Africa Twin – DIY Oil and Filter Change

That time of year again, time to put the bikes away for their winter naps. Picked up the oil and filter this past week and so after giving the Africa Twin a nice wash I set about changing its oil before tucking it away for a few months.

Lighthouse Hunting (Total: 33)

It probably comes from living on an island in the middle of the Atlantic but I’ve always loved lighthouses. There is just something mystical about them, knowing the history they have been a part of over the years, countless lives they’ve saved and unfortunately lost lives they must have witnessed. Over the years I’ve been able to check out a few easily accessible ones here on the island but since owning an adventure type bike it has opened up others that we not easily reached in a car.

CB350 Project – Paint Polishing

Recently finished painting the seat, tank and rear fender for the CB350 and was pretty excited to get these three clear coated so I could tick them off the list and move onto other tasks. Well, after clear coating with SprayMax 2K the shine and deepness of the clear was amazing, as it always is with SprayMax, but unfortunately the finish also was not as smooth as it normally is when I spray it. Not sure of the reason but I was pretty disappointed. Was thinking I would have to spray additional coats to try and smooth it out but first thought I’d try my hand at wet-sanding and polishing it.

Africa Twin – Luggage Options

I really struggled with the decision of which way to go for a luggage setup for my Africa Twin. With all the other modifications and additions I never had any problems, all choices were pretty straightforward since I knew what I wanted and the prices were all reasonable. However, with motorcycle luggage I find the prices to be way too high. Not just slightly expensive but highway robbery type of expensive. I don’t know the reason for this but I couldn’t justify paying the prices I was seeing for something that I would use so infrequently. I’ll be lucky to get out on a camping trip one or two times a year so it just wasn’t cost effective. With that said, I still wanted some kind of setup since my old DrySpec setup, even though it works great and has never let me down, is just too small and limiting.

Vectors (updated April 18)

Since I’ve been stuck in the house so much with the recent COVID-19 pandemic I decided to try my hand at learning vector based software to create some new wallpapers for my devices. I stumbled upon Affinity Designer and found it to be an amazing application. Very easy to learn and start using. I’m no graphic designer by any stretch of the imagination but still found it to be very intuitive and I could start creating some things pretty much from the start. Can’t recommend it enough, check it out.

Africa Twin – Barkbuster Handguards Install

One fear I had last year when riding my new bike was dropping it out on a ride and snapping off a brake or clutch lever, possibly leaving me stranded. The bike came with handguards but they were just basic plastic ones with no metal backbone for strength, they were mainly for looks as well as wind protection (which they did great). So I decided to beef up this area to reduce this risk of this happening by buying a set of Barkbusters Storm Handguards.

Africa Twin – Camel ADV Windscreen Brace Install

I originally wasn’t planning on doing any changes or modification to my Africa Twin over the winter but after seeing the Camel ADV Windscreen Brace on sale on Black Friday I decided to pick it up. After hearing reports of early weld fatigue and cracking of the stock windscreen bracket I figured it was better to be safe than sorry. Also, if I decide to travel further in the future I may want to have a sturdier place to mount a GPS or phone for navigation.

Africa Twin – First Year Review

Wow, that went quick, seems like only yesterday I picked up my new 2017 Africa Twin but in fact it was eight months ago. I just finished giving it its final wash of the season and even though I still need to change the oil and filter before I officially put it a way, I’m pretty confident the riding season is over for me now. Since buying it back in March, I managed to put on a little over 12,000 kms, which is the most mileage for me in a year, and over that time I got to know the bike better. Have to say I’m really pleased with it and, even though I struggled last winter when trying to decide on which bike to buy, I am really glad I picked the Africa Twin over the other contenders. It has turned out to be pretty much just what I was looking for.

CB350 Project – Seat Cushion

For the seat cushion I decided to go the same route as I did on my MB5 since I found it very comfortable, suits the style I want and, since I’m no upholsterer, it fits my skill set. Method is very similar to the one I posted for my MB5 but figured I’d also show this build as well.