AF1 | Moto-Abruzzo

11/12/201603/05/2019

Beasthonda (Andy) Fuse Block

Aprilia Caponord ETV1000 Rally-Raid Beasthonda (Andy) fuse block Unfortunately, due to circumstances I won’t elaborate on just yet, I found myself with a bunch of cut accessory cables sorely in need of a home! So step forward front-and-centre the fuse block made by Beasthonda (Andy) from the AF1 forum.

Truth is I’d had this pre-production block sat on my workbench for about three years! Andy kindly sent it to me without the PCB being potted in place so I could have a look at the circuit board. I never got around to potting it and so it sat all forlorn in the corner. Time then to dust it off and put it to good use.

I decided to mount it to the underside of the pillion seat decking – Aprilia call it the luggage rack – so I made up a bracket that bolts in place with two stainless M5 screws and M5 clips. The fuse block is attached to the bracket by good old double-sided 3M adhesive pad. Wiring-up was straight forward and as I knew the overall current load it was going to feed, I used 14AWG and a 20A fuse to the input. The outputs are 2A (GPS), 7.5A (Optimate), 15A (fog lights) and another 2A (Autocom). The output wires connect to a Wago 236 terminal strip – no screws or crimps, just a strong spring to hold the cables in place. And they do hold them believe me! Each connection is rated at 16A and accept cables from 28-12AWG.

Wago 236 terminal connector And that’s it …… one neat block and no more external fuses.

In this location the battery strap retaining screw is obscured, however I only have to disconnect the ground, then the live, remove two screws and lift the fuse block out and drape it over the side of the subframe. Now the battery/screw are more accessible than they’ve been for years! I really wish I’d done this ages ago and I can only apologise to Andy for not putting his fuse block to good use before now. I owe you one matey!!

You can contact him via PM on the AF1 forum or at ‘a’ underscore ‘allott’ at hotmail dot com. Price is £25 UK £30 USA/EU and £35 Oz/Asia inc. P&P

Now if Mr Beast ever decides to do a Mk2 version (R U listening Andy? 😀 ) then I’d love to see a relay in the box and maybe another output …… then we could have some outputs powered continuously (like now) and some that are powered via the relay connected to the lighting circuit or a handlebar switch for example. That way I could bring the INNOVV K1 and cruise control power lines to the fuse block as well. Ahhhh …… what dreams may come true eh! 😀

25/06/201425/06/2014

So long and thanks for all the fish….

Someone recently contacted me and asked if I’d been banned from the AF1 Caponord forum ………… and I guess the question shouldn’t have come as a surprise if I’d thought about it!

The answer is that no I wasn’t banned several weeks ago, but chose to ask Edd at AF1 to close my account – my choice. Why? Firstly, I’d steadily became disillusioned with the way the content was heading, especially after January and also felt that my own input was no longer of any real value. Secondly once the decision was made, cyber security –I’m not going to leave accounts open on the internet that I don’t intend to use, be it AF1 or any other website for that matter. That’s it, no mystery! 🙂

I’ll close by saying that I wish the AF1 team all the best and really appreciate the sterling work they do hosting these forums, it’s just time for moto-abruzzo to move on in another direction.

25/03/201226/05/2016

How to make 21 days fly by!

I’m finally back home for a rest. Oh, did I forget to say I was going back to blighty for a few weeks? Well it was three weeks of fog, frost, rain, sunshine and snow! To be fair, the last two weeks settled down to some semblance of normality after mid-morning. While I shivered and cursed the fog and way-to-fast traffic, Jan held the fort in Abruzzo. She did brilliantly and had a fine time in vastly better weather!

On this trip I was primarily tasked by AMI with training Alan, the new instructor. Alan has an impeccable riding CV, having served for many years in the London Motorcycle Paramedic unit and being responsible for rider training. Would he cope well though with the initial learner end of the spectrum?

Well on my last day I was proud as punch to present him with his first DSA qualification, the ‘Down-Trained’ certificate, which allows him to teach CBT (Compulsory Basic Training) and work with post-CBT learner 125cc riders. It’s just the first rung on the long ladder to DAS qualification as he well knows, but his determination, skill and knowledge have set a firm foundation on which to progress. Good luck Alan, your card was well earned and I hope to work with you later in the year, and thanks Jim for the work!

Aprilia Caponord ETV1000 Rally-Raid AS7 Autoswitch On a Capo note, I finally managed to bring back an AS7 Autoswitch for the fog lights. You can read more about fitting and operation here – it works brilliantly!

I also briefly met ‘Training Man’ and his partner (Paul & Anna) from the AF1 Aprilia forum at a local bike café. His Capo was the only bike in the car park – until our motley group of school bikes turned up! Nice to meet you, maybe see you at Bristol Italian Day next year …….

So it’s back home to nature running wild as spring sets in. Time then to refuel the strimmers, saws and tractor and get stuck in to sorting the land out ……. but first, one little ride out on the Capo, Jan won’t notice!

09/01/201107/12/2014

Triennial reflections

Another couple of ticks of the great celestial clock will see the Capo and I celebrating our third anniversary. Something of a miracle, as over the years my bikes have averaged about 12 months each. In fact the Capo now equals the previous record holder – the Triumph Trophy 1200 and will no doubt storm on ahead to claim the crown.

So why have I kept it so long? Well, truthfully, a few reasons …. moving to Italy and a change in lifestyle for one. Secondly, riding motorbikes was no longer to be my source of daily income, but mostly because it’s a damn good all-round machine that suits my riding style at this time in my life.

By sheer luck I heard about an RR languishing in a garage in Southern France, UK-registered and unbelievably low mileage. Contact was made, photographs were emailed and finally on a dismal day at the dawn of 2008, I said goodbye to the Blackbird and stood freezing my nuts off admiring the RR, freshly delivered from Lyon to Oxford. Within 24 hours we were off the ferry and tanking down through France together, panniers fit to burst and a spare pair of tyres strapped on for good measure …. this was most certainly going to be a make-or-break relationship.

Well of course we bonded … and three years and over 30K later I can’t see me changing it just yet. Simply put, the Capo works fantastically as a luggage toting motorway mile-muncher and even better on the mountain roads where its flexibility and torque by the bucket give me all the fun I can handle. And yes, there’s no getting away from the fact that it tips the scales at a knee trembling 250Kg … but it’s still surprisingly usable off-road, like anything, you just have to get used to it!

I’d like to end by saying that in today’s world, the internet plays its part in the ‘ownership package’, and on that point the support and friendship of the AF1 Caponord forum is second to none … if you’re in the market for a Capo, don’t read the rag-mags, or listen to anecdotal “I had a mate who…..”, visit the forum and get genuine first hand info. Some of these guys have topped 100,000 miles!

So what’s 2011 going to bring …. maybe a trip back to the UK, but the jewel in the crown looks like it might be the ACIM Caponord International meeting in Portugal. If it all comes together, we’ll overnight in Barcelona on the way and maybe, just maybe, we can rumble into the Gothic Quarter and quaff an ice cold beer at Bar del Pi ….. bliss!!!