New connie owner and new member, lessons learned after 1 month of ownership.

[LandRocket]

As the title said, new owner of a 2008 connie and what i learned so far:

1: I am 5'7" the bike is tall and i tiptoe.
2: Muzzy links are life savors.
3: More than an inch on the fork rise leaves little room for movement.
4: Sport touring connie are the heavyweights of the class and fall in the featherweight category.
5: Spending a day on the connie makes my bonnie (Triumph Bonneville) feel like a toy.
6: Bonnie and Connie play nice together.
7: Never trust a sales man at the bike shop when they say, "Ya the bike has been serviced".
9: Center stands are easy on a scooter compared to this monster.
10. I really learned to appreciate tall boots and long pants on my right leg.

My God this thing is fast... .

Hope i left enough to get the conversation started.

[SapperLdr]

Welcome to the connie world.  Where are you located?

"5: Spending a day on the connie makes my bonnie (Triumph Bonneville) feel like a toy. " Agree but in my case it is a Honda 919.
"9: Center stands are easy on a scooter compared to this monster." Have to agree.
"My God this thing is fast... ." and so smooth! It impresses me every time I get on it.

[VirginiaJim]

Welcome!

[LandRocket]

Thanks guys,

located in North Florida, I bought the bike from the dealer and after riding it a day found out why the final drive was making noise (little to no oil and it was burnt.) No damage done so i must have found it in time. Front breaks also was warped so that was a nice replacement project, EBC rotors and pads. K&N filter, rear oil change, Muzzy drop for starters. Next month will bring throttle lock and hopefully a new low seat if i can strike a deal on a used one. have a road trip scheduled to north Georgia in Oct to hit the hills. Last year i did it on the Conni, 5 hours on that thing will put it on your fast.

[SilverConnieRider]

9: Center stands are easy on a scooter compared to this monster.

Just the other day I rolled my Connie's rear wheel up onto a 2x10x12 piece of wood and it made
getting the bike on the center stand about 10 times easier then without doing that.  Probably easier then a scooter.
So from here on I will plan on doing that anytime I want the bike on the center stand.

If you do this, you can remove #9 from your list. 

[Conniesaki]

9: Center stands are easy on a scooter compared to this monster.

Just the other day I rolled my Connie's rear wheel up onto a 2x10x12 piece of wood and it made
getting the bike on the center stand about 10 times easier then without doing that.  Probably easier then a scooter.
So from here on I will plan on doing that anytime I want the bike on the center stand.

If you do this, you can remove #9 from your list. 

Hey that's brilliant! And all ya have to do is carry around a big ass chunk of wood!

 

[tweeter55]

Welcome to the forum, LandRocket.
Pictures when you have a minute. (the bike, not Florida)

[LandRocket]

Haven't tried the wood black trick yet but will do so shortly when i check fluids. I still have a few items of maintenance i need to perform before i feel this bike is up to par. Looks like the last owner just sat on it and did nothing more.

Does any one have any experience with that engine coolant that is supposed to drop the temperature slightly? I want to flush out the radiator sometime next week or so.

I also have been a lurker of this forum for a while before i joined and know the 08's can be a mini oven. I can no longer find those foam inserts on eBay. Looks easy to be a DIY but just as easy to purchase. Any one still make them or know what foam they were made from?

here is the picks of the Mussy install and the bike. I also have purchased a 1inch shorter stand from Preeng.

[connie_rider]

Landrocket, my C-14 is also lowered (using the Muzzy's and dropping the forks 1").
Made a major difference in my parking lot comfort as I'm 5'-9".
   (Particularly when the wife is riding with me).
I assume you added the blocks to raise your bars?

I'm sure you will like the rewards of the Preeng.
Being frugal, I shortened the (side) and center stands.
Made a huge difference in getting it on the stand!
No block of wood required...

Ride safe, Ted

[LandRocket]

I only had a chance to rider her once since i lowered it but i can feel the confident level rise at stops. my Bonnie has a seat height of around 29' and the Conni has something like 32 at stock. i would like to get it at 29 but i know that is not possible. my boots are old military jumpers with a heal, so the other option is the seat. 30' should be a nice spot on this bike for me.

Preeng kickstand is a awesome piece of CNC machined aluminum with a fantastic fit and easy to retract like the stock one.

[hulkette]

It is funny that you mention the center stand. I had done a lot of work on the Chinese scooters for a friend of mine who sells them. When I did my 600 mile service on the Connie I realized the heft of the bike.

[Rhino]

center stand is all in the technique.

0) put bike in neutral on level hard ground (like concrete garage floor)
1) stand the bike up
2) step on the center stand with right foot and make sure both sides are touching the ground (rock the bike slightly until you feel both firmly planted)
3) now put all your weight on your right foot such that your left foot no longer touches the ground
     (if step 2 done properly, bike will stay up right and you should be able to stand there all day)
4) only after step three with left foot completely off the ground, lift the bike by lifting on the grab rail.

[mikeeitup]

To lift the suspension enough to install the new links, I got lazy and kicked a car ramp under he tire until I was at the desired height. No crazy wood and straining myself! I AM LAZY.
Mike