Hello from Virginia

When I first got the bike at low speeds when accelerating the bike engine would occasionally just cut out which was disconcerting especially for someone who hadn't ridden in many years. I took it back to the dealer and they lubricated the switch that is activated when the side stand is up. It was not adjusted or lubricated correctly and the bike occasionally thought the stand was down and shut the engine off as a safety feature. Rare problems since but only rarely. Never happened above 20 mph.
Not an issue any more a year later.

In terms of the windshield I have the standard though I've looked at the Givi but when riding have put my hand up 4" higher and I can't tell the difference so haven't spent the money. Above 62 mph the wind buffets the helmet and I recently discovered something called the Rumble Strip that fits on top of your helmet and changes the wind's lift effect on the helmet. I didn't buy the Rumble Strip but put an adhesive strip of black 1/2" home foam insulation where it goes and it does make the ride easier and quieter on the head. They have a web site. I also now on longer rides wear ear plugs...the kind that push in on a cord not the foam kind. Much quieter. Around town I like to have better hearing and hear the wind.

Mileage...the answer for a 250# plus guy is: It depends. Around town with normal stopping at lights, starting, etc. I get 53 in the summer and 49 or so in the winter. YOu spend time waiting at lights with engine running and if you accelerate hard from a stop all the time you will burn more fuel up. On the highway in warmer temps (above 60 degrees) the kind of terrain, wind and direction and speed I choose to ride all effect the mileage. In general on flat ground at 58 mph without a wind I can get up to 64 mpg. I usually average 60 and ride at 62 or so. At 70 mph the mileage is 58-60 or so.

I have checked the spark plug once out of curiosity but it was up to specs and clean. I tried high test gas but that didn't change anything. The new ethanol gas with 10% ethanol gets slightly less mileage as the ethanol has a lower energy content I'm told. It's mandated for air quality in the Richmond area so you don't have a choice.

What is your mileage experience and have you done any aftermarket things to the bike?

I wear an open face with shield helmet but it has only one front vent opening and is a deep wine color. It gets hot in summer so I have an AFX 77 in white on order with better venting and a lighter color.

What do you do for helmet and how do you keep your forehead from being sweaty inside the helmet?

Lance Pearson
Chester, Va.

Thanks for the nice words. I also removed the butt bumper to gain an extra 3/4" inch and am looking at the detailed manual I got with the bike to see if I can tilt the handlebars upwards slightly after sitting on a Burgman 650 on Sunday whose handlebars were higher. Mine might just be set lower and adjustable. Don't know yet. I put stainless bolts and big stainless washers in the butt bumper seat holes and painted them black to match the seat. Works fine.

I just got back from a 130 mile STAR ride with 125 big bikes and 150 people to Wmmsburg and back and the bike did fine...paced with all other bikes. I rode it a little harder from stop lights and up hills than normal so my mileage was 55-56 mpg but am picking up new air filters on Wed. when they come in also. In 5100 miles my engine air filters were filthy and it says change every 12,000 but I think it's going to be sooner than that regularly.

Someone on this list has tried non odor mineral spirits to wash the paper elements with success and re use them at least one more time and I'm going to try that on the ones I remove as the filters aren't cheap. The belt air filter is supposed to be reusable and just blown out as the air there is to cool the area and doesn't go through the cylinder. You just need to let them dry a day once washed as noted according to the buy. Wash/rinse (no scrubbing) so that dirt goes from the metal side to the non metal side.

Tomorrow I am going to talk with the dealer about the possibility of trading the Majesty, 2005, in on a new white Burgman 650 they have on their floor for two reasons..it weighs about 60-70#'s more and is enough bigger in the leg room and width department even with their butt bumper to notice. The real important reason is that it's a parallel twin instead of a single. They run 4,000 rpms at 65 mph and mine runs 5200 or so at 65. Engine will work less over time in theory. It may be too expensive a change but I don't want a bike with a transmission.

I love the Majesty but once I sat on the 650 I knew that I would have bought it first for power and room had I been able to sit on one a year ago. If the deal is unreasonable I'll go right on riding the Majesty and love it, especially if I can adjust the handlebar angle up slightly to make it easier on turns for my knees! I would have considered and bought the Yamaha TMAX 500 parallel twin but they don't sell it in this country..even over the Burgman 650.

Enjoy your bike..I love mine as a Maxi. People on the ride...the more, ah how shall we say it, "less sophisticated big bike Harley" guys teased me and looked sorta down their noses at the Maxi at the beginning but by the time we got there were all complimenting me and the bike. It exceeded their expectations as I knew it would and didn't ruin your hearing in the process.

Lance

Lance, here are some instructions on how to adjust the Majesty Handlebars:

For those wishing their handlebars were slightly further forward or
backward, there is a very easy way to do this. I discovered it by
accident after I got my 2nd Majesty. I noticed that the handlebars
were much further forward on the first one.

Most bikes with handlebar covers have very limited, if any, adjustment
fore and aft, but not so the Majesty.

By removing the top cover, (4 hex-head screws hold it on. 2 on the
bottom, near the handgrips, and 2 near the steering head.

Note that the screws are 2 different lengths, the longest ones go in
near the handgrips.

When the top cover is removed, you will see 4 large hex-head bolts
securing the handlebars to the steering head. Just loosen these
slightly and you can adjust the tilt of the bars to suit your
size/preference. Just make sure that you don't move them so far
forward that the mirrors hit the windshield in a full-lock turn.

There is about a total of 6-8" of adjustment possible.

Total time for the mechanically-challenged: about 15 minutes!

Ride safe!
Ron Kerlin

A fellow named Bryan Villiers on the Majesty Yahoo group had a little difficulty with two screws -- but I think you can perhaps take some of it as the time of day, etc:

Ron Kerlin should be boiled in oil!.

I took your suggestion about the handlebars and took a copy of your e-mail to the garage at 4am and followed them as you said. What you didn't say was the two screws near the grips were a bitch with the angle. It must have taken 1 hr of my time getting those two bastards out and back in again- agh what fustration All else went well and will see how the differant pitch helps with mirror height and arm comfort. Forget the "boiled in oil" thing I was saying this cannot be that hard to put two screws back in Maybe its just me or the time of day. I wont be taking the cover off anytime soon.