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[michaelbmenaker]

I just got home from a 2 week, 3,000 mile tour on my Spiced Rum. I though you guys would be interested in riding impressions and reports on how my mods and accessories have worked out. I rode from Colorado to Northern Minnesota on two lane out and Interstate home.

The relevant changes from stock are:
Fullsac CAT removal and 2.0” baffles with a ProSERT and dyno tune
2” pullback Flanders bars
8” Clearview
Chrome Front Air Baffle
Adjustable Fairing Air Deflectors
Passing Lamps
Under seat engine heat deflectors
Mustang solo w/rider’s backrest and matching pillion
Standard height passenger backrest to hold T-Bag (and bsr comfort back home)
Split Vision fairing mount mirrors
HD Zumo 660
Hawg Wired PSC/DX Double Shot System
Vented, color-matched lowers (required new engine guards)
Highway pegs
Full rear crash bars

Engine
This is a great motor. Engine heat wasn’t an issue with my mods. But it was some of the worst heat/humidity on record. Nothing helps when its 95 with 90+% humidity.

Fuel Mileage
40mpg on the scenic bits, but only 35mpg at a cruise controlled 74mph to 80mph. A head wind would drop it about 1mpg from that. Not great, but the 6 gallon tank helps.

Suspension
Excellent. I find the HD recommended settings spot on. In fact it works better with a load than riding solo with no significant luggage.

Clearview
As advertised. Works fine. The smaller the road, the more I wished for my 6.5”, but overall the 8” worked great. I’m 5’9”.

Mustang Seat
My first Mustang with a rider’s backrest. Excellent! Mustang seats are great, but the backrest is superb! Easily and infinitely adjustable on the fly with a thumbscrew, it made a couple of 585 mile days doable.

Lowers
I’ve never had lowers before and really like them, both for function and looks. I did go with the detachable hardware in case I want to take them on and off. I got them just before the trip and glad I did.

Highway Pegs
A lot better than the stock mustache bar for longer trips. My first experience with those too. (I’ve ridden Road Kings for years without them on several cross country trips.)

Split Vision Mirrors
Work great. A good alternative to stock, for those that don’t want bar mounted mirrors. I couldn’t really see anything with the stock mirrors.

Zumo 660
Worked flawlessly. I mapped out a custom route using HD Ride Planner and imported it to the Zumo. Worked like a charm and followed my highly individualized route without a hitch.

Rear Crash Bars
I know, I know. Not as pretty, but saved my butt when I had a parking lot tip over. Very glad to have made that change.

Hawg Wired
My big disappointment. I wear a full face Arai and the stereo really isn’t useable at Interstate speeds. With ear plugs or without earplugs; face shield open or closed. Just didn’t provide clear sound at all. The Zumo is on a HD fairing mount (which is great), but precludes tweeter pods. Don’t know that they would have made a difference.

This cost big bucks and has been a real disappointment from day one. The only mod I wouldn’t repeat. I went green with envy looking at the new six-speaker sound system on the new SESG2. The extra cost of the SESG2 is less than the cost of adding lowers and a Hawg Wired system.

All in all, you couldn’t ask for more from a motorcycle. The new frame is a huge improvement over my beloved ’02 SERK. Suspension front and rear is great. Endless torque. What more could you want?

[mwg]

Thanks for the report.. sorry to hear about the Hawg Wired speakers.. I was planning on ordering a pair. Eglide Goodies has a kit to add speakers to the lower faring that is cheaper than starting over again.

http://www.eglidegoodies.com/id283.html

Why did you go with the SERT and not the TTS that Fullsac recomends?

Thanks

[michaelbmenaker]

The ProSERT is a bit more sophisticated package, but really there's another, more important reason.
It's a HD part, installed and tuned by an HD dealer. So, if there are problems, no finger pointing. That really is what drove my decision.

That's the same reason I chose the HD branded Zumo. At the time I bought it, the HD price was $50 less than I could buy the Zumo online, so that was an easy choice. Hawg wired makes a 4-speaker system that uses the fairing lowers and HogTunes has the tweeter pod if you're not using the HD GPS fairing mount. Based solely on my experience, either would be a better choice.

[TIF2]

I just did 2,500 on mine and do not have the GPS - but I do have 6.5" in the fairing, HF-1 tweeter pod, 5.25" in the lowers all being pushed by an eLF 250w amp (same amp as the new J&M). I can clearly hear tunes at 80mph+ but it becomes almost "harsh" with the tweeter pod. I'm simply getting too much out of them. Ideally, I would want to flash the radio to enable the rear speakers (ala SEUC) and wire the lower speakers into the rears. That would allow a fade from fairing to lowers to make the sound more balanced. Once Biketronics comes out with their new 4 channel amp I will do just that.

I am probably going to remove the tweeter pod and go with the GPS. I have the new design Hertz 6.5 in the fairing and if given enough juice they can kick til it makes your ears bleed. No need to have the tweeter pod (my opinon) as long as the amp and speakers in the fairing are of really good quality.

I agree with all other points above ... bike performed great and I would head out tomorrow on a 5K plus ride if pesky 'ol work wasn't in the way  

[mwg]

I have the new design Hertz 6.5 in the fairing and if given enough juice they can kick til it makes your ears bleed. No need to have the tweeter pod (my opinon) as long as the amp and speakers in the fairing are of really good quality.

Can you give more info on these speakers?

Thanks

[TIF2]

Can you give more info on these speakers?

Thanks

Here you go ... Hertz are Italian and the parent company is Eletromedia:

HCX 165 (6.5") - Fairing:
http://www.hertzaudiovideo.com/schedaProdotto_en.asp?id=4&idcat=9&idprod=28&numid=2&numcat=3&numprod=2

HCX 130 (5.25") - Lowers:
http://www.hertzaudiovideo.com/schedaProdotto_en.asp?id=4&idcat=9&idprod=27&numid=2&numcat=3&numprod=1

USA Distributor is here:
http://www.elettromedia-usa.com/

These are 4-ohm nominal speakers that I have wired in parallel so if you wire them in the same manner (for 4 speakers) make sure your amp is 2 ohm stable. Biketronics now carries these speakers (the old design has been discontinued) so you can order through Bill or anyone there. They didn't show on their website when I bought mine (had to get them local = $$$) but they really are quality speakers. Get the 6.5" adapters from Biketronics for sure - these speakers are pretty substantial!

Hope this helps...