DN-01, all dressed up

You may recall a previous post on this blog in which I talked about the new Honda DN-01 motorcycle that I bought this year. I thought it was a great bike -- and loved its fully-automatic HFT (Human Friendly Transmission). The bike was a bit let down by its impracticality -- its small windshield hardly blocked any breeze, and except for a tiny nook under the seat which might have fit a sandwich, it had no storage space.

Well, as you can see by this photo, I have addressed these two issues, and now I love this bike.


Thanks to Jim Lawson, who a couple of months ago turned me on to the aftermarket catalog "Twisted Throttle", I discovered that there was hard luggage -- both saddlebags and a top trunk -- and a bigger windshield available for the DN-01. I ordered all of these things right away, and got them within a few weeks. My friend Ed installed the bags and their requisite mounting hardware (I was thinking of trying to do it myself, but the more I looked at the instructions, the more I saw disaster in the making), and they work great -- they look good and hold a lot.

I decided to install the windshield myself, and I managed to get it done (although, as in any project requiring the removal and then reinstallation of large pieces of complicated bodywork, there were a few nail-biting moments) with only three fasteners left over... and everything seems to work okay, so may those fasteners aren't TOO critical.

The windshield definitely does a better job of protecting the rider from windblast, but I wish it were a few inches higher -- right now I get a lot of breeze directed at the top third of my helmet, which can be distracting. Still, I like it better than the stock unit.

I highly recommend these modifications for anyone with a DN-01. -- PL

More motorcycle fun

There were two motorcycle-related "firsts" here in the last twenty-four hours. First, I took delivery of -- and went for my first ride on -- the new Honda DN-01 (seen here posing near a beaver pond).



The DN-01 is Honda's first motorcycle with their new HFT ("Human Friendly Transmission"). Essentially, it is a fully automatic transmission, and from what I could tell from my first ride on it, the system works very well. I could see a future world of clutchless motorcycling.

Second, Eric Talbot got his motorcycle learner's permit! Woohoo!



Schedules permitting, within a few days he should be on the road. Congratulations, Eric! -- PL