I can't be 100% sure as there's no window to look in on things, but that's what I'm guessing.

Anyway, I'd already decided to go back to the gold-standard fiberglass packing material so, unfortunately, I really didn't learn my frequency of repacking for the vintage KLR with it's aftermarket can. That will come. Stay tuned.