Atlas Questions

Just fixed the Heated Grips on the 3c, swapped in the Control Box for the set I bought for the Pantah or Atlas. The original box had died, and thankfully the new box now has big bright indicator lights. The original box had tiny LED lights that you could bearly see. They I think sell replacement control boxes for $70 so I will have a complete set for the Atlas.
 
Interesting day, I finally rode out to Blacktown to get the slightly bigger fairing screen fitted to the headlight surround and Navigation tower. That's approx 60ks of expressway return on the new much shorter slightly richer idle jets, a good test of their ability to not get blocked, plus to see if my attempt to loctite the easy-to-pull-out brass bit of the speedo drive fixed its intermittent working. All of this had me pretty nervous.
I topped the fuel off and added some more fuel system clearer and did an extended lap of my local test track to get some confidence it was going well and it was. Long story short the screen fitted up well, it reduced the wind roar quit a bit but its still there. My bet is it's coming from the mirrors so I might pull them off and see what happens. The slightly bad news was just as I exited the expressway about 10ks from home the bike did 3 or 4 slight backfires as I braked coming off the expressway. Up till then, it was really good. It then had a much-reduced symptom of the dreaded blocked idle jets. Nowhere near as bad as when it had those original long idle jets, then it had a massive flat spot just off idle up to 4k when it would suddenly run clean. It now has a much small flat spot from just above idle to just over 2k, easily dealt with by a bit of clutch slip. This MIGHT just clear up with an Italian tune, I hopeDSCN0517.JPG
It's at least a step in the right direction. BTW speedo worked great, thanks to the bloke who advised loctiting the loose brass drive bit in. Worked a treat. I also lost a rubber insert on one of the new adjustable SW Motech footpegs on the ride, ordered a replacement at an eye-watering cost, they will get Loctite this time. The replacement Oxford Heated Grips controller turned up today, I was missing one for this bike as its controller is now on my 3c for this coming weekend's ride. Makes me laugh, I copped some finger-pointing about heated grips and that's from heated glove owners. Bloody hell.
 
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Vince said:
The replacement Oxford Heated Grips controller turned up today, I was missing one for this bike as its controller is now on my 3c for this coming weekend's ride. Makes me laugh, I copped some finger-pointing about heated grips and that's from heated glove owners. Bloody hell.
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Well, I can no longer point the finger at the sooky wimps who use heated grips. I actually bought a pair yesterday.
But in my defense, it was an accidental purchase. There was a 2010 Ducati Multistrada 1200 S attached to them.

I don't know how to switch the grips on anyway. I've yet to learn how to work all the fancy electronic bells and whistles.
 
The heated grips were used on Maximum all weekend including the last 100ks at night into Walcha, it was a bit coolish. According to the Publican, -11c on Saturday night.
 
Nice, I was watching a few vids of some block asking trivia questions to US college kids and most couldn't tell the time on a clock with hands. Apparently, a quarter of an hour is 20 minutes to some of them. The digital world out there.
 
I tried a clock when I set up my aftermarket SFC1000 replica instrument panel. The oil temp gauge is totally useless, so I thought what was the most useful thing to actually have there and my answer was a clock. It totally ruined the battery in no time at all, I couldn't believe how it could run a huge bike battery down in two weeks when a wristwatch will run for years on a tiny little cell. Still don't understand that one.
To plug the hole I had to get another gauge made to suit, a volt meter seemed the only semi-useful option. It is also pretty useless really, as it always reads 13.8 and will do until it doesn't, shortly after which you will stop. I guess I don't run any accessories that might make it marginal.

Enjoying the thread and the trials and tribulations of getting the Atlas working. You've the perseverance of a saint Vince, I would have junked that carb and fitted some sort of proper bike carbs (or efi) long ago!
 
I 100% would have if it never ran well, but it has on a couple of occasions ran great for up to 100ks. It's very nice to ride with smooth predictable power when it's going well. And it shows promise to be heading there again. On every occasion, it's got me home, but with that big original idle jet, it was pretty horrible with it surging and popping when it's blocked up. Much more ridable even if the new shorter jet is blocked so I will persevere for now. It's just a small flat spot now and might come good with a flogging, we will see.
 
Regarding clocks, I have a bicycle 'computer' on my RGS; shows the time and amongst other things, speed. The speed component can be accurately calibrated by measuring the circumference of the wheel you have the sensor mounted on. Having an accurate speedo instead of relying on a thirty + year old instrument should keep the boys in blue away.
 
piranha-bro2 said:
Benelli, Ducati AND Laverda now Cam!
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The new Multistrada is not my only Ducati.

I've had a Ducati MHR Mille for the last 33 years. The uncompromising ergonomics were fine when I was younger, but in recent years I'm finding it a struggle to fold myself up into the body shape required to fit the bike. I think the time has now come that I have to concede that high rearset footpegs and clip-on handlebars are a not as comfortable as they used to be. I can still ride those bikes, but after about an hour in the saddle I feel like I need a chiropractor to straighten my body out. The same applies to the Guzzi LM1, and the Jota. I suspect those bikes with the sportier riding positions will be appearing in the "for Sale" section before too long. I find that regrettable because I love those old bikes, but as Dirty Harry famously said: "A man's got to know his limitations".

My old classic bikes have always been rider's bikes rather than garage queens, so they need to go to someone who'll continue use them. I'd hate for any of them to go to some deviant who'll just polish them and put them in a static collection.

The 1200 Multistrada is something I've lusted after for a few years, since I had a short ride on a mate's similar model. After jumping off the Jota onto the Multistrada, I was blown away by the bike's capability and its level of comfort. It might even be a more capable bike than Vince's Atlas (thinly veiled attempt to stay on thread topic). At least it came with all the stuff you'd ever need. Factory accessories like hard panniers and top box, keyless ignition, ABS, traction control, Ohlins electronically adjustable suspension, GPS. Plus a few aftermarket accessories like tank bag, cruise control, SW Motech crash bars and lever protectors, bark busters. The bike is more capable than I am.

One thing I'm not so keen about with modern Ducatis is the dependence on service agents to fix stuff or do regular maintenance. If a problem arises that causes a maintenance warning to appear on the dash (even just a reminder to change the oil), the warning icon can only be cleared by an authorised service agent. It requires some special computer interface or code that's not available to users. They have you over a barrel. That kind of business model isn't far removed from blackmail in my opinion.
 
The new Multistrada is impressive and looks better than its original model with its half a scooter styling when it first arrived. That was a bridge too far to my hurting eyes They would want to at really big money, a bit less if you don't get its adaptive radar collision avoidance kit, the adaptive suspension looks amazing though. I bet the next model will copy the new Harly Adventure bike with the seat height lowering as the bike comes to a stop, big suspension travel while moving and a lower seat height to get on and off with. Cam it doesn't take much to raise the bars and lower the pegs 30mm on older bikes and that makes such a difference to leg shoulder and hip angles. It's those cramping tight angles that hurt me on 10hr days we occasionally do. The other issue I have is being bike fit by doing regular long rides. I have missed a few lately and then do a big couple of days and suffer for the absences of seat time. BTW there defiantly is an after-market computer interface available for late-model BMWs and KTMs I think so I bet there will be a Ducati one soonish. They do have 18,000k service intervals I think as well, that's impressive as well. Oh shit, I just read your post again, I thought you had bought a new $30k Muilti, and there I go talking crap about the early ones. Must read more carefully in further. Stupid me.
 
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I love to learn, to me there was 2 types. Early ones that were not pretty and the newer ones that were not classically buetifull but didn't look scooterish.
 
Steve's correct. 2010 is the first year of the less fugly "new style" Multistradas with all the electronic bells and whistles. The photo below is my new bike. It's "pearl white". I've always thought Ducatis had to be red, but the white is growing on me. It came with a full set of hard luggage too.

When I first swung a leg over it, I thought "Fuck it's high". I could barely get my boot over the rear luggage rack, and when sat on it, my feet weren't flat on the ground. Then the bloke selling it said he had the suspension set for 2 riders plus luggage. A couple of button presses set it to one rider with no luggage. There was a whirring noise from the bike's innards and I felt the thing sink about 50mm to a more familiar level.

I'm not used to this sort of electronic stuff. I'm from an age when ride height (suspension pre-load) was set by using a C-spanner to turn a collar on each of the rear shocks. I've got some learning to do.

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Apologies for the diversion Vince. Let's get back to your Atlas. I'm enjoying the story of its development.
 
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