New USB Power and Rear Rack Gas Tank Test

Did a little accessory installation today on the Awesome Possum. I installed a USB power cable from 3BR Powersports. Mounted the USB at the handlebars, and tapped the break light power lead so that the USB is not draining charge while the engine is switched off. I connected the ground to the battery negative terminal. The inline fuse ended up right next to the main fuse box, which was convenient. I also mounted my new RAM phone mount as well. All works well, but it will be interested to see how it charges over the course of a day while riding (will it make the phone too hot? will it slip with vibration? etc....) Some install pics....

 

Another thing that I will figure out is how to deal with that messy USB phone cable...right now I just have the excess wound up and strapped to the handlebar, but I'm sure that I will find a much neater way to manage that cable :-)

I also did a test install of my spare gas tank, which attaches to my new rear rack. Assembly was easy, and it fits on snugly. When I attach this tank, I should be able to put cargo on top of it...but I will have to be careful not to overload the rear rack until I can add some extra structural support underneath. Here's a couple of pics of the test install...

New Accessories

I've installed some new accessories onto the Awesome Possum, and I'm delighted. I installed the original muffler spark arrester, replacing the loud 'billet' muffler cap that had been installed by the previous owner. This makes the bike sound like it should, and makes it run much better!

I also installed a new rear cargo rack, which comes with an attachment to hold an auxiliary gas tank when needed…

My New to Me Honda CRF230L Dual Sport

Well, I decided to sell the '79 Honda dual sport and get a modern one instead. The bike was just too nice to take off road and mess it up. So I just picked up a 2008 CRF230L last week, and have been getting it ready to hit the road and trails.

I got it in really good shape - only 452 miles on the clock. The bike was not assembled from its original crate by the dealer until late 2011, and was bought and titled by the original owner in 2012. They rode it mostly on the street, and dropped it on their first off road outing and decided not to ride it anymore. So now it's mine! It's mostly stock except for the bark buster hand guards, handlebars, and an aftermarket muffler tip.

I am going to replace the muffler tip back to the original stock spark arrester, as I want to see how the bike runs fully stock before I start making exhaust and carb modifications. I know many people make those modifications right away, but I really want to see the difference, and get used to the bike as it is first. Plus, the current muffler tip is a lot louder than I'd prefer.

Today I installed a Flatland skid plate, and just changed the oil and clean/lubed/adjusted the drive chain. Here's the new skid plate installed...

I'm waiting for the stock muffler tip to arrive, and I've also ordered a rear rack and auxiliary attachable gas tank for the rear. She's all set to go, and now I just need to find a day off work so that I can take her out on the trails for the first time!