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Instructions were adequate and was easy to install. You can adjust the windshield up and down
before tightening it down. You do need an allen wrench for the screws. Mine is set about an inch below it's highest
possible placement. I am 5'8" tall and it seems to be high enough for me. I can see over it nicely and it deflects
the wind to my satisfaction.
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| Four of these clamps do the job. They have rubber bushings for grip. |
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| Rubber spacers provide cushion between shield and mounting hardware |
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| These braces hold the shield to the brackets with 4 screws |
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| Nice fit around the headlight and cutout for turn signals |
After using the shield for a while now I still give it a thumbs up.
Found nothing negative about it. It blocks the wind effectively, doesn't seem to affect my top speed, and it doesn't
vibrate at high speeds. Glad I made the purchase.
Inline fuel filter and a louder horn
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| Got this filter at the Honda dealership. $2.50 and easy install |
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| Horn from Harbor Freight Tools. $9.99 and also an easy install. Just use the original wires. |
The filter fit so tight inside the hose that I figured it didn't need a clamp. No leaks.
The horn came with the mounting bracket and a adapter so your wires will hook right up. Suggest using locktite on the
threads.
Click here to see photos of a clutch inspection I did.
Homemade Saddlebags
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| Canvas bags my wife sewed up for me |
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| They just hang over the back seat |
My wife sewed up a pair of canvas bags with zippered tops so I could
do more chores. They each have one strap that goes over the back seat to hold it to the bike. The additional strap
that goes over the seat helps when the bags are fully loaded. They hold a lot of groceries. About six full plastics
bags like you get at the local grocer, depending on what you buy. Cost about 15 bucks including the zippers. They
wad up nicely so I can carry them in my shoulder bag I carry across my back. I got a set of saddlebag bars from
Jack's Rebel Catalog. They look very nice and do a good job keeping the bags outta the moving parts. BTW,
that's my sissy bar and luggage rack from Jack's. Nice lookin' and sturdy.
Tiny Tach
Click on photos to enlarge
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| Tiny Tach attached to the instrument panel |
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| Back side of the tach. You can see the aluminum bracket I made. |
Just installed my new tiny digital tachometer I got from tinytach.com. It is the TT226R-2C model.
I made an installation bracket from a piece of flat 1/8" thick aluminum. I used the left bolt that holds down the instrument
panel to install it. It holds just fine and is very stable. In addition to rpms it records engine time and is
resettable. The wiring is simple. One wire goes to ground, I used my horn bracket bolt and the other wire wraps
around the sparkplug wire. I saw in the service manual that the onboard charging system only puts out its maximum
charge at 5,000 rpm or more so I was curious as to how fast that would be.
The Honda Service Manual states these charging rates:
1996 to 2000 Rebel = 13.5 to 14.0 volts at 5,000 rpm
2001 to 2006 Rebel = 14.6 to 15.6 volts at 5,000 rpm
I got these results on a little road test in 5th gear:
5,000 rpm about 47 mph
4,850 rpm about 45 mph
4,350 rpm about 40 mph
3,850 rpm about 35 mph.
The tach has a second or so delay in read out so you
can't really use it for shifting points but is great for idle speed setting and knowing your rpm at steady speeds. I
found the speedometer markings and audible engine sounds most effective for shifting speeds. I have found the Tiny Tach very
useful, especially in cold weather. With a full face helmet on it is hard to hear the engine idling and know if it has warmed
up enough to keep a steady idle. It also helps when you are in 5th gear and are not sure if you need to shift up again.
After a while you get to know what the rpm range is for 5th gear (and 3rd and 4th) so no more of that shifting up to
the phantom 6th gear. Nice little tach.
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| Just coiled the red wire around the sparkplug wire just as the instructions say. |
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