In a nutshell, finished.
The exhaust mountup with the new gaskets went easily. Didn't need to offset the muffler as working things on in accordance with the OEM manual let it all align.
Floorboard installation took a little work. The kit included a few washers that you were to stack in order to offset the floorboard to clear the pipe.
Two things were a problem with that.
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That left very little thread on the bolts to hold the floorboard. That might be ok if you only rested your feet on them, but I've a habit of standing on them while riding rough roads and even some trails.
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It wasn't enough to clear the shields on the pipes anyhow. Bare pipes would have been ok with the stack of washers, but with the chrome shields, the shields didn't clear.
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In my opinion, the kit should have come with new allen head bolts.
So, here's a picture of the stock floorboard bolt, with enough threads to hold reasonably securely.
Here's the stock bolt with their stack of washers. Not enough thread in my opinion.
1/2" Allen head bolts are not stocked at hardware stores. So I had to use hex head bolts. Which might cause some long term problems with the electrical lines running there. Probably not because the wires are plastic wrapped. But still, I'd rather have used allen head bolts.
This is the longer stainless bolt with the stack of stainless washers I thought would suffice.
Do notice and admire the pretty pink crocks. But hey, the fingers are dirty and manly!
This is where I ran into the problem with the shields on the pipe, and ended up having to offset even further. I actually could use longer bolts than I bought because of how much I had to stack washers to get the floorboard out far enough to clear.
Final stack of washers:
And the clearance all that got me:
The look of the one floorboard being offset isn't too noticable. But it does create a minor problem in that my foot is not square on it, so I push the pad in with my foot, which ends up sorta negating the anti vibration pads. I'm sure I'll adapt, that or I'll drill the base and add an extra pad for the inboard position so I quit cocking the insert and making metal to metal contact with it.
Having the pipe offset also makes it quite a bit easier to touch it with my right let. Again, it's just a half inch or so, but that's enough to matter.
Engagement is solid, and there's really no chance of acccidentally bumping it with anything. The lever is well inboard and essentially under the gas tank. So that's great.
Using the reverse I backed it out of the shed. I did a lap around the yard, and then backed it into the shed. The shed has a ramp down it into the yard.
Backing out of the shed with the reverse was wonderful. Normally I have to heave it to get started down the ramp (lip at the top). Then I have to get off and push with everything I have to roll it backwards in the yard. All without dropping it. With the reverse, I just walked it onto the ramp, down the ramp, and across the yard. That was great!
Backing it up into the shed, that wasn't so easy. It was awkward and involved a lot more clutch slipping and throttle than I'd have expected. I'm sure I'll get better in the future. But, I may just ride into the shed like I've always done, and just back it out.
The single biggest gripe I'd give at the moment is the gear ratio of the reverse. It's too fast. At idle, I'd say the bike is moving at a walking pace. Maybe even a brisk walking pace. Not sure yet, haven't reversed more than 100 feet so far. But it's too fast to simply engage the clutch with the engine idling.
So you slip the clutch. If you're trying to back up an incline, you need throttle too. So now you're reved up, slipping the clutch, trying to control things going backwards. Doable, but not exactly easy. At least not yet. I'm sure I'll get better at this with some practice.
Am I happy? I'd say yes, but it's a little tentative and a little qualified. I have been successful at wrestling this bike backwards by hand previously, usually. Only genuinely needed help once. But that really sucks. I've never fallen over standing beside it pushing against the saddlebag guard, but then I've never slipped either. I've no doubt that should I slip we're going over, and that 800 pound of bike is going to land on me. At which point I would be hating life.
So I'm sure I'm going to enjoy the use of a mechanical reverse for all those times I have to horse this 800 beast backwards. I just wish it were slower. A lot slower in fact.
I'll post more in the future when I've had more time using the reverse.
