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Latest entry first:

8/20/11

Well I've got something special to write about in my blog! We are moving up the country to Nagano. We found a lovely house up there. I'll come back here and write more, meanwhile check it out on this page.

2/10/10

Wow, it's already February of another year! Ok so I'm don't have time to update this blog very often, but when I do I've got lots of new products to report, and of course other news.

I've got lots of new Connectors online and more coming. Lots of people have asked for connectors, and in most cases I've been able to come through. I can't always get a connector and if you want one that's not online, try searching Sumitomo's online catalogs. If you still can't find it, I'll need whatever 3 or 4 digit code is molded on the connector housing, and some good photos. In particular the distributor is asking for a photo with the connector positioned like in the catalogs.

I bought and installed a set of Metzeler Tourance tires on the VStrom and I really like them. These tires have some serious tread and ride very smoothly. As a result I've been enjoying the VStrom again very much.

The days are getting warmer here, lately it's been like summer. Soon, everyone in northern climates will be out on their bikes again enjoying riding. I hope you've almost finished those winter projects on the bike. I have three bikes that need an oil and filter change. The VFR will need 3 new brake discs this year. Got to keep those bikes in tip top condition!

I bought a new laptop, a Thinkpad T400 and it's a great little machine. It's light yet powerful. I bought it mostly for business when I travel, but I also like to watch movies when I'm working sometimes, and sometimes in bed.

That's it for now, I have orders waiting. Big thanks to all customers who support my work. People who ride bikes are the greatest!

10/12/09

It's been a long time since I wrote here. It's been a great summer and I acquired another bike since my last entry. I bought a 1990 Honda VFR750F. I've really enjoyed this V4 engine and the racer ergonomics. I've dialed in the shock, pumped up the front forks with new fluid, and replaced the front tire. Now she is handling like she should.

I've put a new rear tire on the Africa Twin and I'm waiting for the new front. Since it's made in Brazil I assume it's coming by boat. The Metzler Enduro 3 Sahara are very special tires though and worth waiting for.

I've been wondering if I should sell the VStrom but I do still love that bike. I just don't have much time to ride it these days. I may keep it until the spring and then sell it. I want to try it with a new pair of tires first as the original tires are now well worn out and in any case I never really liked them.

As usual I have put lots of new products online for sale. Powerlet also has out a bunch of new products. I finally got in some red Sumitube double wall shrinktube. I now have Sumitomo's SL and DL connectors, and have added to my other connector lineups. In particular I now have the small turn signal connectors so many have asked for.

The PC-8 fuse panel has been a roaring success and I've almost sold my first batch of 500. The second batch of 500 has been produced and I'm very happy with this unit. I'm also happy to report that no problems have been reported with the fusebox.

I'm hoping to make a trip to Taiwan this winter and talk to some of the companies there that make motorcycle bar switches about producing some of my own designs. The bar switches I've been selling are nice and they've been popular but I think I can make something better. Firstly I want to make switches that will fit all sizes of handlebars. Secondly I want to make them with long wires. And lastly I want to make switches with LEDs onboard, in SPST, DPST, and SPDT designs.

5/6/09

Wow, got in another ride on the Africa Twin today. It finally stopped raining just long enough, 2 hours to get out, back over the pass and through town. My signals stopped working shortly after setting out. I had the sidecover off the other day and played with rerouting the signal wires so I knew it was likely those dirty old bullet connectors I'd played with that were acting up.

Got home and tore into it, yep it was those connectors only there was a puzzle there as well. Good thing is the PO gave me the original turn signals, as the ones on the bike were shorties. Well they were lousy old shorties too. I stripped the wires and the wire was black inside, not good. So I dug out the long signals that the PO sent me. Turns out these are the originals and the bullets on the ends of the wires are still shiny, plus the wires are just the right length to go all the way to the junction.

The shorties had some kind of lousy extension wires on them to reach, one short, one much too long and with old corroded bullets etc. I then decided to put the original signals back on the bike, the shorties were coming off. I figure longer signals are actually better to be noticed by cars that you're turning, which is the whole freaking idea of signals. Amazing how the PO had thought he needed cool looking shorties, even though they were never wired right, old connections, black wire inside etc. Amazing they worked as long as they did.

Anyway back on the farm I was completely changing the signals and now figuring out how their wires should be properly routed etc. I got the first hooked up, found its wires a bit too long but hey better long than short, then went to hookup the second and found out why the first one's wires were long, it was for the other side which needed longer wires, whew, remove the one I mounted now knowing exactly how they were supposed to mount etc and wired and routed all the wires very carefully, cable tied up inside, etc, likely better than factory heh heh.

Then I decide to test them out. I don't know why but when I do this sort of thing I get a God like complex and think that if I do everything just right everything will work, and usually when I do this sort of thing, everything does work. This time I was wrong, and I got signals working together on opposite corners of the bike, at least on one side... hmmm, wire colours are matching and common on all Honda signals... but it's a simple thing to reverse the signal hot wire bullets and I should be golden, right?

Ok nothing on the right side, left side is now finished, working perfectly. Right side has no front, no back, not solid nor flashing... ok I find I forgot to put a bulb in that signal, put a bulb in, still not working but the socket metal parts in that one are rusted so it's time to clean out all the rust and get it working. I clean it out really good still not working, replace the bulb, no go, but then realize I had the wiring unplugged. Ok plugged the wiring in and the rear signal is finally on but not flashing and the right front which I have not touched is not on at all, which is why the rear isn't flashing...

When I first got the bike last week it was, all the signals worked.  Playing with the wires for the rear signals I know has nothing to do with the fronts, they're under the fairing up there and I haven't touched them since they worked, they should work! Coincidence, must be!

So I pop the lens off the right front signal, change the bulb, no luck it's still not working. So I put the tools away because it's getting dark. I'll pull the front fairing off tomorrow and sort those wires out. I think somewhere up there the wires for the rear have also been reversed maybe I'll get them back to normal when I'm up there. And I'm hoping to give the front fairing a bit of a tweak to straighten it anyway. And let's face it, I really do want to sort out all the wiring now considering what I found at the rear.

So even the pros can get screwed by the PO but the neat thing was I didn't have to install any new bullets etc, the old signals are still like new and are now plugged in as they came from the factory, the rear is tidy and won't have to be touched likely forever now. And I have extra signal lenses and bulbs and the front surely will be easy once I get the fairing off tomorrow.

It's nice to work on a bike again though, part of the bonding process to me is sorting it out, making sure no problems will be found later on down the line, like today with no signals, that sucks. But I had a great ride anyway, and that front tire stuck very well even on wet roads covered with wet dead leaves it stuck well. I decided I'm going to get the matching rear for the front, even if it is expensive I might as well have the pair. The rear that's on the AT is a rather dirt orientated tire and I found out it doesn't stick so well on wet roads, there's just not enough rubber on the road. I will put it on the Transalp, thereby making the TA into a real dirt bike, as its front is a well matched dirt type tire too.

So at least for now I've decided what tire to buy and what will go where. I really like these Michelin Sahara 3s, most excellent grippy tires for wet, dead leaves, etc. Not a dirt tire but a good all around tire for the type of riding I tend to do a lot of. I wouldn't put them on the VStrom because they aren't designed for high speeds, in fact they whine because of the thick slanted tread pattern but such is the trade off for grip. In the tight twisty stuff, the Africa Twin is going to rule!

Now the VStrom's original tires are looking mighty thin, I have to decide what to get for it. I'm thinking more road orientated but with real good wet grip. I don't care about super high speeds, but the VStom tires would likely some sort of dual sport radials. I might spring for a set of Anakees for the VStrom, what 'cha think?

1/19/09

Just a few more words about Vista 64 - don't get it unless you have a machine that needs the extra speed like a CAD station or something. Even then make sure your CAD software is 64 bit or you're wasting Vista 64. Ok to be honest Vista 64 works pretty well, and there are workarounds for most problems. But the workarounds don't always work perfectly. For example for playing videos you need some special software, but unfortunately quite a number of downloaded movies and TV I get will not play on this system no matter what codecs I try etc.

Then I found out that I can't play games on this system - that's right, none of my old games like Battlefield 2 will run and none of the new games will either. That leaves me to either install a dual boot XP partition or just buy Vista 32 like I should have done in the first place. Actually I'll probably wait for the new Windoze 7 that's coming out soon since it's supposed to be way better than Vista.

I have to admit that I have grown to like many features of Vista. I like the instant update of folders, like the large icon listing ability, and plenty of other subtle features. However, some features drive me nuts. Like if you have folders in detail listing like I often do, and the folder window is resized like I often do, when you go back, the filename listing is all scrunched up requiring you to slide the slider to resize the filename list. Even resizing the window doesn't automatically increase the filename listing. The only work around I've found is to basically never resize a folder window, neat huh?

So what else is new besides fun and games with Microsoft? Well I'm getting closer to a real fuse panel now, with a prototype PCB coming soon, and quotes in for the molded casing etc. Get on my monthly letter if you'd like to know when the new fuse panels will be for sale.

Meanwhile I've added a 3 Circuit Solution with 1 fuse unswitched and 2 switched. These little units are selling very well and I like the one I put on my own bike.

I have been investing heavily in large quantity purchases of Sumitomo and Yazaki connectors and terminals. This will allow me to buy cheaper and sell cheaper.

I got a new tool, a 6 kg counting scale. I need this now since I'm often counting out quantities of terminals and connectors etc. I am still waiting for it to arrive and will write a report after I put it through its paces.

I've been riding but it is cold out there and once I climb any kind of elevation all water on the road is frozen. Makes for not so much fun riding, but warmer days are ahead.

11/14/08

The other day I got Windows Vista 64 bit and installed it on my computer. Then I found out my printer isn't supported by the 64 bit version. I guess Canon figured it was a home printer and nobody with this printer would run 64 bit Vista. Now I have to buy a new laser printer. Old one was perfectly good, not that old, and has a practically new toner cartridge in it, plus I really liked it's size and style. Oh well, it seems my wife's family can likely use it.

But wait, there's more :-) I tried to setup Vista on drive C: because I had XP on drive D. Well it turns out I picked the same partition to install Vista on and it basically trashed my XP install. No problem, I've got an external hard drive which backs up everything every day. I restored the XP partition to drive D after backing up what was on that drive.

Now the strange part. For some reason now my drive D had become drive C. That is the partition where Vista installed. I have XP back on drive D but I can't boot to it. I've got a dual boot menu coming up but the NTLDR file is missing. I can't imagine why that would be, Norton Ghost was used and should have restored the partition complete.

To be fair, since I'd had XP on drive D, the boot loader must have been on C. That part wasn't restored but was modified by Vista.

(edit: I found out that I'd swapped drives C and D in the bios long ago and forgotten about it, oh well!)

Now I tried booting to my XP CD and Repairing XP, but I don't know the admin password so I can't do that. I just read there's another way to repair XP but by this time I've pretty well got everything working in Vista and quite like it so there's really no need. Except that my printer works in XP.

Well I'm keeping Vista, getting a new laser printer (maybe I'll get an HP heh heh), and wiping out the XP install. I'm not wasting another minute on operating systems, I've got orders to fill.

We just got new beds delivered and setup, woohoo! Finally I'll be off the floor in Japan. No more futons, we got real beds! I had to do something for my poor old aching back.

I got new products online and in case you haven't see it yet, my 3 Circuit Solution (3CS) is a great way to add three fused circuit for those of us who really don't want or need a fuse panel. Not only is the 3CS small and waterproof, but it is cheaper. I fit one on my own VStrom last week. I have an H4 Dual Headlight Relay Kit and a VStrom Left Side Socket Kit on it, plus one circuit unused. I attached my Powerbar Plus wires directly to the battery and Posi-Tapped onto those wires for my alarm. That's 5 circuits with no fusepanel and each unit has its own fuse. Literally no room is taken up under the seat by these pieces. The 3CS just fits down into an open slot near the battery.

10/4/08

I survived another round with the Grim Reaper! I'm feeling better each day since my second bladder cancer operation and hope to now be cancer free. Without sounding like your Mother, let me advise you that if you have any of the warning signs or even if you don't, get yourself in for a checkup.

As a result of contemplating spending another week in the hospital unable to continue my business due to their lack of internet service I looked into and bought a fancy new cellphone capable of acting as a high speed modem for laptop internet access. I figured all I needed was to do E-Mail and my wife could send most orders out while I answered your questions and relayed orders daily to her.

The phone worked like a charm for three days then suddenly stopped working. My wife spent an hour with customer service only to be back at square one. I intend to take the laptop and phone in and demand a replacement.

Oh well technology is wonderful when it works. This phone has TV, video calling, a pretty good still and movie camera, GPS functions and many many more neat features. I fear though that mostly it will go unused but, hey it's fun to play with and with luck it will enable me to actually call my wife when I'm out riding, to say I'll be late for dinner.

And if I want to I can get high speed internet either on the top of a mountain, or laying on the beach.

9/21/08

Well I've had a great summer riding, hope you have too! checkout my latest trip on Japan's Mother Road, Route 299. Wow, this road's got it all in a 3 hour ride in the center of Japan. Of course riding it during rice harvest and with the wildflowers along the road made it special.

I've made some big changes to the webpages, hope you like them. I'm not done yet, but of course a webpage is never 'done' now is it?

I got a fabulous new cellphone that does everything but most importantly it gives me, in combination with my laptop, high speed internet service anywhere my cellphone can connect. Plus I can watch TV, listen to music MP3s, take digital photos and movies, and lots more.

My little laptop needed some changes so I got a new hard drive, put it in and installed Japanese Windows XP. The phone wouldn't work with English Windows, so this was necessary. My E-Mail client though works very nicely with the Japanese Windows so I'm all set. The phone is a Global Passport phone, meaning I can connect in many countries around the world when I travel.

The weather here is finally getting a bit cooler, so I'm looking forward to some nice rides soon. More trip reports to follow!

6/1/08

Wow I can't believe it's been almost 4 months since I wrote here. It's been a lovely spring for weather and I've been out riding at least once a week. Here's a photo I took on last week's ride. That doesn't count the many shorter trips to go out to eat or shop.

Of course there's lots of new products online. I've got too many new VStrom products online to mention here and many more connectors in the lineup.

I've totally revamped my Powerlet pages and added new products to my large stock of Powerlet products.

I added the Knight Riderz non-sequencial LED light bar for those of you who'd rather keep within the law with a slightly less flashy unit.

I've added many new tools to my collection here including a couple of new crimpers that I'm really happy with. As well, I invested heavily in a large wire and tube racking system. This is a great thing now that all my wire comes in bundles rather than on spools.

The swallows are back with a nest full of babies under the front of our house. That's supposed to bring good luck. I hope you have a great summer riding. I know I will.

2/3/08

Well it's a new year, and a new bike for me! I've been riding around with a big smile for a couple of weeks now on my Suzuki VStrom DL1000. I love this bike!

I haven't had time nor a warm enough day yet to complete my wiring on the VStrom but I hope to soon. I'll be adding two Powerlet Sockets, an alarm, and a Dual H4 Headlight Relay Kit. I already have a black Powerbar Plus on the handlebars and I think it's going to be a great location for the GPS.

Lots of new products online and more coming soon. I've ordered in a big selection of Japanese bike wiring connectors which should be online soon. I now have a Heated Grip Relay Kit to make it easy to install Heated Grips properly. Nothing worse than forgetting to turn your grips off and coming back to find your bike's battery dead.

Wire Looms have been selling well so I've ordered in a larger size of wire sheathing so I can make up larger Looms. I think it's great to run a bunch of wires in one sheath, instead of several pairs and so I intend to expand my Loom page to have more types, larger looms, and all different lengths.

I sold my Beemer which is good because I likely won't be riding it and I need the space out front of the house. I'm planning a big change in the house, and moving my workshop downstairs where I'll have more room. This is going to be a major move, with all my stuff going downstairs and my wife's pet products coming upstairs but I think it will be worth it in the end.

Well it's been raining a lot and I've been very busy filling orders but a new ride report should be coming soon on the VStrom. There's snow up in the hills around town but there's still plenty of roads lower down where I can ride and get away for some therapy. I hope you've been able to get out riding too, I get cranky when I haven't ridden for awhile.

12/17/07

The new Centech AP-2 is a winner. They have been flying off the shelf here. I hope to put one in my new Suzuki VStrom DL1000 - when I finally get one that is. I'm hoping to buy one very soon now! I've been saving for awhile and really looking forward to riding a new and different bike. And of course I'll be making lots of specific Kits for the VStrom, taking photos of my installs and generally making up lots of special stuff for this fine bike.

Lots of new Powerlet products here at Eastern Beaver. Nuvi, Zumo, and iPod power cords to name only a few.

I have now fully tested Powerlet's heated gloves and I like them! I found out that you don't want them too big. I first tried a pair of XXL which felt fine when I first tried them on, with lots of finger length. However, because they were a bit large, the heat was not felt so much, so I then tried a pair of XL and they fit me better and feel much warmer. These gloves, like most new gloves feel a bit snug at first but soon stretch to fit your hands. I have plenty of finger length in the XL gloves now and they just feel better each time I ride with them.

I can't wait to try them out on my new VStrom. There's nothing like a new bike to get you out riding more and that is why I want to buy a new one. I'm a bit bored on the old Beemer, having ridden one for 7 years now. So I'll be really putting the heated jacket liner, heated gloves, and dual controller through their paces in the near future.

The next time I post here I should have a photo of the new bike for you, and lots of links to the installs and Kits that I have on it. Let the farkling begin!

11/24/07

Lots of new stuff happening! First of all the Knight Riderz Sequential LED Light Bar is here! This little light bar really let's cars know you're there from behind. It works as a running light and supplemental brake light. Read all about it here.

I have tested the Knight Riderz on several tailgaters lately, and believe me they back off when I lightly touch my front brake lever. I was amazed how well this works as previously doing multiple taps on my stock brakes seemed to do nothing.

I've been testing Powerlet's new heated gloves, and I love them. Together with their heated jacket liner and dual controller combo I can ride in any weather.

Speaking of heated jacket liners - I have this battery pack from my old laptop and I've made up a portable power pack from it which I hope to power a heated jacket liner off the bike, like when walking the dogs on very cold days. I'll keep you posted on how that goes.

I've finally got a complete collection of Amp tin plated terminals online. The bullet connectors have an incredible hold, and I'm using their .250 receptacles in the T-Connectors now of all Socket Kits. These special terminals have a dimple which locks into the holes in the socket tabs so the T-Connector will NOT come unplugged.

I've got several new Powerlet Products online including a Zumo and Nuvi power cord, plus some other new adaptors. Powerlet keeps adding what bikers want and need so if you need something chances are Powerlet makes it and I'm selling it.

Centech's new AP-2 Fuse Panel is here! This new product gives you what you've always wanted, a great little fusepanel just like the AP-1, but with 3 unswitched circuits built in. I've made up a special Kit for it and it's selling very well, check it out here.

09/01/07

Ah, we're into the fall now and the best riding weather is here! I went for an afternoon in the mountains the other day and really enjoyed myself.

I'm planning on getting another bike soon. My old Beemer is still running great and I like it, but after 7 years on the same model bike, it does get a bit boring. I think I'm going to get a Suzuki VStrom DL1000. I love that bike.

Cold weather is approaching and you might want to get some new heated clothing. Check out Powerlet's incredible new heated jacket liner, heated gloves, and digital controller to stay warm in any weather. These items are drop-shipped direct from Powerlet so you'll get them in just a few days, and at a discount price.

I've been going over all my webpages and it's a lot of work! I've got so many pages now that some had not been touched in years. I've lowered some prices and taken new photos of some stuff and generally have most pages looking better.

I've got a larger 3/8" size of Sumitube now and have changed over completely from brass terminals to Amp tin plated terminals on all my Kits. I'm now using the new Yazaki VOX high temperature wire sheathing as well on all Kits. Overall these changes have made a big difference in quality and I'm very happy with the upgrades.

I've installed more shelving in my workshop and now have things much more organized. As my product lineup grows, shelf space becomes more and more needed.

Check my Clearance Page for special deals on old stock Kits and other items.

08/24/07

Lots of new stuff happening here. I've just got in my first shipment of Packard Weatherpack ATM fuseholders and I love them! These babies will make it possible to integrate a fuseholder into the wiring without needing an extra connector. This is possible because I can crimp the wiring right into the fuseholder terminals.

I've seen units like this that take full sized blade fuses, but never knew they existed for the smaller ATM fuse while I've always used on my Kits. And I never found them until now without leads already attached.

As a result, I'm offering them as an option on some Kits. However, some of the longer more complex Kits still need a fuseholder with a connector. This is so that it's easier to run the wires with the fuseholder unplugged from the Kit. Particularly with an H4 Kit where you need to run the wires out of the headlight shell through a hole with a grommet.

On shorter Kits like a Fusebox Kit, eliminating the fuseholder connector will be a real improvement. Not only does it eliminate the connector, but wire sheathing can be run right up to the fuseholder. And, the lead from battery to fuseholder can be shorter or longer as required.

So you can see why I'm excited about this new addition to my lineup. For the moment I'm offering it as an option on some Kits, and depending on popularity, I may use it on all Kits in the future, with or without a connector.

I have another new announcement to make too. I'm now using Amp Faston tin plated terminals on all Kits. These fine terminals not only resist corrosion but lock onto the fusebox terminals so they won't work loose.

I'm using Amp Faston and Fastin-Faston tin plated terminals in many other places now too. I am planning on going with only tin plated terminals in the near future. I still have a few types and sizes to order to complete my selection, as different terminals and sizes are needed for some applications.

Now I have to go and install the new (used) front brake rotors on my Beemer...

08/02/07

Well, I've been back over a month, time to update the blog. I had a great vacation this year, but it seems business really dropped off during the month I was away, even though I posted that business would go out as usual with the exception of custom stuff. I think in the future I'll be taking 2 week vacations and not letting anyone know ;-)

Lot of new stuff happening here. I can't tell you about all of it yet, but I've got a larger selection of grommets now, with some really big ones that might be suitable for that relay box etc.

I've got lots more connectors, including the infamous 'Hitachi' style, which are really Sumitomo 110 connectors. Anyway, I've got a complete lineup and at the best price on the net. These connectors are the same as used on many bikes and are nice and small and make great connections.

I've got lots of new Powerlet products to complete my lineup. These include Powerlet's new heated gloves and dual controller. And I should very soon get some of their new adaptors with miniUSB plugs that will power some GPS units as well as some cellphones and other accessories. These neat adaptors have a small inline voltage converter and a curly cord for a neat solution to power your stuff.

I've added a selection of other types of Powerlet adaptors too, so look around and if you still can't find what you need, let me know so I can add that to my lineup too.

I've been putting up more photos of fusebox installations but I'd still love to have pictures of yours. Feel free to send in any install photos of fuseboxes, sockets, whatever. These really help potential buyers trying to decide where or how to install stuff. Include the year make and model of bike please.

I have had to make a change in my modulator relay kits. This now means that my modulators function the same as all other modulators, without some of the fancy features that were not needed. One of these features, the 'bulb out' feature was causing some kits to lockup on HI beam, especially with a large difference in wattage between the HI and LO beams. This is now corrected with the new wiring which modulates HI beam only and is switched off by changing to LO beam.

I've re-arranged my electrical parts, splitting them up into smaller sections so things like relays now have their own page, and each type of connector has its own page. As the list of stuff I sell grows, this becomes more necessary. So please check the menus to find what you need. It may be in a different place than it was before.

It's very hot here now in Japan with high humidity. So I've been keeping busy at home but I do hope to get out and ride soon. I've got a new little digital camera that is a real treat. It's a Panasonic Lumix FX-07 and is very small and compact but has a wonderful Zeiss lens that zooms from real wide angle to long tele. It's going to be a great traveling companion for documenting future ride reports. I can't say enough about this great camera. But a few of the features I like best include the image stabilization, instant picture taking without lag, tiny size, and large preview screen. It also takes excellent movies and will shoot a closeup down to just over one inch.

04/28/07

I have booked a flight for America and will land in Philly on May 31st. Unfortunately I'll be landing quite late at 10:30 pm so I'll have to stay overnight at a hotel near the airport, then take a short flight to my bike the next day. I'm getting excited about my vacation now at just over one month away. Boy, I sure need a vacation!

I'll have to put a new set of tires on the ST, as my friend has been exercising Sumi well this past 11 months. She continues to perform flawlessly and actually got pretty good mileage on the Metzler Z6 tires we put on last summer. The tires now have about 7,000 miles on them and have some tread left.

I've been busy making up Kits and organizing my products so that my wife Yumi can find everything and keep shipping out orders while I'm gone. I must warn you though that no custom kits will be made during the month of June, and some products may not be available. However, most Relay Kits and most other products will continue to ship on time.

I have a 'new' laptop (actually used but like new) this year that is much smaller and lighter and has built in wireless. My old laptop with it's PCMCIA wireless card worked less than satisfactorily last summer. And it is just too big and heavy to be carrying on a bike or as carry on luggage.

So I will be checking and answering E-Mail hopefully almost every day during my vacation and passing on orders back home. If you don't hear back from an inquiry right away, that's likely because I'm having too much fun!

I'm very pleased to announce that again this month's sales have reached a new record level. Thank you all for shopping at Eastern Beaver.

I look forward to meeting some of you on my travels this summer. I may be at Square Route Rally and perhaps some other rallies like the BMW RA Rally but as usual plans tend to change on the fly and I do like to vacation with a free schedule.

I'll be staying as a home base in central Pennsylvania so if anyone living in the area would like to meet up, just shoot me an E-Mail and maybe we can meet up for a ride, dinner or both. I do hope to do much riding around the eastern States this summer and of course I'll be riding up to Ontario to visit my Mom and Sister at some point during June.

04/05/07

Still lots of new stuff happening these days, it's hard to keep up with it. I've got new Posi-Lock products and new Powerlet products. I've got a new fusebox in the lineup too.

As well as new products already up for sale, I'm sourcing new products and upgrades to the one presently available. I'll soon be adding more of the incredible Nichifu insulated terminals to complete the collection for all your DIY crimping needs. And many of the Kits will soon be using upgraded high temperature wire for some parts like bulb leads.

I've been testing locally made high quality headlight bulbs and still hope to find something special to offer for sale. Testing continues in this area.

I've tested the new Powerlet heated jacket liner and controller and I'm very pleased to say that they are great! The fit and finish is second to none and the controller is very well designed. The controller also works great with any other makers' clothing using the coax connector.

Powerlet hopes to soon bring out heated gloves and a dash mount controller, as well as a dual controller.

On the personal front, I finally got around to installing new handlebars on my trusty K100RS. These bars really make the bike nicer to ride as they are a bit higher and further back. I guess I'll be keeping the old beast a while longer now that I've made it a better bike.

The cherry blossoms are in full bloom here but they won't last for long. The days are getting longer and warmer day by day. Look for a new ride report soon, as I'm anxious to test out the new bars and the sheepskin butt pad together on a long ride.

The dogs are all sporting new summer haircuts and looking very spiffy. Our rescue dog is finally normalizing and life is great. Oh, I almost forgot. I finally found a space to setup my aquarium and now have 10 cardinal tetras and some plants in there looking healthy and happy.

030907

Whew, lots of stuff happening lately. Lots more new products, lots of improvements in existing products, and lots of webpage enhancements.

I've got new connectors, new terminals, new Powerlet products, and new webpages. I'm going to be testing Powerlet's new heated jacket liner and controller very soon, so stay tuned for a full review.

I finally got some waterproof toggle switches with a rubber boot and now have more of the waterproof rocker switches in stock.

I've now got H1, H3 and H3C headlight connectors and hope to build some model specify Headlight Relay Kits very soon. As a result, I'm looking for guinea pigs, er, beta testers who'd like a Headlight Relay Kit for their bike. I'll work with you to make a virtually plug and play Kit, if you have a popular bike that has Non-H4 headlight bulbs. And I'll make your Kit for my cost. Act fast if you want to take advantage and help me out at the same time with this.

I'm getting anxious to head over to American for my annual summer tour. It seems only a few months away now we'll all be enjoying fine summer weather. I'm hoping this year to head out to the west coast on a long tour on my ST1100.

I'm going to make some changes in my K100RS. I'll soon be changing the handlebars for Cbars which are a bit higher and further back. I guess I'm getting too old for the RS style bars. I'm really looking forward to the change and I think the small difference will make a big difference in the feel of the bike. Last year when I came back from riding my ST1100 with helibars, the RS felt very strange and I didn't like it. Now I've gotten used to it again, but the new bars should be a welcome improvement in any case.

I've been doing a lot of movie transcription work on the computer lately and so I've decided I really need a better keyboard and mouse. Like all good things, the keyboard I want is rather expensive, but when you spend a lot of time typing intensely, the quality of the keyboard makes a big difference.

This pivoting monitor with its ability to rotate to portrait orientation has been great to enable me to put Media Player with a movie at the top half of the screen, and Word at the bottom. Now I'm looking for some way to more easily control the movie playback and rewind instead of always using the mouse which is disruptive and slow.

We've had some lovely warm days here already, although it's cooled off again I expect to see Japanese Cherry Blossoms appear very soon. Maybe I'll post a photo here in the blog for you all to see. Thanks for reading, be happy!

022307

Happy Chinese New Year!

Well I've made so many changes and added so many new products lately, it's hard to know where to begin. I've been sprucing up the webpages and putting finishing touches on all my shopping carts. You should now see a comment box on all the checkout pages. It's at the very bottom and I'm working on moving it up so everyone can see it and tell me the make, model and year of their bike. This is very important for me, so please do leave that info when you checkout. This helps me advise new customers who want to know what type of Kit others with their type of bike own.

And I've been tweaking many of the kits and changing the way some things are made. I can't seem to help it, but I never rest in improving even my old standby Kits. I'm always looking for ways of improving things. Even smallest details are getting improved all the time. It's just the way I am!

I've gone back to using a bullet type connector on all fuseholders rather than the yellow Posi-Lock. I feel this is a better solution since Posi-Lock stopped making the PL1218. I'm also now using bullet type connectors on the Dual Horn Kit rather than Posi-Locks. Overall I'm very happy with some of these major changes and feel they give you a better quality and more professional product.

I'm adding many new terminals and connectors, and now terminals and connectors have their own pages. I've added a line of waterproof connectors as are common on Suzukis. Many of these additions have come from customer requests, so if there's some products you'd like to see here, please let me know.

I will soon be adding some really nice DIY insulated crimp terminals that I feel are far superior to what's out there at the auto parts places. These are made in Japan and have several benefits above the regular insulated terminals. I'm testing them right now so look for them soon on the terminals page.

I've done a lot of research and found some really excellent shrink tube made here in Japan by Sumitomo. This Sumitube has an inner layer of glue that totally seals up connections and terminals from moisture. It's incredibly tough and gives a great wire strain relief. Not only am I now using it on all Kits, but I'm selling it to you so you can DIY better. You can read all about it, and buy this shrink tube on the Shrink Tube page.

I now have an 8 fuse fusebox (by Hella) and Relay Kit online that adds two unswitched circuits so you can keep your GPS or other devices live when your bike is shut off. I also added a Relay Kit with a one unswitched circuit option to my FB-4 fusebox Kit. I feel that many want this option, but having to add yet another separate circuit off the battery to do so kind of defeats the purpose of having a fusebox in the first place. And that is to clean up and minimize the battery's connections.

I have some toggle switches and rubber boots for them on order and more waterproof rocker switches are on their way so I will be able to offer good switching solutions for your Auxiliary lights etc., very soon.

Speaking of lights, I'm getting in some HID Kits from China to play with and hope to offer HID solutions soon at very attractive prices.

I've built a new Relay Kit with Modulator for Non-H4 bikes. This Kit is aimed at any bike with Non-H4 headlights that needs relays, and takes care of the grounding problems in the headlights of the BMW K12RS/LT series.

I've lowered the price on many of my terminals due to quantity buying. And I've added a much larger selection of terminals too. I think many DIYers have a hard time finding a place that sells not only good terminals, but smaller quantities at lower prices.

And lastly, I've added many Powerlet products to my lineup to give you a really big selection of adaptors, sockets, and other products. Products for the new type of coax type connector heated clothing are now in the lineup. Powerlet has a new heated jacket liner and controllers that appear to be excellent. I'm ordering some in soon for testing and hope to have them available soon as well.

So, whew, that's about it for this blog entry. I'm going riding!

011207

Happy New Year!

I've been very busy lately updating webpages, and adding functions to the Paypal shopping experience. I've added a box in the checkout section for you to enter your bike's make, year, and model. Please do enter this data. Then when someone asks me what Kit do people order for their 2002 R1150RT, I'll know. Thanks.

I've figured out most of the java script commands that make up a Paypal addtocart button and I've added many of these on some pages in order to offer various lengths of some Kits at different prices. Hopefully all the manually created shopping buttons and the automatic carts generated by my webeditor will all get along together.

You'll also notice new graphics and layouts in some cases. I'm making the site look spiffier as well as more functional. On some pages I've gone with a modular approach to make it easier to order what you need. I also of course offer complete Kits, but I know some of you wonder what components you need to make up your own Kits using materials or parts you may already have. Check out these two new pages and let me know what you think of the new modular concept: Socket Wiring and Tankbag/SAE.

I need good photos of installations. Particularly, I'm looking for photos of socket installs. If you have a bit of an unusual socket install, or something you'd like to share, please send me a photo so I can put it online to show people a variety of ways to install their power sockets. I have two bikes but it's hard for me to know all the possibilities that exist on all bikes, what panels can be drilled and mounted to, etc. Customers like you want to know how and where to mount power sockets and I'd like to help them decide those things more easily.

I'd also really appreciate fuse panel installation photos, photos of where you mounted your relay, etc. Please help me and other customers out by sharing. I want to put more online than most merchants who just put up small photos of their products and wait for you to buy.

I have just added some new Powerlet products due to customer requests, and the fact that some of them are brand new from Powerlet. In particular, some products for SAE and Tankbag installations will help give you more choices for powering your accessories.

102806

Well, a bit of a change in modulators recently. This change has meant quite a few new functions. As a result I'm no longer selling modulators by themselves, but only modulators built into Relay Kits. The new modulators no longer have a manual remote switch, something which I'm sorry to report. However, it is interesting that they will now modulate either LO or HI beam and have two modes of modulating for a more discrete look if desired. Also, the modulator can instantly switch to the other beam, if a filament burns out.

The weather here has been really fine for riding lately and I've gone out into the mountains a few times in the past week or so. I've found some new roads that are great, and revisited some of my favorites. It continues very warm here and I haven't had to wear the winter gloves yet, or break out the electric vest. And best of all, it hasn't rained much either. This has to be the best time of year in Japan for riding.

100606 - Well the cool weather is catching up with us here in Japan, and we're keeping out eyes out for snow on Mt. Fuji soon. Bike riding is now comfortable, but the rain due to the many typhoons this time of year has been making it hard to get out and enjoy some mountain runs lately.

In an effort to bring some HID Auxiliary Lights to market at good prices, I contacted a Taiwanese maker. However, their prices are still way too high to compete with Sylvannia's current offering in the States.

I'm now sourcing a local bulb maker's products. I want to offer some high quality halogen bulbs at good prices in the near future.

Good news today as Net Objects Fusion has come up with a new update that makes uploading webpage changes much quicker for me. I've been waiting for a long time for this, as previous web changes seemed to take forever. I was also hoping for a speed increase for my shopping carts. They are a bit speedier now, but not as fast as I'd hoped. Other promised changes include more HTML compatibility, but I see that Firefox and Explorer still exhibit some differences in the display of my pages.

The Stebel Nautilus miniature air horn seems to be still selling like hotcakes. And so my Single Horn Relay Kit continues to be very popular. Good for them, and good for me.

I'm still planning on adding two Powerlet Sockets to my left fairing kneepad. On my last mountain ride, the GPS cigar plug continued to lose contact in the cigar socket. I'll keep the cigar socket though just in case I need it one day. I'll use one PL socket for my GPS, and one for my heated vest.

I finally did finish some of the paint on my K100RS fairing which I painted last winter. I sanded with 1000 grit paper and then applied polishing compound using three grades. I ended up with a pretty shiny paintjob. Considering I just used spray bombs, I'm pretty happy with the final finish. I do have to do some of the lower fairing now to match up. Lots of work doing it all by hand.

I intend to repaint my sidecovers, this time in pearl white. They should match up better with my two toned paint job. I'm still hoping to pick up a new left mirror housing and will paint that pearl white at the same time. After that, I'll consider the bike finished.

We're going camping in a couple of weeks. I've been wanting to go for a long time now, but we've been busy. Now that the temperature is cooler, and the campgrounds less crowded, we can enjoy some time outdoors with the dogs.

090106 - I've been back home for almost a month and it's been very hot here in Japan. I haven't done much riding due to the heat. I'm starting to look for a summer bike. I'd like something lighter and dual-purpose. I'm looking at a Kawasaki KLE400. This is a twin cylinder, water cooled, 4 stroke, with long travel suspension and a nifty little fairing. I want to explore some of the gravel roads up in the mountains and I think this little bike would be perfect. I will keep the Beemer for now because I likely won't get much for it, and, well, it's just such a darned nice bike. Besides, getting into another type and make of bike would just be good for the business. (I told the wife ;-)

Seriously, what better way to know what kind of products a dual sport rider needs, than to actually own one. It's been a long time since I've ridden a small bike, and the twisty dangerous mountain roads around here are much more suited for a bike like this than my big Beemer. I have to wait for the finances to improve until a purchase comes together, but I'm already excited about riding a 'different' bike.

Sometimes we need to renew our riding vigor by getting something completely different. I found that out this summer when I stepped onto my Honda ST1100. I sold my Suzuki Address 110 scooter to my brother-in-law, and so I don't have anything smaller to ride now. I wonder if I could fit a pair of mini-Jesse bags on this little bike. Heck, I could see myself riding across Asia to Europe on this little beast.

And that's one of the great beauties of having a bike-related business. I need to ride a lot, and I need to understand the needs and mindset of my dual-sport customers. Now, if I can only write the costs off as a business expense come tax time!

I'm going to look around Japan for some accessory bags for this bike, and see what other goodies there are here on the market for it. Perhaps I can come up with some unique electrical Kits for dual-sport bike too. Or maybe I'll just ride the heck out of it and enjoy!

081006 - I made the long flight home last Monday from Detroit. The flight was made easier by the fact that I got a seat with a bit more leg room behind the rear food service area of the 747, and the fact that my good buddy Gary got me some good sleeping pills. I took two pills after dinner and woke up just over an hour from landing in Nagoya. I arrived fresh and without the usual pain of a long flight. It took 26 hours from the time I got up Sunday morning in PA, until I arrived home at 8 in the evening Monday, Japan time.

I had quite a trip indeed. Where do I start? Well, after flying into Detroit on my journey to America, I got diverted to Toronto by a Customs agent who got a bit carried away with the power of Homeland Security. See, back in 1973 I got busted for possession of some grass. So this Customs agent decided he wasn't letting me into the United States and put me on a flight to Toronto instead of Philly. My trip was off to a really bad start.

Well I was going to visit some friends and my family in Canada at any rate, but on my bike which was in PA, and later in the month. So while visiting my Mom and Sister I had a few days to ponder my situation. I wasn't sure if I could continue my vacation and to be honest, I just felt like flying home with my tail between my legs and thinking bad thoughts about the U.S. and its security measures.

After a week of visiting, I was getting a bit bored and really wanted to go to see my buddy Gary in PA, ride my waiting ST1100, and generally get on with my vacation plans. I found out what it would cost me to return to Japan on a different flight, and it was a hefty sum. I really wanted to try and get over the border by foot or by car.

My sister bless her soul, volunteered to drive me over at Niagara Falls. She and my Mom would go to a casino in the Falls, and drop me off somewhere over the border. So we packed into her van, my Sister and I in the front, and my Mom in the back. My Sister and I had identical birth certificates, (well, except for the dates) and we were counting on the fact that Canadians don't yet have to show a passport at the border. Next year in 2007, that will become a law.

We made it through no problem! Then the problem remained - how to get down to my Gary's place. I was thinking I'd just rent a car and drive. There were no cars available in the Falls. I asked my sister to drive me to Buffalo airport where I felt sure there would be some rental cars available. There wasn't. So, I took a motel room on the airport strip and said goodbye to my Mom and Sister.

I called Gary and asked him if he could drive up and pick me up. I really hated to do that, as it's a 4 or 5 hour drive, but I had no choice, as bus service was nonexistent from there to where I wanted to go. Gary said no problem, he'd come up early the next day and rescue me. I was starting to get excited. I turned on my laptop in my room and used the free internet access there to catch up on E-mail and business orders. I relaxed, had dinner, and slept well.

In the morning, Gary woke me up early and we made a pleasant and quick trip south to his place. I immediately wanted to ride my ST1100, and so we went for a ride right away. My vacation was back on track!

We spent the next few days getting new fluids into the ST1100, and generally checking everything over well. I installed a headlight modulator, and two Powerlet sockets on the left kneepad. We ordered new Metzler Z6 radial tires that we'd install after the rally. The rear tire was looking pretty thin on the ST, but I figured it would last for a short trip.

We toured up to Vermont and the MOA National Rally. After checking out everything there, and camping overnight on Thursday, we got bored and decided to head home. I guess I'm getting too old to enjoy rallies and camping. Gary felt the same, as he picked up his tent, sleeping bag, and thermarest and stuffed them in the nearest trash can. I wish I'd taken a picture of that, but I didn't think of it at the time. Oh well.

We spent the rest of the month riding around the area's lovely roads. We drank beer in the evenings, worked on Gary's K75, installed my new tires, and generally had a great time hanging out in his garage and on the road. The weather was great, but very very hot.

I had a great vacation and hope to return next year to do the same. Next year we might do some longer rides, and might do it later in September when it's cooler. That is, if I can get back into the States. I'm not sure what to do about my situation, but I feel very likely that I could get across the border on another day, at another place but not in Detroit. I'll likely fly to Canada next time and possibly take a bus to Philly where I can fly directly to Gary's local airport.

Thanks Gary, and thank you America for having me, whether you liked it or not! It was nice to finally meet some of the people on the BMW mailing lists that I've chatted with over the years. I'm sorry I didn't hang around to meet more people. I'm sorry I couldn't get company Tshirts made to give away, or company graphics put on the bike, and lots of other things I was planning to do, but I'm happy that I was able to continue my trip, and most of all, happy to use my return tickets to fly home. It turned out U.S. Customs had canceled my return tickets, but the USAir agent got me a seat on the flights as planned, and everything worked out fine.

070506 - Last entry before my trip. I do hope to be able to update from my latop on the road. I might even be able to add some photos.

Making a packing list and doing last minute chores and always feeling a bit rushed. I guess the excitement is mounting. Oh, and the dread. The dread of the long flight. I actually love flying, but with legroom and seating room getting smaller and smaller, my big old body does not like it one bit. But, that's the price of long distance international travel. The price of business class is still out of my reach, but will become necessary as I get too old for this crap. And I do enjoy my yearly summer trip to the States and Canada.

Next year I'm going earlier, because low rates end at the end of June. Unfortunately the cheaper flights near the end of June are fully booked way ahead of time by those smart travelers here in Japan.

So, I've dug out access to the attic here, dug through the front hall closet for stuff to go in the attic, got a room A/C unit to install, and have to go shopping for last minute items.

News on the product front? I think I will drop the LED modules, as they are too labour intensive making up. However, modulators are doing well, and I plan to introduce both Modulator and Heavy Duty versions for all my Headlight Relay Kits. Also, combined Modulator and Heavy Duty units will be available. But that's for sometime in August.

063006 - Time to change the poll. Please take the poll on my home page. It really helps me make things better for you riders.

I found out my cellphone battery does run out after a few days of no use and no charge. And I found out I can turn it off completely. I don't know why I never thought of this, but I guess I'd have to remember to turn it on if my wife goes out, or when I go out with it. This will be handy when on a trip and I don't want to be disturbed while riding with the phone. And I can turn it on if I need it, and know that the battery will still be charged, even after several days of not being charged.

I got a Global Passport phone that will work in most countries around the world and I'm hoping to use it in America and Canada this summer. It's pretty cool to have a phone that takes great pictures, surfs the net, takes great photos and movies, and still works when I travel out of country. It's made by Sanyo and isn't the fanciest phone around. Many new phones here play MP3s, have TV and Video abilities too. But it's the only one offered by one of Japan's big companies AU, that is a Global Passport phone. And it's pretty cheap ;-)

I don't really get a lot of calls here, but the phone has been real handy for when someone is coming to visit and gets lost, and when my wife and I go out shopping in a big store where we used to lose each other. I held off on getting a cell phone for a long time, but finally decided riding way out in the mountains it might be a nice thing to have in case of an emergency.

Mostly I've been taking high quality photos with the phone, and enjoying taking some movies. The movies are very low res and small, but since they include the ambient sound, they're great! Recently at a secluded mountain lake I held the phone up, started recording a movie, and panned the phone around in front of me. When I played it back I was startled to hear very clearly birds and insects around me while the beautiful view panned.

Another movie I took was at the big park on a Sunday with the dogs. Lola was attacking for fun a friendly Italian Greyhound which is a tiny fragile dog. The IG was terrified and Lola kept hitting and running, all the while both were barking and yelping. I recorded it all and again the sound on the playback really makes it special. I had to cut the movie short to break up the dog fight, but got about 30 seconds of zooming and yelping dog action that will be enjoyed many times played back for people.

I have a real nice older Sony Handycam HI8 video recorder I may take with me this summer. I've never had a movie camera and inherited this one when I moved here. The quality is excellent and I've made some copies to the VCR for posterity. Mostly dog zooming so far but some biking action would be fun, especially at the MOA National rally.

I also was thinking to mount the video camera on the bike. I'll see how that works out, and just thinking how much fun that would be, I've decided to take the video camera. It's not that heavy or bulky so what the heck.

061806 - time for an update. I'm happy to report that people are finally taking my poll. Thanks to those who have taken a few seconds to tell me what new product they'd like me to carry.

It's rainy season in Japan but at least it's not too hot. That comes after the rain ends in the middle of July. The new Pet Shop is waiting for more grid clips. I think we have most of what we need now to put up a starter store. The shop interior is finished and looking very nice, while the outside of the house is waiting for me to do some touchup painting.

It seems lots of riders are installing the new single Airhorn from Stebel. This seems like an excellent choice. It's easy to mount, not too expensive, and very very loud. It does however require a high current wiring system such as my Horn Single Relay Kit provides. I might end up trying one of these horns myself on my ST this summer.

Like many of you, I'd like to have the ability to have both a soft city horn, and a loud freeway horn. Since there's only one horn button on a bike, perhaps the answer is to install a two way switch, so one could choose either horn. This would require a dual relay system. As a future product, I may build such a Kit and hopefully offer a switch to go with it.

I might as well go on here a bit about the additions I'm going to make to my ST this summer. First off is a Dual H4 modulator and a pair of H4 bulbs with adaptors. I'm installing two Powerlet Sockets on the left kneepad. I've made up a simple heavy duty power circuit with a 40A relay that will power the two sockets plus a hardwire point for other low current devices I may add later. It will use a simple rocker switch for on/off duties. I like to have my GPS powered even when the bike is off. You can see this Kit at the bottom of my Custom Kits Page.

After I see how this Kit works out, I'm likely going to offer such Kits for sale pre-made. This type of Kit takes advantage of the jumbo Posi-Lock's ability to connect multiple wires securely and easily. I believe there is a demand for multiple powering of devices, without the expense and hassles of mounting a fusebox. Plus, adding a fusebox to such a Kit in the future is a very easy thing to do.

19 days until my trip to America, I'm getting excited!

060706 - First entry. Welcome to my blog. I've been meaning to do this for a long time. I'd like to keep a blog for a few reasons. First off all, as a portal to let customers know about all the small and large upgrades I'm constantly making to my products. Secondly to convey a bit of what it's like living in Japan. And I just like to put down in writing some of my thoughts - I feel it helps me think further out of the box. Of course I expect to hear from you, the reader if you have suggestions, opposite views, or further information .

New stuff - in the process of upgrading all Kits, and offering Heavy Duty versions of all Kits. As a result, many in stock Kits are being offered at huge discounts.

Future stuff - I want to offer excellent bulbs made in Japan at good prices. I've got to do some testing of my own first though. Seems many people would like to get a good 55/100 bulb.

Today stuff - a lot of people ask me what bulbs are the best. There's plenty of online tests by users who have done the miles and the time with some of the latest generation of high output bulbs. I won't be mentioning much about HID here, but would like to suggest that you read Daniel Stern's excellent articles about HID and other types of bulbs here:

http://www.danielsternlighting.com/home.html

Up Coming Trip - I'm flying to the States on July 7th to do some touring around the Eastern States and visiting family in Canada too. I'll be at the MOA National Rally in Vermont July 22, so if you want to chat, please look for the Beaver Power T-shirt. I might even be handing out a few T-shirts.

During my one month holiday, no Custom Kits will be available. I will be answering E-mail during this time, although maybe not every day. Powerlet, Posi-Lock and Centech products will all be available. I'll be back on August 7th and it will be business as usual from that time.