Honda 919 ADV-Lite

[OBS460]

I gotta say, although I don’t own a motorcycle something keeps drawing me here to look and read. The lower cost of it all, easier maintenance and cheaper running cost is a huge appea. The bike looks nice, and you did a lot of good work on ‘er.

happy trails

Thanks!

As an owner of several bikes, ill tell you that it's not really that much cheaper than driving a car. Maintenance intervals are a bit more frequent than cars/trucks, and tire changes do get spendy when you're replacing them every 7500-10k miles.

But, to me there's not many better ways to explore. On a motorcycle you engage more of your senses and feel like you're "in the scene" versus viewing it out a window.

I highly recommend giving it a try!

 

[OBS460]

Today I added some auxiliary lighting to make myself more conspicuous while commuting, as well as broadening out my lighting.

The Amber's are on with the low beam, the whites come on with the highs.

 

[OBS460]

Yesterday, I was able to finally find some time to ride up a OHV trail outside of Central City, Colorado. The trail is called Yankee Hill, and is comprised of mainly sandy dirt along with several rock gardens.

To reach the summit, I had to navigate washed out sections of trail and also find good lines through the rock gardens. The last big climb was a real challenge without knobbies, but with some clutch finesse (and a smoking back tire at one point) I was able to find my line. I had the drone follow me through a portion of it in this video.


I'm quite pleased with the bikes performance to and from the trail, as well as how it handled the trail itself. I was able to run street tire pressure the entire time, and I did not change suspension settings at all!

To be able to go from carving corners on mountain passes, to climbing up a moderate Jeep trail, and back really attests to the capabilities of the bike. Here is a video showcasing what I am talking about!


The skid plate held its own against countless rock strikes as well!

 

[Martinjmpr]

Oh, Man, how did I miss this thread????

I picked up a 919 in March. Mine is also a black '05.

Seems odd you would go to a lower exhaust vs. the factory under-seat exhaust if you want to take it off road though?

I'm not an off-road rider (though I will occasionally take a few miles of well-graded dirt if I have to) so my mods have been pretty much for turning it into a mild sport/touring bike.

First "mod" was a windshield. I had bought this Puig shield for my 2002 Triumph Bonneville but I didn't like the way it looked on the Bonnie and it didn't seem to be very well mounted. Swapped it to the 919 and it both looks and works much better:



Ordered a Center Stand from Twisted Throttle and it was super easy to install. I love center stands and try to have them on all my bikes.

After that, I wanted to do something about carrying cargo. Here in CO it's not unusual to start riding in cooler temps, all bundled up, and to progressively shed gear as it gets hotter and I like to have a place to put the gear I take off. I've had a top case on a bike long enough that I've gotten spoiled and wanted one on the Hornet. Found a company called RECRAFT in Ukraine (of all places!) that makes accessories for the Hornet/919/CB900F and ordered one. It took almost 2 months to get to me, but it's rugged and well made. Bolts right underneath the passenger grab handles:



After that my old JC Whitney (Givi knock-off) top case (that I bought a dozen years ago and has been on at least 4 other bikes) bolted right on:



Except for a gel seat pad, that's where she sits now. I'm considering handgaurds/bark busters so I'd be interested in knowing what will bolt to the factory bars. The seat could definitely use a bit more padding.

At 6' 1" I find the seating position a bit cramped and hard on my knees. I'm hoping a seat pad (or better yet, a custom seat) might alleviate some of that.

Overall, though, I'm having a great time with the Hornet! It's an awesome bike, pretty much everything I need and nothing I don't.

 

[OBS460]

Oh, Man, how did I miss this thread????

I picked up a 919 in March. Mine is also a black '05.

Seems odd you would go to a lower exhaust vs. the factory under-seat exhaust if you want to take it off road though?

I'm not an off-road rider (though I will occasionally take a few miles of well-graded dirt if I have to) so my mods have been pretty much for turning it into a mild sport/touring bike.

First "mod" was a windshield. I had bought this Puig shield for my 2002 Triumph Bonneville but I didn't like the way it looked on the Bonnie and it didn't seem to be very well mounted. Swapped it to the 919 and it both looks and works much better:

View attachment 672775

Ordered a Center Stand from Twisted Throttle and it was super easy to install. I love center stands and try to have them on all my bikes.

After that, I wanted to do something about carrying cargo. Here in CO it's not unusual to start riding in cooler temps, all bundled up, and to progressively shed gear as it gets hotter and I like to have a place to put the gear I take off. I've had a top case on a bike long enough that I've gotten spoiled and wanted one on the Hornet. Found a company called RECRAFT in Ukraine (of all places!) that makes accessories for the Hornet/919/CB900F and ordered one. It took almost 2 months to get to me, but it's rugged and well made. Bolts right underneath the passenger grab handles:

View attachment 672776

After that my old JC Whitney (Givi knock-off) top case (that I bought a dozen years ago and has been on at least 4 other bikes) bolted right on:

View attachment 672777

Except for a gel seat pad, that's where she sits now. I'm considering handgaurds/bark busters so I'd be interested in knowing what will bolt to the factory bars. The seat could definitely use a bit more padding.

At 6' 1" I find the seating position a bit cramped and hard on my knees. I'm hoping a seat pad (or better yet, a custom seat) might alleviate some of that.

Overall, though, I'm having a great time with the Hornet! It's an awesome bike, pretty much everything I need and nothing I don't.

View attachment 672778

The low mount exhaust did shed quite a lot of weight, and so far It has survived pretty well. The skid plate extends far enough back that it protects the can reasonably well.

Overall, for a cheap bike the 919s are hard to beat. I'm at almost 74k miles, and it still runs perfect!

 

[OBS460]

The 919 got some new shoes tonight!

I went with a Motoz Tractionator GPS's which are a 50/50 ADV tire (and the most aggressive front tire in a 17" wheel).

Initial impressions were very positive. They vibrate a little under 10mph, but after that they are as smooth as street rubber. Cornering grip is great on dry pavement. On gravel they do extremely well. 45-55mph felt stable, they track straight, and take corners well. (I just wouldn't want to be behind it when I roll on the throttle, the roost looks spectacular with 125hp being sent to the rear tire lol)

I think I've hit a sweet spot on a motorcycle that is capable for all the riding I like to do.

 

[Cabrito]

Your 919 is a thing of beauty.. The MotoZ GPS are my current favorite tire, especially the front.

 

[OBS460]

Your 919 is a thing of beauty.. The MotoZ GPS are my current favorite tire, especially the front.

Thanks! So far I'm quite happy with them. I didn't want to give up much street performance, and I think I struck the right balance.

 

[OBS460]

After 100 miles of gravel roads, chip/tar, dirt/mud, and asphalt I can say i found a winning combo!

 

[Todd n Natalie]

Your 919 is a thing of beauty.. The MotoZ GPS are my current favorite tire, especially the front.

I've read lots of good things about them. They may be my next tire as well.

 

[OBS460]

Next thing to address was the woefully soft suspension, and poor motion control.
So, I installed an Ohlins rear shock, along with .85kg racetech front springs (and lighter fluid) and this went a long way in improving ride quality and handling.

I blended some fork oil to get me around 15CST@40C (stock fluid is 37.8), and the action is much more plush without excessive brake dive. The factory valves do not move enough fluid, so theyre very harsh on bigger hits. Coupled with soft progressive springs it was the worst of both worlds. Hitting railroad tracks at speed, and panic braking, im not using full travel, so 160mm of oil height seems close.

The rear is set at 35mm of sag, 30mm up front.