What did you do in your garage today..?

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NuggyBuggy said:
I told my wife that if I could get my bike up on the lift this weekend - I'd count it as a success. So I'm happy on that count.

But in the large, you're not wrong. I love this bike to death - every time I look at it, I fall in love again. But for some reason I feel snake-bit by it, and I don't know why. I've not had any problems with it (beyond this one, which apparently is not all that uncommon), nor any issues that weren't directly attributable to something I did. But somehow, I feel like I'm in abusive relationship. A female friend told me she thought it was going to my sweetheart, and I told her, she's no sweetheart - she's a big bad sexy ***** who wants to kill me.

So much so that this weekend, I started listening to my wife begging me to sell it and buy something else.
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Do you not enjoy riding it? Seems like your problems have more to do with wrenching, but there's no guarantee ytou won't run into simmilar issues with any other bike. And doesn't your Multi only weigh about 420 lbs? Unless you're going for a 690 SMCR, you won't get much lighter.
 
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Relax said:
. And doesn't your Multi only weigh about 220 lbs? Unless you're going for a 690 SMCR, you won't get much lighter
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I don't think so,sir.

Mr Google says for that generation of MS the wet weight is around 220 Kg or around 490 lbs
 
NuggyBuggy said:
I love this bike to death - every time I look at it, I fall in love again. But somehow, I feel like I'm in abusive relationship. A female friend told me she thought it was going to my sweetheart, and I told her, she's no sweetheart - she's a big bad sexy ***** who wants to kill me.
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I understand you. I have a similar relationship with my monster.

When it works it's amazing. Mini power wheelies here and there. Great sound. I love how it looks even with my air hawk messing with the breathtaking Italian design.

But it has an intermittent error with the Throttle Position Sensor, where the ECU doesn't get the correct reading and it goes into limp mode. Internet says it's an easy fix, you just need to pay around $400 CAD for a new TPS 🫠 (they are in the sixth revision now ). I get so mad when it happens. But then the next day, the error might be gone, and I twist the throttle and we are going into hyperspace. Just love the silliness of this thing.
 
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Hardwrkr13 said:
Looks like a '12-14 Multi is that correct? If it makes you feel better I had a 16 Multi 1200S and it's still one of my all-time favourite bikes for many reasons and I put 35,000 trouble-free km on it.
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Correct! 2014 MS GT. I love everything about the bike except its size. Unlike @PacoT I have only had one real problem with it that wasn’t created by its owner - the odometer on the display has gone out of sync - apparently common and just requires a reset. Other than that and the seized fork leg screw, she’s been perfect.
 
PacoT said:
But it has an intermittent error with the Throttle Position Sensor, where the ECU doesn't get the correct reading and it goes into limp mode. Internet says it's an easy fix, you just need to pay around $400 CAD for a new TPS 🫠 (they are in the sixth revision now ). I get so mad when it happens. But then the next day, the error might be gone, and I twist the throttle and we are going into hyperspace. Just love the silliness of this thing.
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Apparently it may be your wiring harness, which can be cleaned if not too bad, and not the TPS itself:

 
NuggyBuggy said:
Correct! 2014 MS GT. I love everything about the bike except its size.
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How long have you had it?

It always takes me a few thousand kms before I get 100% comfortable with a new bike, especially if it's a different style of motorcycle than I normally ride - sportbike to touring to adventure to dirtbike, etc.

Things like where the weight lies (some bikes are more top-heavy and tippy than others), turning radius (tight vs wide), steering effort and ergos take a bit of seat time to adapt and adjust to.

And sometimes there are things that your bike just aren't meant to do. A 550 lb bike will never be as nimble as a 250 lb one, but it will probably be more comfortable at triple-digit speeds. And before you know it, your garage quickly becomes way too small because you've packed it with every kind of bike for every type of riding you do: commuting, touring, dirt, track, vintage, stunting, etc. :ROFLMAO:
 
I’ve had it for a year and if I had to guess have probably put around 5K on it (odometer on dash had gone out of sync with the ECU, apparently common and just requires a reset).

I LOVE riding it. It’s just starting to feel more and more unwieldy for where I keep it. No garage, a gravel driveway and a wife fussy about where vehicles are parked, so I’m always pushing it around. Being short it’s hard to get the right leverage when I’m pushing it around and it gets stuck in a divot in the driveway, for instance.

@Lightcycle your point about design is well taken, and I am under no illusions here - I know that the design of any product always involves tradeoffs. Just comparing the size of the bike to -say- my 80s Interceptor, my dirt bikes, or a standard naked, those tradeoffs are crystal clear in both directions.

First world problems, for sure. On the road, it's the perfect bike for me. I'm sure part of what I'm feeling is a result of not riding it and just living with it.

EDIT: I sound like a whiner, and I don't intend to. I full recognize how lucky I am. Pushing around a Ducati at a cottage? I know lots of people would be thrilled to have these problems.
 
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NuggyBuggy said:
I’ve had it for a year and if I had to guess have probably put around 5K on it (odometer on dash had gone out of sync with the ECU, apparently common and just requires a reset).

I LOVE riding it. It’s just starting to feel more and more unwieldy for where I keep it. No garage, a gravel driveway and a wife fussy about where vehicles are parked, so I’m always pushing it around. Being short it’s hard to get the right leverage when I’m pushing it around and it gets stuck in a divot in the driveway, for instance.

@Lightcycle your point about design is well taken, and I am under no illusions here - I know that the design of any product always involves tradeoffs. Just comparing the size of the bike to -say- my 80s Interceptor, my dirt bikes, or a standard naked, those tradeoffs are crystal clear in both directions.

First world problems, for sure. On the road, it's the perfect bike for me. I'm sure part of what I'm feeling is a result of not riding it and just living with it.

EDIT: I sound like a whiner, and I don't intend to. I full recognize how lucky I am. Pushing around a Ducati at a cottage? I know lots of people would be thrilled to have these problems.
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Haha, I feel your pain.

I'm a short guy on a tall, heavy bike too. I'm all of 160 lbs with all my gear on and I look like a little kid when I'm pushing my bike around the garage and in parking lots.

But I'm sure you'll agree that all that is worth it once your butt is on the seat and you're motoring around! 🤘
 
NuggyBuggy said:
I LOVE riding it. It’s just starting to feel more and more unwieldy for where I keep it. No garage, a gravel driveway and a wife fussy about where vehicles are parked, so I’m always pushing it around. Being short it’s hard to get the right leverage when I’m pushing it around and it gets stuck in a divot in the driveway, for instance.

@Lightcycle your point about design is well taken, and I am under no illusions here - I know that the design of any product always involves tradeoffs. Just comparing the size of the bike to -say- my 80s Interceptor, my dirt bikes, or a standard naked, those tradeoffs are crystal clear in both directions.
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I think part of it might be in your head, because a mid-80's Honda Interceptor weighs about the same (dry), so maybe a little heavier if the tanks are both full. Or maybe it's the weight distribution that makes it feel heavier because of the extra height. I do notice that pushing my Diavel around takes more care than my 270 lb SXV, but not much more than my 430 lb SMT. I recently helped move my friend's ST1300 at about 700 lbs by walking next to it and using the engine and clutch to drive it up a ramp onto a trailer, so you could do the same to get out of a divot (if you can't fix the divot). I also don't bother turning my bike around inside my garage, I just take it out in whatever orientation I put it in. It doees get interesting when my wife parks the car right in front of the garage with barely enough room to get out, and I'm too lazy to move it.

This is all to say that if you really enjoy riding the bike, then all of the issues you have moving it around can be overcome and may be worth the extra effort.
 
Relax said:
I think part of it might be in your head, because a mid-80's Honda Interceptor weighs about the same (dry), so maybe a little heavier if the tanks are both full. Or maybe it's the weight distribution that makes it feel heavier because of the extra height.
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It's totally the weight distribution. Those Multis are relatively top-heavy and tippy, you can feel it just taking it off the sidestand.

Or maybe it's because I am just a wimpy girly-mahn...

hansfranz.jpg

"Vee ah going to pahmp your tires ahp!"
 
Trying to fit the Scrambler into the Maverick, and it's tight...like 3" tight where the back end of the rear wheel will be over empty space.

However, I'm more concerned about my ability to get the bike in there and being the cautious person I am, looking to see if I can make the tri-fold more...easy to get things up there.

Basically thinking of adding in some plywood into the sides so I can walk the bike up, but having a more sure footed base for supporting the bike on the way up and down.

Any recommendations / pointers of getting that done? Having some issues finding it.

Something similar to this....
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From something like this...which is what I have...

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I'd rather not go through the hassle of selling / buying again and would ideally use what I have.
 
Lightcycle said:
It's totally the weight distribution. Those Multis are relatively top-heavy and tippy, you can feel it just taking it off the sidestand.
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What he said. Even tall guys on the MS forums agree - it's a tall and top-heavy bike that rides (and pushes) heavier than its weight would indicate, worse with a full tank. My VF500F and my prior naked bike were indeed not too far off in weight, but they are much lower - both CoG and bar wise. You can get more leverage, so they feel lighter and if they start leaning the wrong way, they're not necessarily going over.

(Aside - I saw a VF500F on the road the other day. Its tires looked comically thin. For fun I started Googling tire widths and the mid 80's Vmax - which was considered to have huge rear tires in its day - supposedly had a rear tire smaller than a current Z400).
 
Wingboy said:
Is your driveway sloped a bit? Getting the ramp as level as possible makes loading very simple. And make sure the ramp is secured to the truck.
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Driveway is sloped, but I'm more concerned about wherever I stop and leave the car so that I can get it back in there if it's all level ground. There's also the concern of someone just swindling the ramp while I'm gone, but I don't plan on doing this often.

GreyGhost said:
I was going to say have MIL sit on tailgate for the same purpose but I figured that was offside.

I've never seen his MIL but with the amount of delicious stuff she makes, in my head she has some gravity to her.
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She's ummmm....rotund to say it politely...

But as above...she's not coming with me to go riding.

This is more to just be able to grab the bike, drive the 2hrs to some good roads and not bother with the 400 series as the Scrambler sucks *** on them.
 
NuggyBuggy said:
Are there any little hills nearby - say, like the ones you might sometimes at the perimeter of a parking lot? With the right one you could load your bike on the truck without a ramp at all.
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No clue as I don't have a plan yet. This is for the fall when weather cools and I get some rides in to catch up on lost time.
 
GreyGhost said:
I was going to say have MIL sit on tailgate for the same purpose but I figured that was offside.

I've never seen his MIL but with the amount of delicious stuff she makes, in my head she has some gravity to her.
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I regret to inform you that your post has been flagged for offensive content.

However, I'll leave it up to @mimico_polak whether to press charges...
 
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