Sucking Starbucks at 80

Rationale

Now that you have that comfy cruiser seat, and SMOOOOTH air shocks and you ride all day long - or at least until you need gas, WHAT ARE YOU DOING FOR YOUR THROAT?

 Nothing? Getting tired of guzzling down that hot coffee so you can get back on the road?

 Well, GUZZLE NO MORE!



 I would never have installed a cupholder, but it's BLACK & CHROME.  That clinched it for me! It's not too hard to put up with the idea of a  cupholder when you're sipping Starbucks at 80. Make sure you get a left - handed cup!

Cost

About $21, assuming you have some stock materials (I'm remembering $20 for the holder, but I could be off a little)                   

Time

A half hour.                         

Materials

• Cupholder from
               M&J Enterprises
               HC 63 Box 561
               Peel, AR 72668
               1-800-436-7715
               But I bought it from Aurora Honda who had it in stock.
• 3-4 3/16" X 1/4" grip aluminum rivets
• small machine screw and nut
• dab of silicon glue or heat glue
• spray contact adhesive

Tools

• drill
• 5 mm allen wrench
• riveter
• phillips screwdriver
• pliers
• small spirit level
• side cutters

Process

The cupholder comes with plastic rivets. These do not secure the holder solidly and the holder will bounce a lot if you use them. I replaced them with aluminum rivets.

Following the install instructions, secure the vinyl liner in the holder using spray contact adhesive. Replace the clutch handlebar clamp screws with the longer ones provided. Cut the sleeves provided to about 3/8" with the side cutters and install them under the lexan  mounting plate. Remove the one plastic rivet provided. Sitting on the upright bike, handlebars level, open the cupholder, place it against the lexan plate, put the spirit level on it, move the holder until it's level and all of the rivet holes on the plate will be against lexan. Mark the location of one of them. Drill the hole and install a rivet. Using the level, re-level the holder and mark a second hole. Drill and install a rivet. Drill and install the third rivet (I put in a fourth just for grins).




The cupholder will now vibrate fore/aft, so drill a small hole locating the machine screw which will provide tension on the lexan plate from contacting the handlebar. Run the screw short of contacting the handlebar, and put a "crutch tip" of heat glue on the end of it, to protect the chrome of the handlebar. Run the screw in sufficiently to deflect the lexan 1/4" or so. Tighten down the nut.

BTW, I stuck my garage door opener on the back of it with heat glue, that's what the grey box is - later relocated under the radar mount.

Now all we need is a way to get rid of the coffee conveniently!

All technical mods described here are merely reports of what I've done.  You may attempt to replicate them at your own discretion and risk if you choose.  Horseapple Ranch, LLC and Mark Tobias will in no way be responsible for the results of your attempting to perform these mods on any motorcycle, regardless of the outcome.

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