Sylvie’s Tank Bag Gets Some Real Use

Another quick update this week.

As you may recall, I recently got some luggage for Sylvie but had only tested the tank bag in the carport.

I’m pleased to report that despite my initial uncertainty about it, the tank bag and tail bag together were able to hold a small load of groceries quite admirably.

The magnets held the tank bag on quite firmly with at least three one litre cartons and a a 500g packet of grated cheese without budging at all during the 5-10 minutes it took to ride home from Aldi.

I used the tank bag to take food for my lunch for a few days to work this morning and it held up just as well for the 20-30 minute ride to work.

I’m keen to try a longer ride with them if the opportunity arises!

That’s all for this week, as I haven’t managed to spend enough time in the shed lately. I’ll see how the shed time works out over the coming week!

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Prepping Erica’s Tank And Swapping A Helmet

Some time ago, I put Erica’s original tank aside. The plan was always to strip and repaint it, so I decided to clean the tank a bit this week in preparation for stripping the paint.

The first step was add the task to Erica’s list!

The tank has had some of the paint wear off already, so there is a bit of surface rust.

I decided to use up the last of the “Rust Buster” that once belonged to my grandfather. I wonder if they still make this stuff?

The top of the tank came up nicely.

I decided to give the bottom of the tank the same treatment.

I took the rubber grommets out first and put them aside.

There were a lot of nooks and crannies to get into.

After a good wipe down, there seemed to be a noticeable difference!

I gave the grommets a coating of rubber grease.

I made sure to be generous with the application!

They came up almost as good as new!

I labelled a ziplock bag appropriately…

…then put the grommets in the bag to keep them relatively clean.

While I was doing this, my cat decided to come supervise. Satisfied that I was doing a good job, she left shortly afterwards.

I decided to get a shot of the tank after cleaning but before repainting for comparison once it’s finally repainted.

Finally, I made a list of things I might do with the shed itself.

Also, I had recently noticed an increasingly annoying rattle in the helmet I got from the Aldi motorcycle gear sale a few weeks ago. This was the third full-face Aldi helmet I’ve owned and I’d never had problems with the previous ones apart from needing to replace them after coming off the bike. Not because they broke, just out of general principle!

This week, I noticed the local Aldi had one left in the same size and pattern, so I asked the manager to put it aside and went back later in the evening to swap it over.

After testing the new helmet for a few days and confirming there was still no rattle, I fitted the Bluetooth headset into it.

I’ve also tested the tail bag and can report that it holds up to light duty loads well, as I was able to transport several 1 litre cartons in it quite safely and securely. I still have to test out the tank bag though!

Testing The Tank Bag

Another quick update this week, as this week I was still helping wrangle a sick infant and fighting off the same bug myself – this update comes to you from my phone as my infant daughter fights the sleep she is in desperate need of while lying on my chest…

While I spent a bit of time sorting things in the shed, there wasn’t any noticeable difference afterwards so I decided to test out the new tank bag!

 

I think it must have been designed with either a much wider or much smaller tank in mind, as it’s a bit of a snug fit to get the magnets on the sides of the tank.

 

Still, it seems to fit well enough if I don’t try to attach the safety strap.

 

I discovered that the tail bag fits inside the tank bag when they’re both empty.

 

I can fit the tank mount in there too, so I could carry just the backpack and have extra carry space if I need to pick up anything up on the way home. It’s not a top box but it’ll do for now!

Hopefully I’ll get more done in my shed time over the next few weeks as the weather starts to warm up a bit.

Shims And A Tailbag

Just a quick update this week due to lingering cold weather leading to a house full of sniffly people. Hopefully the weather will warm up soon and allow us all time to get better!

Last week, the shim kit arrived!

The packaging seems very professional.

The vendor also threw in a couple of stickers…

Another sticker was included in the box.

All in all, very neatly presented.

While I’ve since seen essentially the same kit advertised with less slick branding for about AU$30 less including postage, I’m still impressed with the presentation overall.

Funnily enough, Sylvie has been behaving herself since I have the shims ready to replace. Maybe they’ll go in the FZR400 first at this rate…

I also set up the tail bag on Sylvie so I can pick up a couple of small items from the local supermarket on the way home if need be.

Of course, since Sylvie is readily accessible from the street in my carport, I removed the tailbag and left only the straps on her overnight!

I’ll test it out during the week and see what else I can get done for next week!

This Year’s Aldi Loot, Including A New Helmet And Some Luggage!

Due to sick kids, this week’s post will  be short and sweet.

This week, I managed to get to the local Aldi in time to take advantage of their annual motorcycle gear sale. I managed to get quite the haul!

That’s a new helmet, a pair of size M armoured gloves, two new pairs of motorcycle socks, a size 2XL leather jacket that is a surprisingly snug fit, a size XL merino wool jumper that’s surprisingly loose, a neoprene kidney belt, a tail bag and a tank bag.  I’ll go into more detail on the luggage in coming weeks as I fit and start using it.

Sadly, there were no textile or leather pants this year and I already have a good pair of motorcycle jeans and the high boots in my size had sold out. Maybe I’ll find a pair at another, less busy store if I’m lucky?

I replaced my helmet, as I was wearing it both times I’ve come off the bike this winter. I decided to go with the silver graphic instead of matte black this year.

New helmet on the left, old on the right. Of course, I needed to mount the bluetooth unit on the new helmet!

As I’ve detailed this process before, I won’t go over it again. Instead,here’s the end result!

That’s all for this week!

In the coming weeks I’ll be fitting the luggage to Sylvie and road-testing it, checking the valve clearances (and adjusting them if needed), and trying to find time to track down the CB250RS electrical issues.