Farklemania (or how to have fun with an ST in your shed)

[John Meara]

It all started with my silver 2003 ST1300A, understood to be the first one registered and on the roads in Queensland.




After much farkling over a few years, I've sold old faithful and now the batton has been passed from the silver to the red....




My little red wagon is about to suffer a humungous attack of farkle-mania     
 



This time, I am tackling this as a project to get the bulk of the work done in one hit.  So the farkles have gathered....




Now the fun begins.... installation  :)

[John Meara]

The fun began with a vengeance.  For this effort, I decided it was best to not only strip all the fairings, but also to release the front dash area and remove the top fuel tank completely:





A week or two ago, I began stage 1 of the project:

• Seat and topbox backrest
• Honda tank pad
• Rear mud flap inside rear wheel well (to protect shock)
• Uniden UHF radio on RAM mount
• Spotlight brackets by Dick Seng
• Headlight protector
• eToll device hidden under front fairing
• PIAA 910 lighting harness routing
• Garage door opener (right side glove compartment)
• Powerlet outlet to left glovebox area
• Radguard radiator guard (repainted black powder coated)
• Fenda Extender (front guard)
• Topbox spoiler and lighting harness
• Topbox rack (repainted black powder coated)
• Helibar risers with RAM mount & Powerlet outlet

Stage 2 began two nights ago:

• McCruise cruise control installed (the big job, took about 8 hours)
• Zumo 660 cradle and harness routing
• Starcom Digital - some wiring routing started

Stage 3 begins this weekend. Hopefully I'll get it mostly completed; leaving only minor tidy-ups. 
It will be good to get back in the saddle.  :)

[West Aussie Glen]

John you are missing tipover bars, staintune mufflers and gear indicator. You seat looks great.
How much did it cost and are you happy with it?

[John Meara]

John you are missing tipover bars, staintune mufflers and gear indicator. You seat looks great.
How much did it cost and are you happy with it?

Hi Glen,
I considered the gear position indicator years ago and have the pics from the US on it (maybe one day).
Not interested (yet) in changing mufflers (unless these rust out or get damaged).  Also don't want any more noise (I already wear ear plugs on the bike and hearing aids off it (from loss due to noise riding etc) and the police here are getting stricter on noise emissions.

The seat is excellent for both me and my pillion-in-a-million. Great for avoiding sore bums on long days and pillion doesn't slide forward the same way as on the OEM slippery-dip. I went for the leather cover, but vinyl would be okay too. The secret is in the saddle shape (bit like on the old Massey Ferguson tractors) and the high density foam padding covered in softer thin layer (then I like the leather too).  Cost 8 years ago was $550, so expect that has risen significantly.

I originally ordered a Corbin seat on their promise it would make it easier for a short arse to put his feet on the ground; but when it did not (it was  heavy plank), I got my money back and arranged the Ergo seat from John Moorhouse.  Half the price (at the time) and half the weight!!  One of the best investments on the bike.  Here are some compare pics:

[Marcus]

Sweet baby jebus...That's nuts... BTW which seat is which?

[West Aussie Glen]

John,
I fitted Staintunes looking for a nicer exhaust note.
There is a slight improvement but even with little sound restrictors (baffles) removed there is little or no exhaust noise when riding.
An advantage is that they are a lot lighter.
The Honda mufflers are about 5 kgs each and although I didn't weigh the Staintunes they are considerably lighter.
For late model ST's the new GIPro DS Series Gear Indicator ( http://www.healtech-electronics.com/ )   is simply a plug and and play job.
I have just spoken to John Moorhouse about a seat and will definitely be going that way.
Also love the back rest but he said he has lost his fibreglasser contact to make them. 

[Streak]

You know John,
                        If there was farkle idol, you would win hands down, I have shown MRS Streak what you are doing, and she was blown away, all i need know is the job that would let me pay for all that sort of stuff....

its brilliant what you are doing, i am fitting my new Bestem Top Box this weekend, thats as good as it gets for me right now!

[John Meara]

....which seat is which?

Th straight (plain) black is the Moorhouse "Ergo" seat.  The fancy grey/black-patterned one is the Corbin.  The scaling of the comparative photos isn't quite accurate (they were similar in dimensions).

The Corbin was heated and beautifully finished, however.... Not only was it very expensive, but it was made on a heavy fibreglass base (twice the weight of the OEM seat) and all one piece, lie a surfboard! (not like the twin sections of the OEM seat).

[John Meara]

Stage 3 interim completion achieved and my red wagon is back in one piece  :P.
These 3 pics taken just before the road test (doesn't the late afternoon light make it look good 

Clearly visible: Custom leather seat and backrest, PIAA spotties, topbox spolier/light & carrier rack, UHF radio & antenna, Zumo GPS, Fenda Extender, Helibar risers, McCrise cruise control bits, Powerlet outlets, Starcom connections, tank pad & knee pads.  The rest is hidden beneath:







So how'd it go?  Well a few things still to do to finalise stage 3:

• The dash-mounted Starcom headset bracket crumbled when I plugged in.  Not to worry as it was an old bracket I'd bodgied-up, so will make a new one.  I am still able to use it for now.
• The cruise control requires some calibration (as detailed in the manual). Didn't have time this arvo but will tackle this week.
• Volumes on Starcom need setting-up.  Again no time this arvo, but it works.  I also need to make the headsets permanent in both mine and wife's helmets.
• The UHF radio sits too high (see pic below) so going to twist its RAM ball down to the right adjacent to Cruise control with.
• Forgot to install an in-line fuse near battery for the Fuzeblock's power wire (doh!).  Not difficult - off again to Supercheap.
• Still a little concerned that my seat may be squashing down on the Starcom unit, so will look at ensuring its is clear.
• Coax to antenna bracket needs tying down - couldn't find any adhesive mounting bases for a cable tie, so get that.
• I'd like to shorten some of the wiring to the Starcom unit - too long & coiled up here and there at present. So will wait to be sure all is located well before cutting and soldering.

See the Comms Setup thread http://ozstoc.com/index.php?topic=96.msg621#msg621 for the Starcom & Fuzeblock wiring pics.  Here's a selection of other bits and pieces:

Firstly, the new cockpit:



Below, the UHF antenna/bracket, topbox wiring, Fuzeblock in front of foam cover for McCruise computer:



The Helibar risers with RAM mount for Zumo 660 and Powerlet outlet (this one powered via Fuzeblock. A second Powerlet outlet near the left glove compartment that feeds direct to battery).



Some of the wiring before it went back together.  To the left of the airbox: some cruise control wiring, the antenna coax, Starcom rider headset cable and UHF radio PTT both to Starcom unit, and the Zumo wiring.  To the right of the airbox: red power wire to the Stebel horn, the power from Fuzeblock to from the front power terminal, under those is cruise cabling (and buried deep, the spotlight harness).



In the following since this was taken, I've moved the Starcom unit closer to the RHS (nearer the photographer) to get it lower down.  Still needs work. [Update: See the Comms Setup thread at:  http://ozstoc.com/index.php?topic=96.msg621#msg621  for latest pics on Starcom location and seat mods.]




So what's next, in stage 4?  Well there are few jobs and components still outstanding:

• Must get the right-angle tyre valves fitted when I next change tyres. The OEM valves by Honda are stupid - so difficult to get to  >:(
• LED turn indicators again in the mirror housings. Had these on my silver ST and they were great.
• AM/FM radio (preferably digital)
• Heated grips, before next winter.
• Maybe a gear indicator
• Hmmmm... there's sure to be more  ;)

Cheers

[John Meara]

This post is not meant to hijack ST discussion, but to give some sort of explanation of the early appearance of this all-consuming passion for farkling....

In the beginning (well soon after anyway), Honda created the four-cyclinder 750, 500 and then the 350 and riders were happy  ;). 
Later came the 550 and 400 fours, then they all got bigger and better.
Eventually the V-fours came along and then the ST, and the riders were even happier  :P ;D


The first bike I owned was a 500/4, already quite farkled-up, but I didn't know it as "farkling" at the time.  It had a very loud silver-painted 4-into-1 exhaust, yellow/gold-painted frame, clip-on handlebars, a small chrome Triumph headlight, blacked-out engine and tappet covers, small fiberglass front guard, custom sky blue tank & side covers. I soon added some front crash bars, popular at that time.  At $840 in about May 1975, this was her:




Then that farkling bug must have struck me all those years ago (or was it the sore wrists, arms, shoulders and neck that made me want to remove the clip-ons?).  Certainly Catherine (all of about 15 at the time) wanted some security on the back....

So early on I fitted an "Easy Rider" back rest, complete with denim covered padding, and integrated with the carrier rack for all those long those trips, like Bathurst Easter races.  Of course I have always liked bright lights, and all the rage in those days was the 100watt aircraft landing lights (one only for the 500/4).  This was perfect for the dark old Cunningham and Newell Highways to/from Bathurst.  Then there were the mud flaps, and a new paint job, and on, and on....   I had this bike for about 3 years, and here's how she ended up:



"Farklemania" had started its insidious takover 

PS: Don't let the safetycrats see that front numberplate! 

[Diesel]

Quite simply  "Magnificent effort" John.

Thanks for having us along for the journey too. I'm sure this thread will be referenced quite a lot in the future when us mere mortals take on some of those tricky farkling jobs.

Now go ride it!

Cheers, Diesel

[Marcus]

Considering I spent a good 10 minutes looking for my battery, I don't think I'll be attempting something like this in the near future. I'm blown away at consider doing stuff like this.

[Diesel]

Considering I spent a good 10 minutes looking for my battery, I don't think I'll be attempting something like this in the near future. I'm blown away at consider doing stuff like this.

Now that's         

[Malcolm6112]

You need to start off small Marcus. First a side panel one week, the LH or RH side the next. Really it's not that scary! Print off Diesel's cheat sheets for the screws and have some fun.

[Couch]

John, your bike looks just soooooooooooooooooo good.    Fantastic photos as well!!
I'm so impressed with what you've done mate..............a little envious actually.

Damm, I wish I could do all those things. I have my left side fairings all off at the moment and have just fitted my quartet harness. I should be able to fit my OEM Heated grips tomorrow, if I get the time.

I'd love to get a Morehouse seat but I'd imagine it would be a little difficult to organize from "further down under". Before coming to Tassie I used to live at Wellington Point, very close to Capalaba.........but that doesn't help me much now unfortunately!

Anyway..........well done!

Couch

[Couch]

John...............Just wondering what camera you're shooting with.............I'm impressed, to say the least!

[John Meara]

John...............Just wondering what camera you're shooting with.............I'm impressed, to say the least!

Thanks Couch.  I have always appreciated the effort others went to to document their accessorising, etc, and found photos the best way to tell the story. The American ST forums were always an excellent source of assistance.  So after years of playing with my first ST, I set about doing the same so others could benefit.

In the late 70s I bought and Olympus OM1 and took thousands of slides of travels and bike races etc.  then I gave it away for quite a while, before investing in an Olympus compact for out trip around Europe.  The small handheld is great for capturing lots easily.  Then 15 months ago the family decided to shout me an excellent birthday pressie - new SLR etc:  The photos on this site are taken with this gear, as follows:
Camera body: Canon EOS 550D
Lens: Canon EFS 18-200mm with UV filter
Flash: Canon Speedlite 430EX II

I take the shots on a standard auto setting (sometimes close-ups but then its difficult to get wide depth of field). That means the images end up anything between 4.5 to 7 meg.  The camera also takes HD 16:9 video.  So I edit the pics down in size from about 5200 x 3500 pixels to about 1000 x 700 or whatever suits, and at only 72  pixels/inch resolution, resulting in size of only 2 or 300 kilobytes - much better for web uploads but no good for blowing up any bigger.
Cheers

[Skip]

Like you Marcus, my head was spinning just looking at all that 'farkling' then John starts on the photography farkling. I'm off to bed. I need a lie down.
I'm exhausted just trying to understand all this. Hooroo.

[Couch]

I also use Canon equipment..........it's great gear!

Camera body: SLR Canon EOS 40D
Lens: Canon EF 24-105mm + UV filter + Canon EF-S 10-22mm
I don't have a flash though!

I also use a smaller Canon G3 Powershot that I tend to take on the bike with me more often, simply because it's more compact.

Keep shootin & postin John!