First, get two of copies of your ST1300 key made at a local locksmith/key cutter.  You don’t have to use a Honda blank, since they are expensive.  A standard ILCO X265 key works perfectly; that’s what I used.

Also get two plastic drawer/cabinet knobs.  Here’s the one I chose, found at the local Ace Hardware. Make sure that the base is wide enough to handle the width of your key; this one is 1/2 inch, which is just the right size.

Using increasingly larger drill bits, drill out the inside of the knob until it’s completely cleaned out.

Now, put the duplicate key into the side case and mark it at the top edge of the lock. Cut off the top of the key a little at a time, while continuing to test it inside the knob, until you get the length just right. The mark you made on the key should come right to the edge of the knob. The more accurate you are here, the better it will look on the bike, since the knob will sit flush on top of the lock.

I used JB Weld to attach the key to the knob, but there are probably other options as well. I used the JB Kwik variation, so that it would set up faster, because you need to adjust the key to make sure it’s straight as the epoxy sets.

The finished product. Just repeat for the other side.  Of course, you’ll probably want to take them with you if you plan to leave the bike for an extended period of time. 

Right after we arrived, a 17 year old rider (Nick) had a high side coming out of turn 1, and wasn’t moving after sliding down the track with his bike. The medical guys were there very quickly, and the chopper was there in no time. I later found out from Nick’s dad that he suffered a concussion, but is expected to make a full recovery.

A BMW LT was even in attendance.

Some still shots.

And some action shots.

The rest of the pictures can be found on the ConqSoft.com Picasa Web Galleries.

Here are the pictures from the pros. 

Killboy.com:

US129Photos.com:

You’ll need your Powermate Kit, a soldering iron, a phillips screwdriver, and a small adjustable wrench (or appropriate sized ratchet.) 

First, align the steel ring on the outside of the bag, making sure to check the inside of the bag for clearance. (Note: The steel ring is installed on the inside of the bag, but it makes a great template for the soldering iron on the outside.)

Once you have it lined up, use the soldering iron to melt a hole straight through all layers of the bag.

Repeat for the other three holes, and also the center hole. I usually push the bolts through the holes as I make them, just to hold the ring in place.  For the center hole I melt small holes all around the edge, then use the soldering iron in a circular motion to completely remove the bag material.  Remember, it doesn’t have to look neat since it will all be covered by the kit.

Feed the plug side of the kit through the hole from the outside, line up the holes, push the bolts through from the outside, place the steel ring on the inside of the bag, and install the nuts.

That’s all there is to it. I use a dual cigarette-type adapter for the inside of the bag, so I can use my standard cell phone, ipod, etc charging cables.

I also modified the top plate so that I could use my previously installed Powerlet outlet between the bars.  All you need is a custom kit from PowerletProducts.com; order the “ST1300 Panel Kit” but make sure you specify that you need the harness to be 80 inches long. Along with a drill and some courage, you’ll be all set.  Remove the steering stem cover, drill out for the Powerlet outlet, run the wiring down through the steering stem, up over the frame and around the side of the airbox, under the front seat bracket, and to the battery.

Here’s the riser plate before mounting, when I was test-fitting the powerlet. 

And here’s the finished product.

UPDATE 05/23/2007:  You can also add a RAM base along with the powerlet if you want.  I did some experimenting today and this is what I came up with. I used the RAM-BAR u-bolt RAM base.  Just remove the u-bolt and obtain bolts long enough to reach through the base and deep into the pre-existing threaded holes in the top plate to provide a solid mount. 

In the past I have expressed my opposition to mounting a GPS in this location, but I’m going to give it a try to see how it goes.

 Day 1 (Thursday May 3rd)

I finally got the ST1300 loaded and headed out around 9:30am.

I ran into a little mist along the way, but never hit any heavy rain.  I arrived at the Crossroads of Time (where Hwy 129 and Hwy 28 meet) at around 4pm.  This is where the Deals Gap “Resort”, restaurant, and store are located.  Across the street, TailOfTheDragon.com also has a storefront; I picked up a t-shirt for my wife and a keychain for my luggage and helmet lock keys. I couldn’t get a cell phone connection, and I didn’t see anyone around I knew, so after resting for a while and checking out the store, I decided to head into Robbinsville to check into the hotel.  

If you’re on a bike, and are staying in Robbinsville, THE place to stay is the Two Wheel Inn.  Every room has it’s own private garage.  I got a room with two twin beds, but they also have Kings available.

I still couldn’t reach anyone on the phone, so after unpacking I went by Subway to grab a sandwich, went back to the room and wolfed it down, and rested up for the following day’s ride.

Day 2 (Friday May 4th)

I woke up early for some reason, so I watched some TV and caught up on some on-line stuff (the Two Wheel Inn also has free Wi-Fi), then got a quick shower and packed everything up.  I finally got in touch with my friends at around 9:30am and we planned to meet at the Crossroads Of Time at 10:30am.  I got there early, so I had some French Toast with Bacon at their restaurant.  It wasn’t bad, but the French Toast was a bit undercooked.

Everyone showed up soon thereafter, so we discussed the plan for the day.  The Mini Cooper event had just started, and The Dragon was crawling with 400-500 Mini Coopers, so we decided to ride the Cherohala Skyway instead. 

We went all the way across into Tellico Plains, TN and grabbed some Beach Burgers at the Tellico Plains Drive-In restaurant.   After gassing up, we headed back across the Skyway and ran into some rain near the top.  We stopped and put our rain gear on, but the rain was pretty much over by the time we got back on the road, so when we got back to the NC end of the Skyway we pulled everything off and headed back to the Crossroads of Time.  On the way there we hit a HEAVY DOWNPOUR and got soaked.  Figures.

By then it was near 5pm so I had to get back on the road home. 

 The ride home was cold, but uneventful for the most part, other than some heavy fog on Hwy 19 and I-40 going through the mountains. I pulled into the garage at around 11pm with exactly 888.8 miles on the trip meter.  Freaky.

I went with Autocom’s top-of-the-line Super Pro AVi Duo system so that I wouldn’t have to worry about upgrading later.  It comes with everything you need to communicate with a passenger, cables for a cell phone, music player, and GPS, and has tons of features. 

After shopping around, I found the best price at Kahuna Cycles; and even though they are in Canada I received the system VERY quickly; within a few days of ordering.

Very quick and easy installation. Here’s the unit itself, sitting on padding and strapped in the tail of the bike.  When we use the iPod, it plugs into its input and is placed behind the unit where the passenger’s headset lead is shown coiled.  We control it with an iJet wireless controller.

Here’s the ground wire running to the battery’s negative terminal, and the power wire running to the tail light for switched “clean” power.

When not in use, the passenger and rider headset leads are coiled up and stored under their respective seats.

When in use, the leads come out in convenient locations.

This Autocom model comes with a noise sensor that goes inside your helmet to automatically adjust the VOX level based on the amount of ambient noise. Very cool, and works perfectly. Here’s where it goes.

Microphone and Speaker

I used one of the included clips on my helmet (not really what it is designed for) so that I could keep the lead from dangling when I’m not using the Autocom.

Mounted and wired in my PPC-6700 Smartphone also.  Works great, and people I talk to say they didn’t even know I was on the bike.

And, as usual, I immediately installed a Powerlet PowerMate Tank Bag Kit to supply power to the interior of tank bag. (to charge cell phones, iPod, etc.)

Here’s the Powerlet connection I previously installed on my steering stem, supplying power to the tank bag and the GPS.