AIMExpo Orlando

[garyahouse]

Got to meet up with a bunch of the Florida guys this weekend at IHOP in Orlando, and then headed over to the Expo. Gotta admit, for a first time venture, they put on quite a show. There were like a zillion vendors inside and test rides going on outside.

SENA

Got to talk to the folks from Sena while I was there. I bought a new clamp unit for my SMH10, so now I can plug in my ear buds rather than using the helmet speakers. Or not. It allows me to use either the speakers or the ear buds. However, I had an interesting conversation with the Sena rep about a couple of new developments. He showed me the successor to the SMH10. Nice unit with some new features. He showed me their new bluetooth camera and how it works with both the SMH10 (that I bought back in the spring) or their new unit. Has a voice over or music over feature that can be utilized while filming, all by using the SMH10. Wow.

But here's the really cool news. This December, the latest SMH10 firmware update will be available. The older SMH10's can't be upgraded but mine can, as it's the "firmware upgradable" model, as he put it. Before you read this, you might want to sit down. Guess what this (free) new upgrade will include? The upgrade will enable the SMH10 to communicate with other devices not made by Sena... like the Scala Rider Cardo series. Not sure about all the details, but if you contact Sena, they can fill you in on the specifics. How 'bout that?

SHORAI

Stopped by the Shorai display and talked with them about the huge Shorai write up we did last winter. I told him about all the testing I did, and the results we charted on this forum concerning the difficulty the battery had when the temps got down around freezing. He said that their newest Shorai's were considerably better and then... are you ready for this? He volunteered to send me a new 6th generation Shorai for testing... at no cost to me. So it looks like I'll be doing some more cold weather testing of this newest gen Shorai this winter. Who knows, maybe the Shorai is ready for prime time. Or maybe not. We'll see.

VMax

Finally, I got to hang out with SkooterG for a few minutes, and took a test ride on a new VMax. Up until last Saturday, the FJR was the fastest machine I've ever ridden. That is no longer the case. With Skooter leading a group of something like 8 various Yamahas on an 8 1/2 mile loop, I got a great chance to try out the acceleration and handling of this amazing machine. Did I say acceleration? Some how that word doesn't contain enough letters. I figured it would pull a little harder than the FJR. That it does, and more. It pulls seriously harder at all RPMs. But once the tach swings past about 6k, it turns into a snarling, dangerous animal. The acceleration is like, violent. It wasn't peaky or sudden like what I imagine a crotch rocket might be (never ridden one). I didn't dare peg the throttle in first gear for fear of breaking loose the tire or pulling a wheelie, so I did so in second. OH-MY-SOUL !!! Words fail me here, but if you strapped a super charger on an FJR, that would just about describe the power of that thing. What an experience.

Had a great time getting to meet several of the FJRforum guys while I was there, and looking forward to seeing everybody at our upcoming meet and greet in Tampa in late November.

Gary

darksider #44

 

[Redfish Hunter]

SHORAIStopped by the Shorai display and talked with them about the huge Shorai write up we did last winter. I told him about all the testing I did, and the results we charted on this forum concerning the difficulty the battery had when the temps got down around freezing. He said that their newest Shorai's were considerably better and then... are you ready for this? He volunteered to send me a new 6th generation Shorai for testing... at no cost to me. So it looks like I'll be doing some more cold weather testing of this newest gen Shorai this winter. Who knows, maybe the Shorai is ready for prime time. Or maybe not. We'll see.

VMax

Finally, I got to hang out with SkooterG for a few minutes. OH-MY-SOUL !!! Words fail me here, but if you strapped a super charger on an FJR, that would just about describe the power of that thing. What an experience.

So, you live in FLORIDA and you talked the Shorai rep into letting you do COLD weather testing? You should be ashamed of yourself.

Certainly I am ashamed of whatever you were trying to do with SkooterG in that quote above.

Seriously, good write-up. I am glad you got to experience the show, the V-max and SkooterG. I am a little jealous. Except for the part about Skooter. You can keep that one to yourself.

 

[RadioHowie]

Gary told me getting SkooterG started in cold weather is JUST as difficult!

 

[BkerChuck]

I'm officially volunteering my services to test the Shorai battery this winter. I live in PA and regularly see temps in the 20's or even teens in the morning. If they want a real test of cold weather capability, feel free to ship the battery my way and I'll let you know how it works.

 

[ionbeam]

I'm officially volunteering my services to test the Shorai battery this winter. I live in PA and regularly see temps in the 20's or even teens in the morning. If they want a real test of cold weather capability, feel free to ship the battery my way and I'll let you know how it works.

I'm officially volunteering my services to test the Shorai battery this winter. I live in New England and regularly ride in the 20's and sometimes even teens in the morning. Oh wait, never mind, I want to be sure my FJR starts in the morning so I can ride it to work.

 

[garyahouse]

Howie and Fish:

Can do you spell, "g-o--a-w-a-y"?

Chuckie and Beam:

I'll probably see a half dozen nights below freezing here in Spring Hill. They're usually kinda rare. Granted, I can't test it in the same range of cold weather as you fine frozen fellers, but I told the Shorai rep I'd be conducting the test... gotta keep my word ya know. I'll be doing that coming up in December or so. Besides, you don't really wanna beat up your starter with a bunch of marginal voltage starts, right?

'Bout seein' Skooter:

I did get to talk to him for a few minutes, but he had a lot going on. He was busy organizing and then leading the demo rides for Yamaha. We were going to try to meet for dinner or something, but I guess two busy schedules didn't match up too well this time

Maybe next time, Greg.

Gary

darksider #44

 

[garyahouse]

Shorai confirmed today that the new battery has been shipped. It'll be a little while before I get it, but will be starting up some new Shorai info soon. They're telling me that the new battery's got significantly more umphh in cold weather than the one i bought last December. The jury's still out on that one: but that's exactly what I aim to find out. I do however, need to wait until the weather cools off around here to do any serious testing.

Gary

 

[Redfish Hunter]

Well it's cold enough here that I have had a fire in the fireplace for 3 nights in a row. I may have even cut the grass for the last time this year. Maybe.

Gary I am looking forward to your thoughts on this battery. This is how technology moves in the right direction when good, honest people get involved in real world testing. I am pretty sure that everybody who talked to the Shorai rep did not get offered a free battery for cold weather testing. I guess nice guys don't always finish last.

Unless that stupid battery fails and leaves you stranded in the parking lot, in the rain, with no one around.

 

[garyahouse]

Hey Red,

I have a Shorai in the bike now, and it's served me just fine since last Dec. when I put it in... with the exception of the couple days I left it out in the driveway overnight for cold weather testing.

Here we go again. I assume you read the thread I started on that battery?

Gary

 

[Redfish Hunter]

You assume I read that thread? You ASSUME? Man, the meanness I could have done with a teacher like you back in the day.

Are you referring to the thread you started on Oct. 7 2012? The one with 214 Posts? No, I am following a trend here. I have decided to just start a new thread with my question rather than read what has already been posted by others. It is all about My Time. It is all about ME.

So anyway, you do realize that as the voltage goes down, the amps go up? You do realize that whatever good you did for the forum in general with your exhaustive and detailed experiments on this POS battery has done irreversible but immeasurable damage to your entire starting circuit? Oh wait, I forgot I had not read your other thread...

Gary, I love the fact that you are so thorough. I think it speaks volumes about you that you are willing to go the extra mile to get us all that good info. I think you are super nice for wanting to make things work and not just giving up. I also think you are a DumbAss.

That POS battery did irreversible harm to your bike. I promise you it did. I would have given it two chances and then it would have gone back. Before I would be willing to try another one there would have to be some incentive. Free meals for a year at Hooters or something.

"served me just fine...with the exception of"... To Hell with That. It was junk. I sure hope your new one works well. You deserve it and so does that company.

 

[ionbeam]

Here is how to play nice and be helpful with your free Shorai battery NERDS style.

Take your $80 clamp-on amp probe and clamp it on a battery cable, in this picture I have it clamped around the R/R positive wire going to the battery.

It then lets you read current directly on almost any DMM. In the following picture I'm measuring the complete electrical system draw of my Gen I with some accessories on like my heated grips and headlights set for low beam.

My electrical system is supplying a bit over 33 amps. (OMFG, it is reading negative current!!! In order to get a picture of the controls and lettering on the amp probe I had to clamp it on backwards which results in negative readings.)

Take this amp probe and put it on your Shorai battery and put a volt meter across the battery. Every time you start your FJR you can map both battery current and voltage against ambient temperature which will reveal everything about how the battery performs. Report back to the Forum with your wealth of data