2005 Yamaha BWS: Update. Finished

Finally, my 2005 Yamaha BWS is running insured, and on the road!

I would have loved to document more of the engine overhaul, however this website wasn't co-operating during the rebuild, and I didn't document anything. 

Cosmetically you can see the difference from a stock 2005 BWS (Blue), to my mine. The rear fender has been hacked, front fender removed, wheels pasti-dipped, and all the fairings painted and polished to match original color, and the addition of front LED side markers.

Engine upgrades included a 70cc big block kit (Airsal), 17mm Arreche carburetor (upjetted), Doppler intake, Malossi reeds & cage, aftermarket air filter. Everything went together rather smoothly, with the exception of the Doppler intake which seemed to push the carburetor out of position. With the Doppler intake I could no longer use the stock air box as it would not line up properly. I had no choice but to replace the stock air box with an aftermarket air filter.

On the exhaust side the Doppler pipe I ordered, specifically for this build, didn't fit. I had to substitute a Leo Vince.

In the transmission I replaced the rollers with the Doppler ones that were packaged with the aftermarket pipe. I installed a Malossi delta clutch and Malossi torque spring.

While it's not my fastest build, it easily keeps up to city traffic, and is much smoother.

My take away from doing this build, is DO NOT BUY DOPPLER PARTS!!!!

Stick with brands like Stage6, Malossi, and Athena when possible.

Me VS Shaw Internet

For those of you who don't know, I recently moved into an older home, which wasn't equipped with wired high speed internet. As a result I embarked on the process to fully wire every room with high speed network cabling throughout. The process involved me running Cat5E cabling from a central point in the garage to 6 major rooms throughout the home. Along the way I tested each cable run, ensuring proper gigabit transmission and terminations. I set up all my gigabit networking equipment next to Shaw's internet modem, and viola, I finally had high speed internet!

A few months after this process was completed I was contacted by Shaw, offering a promotional upgrade to my existing high speed internet package. Essentially for the same price I could go from 80mbs service to 150mbs service for the next 2 years. I obviously jumped at the opportunity.

Here is where we run into problems, before switching to 150mbs service, I would test my internet speed and get speeds somewhere in the mid 90mbs. After switching to 150mbs service, my speed tests would result in internet speeds in the mid 170mbs. Now this is obviously awesome, and it was, however the problem was that these speeds only seemed to last for a week or two, then the internet speed would drop back down to 90mbs. WTF???

So begins my long process of contacting Shaw's technical support, to remedy this problem. I and Shaw's technical support team spent hours and hours trying to find a solution. I would reset the modem, and hit 175mbs service, only to have it reduced to 95mbs two days later.

We (Shaw and myself) were at odds with each other over whom was to blame over these speed fluctuations.

In an attempt to prove Shaw's technical support team wrong, I eventually start the process of changing out and testing some of my networking equipment, to see if the problem was on my end. While I hate to admit it, Shaw's technical support team was right, the problem was originating on my end.

(testing process)

While it wasn't my equipment that was faulty, some of the short Cat5e patch cables that I had bought off EBay were defective and causing faults in the service.

Just to recap the situation, all the wires I ran throughout the home were all fine (as I tested them), all my equipment was fine (as I tested it, as well) but a few of the cables I bought off EBay that interconnects my equipment with Shaw's equipment were faulty. A few $1.50 cables cost me and Shaw's technical support team weeks of anguish and hours of wasted time, I would have never thought to test pre-made Cat5E cables.

I want to officially apologize to Shaw's Internet Support Team, and thank them for their patience and perseverance. 

Hopefully we can still be friends.

The World Is Flat: Itapevi, Brazil

I don't speak Portuguese, so I have no idea what these guys are talking about, however the event looks pretty cool, and the riders are pretty sick. Well done Brazil! First South American entry to the map.

Anyone around the world have a video they want featured, send me a link!

KODI: Update

Due to recent litigation surrounding the legality of KODI and it's add-ons, I will be holding off on posting. Many of the add-ons I've been using have either shut down, or gone on hiatus. Once this matter is resolved I will continue to post tips on KODI.

KODI

Just thought I'd put together a new category focusing on information around KODI software, and my personal top suggestions of getting it to run smoother. While I'm no expert, people often reach out to me with questions, and I'm more than happy to share my experiences. 

With this new category, I'll try to answer the most common problems and solutions. So send me feedback.

The World Is Flat: Sidoarjo Regency, Indonesia

Super cool visuals in this video by rider Zimmi Tanarata and Sports Gear.

"I often compare life to the ocean, in little boat we brave the elements and we wade through the waves to avoid catastrophe, as you keep the horizon in sight..."

Super cool outlook on life, check out his other video here.

2011 Nissan Versa: Trunk Light

This is the follow up to my last blog article, with some added information and pictures. As you can see from the picture above, I drilled a small hole in the stock battery terminal cover, so as to have added protection for my wiring. You can also noticed the previously mentioned soldered on ring terminal and heat shrink covering which connects to the car's battery.

I wanted to keep the stock terminal protector, and by drilling a small hole large enough for my wire, I was able to maintain a rather stock look. I left a bit of slack on the new power wire in the event the battery needed to be serviced, so as not to be a burden in the future.

The power wire makes it's way from the battery to the circuit breaker, where it then makes its way down the fender (behind the fender liner), and through the firewall. From the firewall the power wire makes its way along the door jams(under the carpet).

The power wire terminates at a 4 way junction block located behind the rear, drivers side, seat. I already had this junction block in my spare parts drawer so it cost me nothing. You can find similar ones on EBay for about $6 (CAD).

I ordered two 50cm long 5630SMD waterproof rigid strip light bars from EBay once again, for a cost of about $10 (CAD). 

I ended up using only one of the two light bars, as one proved to provide sufficient lighting

I mounted the light bar to the roof of the trunk, then ran a wire from the distribution block to the positive wire on the light bar (all visible in the photo above).

This is where things got a little tricky, as I wanted the light bar to turn on only when the trunk was opened. However I was unable to determine which factory wire reported an open trunk to the alarm. Originally I was going to install a standard aftermarket alarm trigger switch, which I could have done, but I didn't want to drill holes through trunk. Instead, on my brothers suggestion, I ordered a mercury tilt switch from Ebay at a cost of about $8 (CAD).

A mercury tilt switch is a pretty simple device that sends a signal when its tilted. If I install it properly, it will turn the light bar on when the trunk is opened and turn off the light bar when the trunk is closed.

I installed the mercury switch to the arm of the trunk (there was an existing hole there), ran the wire into the stock wiring loom, so as to keep it looking neat and tidy. The mercury switch attached to the a common ground at one end and the light bar negative wire on the other end.

Everything worked as expected, and now the versa'a trunk is very well lit.

As a side note to those following along, I usually plan through the build ahead of time, then source out my supplies (usually from EBay). I do the actual builds after all my parts have arrived.

Have a comment? Let me know below.