Motorcycles ← Tangent Audio

Wee-Strom Lifting Stand

May

2012

I did my first practical welding project recently, building an ugly-but-functional stand to lift my Suzuki V-Strom DL650 (aka “Wee Strom”) motorcycle with a standard motorcycle/ATV lift. The problem with the V-Strom is that it has exhaust pipes and other protrusions under the engine, so it’s not really possible to use a standard flat lift without ...

Pelican Case Motorcycle Luggage Project – Part 4 3

May

2011

I made the other locking mechanism for the other piece of luggage this weekend and I made a little video showing some of the CNC process, as well as a clip showing the cases and locks in action.

Pelican Case Motorcycle Luggage Project – Part 3 1

Apr

2011

With the new riding season upon us, I decided it was time to try to finish up my Pelican case motorcycle luggage project that I started last summer. When I left off, the cases could be easily mounted and removed from the Givi racks on the bike, but there was no locking at all, leaving ...

How-To: Install SW-Motech Center Stand on V-Strom

Mar

2011

I recently installed a center stand on my V-Strom DL650 motorcycle, and decided it was a good opportunity to make my first how-to video. Check it out on YouTube below.

Motorcycle GPS Options

Aug

2010

This is originally from an email to a friend asking my opinion on motorcycle GPS options…

Pelican Case Motorcycle Luggage Project – Part 2 1

Aug

2010

In a big push to get the Pelican luggage attached to the bike before a trip to the Delaware Water Gap, I spent a lot of evenings and a couple weekends frantically trying to finish a workable design and get it prototyped. As mentioned in the last post, I had what seemed like a workable ...

Pelican Case Motorcycle Luggage Project – Part 1 3

Jul

2010

The cramped cockpit and limited cargo options of my Kawasaki Ninja EX500 weren’t going to suit my long-term desires for a motorcycle, and I had long been bitten a bit by the adventure touring bug after watching the Long Way Round/Long Way Down series a few years ago. Having champagne tastes and more of a ...

CNC Moto Bar Risers

Jun

2010

My little EX500 bike is a bit cramped for me. One of the worst problems is that my wrists, especially my throttle wrist, have been going numb even after only short rides. I thought it would be worth trying some handlebar risers to bring the grips a bit closer to me, and improve the angle ...

CNC’d Side Stand Plate

Jun

2010

I recently got a motorcycle, and since I have a CNC milling machine, there’s plenty of excuse to try my hand at making some farkles for the bike. My friend also happens to ride a V-Strom DL-650, and needed a kickstand plate so her side stand wouldn’t sink into the dirt where she parks her ...