Category: Daily Rants

It’s been scorching the last couple of days. Tomorrow’s forecast is under 100F. That’s good enough for me to get out in the scooter.

I’ve been messing around with the various methods of controlling the sound source using bluetooth.

My bluetooth hardware consist of the Schuberth C3 Light Modular helmet fitted with the speaker pods, SENA 20S EVO system and an iPod Touch 7 Generation.

These hardware pieces are capable of playing and controlling music from the iPod. The SENA module can adjust volume by rotating the job wheel, change tracks by pressing the intercom center button and rotating jog wheel simultaneously. This setup is functional and will work. I’m not wanting to use voice commands so that is not an option for me.

I’m more of a tactile button pressing user. I like to be able to press real buttons that perform an expected logical function. Manipulating the iPOD Touch functions such as volume, next and previous tracks via the Sena unit is awkward from the helmet side.

This led to searching for a bluetooth remote controller. There are a lot of choices out there, I needed one that would control the iPod while it was paired to the SENA 20S EVO setup. I took a chance on the TUNAI BUTTON. This small square shaped device had one of the highest user reviews on Amazon.

The bluetooth pairing between the iPOD Touch and TANAI BUTTON was straight forward and simple. It just worked. The existing paired connection between the iPOD Touch and SENA 20S EVO was not affected and remained paired.

I place the iPOD Touch inside of the trunk connected to the USB port when I want to play through the Goldwing’s audio system. The left side handle bar controls work great for this application.

I now have the option to place the iPOD Touch onto my handlebar cradle and control the functions using TANAI BUTTON. I can either use bluetooth helmet audio or plug in the 3.5 audio cable and use the Goldwing’s sound system.

All of this wouldn’t be necessary if I didn’t wear gloves or used a touch friendly glove interface. Then again, why miss out in all the fun.

The trunk lid rack made by Kuryakyn has a loose rubber piece. I noticed this when I was checking out the motorcycle. I knew it was a minor fix since the entire rubber piece was intact and all it required was a good application of quality sealant.

I used a bench of clamps to hold the rubber piece in place while it cured and dried completely.

Lesson learned: place paper towel in between the clamp jaws and the rubber contact point. The constant pressure of the clamps caused an imprint on the rubber surface. I’ll see if this goes away after some time.

I took the scooter for quick ride to what used to be Stockton Yamaha Motorcycle Dealership.. I’m not sure who owns it now but the motorcycle showroom selection is minimal. I remember the days where the there rows of bikes, I think the approach now is to have possibly one bike representing the most popular models to date.

Lessons learned. I had no idea the can of Plexus I picked up was marked $30. I figured it would be under $10 bucks. You can imagine the holy shit look I gave the cashier.

After researching the internet, I found the exact same product can be purchased for $20 bucks on the various online motorcycle retail websites. Oh well. Like I said, lessons learned.

I must admit, this stuff works great. I don’t think I’ll be using it every time I clean the windshield but I will definitely use it to give it that extra shine when needed. I will however be using Plexus every time I clean my helmet visors.

When I first tried the Shoei Neotec helmet I was told it was a size large. I thought it would be a tight fit since I’m more of a XL to XXL size noggin.

I figured I’d ordered replacement cheek pads and that would allow me to have more wiggle room. I made the mistake of using the lid for my commute one day and damn I paid the price. After 1/2 an hour of riding I felt like my head was going to explode. I had to pull over and remove the lid for awhile. I was thinking the Shoei helmets must run a little smaller throughout their helmet line.

After investigating the helmet further, I discovered it was not a size LARGE but rather a MEDIUM! Now I understand why the damn thing fit so tight!

The helmet itself is very nice and functional. The helmet manufacturer Shoei has released the Neotec 2.

Well.. I know I don’t have any GL1800 Goldwing fans but it sounded damn good say 🙂

I have to say, the Goldwing is looking mighty fine parked in the Manetarium.