A bit of bling!

Here's the list of parts I ordered for the berg whilst I was in the US;

• Husaberg Frame Protection Set 09-10  
• PHDS Progressive Handlebar Damping System  
• Husaberg Neoprene PDS Protector
• Husaberg Exhaust Plug (Blue)  
• Husaberg Airbox Cover (Blue) 09-10
• Husaberg Rear Brake Rotor Guard (Blue) 
• Husaberg Billet Case Guard 08-11  
• Pro Taper Pillow Grip (Blue)
• Husaberg Billet Fuel Tank Cap Vent (Blue)  
• Husaberg Factory Fuel Tank Cap (Blue)  
• Husaberg High Seat (Blue) 09-10
• KTM Front Wheel Axle Pull 26mm  
• Husaberg Pro Bend Handguards by Cycra 
• Pivot Pegz Mark 3 KTM/Husaberg  
• P3 Carbon Fiber Pipe Guard Husaberg 08-11

P3 Pipe Guard - the carbon fibre is actually thick enough to take a hit

Pivot Pegz Mk3

Billet Disc Guard

Billet Fuel Cap

PHDS with Renthal Fatbars and Cycra Hand Guards

70 Degree Racing map switch, kill switch rewired as start button

Trail Tech Striker tucked well in behind headlight

Talking of bling, this has to be one of the best I've seen courtesy of Bunbury KTM in WA

Taber 450

Brick laying has started

It seems the brick layer was keen to get started, so work began earlier this week. Here you can see the rear wall of the house and the rear of the garage. It looks like the brick layer has sorted the Daniel Robertson London bricks to ensure we get a good variation across each wall.

We chose a light grey mortar, that contains white sand, oxide and mortar. Apparently white sand is not white, rather slightly yellow. 

Bricking Started

White Mortar Sand

Rycon built home for sale in Balwyn

My sister came across an add for a Rycon built house for sale in Balwyn, yet another french provincial in the area. Looks pretty nice, especially the floorboards link.

Spotted Gum?

Satellite Mapping - Nearmap

When we look at real estate online, we often find ourselves zooming in on Google Maps. It helps to get a sense of the place relative to the neighbours and all the amenities. A friend suggested I try Nearmaps and after a quick search I would have to agree it's far better. The images are taken every few weeks or months on a timeline, the new images are better quality and it's got a freaky multiview mode where you can look from each side link.

Site Panorama

Android market had 10c specials this week and I came across a little app called Pano link. Here is the result using a Galaxy S with Pano app. Pretty good considering it only took a minute to do. The smart thing about it is that it overlays the end of the previous photo, so you can align them visually whilst taking the next in the sequence.

Site cut, foundations, drainage & now the bricks have arrived

In an effort to get started before Christmas, it's been full steam ahead. In the last 2 weeks they've done the following;

Site scraped and small cut behind garage

Site surveyed, foundations poured 

Bricks arrived onsite

All drainage connected, including stormwater pit

New Bike Prep - KTM 350 EXC-F 2012

Here are some of the best instructions (with photos) I've seen on KTM bike preparation on the net. This guy seems to be meticulous down to the last detail. It doesn't specifically cover greasing all bearings and loctiting certain bolts, but very good nonetheless. He's upgrading from a Berg FE390 2010, so most tasks also apply to Husaberg.

http://www.omraoffroad.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=11192&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0

E-Ticket's 2012 KTM 350 EXC-F

Appliances - Highland Cooktop, Schweiggen Rangehood, Miele Ovens

We credited the standard appliance package and went on a search for our own appliances. We started off with the same approach I think most people take, pick a brand and then select the cooktop, rangehood and oven from within that range. What we soon found was that we were having trouble deciding between brands, as no "one" brand could offer a complete solution for our needs - including SMEG, Bosch, Miele, Neff, and St George. People often go straight to a full Miele kitchen for resale purposes (but we're building to "live in", not to sell), so we decided to focus on the task of each appliance.

In the end we found the following items that seemed to excel at their given task, rather than doing a "one brand" kitchen.

We opted for the Highland Cooktop hand made in Victoria,semi-commercial, which can fit 3 larges pots at any one time, which is more than most 5 burners will actually fit. It also allows access to each pot without having to reach over another hot item. It has a 22MJ Wok burner great for asian cooking and the only stronger wok burner we've seen is a dedicated Wolf unit for much more $$$.  You may not have sufficient gas supply if  you have instant-on hot water and/or gas central heating - so make sure you consult your plumber!

HT3SS

To cope with the output of the high-powered gas cooktop, we looked into Schweiggen SILENT rangehood with ISO Drive. Silent extraction with German motor on roof, 10 year warranty.  The problem with open-plan living is the noise that most rangehoods make, so silent was the way to go.

UPDATE: We've now changed to a Whispair, rather than Schweiggen, here's why link

WM2190SP

Miele Oven 5240B and Steamer Oven DG5060. We were lucky enough to get special pricing on old stock making the purchase a no brainer and we can now get rid of those bulky steamer pots that take up the whole cooktop space.

Panasonic Microwave, still undecided on which model, but less than 1/3 of the price of a Miele and far superior technology. You can buy the optional stainless steel surround, but I think we'll put it in the pantry. Check out their latest inverter technology.


'Conventional microwave ovens operate on only one power level; the microwave energy is either on or off. For example, when set at 60% power, a conventional microwave cooks at full power 60% of the time, and remains idle the rest of the time. This on/off delivery of cooking power results in cold spots and overcooked edges. Panasonic Inverter technology delivers true low, medium and high power levels. This targeted "soft" penetration of microwave energy into the center of your food helps prevent overcooking on the edges and surfaces, and provides more even cooking compared to conventional microwaves.'

Daniel Robertson Bricks

The standard inclusion for bricks was pretty decent, most of the austral range excluding elements. Given our tastes we were keen on either Elements Zinc or Daniel Robertson bricks. In both cases there was a significant price variation, but worth it if you are after a certain aesthetic.

What we quickly found when choosing bricks was the importance of mortar colour. As you can see from the pics below the overall appearance of the bricked area changes significantly with mortar colour. We're still undecided between the tan or grey (white sand, cement, black oxide).

Here are some pics from the Daniel Robertson display centre in Mitcham

Demolition Done

When ringing around for demolition quotes it became glaringly obvious that there are businesses that are actually in the demolition game and others who subcontract and profiteer in the process. We had quotes ranging from ~10-20k for a 60's brick 3 bedroom home with clear site access. Needless to say we started looking at the cheaper options and found that one of the cheapest was also the most reputable.

CLEAR SITE

DANDENONGS IN THE DISTANCE

Here are things you need to take care of pre-demolition;

• Asset Protection Permit through your local council e.g. Whitehorse link
• Electricity removal to street level (try to get final reading yourself). If you've recently had your switch board updated with safety switches, it can be removed or sold once power has been disconnected.
• Gas meter removal and supply to street level
• Disconnect water supply to house, but keep water meter & service active for demo and build (i.e. required for asbestos removal)
• Telephone line was a tricky one & we ended up disconnecting the service, but removing the line back to the junction box ourselves
• Storm water and sewerage we left for the demolition team to cap & this saves your sewerage service fee

Installing KTM EFI Fuel Filter #78141013044

For anyone interested in installing the new KTM EFI Fuel Filter, here is quick run through;


1) Use a flat blade screw driver and carefully pry off the Oetiker clamp that attaches the fuel line to the spout. Be careful not to damage the plastic spout. I used a Dremel tool with fine grinding wheel and slowly cut through the clip until it begins to split, then pry it open with a screwdriver.

2) Push the filter into the spout. It is a pressure fit, so push it in until it stops.

3) Reinstall the fuel line with a the Oetiker clamp that came with the filter. For this you need to use the correct tool or purchase a pair of pincers, Autobahn $15.

Rental Fatbars RC High

I'm 6'4" and find most standard bike setups too low and cramped. With my old KTM I had a tall seat and bar risers/raisers, essentially blocks of aluminium mounted under the bar mounts with longer bolts into the top triple clamp. The problem with bar risers is they change the weighting over the front wheel and therefore the feel of the bike.

For my new FX450, I added PHDS bar mounts without the spacers & decided to look for handlebars with a different rising height to allow for that extra height without changing the weighting over the front wheel.

After many hours searching and reading forums I settled on the Renthal Fatbar RC High link

These are the closest length wise to KTM standard bars for added leverage, have a flat feel, but significantly increased height/rise as you can see below.

Model	Part No	Dim A	Dim B	Dim C	Dim D	Dim E
KTM HIGH	826-01	805	95	68	205	42
KTM LOW	822-01	806	84	52	205	41
RC HIGH	609-01	802	119	80	200	54

VW Certified Oils / Dealer Service Costs

Took the R36 to get it's first service last week & the local dealer did a good job. They rotated wheels, aligned sunroof, programmed 9W7 for steering wheel and normal oil change, etc. All seemed to be going well until I got to the oil section on the invoice 'Shell Helix 5W-40'. I immediately recognised the error, knowing that all current VW petrol engines tend to run a 5W-30, specifically the VW Longlife III 504/507 or Castrol equivilant. After contacting the dealer for clarification I was told that it is a local VAG decision due to Australia's hot climate. The only problem with that explanation, was Shell's website made no mention of 5W-40 being VW certified. I questioned this with VAG & promptly received a call from the dealer to change the oil again for the correct 5W-30. Moral of the story, check the oil the dealer is putting in your car, as it may not be VW certified. I've got a sneaking suspicion it is one way to reduce the quoted cost of the service, i.e the 5W-40 is $15 less per 5ltrs, so the dealer can reduce upfront service quote. I've also read a few comments about people bring their own oil, which may have it's merits in ensuring they use the correct oil and often can be purchased for less at Supercheap or Autobahn.

link

List of 504/507 certified oils link

Brightgreen D900 Curve LED Lights

Apparently there are new building requirements limiting the power consumption for lighting to 5 watt per sqm, so for your average 50 watt downlight this equates to 10 sqm of roof area or spaced every 3.3 m. I don't know how this will look or what your typical spacing is, but I've been looking into energy efficient downlights & it seems the only viable option is the Brightgreen D900 curve. link

They're priced ~ $120 each, so it could be a costly upgrade from normal downlights, but they may be a better alternative than having to change lighting designs (i.e. downlight configuration) to comply with regulations.

Trailtech Striker Digital Guage

When equipping a motocross bike with a speedometer, there are many options. You could purchase the oem product from the equivalent trail / enduro model, but this is often an expensive solution or track down one of the many 3rd party options and hope they integrate with your setup. Trailtech have been making speedometers for a while & from what I recall the earlier models had reliability issues. The current generation seem to offer a lot of features for a good price.

I decided on the Striker, as it has temperature and voltage readouts. The temperature is good for KTM / Husabergs without the cooling fan kit and the voltage is essential with EFI systems.

STRIKER link

BLACK HOUSING

The black housing allows me to include the low fuel and efi lights included with the stock bike and the additional light lo / hi lights once I add the headlight and taillight.

Mounted to triple clamps (mount upside down)

Stealth Striker with housing

Thermally Efficient Blinds

When making window selections and looking at double glazing, frame materials, etc, it's also worth considering the blinds you'll be using. Most people, including myself, are aware of heavy drape curtains with pelmets providing good thermal insulation, but I wasn't aware of cellular or honeycomb blinds. Much like the structure of a double glazed window with an air gap, the honeycomb blinds have an air cell to improve thermal performance.

HONEYCOMB / CELLULAR BLINDS

When looking at blinds, we found it difficult to go past blinds online for service, range and price & we haven't even ordered them yet. We have requested several samples of various types / colours and it's a fantastic service. link

Tilt Window

We found an interesting window design at the HIA Home Show this year, the Smartech Tilt Window System. Its a large openable window that is counterbalanced, opening vertically into the room, like a garage door.

Check out their website, it's a fairly new product developed locally. link

Finished Opening Sizes for Smart – Tilt Window System     

Height: 1600mm, 1800mm 

Width: 1000mm, 2200mm

Sashless Windows

We have a view from our upstairs living area and thought it best to find a window that maximises the view, offers large openings for that open air feeling and is reasonably priced. A simple task you may say, but adding large areas of glass to 2nd stories becomes an expensive exercise, with cranes and on site glazing requirements.

Sashless windows seem to offer that open air feeling, so we had a look at the following products - Shugg Windows & Anneta Windows

FLOOR TO CEILING SASHLESS WINDOWS

Initial prices directly from the manufacturers was astronomic, but follow up quotes from window suppliers were much more realistic (no idea why?).

Thermally Improved Aluminium Windows

It seems a lot of builders are selecting wooden windows for their houses (cheaper than aluminium double glazed), but this may have more to do with energy compliance and associated heat loss rather than aesthetics. The thought of painting / re-oiling timber windows every few years just doesn't sit well with me. I've seen raw aluminium windows in my grandmothers house last over 50 years with little to no maintenance, so logically I chose aluminium windows. Upon closer inspection it seems aluminium windows come in a variety of frame and glazing types that dramatically impact their performance. In their most basic form, single glazed aluminum windows rate very poorly for heat / cool loss due to aluminum being such a good conductor.

After reading a lot of information about windows on HomeOne forum, I quickly realised there was a lot that goes into a simple window.

Ed from EcoClassic is a window supplier with a lot of expertise in this area and a wealth of knowledge when it comes to window design. Just have a look at the window section on HomeOne for his very enlightening comments.

uPVC have the best energy performance, followed by Timber, then Aluminium

When looking at aluminium windows you have your basic variety, thermally improved and thermally broken. The basic variety may not be suitable for today's energy star requirements and you may be requested to change size or location when seeking 6 star energy compliance. Thermally broken windows tend to be too expensive for most consumers, so this leaves thermally improved double glazed as your best choice.

WERS rating link & explanation on youtube

EXAMPLE OF THERMALLY IMPROVED

6 Star Standard link

You can achieve the 6 Star Standard with a few simple adjustments to design and construction, and by including a combination of the many options to improve the building's energy-efficiency, such as:

• Orientation: passive solar design 
• Insulation
• Draught-proofing and sealing of the building's envelope
• Better window design (including size, location, quality thermal performance of frames and glazing) 
• Shading
• Building fabric (including selection of cladding materials, flooring)

Rycon House Build

As the family expands, we've decided that renovations aren't going to give us what we need and so demolish / rebuild becomes the only option. Yes, it will cost more, but in the long run we don't plan on moving anytime soon and feel we get more for our money. Preliminary plans are almost complete and we're going through the specifics now. Here is the facade of our new 36 sq custom split level home.

VW Oil - Liquid Gold

For anyone new to VW, you may be interested to know that some of their engines go through 1 ltr of oil every 5000km. I first learnt about it with the EOS 2.0 TSI engine & after checking with friends who owned a Golf GTI & Audi TT I soon realised it was a common theme. This wouldn't be so much a problem if the oil wasn't so expensive and specific. Here is a picture of the liquid gold.

There is a lot of information out there about why it happens, although the dealer will typically explain it's due to 'harder' driving styles. Make sure you ask for a bottle when purchasing a new vehicle, as it will get you through to at least the first service. link

KTM Fuel Filter #78141013044

KTM recently released an OEM fuel filter for EFI equipped bikes. As it's now a KTM item, I'd highly recommend it's installation into the fuel line. It saves you from having to retrofit / modify the fuel line with 3rd party components & is reasonably easy to install. link

KTM EFI In-Line Fuel Filter

Part No: 78141013044 #26 in the image