Another nice day for a ride in Iowa

[rjs987]

At my wife's request, and since she new I wanted to tack on another 100 miles before I do the first (600 mile) oil change service on the AK 550, I went for a ride today down to Pella, IA. It's a Dutch community known for the Jaarsma Bakery where you can get many really yummy Dutch baked goods including some of the best Dutch Letters in the area. Sun was out and very few clouds. Air was crisp and clear. Temps were around the mid 40s F. Ended up getting 4 Dutch Letters, 2 Dutch Almond Sticks, and a Dutch Cinnamon Coffee Cake. Due to the temps I knew the mpg would be less than I like but that's the way it is when the temps go down. The trip down was about 55 miles and the trip back was about 59 miles for a total of 114 miles there and back. That puts the odometer on the AK right at 608 miles. Just in time to do the oil/filter change tomorrow when the temps are supposed to be in the mid 60s F. It's the last time I am expecting such nice temps to work on the bike for the next 4 months so really wanted to get that service done. Next service after this one will be at 3000 miles on the odometer so will likely be doing that sometime around June. The ave mpg display was showing around 65.3 mpg but that is proving to be very optomistic. The gas gauge dropped to 2 bars at around 102 miles. Then it dropped to the last red bar that started flashing at 123 miles. I was already on my way back and just knew that since we don't get the Euro 5 version of the AK over here the tank just had to still be the 15 L (3.9 gal) and so far during the time I've been riding the AK I knew I could go a lot farther even with the last red bar flashing. I finally stopped to get gas with 142.3 miles on this tank and filled up with 3.004 gallons. I had a whole .9 gallons to go to empty. The Euro 5 version shrank the tank to 12.5 L (3.3 gallons) so I still had plenty of gas to go. To be honest I was sort of wondering if that tank really was 3.9 gallon capacity and also really wondering if my AK was going to start sputtering before I got to the gas station. Still getting used to this bike. Turns out I had nothing to worry about. With lower temps dropping the mpg below where I'd prefer I ended up with 47.3 mpg on that tank. And that was also about 90% at 65+ mph. So much for the displayed 65+ mpg. My Burgman would always display LESS than actual mpg on the display. This AK is the opposite showing WAY MORE than actual mpg. As long as it is more consistent... which is something I have yet to determine.

I did try using the Noodoe navigation with different settings coming back than I used going down. Noodoe navigation is proving to just not be up to par as a navigation tool to rely on. It keeps attempting to route me onto roads that should not have anything to do with either getting there faster or on a shorter route. And the really big kicker that showed up today was that the navigation attempted to route me on city streets to get to the highway that ran around the perimeter of the metro area instead of the faster, and also shorter route of taking the beltway through town. The moment I merged onto the beltway the navigation stopped trying to recalculate and redirect me but instead simply gave up and posted a message that it could no longer route me to my destination!!! REALLY! There are dozens of alternate routes that would take me 55+ miles several towns out. County, state and other local roads abound to follow to the destination I had plugged in with no way points in between. But the navigation just gave up and quit. On the way back it still refused to keep me on the shortest and fastest route trying in stead to have me take any of a dozen gravel roads that lead me way far from either being fast or short paths going home. It did finally pickup on the main city street I had to take to get to the beltway again but wanted me to stay off the beltway and navigate on city streets parallel to it. After I entered the beltway anyway it again gave up and quit. I guess that means a Christmas present will be added to my wish list of a bracket from AliExpress for mounting my phone on the top center of the dash. There is one bracket sold by a few places that is specifically made for the AK 550 that mounts using the existing windshield bolt holes. I'll also be adding a Eastern Beaver 3CS 3 position fuse block just like I had on my Burgman and my CTX1300 before that. I like that fuse block and it provides all the fused aux circuits I need.

[Iahawk]

years ago when I was a sales rep for my company I called on the Pella Hospital as it was in my territory. After every hospital visit would be a visit to Jaarsma's bakery...and Dutch letters! My mouth is watering right now thinking about them.

(Dutch letters are large, S shaped pastries, sprinkled with sugar and filled with a sweet almond paste filling...delicious!)

[Stig / Major Tom]

2 pics can replace 4000 words.....
Or, or...... "no pics, it didn't happen" 

just sayin'
Stig

[rjs987]

2 pics can replace 4000 words.....
Or, or...... "no pics, it didn't happen" 

just sayin'
Stig

So THERE! is that better?
It's just that this forum has such a tight restriction on picture size that I have to shrink all my photos I post here drastically. Sometimes they don't look so great after that.

[rjs987]

Went on a twilight ride tonight. 46 miles around the area. About a third of the way along the sun set and the LED lights really started to reveal their power. Did I say I really like LED headlights?
I keep trying out the Noodoe navigation. This time it was better but still not as good as I think it should be. I set a lot of way points for this trip to see if I could get it to route in a more predictable manner. Most of the way around it was working fine. But for the first way point there was a gravel road that cut across from the street I was going down over to the street where the way point was located. The best and fastest route to that way point was NOT taking the gravel road. And especially since once I came to that way point I would have had to do a U-turn to head on along the street in the right direction IF I had followed the Noodoe routing on that gravel road. When I continued on past the gravel road to take the better paved road Noodoe did recalculate... and then once I arrived at the way point Noodoe tried to get me to do a U-turn anyway and then another U-turn to continue in the right direction! After I past the other end of that gravel road Noodoe did recalculate and the rest of the trip was routed as it should be. Thanks to all the way points. I think I figured out that if the way point is placed on the wrong side of the road Noodoe tries to get me to approach it going the direction of that side of the road and then turns me around. If that first way point was on the left side of the road (for USA roads) the routing might have been good all the way around.


In the second small town I came to I took a short detour around a few city blocks on some bumpy brick roads just to feel the suspension at work again and also to go past a time/temp sign to see what that was telling me. Temp did get down to 34 F on the way around. Those bumpy brick roads would cause some jarring and jolts with my Burgman 650 as well as a few other bikes I've taken down those same roads. The AK handled them better than any. I didn't feel any jarring or jolts even though I could tell there were bumps over the uneven bricks. Was a very good test of the suspension on the AK. I think it's the bike with the best suspension I've owned yet even counting my Gold Wing.


While riding at 34 F temps I could tell that I definitely need to put some handlebar muffs on the bike to aid the heated grips. I didn't have the heat turn on more than the second setting but my palms were warm but my finger tips were still frigid, on one hand anyway. I could have turn up the heat one more setting but at 34 F I wasn't anywhere close to how cold I'm used to be able to ride. I need warm hands at zero F or even below. My heated gloves did that for me. I could add the heated gloves system on this AK but I think I'm going for the muffs first to try those and see if they will enable the heated grips to work for me a lot colder than barely freezing temps.


While I was at it I realized I could test out the accuracy of the speedometer on one of the roads... legally. Speed limit was 65 so I slowed to 60 indicated and switched to my clock on the Noodoe display. I noted where the second hand was while passing a mile marker and then when I passed the next mile marker. 60 indicated mph was definitely lower than actual mph. But not by as much as I was expecting. I attempted to do the same while bumping the indicated speed up to 63 but road conditions and traffic made it difficult to hold steady at that speed. But it was close. If my suspicions are right I am thinking this speedometer is not as far off as my Burgman 650 or ST1100 speedos were. Those were about 10% off, optimistically. On those bikes around 66 indicated mph was actual 60 mph. On the AK I still need to verify what I was coming up with but it seems to be about the same offset as both my cars... about 5% or 6% off. It seemed to be real close to 60 mph actual while I was showing around 63 indicated mph. I like to know what my gauges are showing me. I really don't care if they are different than actual as long as I know what they are showing me. I'll be trying that test a few more times. It's easier to determine where I can run at 60 mph since one mile SHOULD be one minute.

[rjs987]

Yep, another nice day for a ride... again.
Rode up to my son's house to help hang Christmas lights on his house and set up the inflatable Christmas figures in his yard. Better in his than mine IMO. I'm not into climbing up ladders so much for hanging lights any more. Top of the ladder and leaning way out from the top to reach the gutters to clip on the lights. And with 15 mph steady winds and some gusts on top of that! 

Anyway, the ride was really nice. No need for the heated grips this trip as temps were in upper 40s F all the way around. 44 miles round trip.

While I was riding I was thinking that I could run the cable for my heated gloves controller through the cable hole in the handlebar cover and down and into the right glove box through the hole for the Battery Tender pigtail. I had already installed the SAE connector to the heated gloves cable end so will just plug it in there without the need to flex the glove box door or punch a hole anywhere. I am considering this a temporary solution until after Christmas when I am hoping to try out handlebar muffs that I just might get this Christmas, maybe, with the heated grips to see if that will be all I need for the cold temps I ride in.

[rjs987]

Took off for a little 32 mile ride today after finishing up with getting lights put on 2 Christmas trees and some other holiday stuff.

This ride I was able to verify that the speedo on my AK is right at 5% offset from actual. I rode a stretch of highway that was 65 mph but I held it at 63 mph indicated on my speedo and timed a measured mile between a few mile markers using the analog clock that I displayed on the center phone connected panel of the dash. That showed it took exactly one minute to ride from one mile marker to the next. So 63 mph indicated is 60 mph actual. This is more accurate than other bikes I've had. Only my CTX1300 was dead on accurate with the speedo but all other bikes I've owned were between 9% and 11% offset. It's just good info to know.Temps were a steady 47 F all the way around. I bought another Aquarium temp sensor since the one I have used in the past on my bikes was reassigned to show outside temps at home by running the little wire through the frame of a window where it opens. Since the AK 550 does not have a temp sensor for ambient air I like to have some indication what the temp is getting to when it's cold during a ride. And it also helps to verify the temp for the coldest ride game on the ST-Owners forum. Bike thermometers don't read below +14 F anyway and I ride much colder than that. This Aquarium/Terrarium thermometer reads from -58 F to +158 F so I'm not likely to see anything that cold for any of my rides.

[rjs987]

Take 'em while I can get 'em.
Sunny and around 50+ F today so went for a 55 mile ride out on country roads.
I am now seeing a pattern where I put my feet on the AK 550 vs the Burgman 650. On the Burgman I felt most comfortable with my feet half on the slanted board and half on the level board. I never felt really comfortable with my feet only on the level foot board. My knees seemed to be sticking up too high and my leg/hip angle was too much for very long. It was a good alternate position but not for the long term. Just like the slanted foot board. That was enough of a reach on the Burgman I preferred that for a short term alternative.


But on the AK I'm feeling most comfortable with my feet fully on the level foot boards. In fact I'm finding my feet now just automatically go right to that position with my toes nestled in the notch at the front of the level boards. Moving my feet back or up on the slanted boards is a good alternate location when I feel the need to move around. In fact the slanted foot board is more comfortable than it was on my Burgman. Not as far away.


And have I said how much I like the sound coming out of the stock exhaust on this AK 550. Whether stopped and waiting for the light to turn green or accelerating or keeping a constant speed on the city streets or out on the county highways. I am tempted so often now to skip wearing my ear plugs just to hear the growl of this engine.

[rjs987]

Planned on a short little 20 mile ride this afternoon but ended up almost double that. 38.4 miles around the area. Was a crisp 41 F all the way around. Added in a mix of a little bit of city streets, some Interstate highway and mostly country highways/roads.Nope. Didn't stop for any pics. Nothing particularly interesting to photograph other than my AK 550 and I was too busy riding to stop. Maybe next time.

[Stig / Major Tom]

Again. No pix?

Stig

[jermwars]

I went for a ride today down to Pella, IA.

Oh man...that really takes me back. Used to go there every year for school field trip during the tulip festival. First thing that came to mind was the mill in the picture! Crazy how clear the memories are of that place after almost 40 years

Thanks for sharing

[jermwars]

"With lower temps dropping the mpg below where I'd prefer I ended up with 47.3 mpg on that tank."

Thats also good to hear

After about 4600 miles, im getting just about 50

Seems like its getting just a tiny bit better with every passing K just like you said it would

[jermwars]

The ave mpg display was showing around 65.3 mpg but that is proving to be very optomistic.

If we knock off the 5% that the ODO/Speedo is off and convert Imperial gal to US gallons that gets the 65.3 down to 52.5mpg which is almost exactly what the AK is "supposed" to get...interesting...even though thats way more than your actual mileage

[rjs987]

If we knock off the 5% that the ODO/Speedo is off and convert Imperial gal to US gallons that gets the 65.3 down to 52.5mpg which is almost exactly what the AK is "supposed" to get...interesting...even though thats way more than your actual mileage

I don't take the displayed mpg seriously. Every bike I've owned that has a display for it is off by varying amounts and my Burgman 650 was always low but all over the place as to how far off it was. Displayed 55 when calculated was 60, and displayed 56 when the calculated was 59, and displayed 49 when the calculated was 57. I couldn't even use that one to see any patterns.

[jermwars]

Went on a twilight ride tonight. 46 miles around the area. About a third of the way along the sun set and the LED lights really started to reveal their power. Did I say I really like LED headlights?

I REALLY like the headlights.

Get some people flashing me sometimes though even with the low beams...Im sure theyre startled when i flash them back. Assuming they still have retinas