Henry Lubong's Journal » Motorcycle

Contour 360 Helmet Mount

Henry Lubong — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 18:40:55 +0000

Finally, a helmet mount that works for my Contour HD! Awesome! I can definitely use this for my bicycle helmet and motorcycle helmet. It can rotate 360 degrees and tilt side to side on a 180 degree plane. That means I can pretty much cover anything I want on a helmet point of view. I can shoot the front road, the guy riding behind me or the rider next to me. This maybe a helmet mount but I can see it being mounted on other locations of a motorcycle too like the side fairings, the front fender or maybe the pillion cover.

The mount is essentially two pieces, an adhesive base and uniquely adjustable modulating head. The base utilizes super strong 3M adhesive to make sure the mount is solidly attached. Contour also sells the base separately. As of now, you can only buy this mount from Contour’s website but will be in the hands of retailers soon. I don’t think I can wait for Amazon to get them in stock so I’m ordering one now. It’s kind of pricey though at $39.99 plus shipping.

Here are more details on this 360 Helmet Mount: http://contour.com/products/360-helmet-mount

Shopping For A Motorcycle Insurance

Henry Lubong — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 17:25:57 +0000

I need a new insurance for my Ducati because my policy with 21st Insurance expired… or let’s just say I ditched them after transferring me to Foremost Insurance (owned by Farmers Insurance). These guys want to rob me big time! They want to charge three times more than what I was paying before. I got screwed up when Farmers bought 21st.

Got a quote from Progressive – EXPENSIVE! Stop false advertisement or better yet stop advertising so you can lower your price. I called State Farm but haven’t heard back from the agent yet. She wanted to do a quote for my cars and house as well. I bet you if they offer dog’s insurance, she’ll do that too! The quote I got from Geico is pretty good. Should I trust the gecko? Anyway, we’ll see who can offer the best deal.

CHP Motorcycle Open House In San Jose

Henry Lubong — Tue, 24 May 2011 17:38:21 +0000

Hey guys, the California Highway Patrol in San Jose area will be hosting another Motorcycle Open House to promote motorcycle safety and awareness.

4th Annual Motorcycle Open House
June 4, 2011, Saturday
10:00am to 2:00pm

California Highway Patrol
2020 Junction Ave.
San Jose, CA 95131
(408) 467-5400

Here is what you can expect on this event:

They’ll be showing the CHP Camaro and Charger
You can bring your bike and have it checked out for possible violations (hmmmm… do at your own risk)
CHP officers will be showing their bikes and may do the cone patterns
Officers will also answer questions on site
Safety and info booth to show new motorcycle safety DVD and to talk about motorcycle crashes
Product showcase from local leather and boot supplier
I heard, there’s also a slow race
and possibly more…

I’m sure this will be a very fun and educational event. It’s also a great time to meet a lot of fellow bikers and of course our friendly CHP officers. So don’t miss this one out!

My Kawasaki 636 Is Up For Sale

Henry Lubong — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 02:52:38 +0000

Update: Sold the bike on April 13

Too many toys, too little time to play. I need to sell this bike so I can focus my attention on the RX-7. Here’s the link on craigslist – http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sby/mcy/1669991126.html. Asking price is $4850. I’ll sell it for $4800 if you promise to take care of this baby.

- 636 cc (more hp than the usual 599cc)
- CLEAN Title (just paid registration)
- only 8000+ miles
- new custom painted fairing (orange/black theme)
- new Galfer SS (stainless steel) front brake lines
- new EBC Double HH brake pads (front and rear)
- newly installed Sato style rearset – zero miles on it
- Competition Werkes fender eliminator w/ license plate LED lights

Ooops, Wrong Riding Gear

Henry Lubong — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 18:43:05 +0000

Got up this morning and was welcomed with a gorgeous sunny day so I decided to ride to work. Got my gears on, rolled the Ducati 848 out of the garage, and guess what!? Dead battery, ugh! So I ended up riding my Kawi 636 instead.

Share The Road, Look Twice For Motorcyclists

Henry Lubong — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 01:42:53 +0000

If you drive in California, I’m sure you’ve already noticed the motorcycle awareness message on the freeway. The “Share The Road, Look Twice Motorcyclists” is now being shown on over 700 signs across the state. Thanks to the California Highway Patrol for starting this campaign.

I have been waiting for something like this to happen. A lot of motorists on the road do not seem to care anymore when it comes to the safety of motorcyclists. If you didn’t know, lane sharing or lane splitting or in usual instances, a motorcycle going between two cars at a safe speed, is perfectly legal in the state of California and is being encouraged by CHP. So next time you see us coming up behind you (and it is your responsibility as a driver to be watching your mirrors all the time for oncoming vehicle), please leave us some room to pass by and we’ll gladly appreciate that. I usually wave my hand to say thanks

Kawasaki 636 Project Is Done!

Henry Lubong — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 23:21:16 +0000

…well, almost. I still need to paint the tank black and install a new rear set and maybe a slip-on. I really like how the fairings turned out and they followed my design exactly as I wanted. Although, these chinese molded ABS plastics do not have the same quality as the OEM ones. The material is a little bit thinner and a third class paint was also used. It looks like they only applied two layers of paint. I noticed a few paint bubbles. For $600 and free shipping, it’s a good price for a set of fairing, free windscreen, free frame sliders and free tank protector. The freebies alone are already worth $180 at least. Not to mention, it only took them 3 weeks to complete a custom fairing and another 3 days to ship it from Hong Kong. That’s an awesome service if you ask me. These guys are known on Ebay as “motofansclub.” They’re also the best fairing seller on 600rr.net. Everyone seems happy about their products and prompt service. Overall, I am happy with this purchase and I would highly recommend it to my riding buddies. Other than the fairings, here are the list of things that I replaced and upgraded:

OEM parts replaced:

ECU
font brake reservoir
upper fairing bracket
air duct
subframe
front wheel/rim
headlight
brake and clutch levers
mirrors
left rear set

Upgrades:

Galfer Stainless Steel Brake Lines
EBC Double HH Brake Pads
Bridgestone Battlax BT002 Race/Street Tires

Here are some pictures for your enjoyment.

BEFORE:
This is how it looked when I first picked up the bike

AFTER:

FUTURE:
How it’s gonna look like after the tank is painted

Fairing Set For My Ninja 636 Has Arrived

Henry Lubong — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 18:58:58 +0000

Thank you Mr. Postman for the prompt delivery! This fairing set is a custom painted ABS Plastic Fairing from Hong Kong. The process took about three weeks and the delivery took an impressive three days coming from overseas. The color scheme is lamborghini orange/black. I was gonna had it all done in black but I was inspired with the new KTM RC8, I went with that theme instead. I just took some teaser pictures for now. I’ve ordered a set of fairing screws that is specific for my bike. I should have everything installed next week. Now I have to get my blue tank painted.

Battery Died On My 848

Henry Lubong — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 07:27:40 +0000

Of all the time, why did my battery died today when I am in a hurry to get home (this is before the Prius incident below). Apparently, I left my ignition switch on “Park” this morning. I admit my fault but I also blame the engineers in Ducati. The problem is, the park position is placed all the way to the end with “Lock” right next to it. So when you park the bike and lock the steering, you have to make sure the key does not go pass that or make sure that the tail light is not lit (which I forgot to check). Luckily, a guy next door named Bill was kind enough to help me start my bike again. We tried bump atarting but it was a no go so I went the hard way. I took the fairing off to get access to the battery and jump start it. Thanks Bill!

Why I Hate Prius So Much

Henry Lubong — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 07:02:37 +0000

Last year, I had four incidents with my motorcycle involving Prius drivers. All of them are almost close to fatal accidents. I don’t know what’s up with people who drives a Prius (yes, that ugly looking Toyota car) but they desparately need some driving class. Once again, tonight while I was riding home from work, another Prius driver changed lane and cut me off causing me to brake hard and lifted my rear wheel. The scary part is, there’s another Prius car behind me which could have bumped me in the rear and sandwhiched me in between. Of course I was riding in the carpool lane and this Prius driver is in a hurry to to get into the same lane to use her stupid privilege to be riding in the carpool lane. I’m afraid to say that a lot of fellow motorcyclist have scary moments with Prius cars and some of them are not lucky to survive. Go with your slogan of saving the earth but please save lives first!

Trackday At Infineon Raceway

Henry Lubong — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 19:58:04 +0000

I’m too lazy to write something so I hope this video speaks for me. My friend has the onboard camera and I’m the one in front. Enjoy.

She’s Alive!

Henry Lubong — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 02:10:59 +0000

My ZX-6R 636 that is. Stupid me, found out what’s causing the engine to cut off. It was the down sensor. I took the tank bracket off and forgot that the sensor is attach to it. Ooops, my bad. So she starts fine now. Wohooo! With only 8K miles on the engine, it sounds like a $6000 dollar machine. Craigslist anyone?

No More Blowing Of Fuses

Henry Lubong — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 19:38:25 +0000

The ECU arrived today. Plugged it in and blowing of fuses is no more, yehey! But a new problem arose… argh. The bike would start and engine turns over but it won’t hold idle. Maybe because the engine is still cold so I tried holding the throttle and giving it gas but the fuel is getting cut off. It will only run for 3 to 5 seconds and then it will die instantly; not choking but a sudden shut off. Looks like some relay or sensor is bad or maybe a vacuum leak somewhere. Here the things that could cause this trouble:

vacuum leak
bad sensor and/or relay
inlet air pressure sensor
fuel pump
loose connectors

Oh well, it’s time to research and troubleshoot again.

In And Out Of DMV In 16 Minutes

Henry Lubong — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 20:17:30 +0000

I went to DMV today to transfer the title of my new motorcycle. Everything went smooth and quick! Less than 1 minute to find a parking, 4 minutes of waiting after I got my number, and in 11 minutes, I was able to obtain a registration slip and a new license plate. That’s very impressive!

Found The Culprit

Henry Lubong — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 02:19:33 +0000

Worked on my 2006 ZX-6R again today and now I am armed with a service manual I downloaded online. I love the internet! This PDF manual is pretty cool because the wiring diagrams are detailed. So I retraced the wire all the way down to the ECU. Using my ohmmeter, I toned out the red wire coming from the kill switch against the frame (ground) and there is the problem. It is shorted! I did more test and turned out that I only get continuity when the smaller connector of the ECU is plugged in. I disconnected all loads and only left the ECU and tachometer, which is a pretty good isolation. Fuse still blows up with the ECU connected. So at that point, I concluded that the ECU has a short inside. I already ordered an ECU on Ebay just a few minutes ago.

Almost Got In Trouble With Cops… Again!

Henry Lubong — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 01:15:10 +0000

It could have been the worse vehicle related infraction of my life. And this time, I can’t make any contestation because I am guilty of all counts. Ok, so today at lunch, the final parts for my 98 ZX-6R track bike (the bike that I crashed) has arrived so I went ahead and put it on and test rode the bike. So check this out, the bike is a track bike, no fairings, no lights, no title and of course not insured. So basically, it can not be ridden on the street. I said to myself, it’s only a few blocks anyway and its lunch time so the popos are probably out for a good meal at this time of day. After the third corner from my house, there goes a patrol cop parked on the street while I was revving up my engine. It freaks the hell out of me! So I immediately pulled over to the side and acted like I was inspecting the bike. The cop was just a few feet away from me. I was waiting for him to approach me and bust my ass. I was sitting behind my bike and waiting for him. Lucky bastard me, the cop drove away. Maybe he was thinking, that was my house where I parked the bike. Holy smoky, I will never do this stupid s*** again, heheh. I could have been gotten into a lot of trouble and maybe jail time and for sure got my bike impounded too. Lesson learned… don’t test your non-street bike at lunch time… LOL.

P.S.
I’m glad I was wearing a helmet too.

Tracing Electrical Problems On My 636

Henry Lubong — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 07:07:40 +0000

Yesterday, I started cleaning up the bike a little bit and assessed the actual damage. It wasn’t that bad. I replaced the battery and turn the ignition key to On for the first time. The meter lit up and initiliazed. I confirmed the actual mileage to be exactly 8001 miles. I was gonna try to fire her up but when I turned on the kill switch or the start/stop engine switch, the ignition and ECU fuses blew. My inital thought was something is probably shorted somewhere. I checked the kill switch first to make sure theres no open wire rubbing onto something – it’s clean. I then checked the wire harness to look for any possible open wire. Nothing, all seems to be ok. I then disconnected the fuel pump because this is one of the components that is being checked when turning the kill switch on. I tried the start sequence again and the fuses keep blowing. This is where my headache starts. What could it possibly be? This is the time when a wiring diagram is very useful. Well, it’s Thursday and my wife had to go to work and I have to baby sit. So this troubleshooting will have to continue tomorrow

Initial Inspection On My 2006 636 ZX-6R

Henry Lubong — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 20:47:03 +0000

I got up early this morning to check up on my newly acquired bike. I unmounted the unfixable broken fairings and toss them away. The only front fairings usable are the left lower fairing and the right upper fairing. The front fairing has crack all over but I think it’s fixable with duct tape. I don’t care much about the fairings as it will be replaced with race fairings anyway. Here is the list of stuff that needed fixing or replacement:

Battery (completely dead)
Front brake reservoir
Upper front fairing bracket
Ram air duct assembly
Headlight (if converting to street)
Left foot peg
Blown ignition fuse and ECU fuse
Miscellaneous bolts and dampers
Complete fairings and tank cover

I’m guessing, I would need to spend at least under a grand for all the parts I needed. I still have room to spend if I ever wanted to resell it after everything has been fixed. I could make at least $2K to $1500 on this bike.

Newest Addition To My Stable

Henry Lubong — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 06:49:55 +0000

I was browsing through Craigslist today time when I saw a fresh post about a 2006 Kawasaki 636 ZX-6R. It’s only been posted for an hour. The seller listed the bike for $2500 with 8000 miles but it’s been crashed. With my retail expertise (ehem), I know I can get this bike for lesser than that. The bike looks good on picture that’s why it’s worth checking this bike out in person. In reality, $2500 for a low sided bike with a low mileage and clean title is already an excellent deal assuming that the frame is straight and engine is good. I called the seller and asked more information about the bike. He gave me some interesting facts about the bike so I scheduled to check out the bike this evening. It’s a 45-mile drive but i think it’s a good investment.

I drove up to South San Francisco to personally inspect the bike. So this bike was low-sided at the track but never reported to insurance, thus the clean title. The side and front fairings are all destroyed. The frame looks straight (no dent at all) and the engine is clean. The forks are also straight and the rest of the components are intact. The only problem is the bike does not start. The seller said the ignition fuse keeps blowing up when started. I figured this is just a simple fix. To make the long story short, I used my bargaining skills and purchased the bike for $500 less than his asking price. What a steal!

Scored A Ducati Corse Leather Jacket

Henry Lubong — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 05:46:32 +0000

I’ve been eyeing on the Ducati Corse jacket ever since I got my 848. It’s a nice jacket made by Dainese in a Ducati inspired color red, white and black. Last week I test fitted it at the store. It fits like a glove and it has the same feel as the Alpinestars MX-1. The inner liner has long sleeves, which is perfect for riding in cold weather. Other jackets only come with a vest inner liner. This jacket is not cheap though. The tag price is $599 from the Ducati dealer and online stores sell it for more. I saw one the other day selling for $720. I know I got a Ducati bike but it doesn’t mean that I should pay premium for everything that has a Ducati label on it. Today at lunch, I visited the Ducati dealer again to checkout the jacket. The size that I wanted was gone from the rack. One of the guys that work there told me it was already sold. I believe him because this jacket is a popular gear of the Ducatisti. Luckily the guy found another one in stock for me. I don’t care how he found it but as soon as I saw the jacket, I asked him to ring it up for me.