Honda VTX 1300 / VTX 1800 Motorcycles Forum banner

What have you done to your 1300 today?

579K views 9K replies 397 participants last post by  07Blackcherry 
#1 ·
Searched. Didnt see this. If I missed it, link me and Ill delete this one.

Post up what you did to your bike today, with pics preferably.

Today I didnt do anything... yet.
I did receive Glens clutch pull relief bracket today. :mosh:
Very fast shipping. No hassles.

I figured I should do this before I actually get to ride it so Im not cussing it when the weather breaks.

 
See less See more
1
#4,966 ·
If you use the choke, your bike will explode, all darksiders will instantaneously get flat tires, Kim Jong-un will launch nuclear tipped missiles, and it will impart a ripple into the space-time continuum that causes a universe-wide menstrual vortex... you will doom us all! :tapfoot:
 
#4,967 ·
So what happens if I removed the choke years ago?
 
#4,968 ·
#4,975 ·
#4,977 ·
I received my mount for the XM radio today and it is installed and we're up and running. Thanks to PaXman for his help in getting this done!:patriot:
 
#4,978 ·
Way to go Matt. We be JAMMIN"!
 
#4,981 ·
Good ride this afternoon with decent temps. Bring on spring.:choppersm
 
#4,982 ·
Another good riding day. It's a little cool and windy but still very nice. We're supposed to hit 80 on Tues so I'll be riding to work for the next couple of days.
 
#4,987 ·
That's pretty good mileage from that tire. My average with the Avon Venoms for the front tire is around 21K miles, with an all-time high of 25K+ miles on one of them. I switched to Avon's Cobra series for the front and am curious how many miles I get from it. Avon decided to nix the Venoms. My rear tire is the last Venom I'll own...it still has some meat left on it.
 
#4,985 ·
Peaked at the R under the covers in the garage. Mother nature has decided to deliver a good (hopefully the last this season) snow storm tonight- 8-10 inches of the white stuff. ouch
TWSS!! :doh:
 
#4,990 ·
Ok, this may get a bit long, but I'll try to keep it as brief as possible. Bought the daymaker kit from Backyard Air Suspension. Great "drop-in" kit to replace regular bulb/headlight. Only drawback, no adjustment screws for aiming headlight, not that one is actually needed. It arrived, and I proceeded to install on bike. I removed the old light assembly and lined everything up. The kit comes with two screws slightly longer and larger than the originals to attach the bracket (ring) to the plastic headlight rim. Upon tightening these screws, the plastic screw holes (pillars) disintegrated. WOW! No problem, I found a replacement on Partzilla (around $20) and got it the next day. Began installation again. Same result. Now I'm really ticked off. The screws were tight enough to hold, but I was worried about road vibration cracking the rest of the pillar and the light falling out. I hate to admit it, but I decided to clump some JB Weld around the pillars and screw to reinforce it. (I didn't unscrew it because I was afraid the plastic may continue to break. Test drove it today, after giving JBW enough time to cure fully, and no problems. Light is bright and with the two new 3600 lumen (each) driving lights, I have plenty of light for the road on low beam. (Driving lights are set up to turn off when on High Beam, but I rarely need High.)

Now for a possible solution to this problem if anyone else buys the kit from Backyard Air Suspension: Don't use the screws supplied with the kit, make a set of studs using machine screws, to mount the light to the rim. You can go to your local hardware store and get the following: 1. JB Weld (original with two individual tubes, not the syringe plain epoxy type, get the on with the metal in it.) 2. a pack of machine screws and nuts. I think the size needed is the #6-32 x 1 1/2" or 2" machine screws, but that is just a starter point of reference. You will want to make sure the screws fit in the holes on the headlight rim without being too large. (Get some washers that will fit these screws as well as a couple of sizes larger as well.) Next step: cut the heads off of two screws and put a nut about halfway down the screw.The nut should rest on the top of the pillar with at least 3/4" to 1" sticking out above the nut/pillar. Next, coat the end you cut off up to the nut with properly mixed JB Weld compound (just enough to make the "stud" stick tight in the plastic pillar. The nut should rest at the top of the pillar ***Make sure the stud is straight in the hole!*** Coat the outside of the pillar with JB Weld to strengthen it further. Allow JB Weld to cure (about 4 hours). When you put the outer metal ring (part of the kit from Backyard) you can lock it in place with a washer and nut. Now place the Daymaker light in the rim, along with the back support ring. You can then use appropriate sized washers and nuts to lock the whole assembly together. This way you can remove/change the light if you ever need to do so without breaking the plastic pillars.

I hope this will help others from having the same problems I had in installing the Backyard Air Solutions Daymaker kit.
 
#4,995 ·
Thanks, MJK! LOL, Mr VTX!

Just a short addendum to my original post: PLEASE test fit everything before "JB Welding" it together for fit and placement of the various components!
The #6-32 machine screw can be screwed into the pillar perfectly. You may just need to JB Weld around the pillar to strengthen it. If bits of the pillar are already missing, then the nut can be used to simulate the top of the original pillar height and JB Weld up the threads to the bottom and/or sides of the nut for extra strength.

I sill have the original headlight rim and if I can find some extra time, I may do a "How to" pictorial guide and post it to the forum.
 
#4,996 ·
ouch. You have way more patience than I do. I've upgraded many vehicles including bikes and if a vendor claims a "direct match" or "fit" and I need to modify, then back it goes. If i have to futz around to get something to fit then I'm not paying a premium to anyone. The price premium is paid so you don't have to manipulate things.

You should call them and ask them to justify what you are having to do. I'd be sure to send them some pics and don't be afraid to ask for 50% credit. For $200 plus $15 shipping I would ask them why you shouldn't just send it back and get the sub $10 plug-and-play LED headlight on Ebay?
 
#5,000 ·
#4,998 ·
Wellllll, I thought about it. At first I thought the original headlight rim may have been just too old (thinking how plastic will crack with age) as the bike is an '04. When I cracked the second one, it dawned on me that the size of the screws supplied with the kit was perhaps the problem. They were too large and that is what cracked the pillars. (My own fault for not taking the time to double check everything prior to assembly. If the screws had of been #6-32's, I think it would have just screwed right in. Of course, if they had of just included longer versions of the original screws {metric sized, about an M4}, there wouldn't have been a problem at all.) As an afterthought, I figured out the solution I put in the post would be a better way to install it, as once you install the "studs", you would never have to worry about unscrewing, and possibly damaging the pillars ever again. Simply loosening two nuts to swap out the light or reinstall the original equipment.

I plan to contact Backyard Air Suspension and let them know that the screws they provided are too large, and what happened to me. But it's also a case of "look before you leap", and I was so anxious to get it together, that I didn't go through all the paces I normally would to make sure I was doing it right.
 
#5,004 ·
#5,006 ·
[QUOTEit's your call but don't be too hard on yourself. I would share with them what you went through and ask for some credit. ][/QUOTE]

I will let them know, and it never hurts to ask (worst they can say is no). I am mainly chalking it up to "Lesson Learned", LOL! I should have known better, but I apparently had my head up my rear end and didn't follow basic common sense procedures. When I changed the steering bearings, I read the sticky guide (and every other post about the bearings) about 10 times. I took my time making sure I had all the tools at hand, had my laptop outside with the guide open on one screen and the 1300 manual pdf on another screen, and even double checked each step as I went along.

When I got the light kit, I pretty much opened the box, grabbed a Phillip's screwdriver, and dove right in without thinking. Then, I compounded the problem because I made an assumption (and we all know what happens when you assume) that the plastic was old and degraded. Which led to the fiasco with the second headlight rim. I remember a old saying about "using your head to save your heals". This lesson was more along the lines of "using my head to save my wallet", LOL!
 
#5,008 ·
Pipers getting a bath and a bikini wax today, riding Saturday @ 72 degrees ( maybe a little chillier in the mountains ).
 
  • Like
Reactions: sumdatx
#5,009 ·
I was going to use my new bike stand and tear into the front end today for the neck bearings....BUT.....76*--just can't do it. I'm going for a BBQ lunch about 3 hrs. away and tonight, when the rain is supposed to roll in, she'll get up on the stand for some needed attention to her front end. :icon_suspicious:
 
#5,010 ·
I took the day off for a 187mi round trip fly-fishing excursion in the mountains of NC. I don't like trout fishing on the weekends...as the streams are just too busy.
The trip is about 1/2 slab and half nice road, but the fishing is worth it.
Caught about 50 trout... most in the 10"-12" range, no small ones, and several 15"+... One Rainbow was 16" and really fat. What a fighter! Broke water about 10 times and pulled hard in the fast water.

 
#5,011 ·
Here's the bike stand I built at work. I was going to paint it today and put the rubber strips on but....the weather was just way too choice not to be out riding.

Table Furniture Soil
 
  • Like
Reactions: sumdatx
#5,013 ·
Here's the bike stand I built at work. I was going to paint it today and put the rubber strips on but....the weather was just way too choice not to be out riding.

View attachment 170578
Looks good, did you do those welds with a mig spool gun?
 
  • Like
Reactions: Hiramsaint
#5,012 ·


Made it all nekid like. Got new rubber on the front/rear. The front isn't taking air yet though. I plan on picking up some lube/paste for it as not even a ratchet strap is saving me. I could try lighting some aerosol on fire tomorrow as well, but the paste is probably my best bet. The fork tubes are now empty of the nasty crap that's infested them. I just need to pull them apart and put new seals and covers on. I've also got some hard cases coming in and a new rear turn signal early next week. Apparently the bolts supplied for the passenger back rest are too long and have been rubbing the tire. So before that new rear goes on, I'm going to mount the hard cases with the vendor hardware and see if that resolves it. Otherwise I'll just hit up the hardware store for more chromed metric allens that are slightly shorter.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top