Author Topic: Cruise Control for a 09? What has been tried?  (Read 8869 times)

Offline Blazerkane52

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Cruise Control for a 09? What has been tried?
« on: January 23, 2014, 12:16:18 PM »
I have a 09 Connie.  My wife and I travel quite abit and I am noticing that as I get older that my throttle hand and arm tingle and go numb after about 100 miles or so.  Was wondering what has been tried and works as far as a cruise control?  Have tried the hand heel rest on the grip and it helped but would like another option.
Thanks

Offline VirginiaJim

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Re: Cruise Control for a 09? What has been tried?
« Reply #1 on: January 23, 2014, 12:22:29 PM »
Throttlemeister - http://throttlemeister.com/  (I use to have this one installed but really only works well for me on very flat interstates)
Rostra - http://www.murphskits.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=369  (haven't had the pleasure)
MCcruise - http://www.mccruise.com/collections/kawasaki/products/27  :yikes:

There may be one other one but try as I might, I can't think of the name..well that certainly hurt my brane.

I think that's it but there may be more...
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Offline B.D.F.

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Re: Cruise Control for a 09? What has been tried?
« Reply #2 on: January 23, 2014, 12:39:48 PM »
Those and the new Murph's 'Audiovox' style, vacuum operated version that used to be the CSS 100 model when Audiovox sold it. A couple of folks have jammed them onto C-14's apparently successfully. But those are the basic three, Murph's, Rostra and McCruise.

Brian

Throttlemeister - http://throttlemeister.com/  (I use to have this one installed but really only works well for me on very flat interstates)
Rostra - http://www.murphskits.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=369  (haven't had the pleasure)
MCcruise - http://www.mccruise.com/collections/kawasaki/products/27  :yikes:

There may be one other one but try as I might, I can't think of the name..well that certainly hurt my brane.

I think that's it but there may be more...
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Offline Gumby

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Re: Cruise Control for a 09? What has been tried?
« Reply #3 on: January 23, 2014, 01:02:43 PM »
Get the right size of O-ring. Cheap and easy.


Offline Cuda

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Re: Cruise Control for a 09? What has been tried?
« Reply #4 on: January 23, 2014, 01:27:05 PM »
I just emailed McCruise to see it they would do a group buy?
This is the only option left that I care to get.
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Offline maxtog

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Re: Cruise Control for a 09? What has been tried?
« Reply #5 on: January 23, 2014, 03:01:52 PM »
This is the only option left that I care to get.

I would want a non-vacuum system; one that is servo controlled.  Much smaller, no leaking, less complexity, etc.  Can't remember which one that is at the moment...
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Offline galaxieman

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Re: Cruise Control for a 09? What has been tried?
« Reply #6 on: January 23, 2014, 04:50:16 PM »
Rostra is servo controlled.  On my list of things to do to the bike once I get back to the mainland.  Doesn't make much sense here.
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Offline maxtog

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Re: Cruise Control for a 09? What has been tried?
« Reply #7 on: January 23, 2014, 05:21:21 PM »
Rostra is servo controlled.

Yeah, that is the one.  THAT one sounds far more interesting, to me anyway.
Shoodaben (was Guhl) Mountain Runner ECU flash, Canyon Cages front/rear, Helibars risers, Phil's wedges, Grip Puppies, Sargent World seat-low & heated & pod, Muzzy lowering links, Soupy's stand, Nautilus air horn, Admore lightbar, Ronnie's highway pegs, front running lights, all LED, helmet locks, RAM Xgrip, Sena SMH10, Throttle Tamer, MRA X-Creen, BearingUp Shifter, PR4-GT, Scorpion EXO-T1200,etc

Offline B.D.F.

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Re: Cruise Control for a 09? What has been tried?
« Reply #8 on: January 23, 2014, 06:23:02 PM »
To no one in particular: there is a little confusion here regarding 'servo'. No cruise control is servo controlled. A servo is something that goes to a specific place in a specific motion profile (velocity, acceleration) based on feedback of a 'watching' mechanism separate from the actuator but attached to it.

I think what some of you might mean by 'servo' is all- electric, non- vacuum driven. The Rostra is actuated by an electric motor although it is not a servo. Murph's and McCruise are actuated by vacuum motors (specifically diagram motors) but electronic regarding control.

Of course the Rostra, being all- electric in operation as well as the actual actuator (the thing that actually moves the throttle) does not require any vacuum connections or storage tanks.

Hope this clarifys the terminology a bit.

Brian
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Offline Cuda

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Re: Cruise Control for a 09? What has been tried?
« Reply #9 on: January 23, 2014, 07:34:49 PM »
Soooo is the Rostra system better than the McCruise ?
or ...

I got a reply from McCruise they would only do a 5% reduction .
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Offline maxtog

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Re: Cruise Control for a 09? What has been tried?
« Reply #10 on: January 23, 2014, 10:13:35 PM »
Soooo is the Rostra system better than the McCruise ?
or ...

"Better" is a relative term.  That is like asking if red is better than blue.  As I most already said, a motor (was servo) activated system *TECHNOLOGY* will better than a vacuum activated system because it will be smaller, more reliable, easier to install, etc.  But that doesn't mean the Rostra is "better" than the McCruise.  This completely ignores price, ease of KIT to install, instructions, support, warranty, design and reliability of all other components.

Quote
I got a reply from McCruise they would only do a 5% reduction .

Meh.
Shoodaben (was Guhl) Mountain Runner ECU flash, Canyon Cages front/rear, Helibars risers, Phil's wedges, Grip Puppies, Sargent World seat-low & heated & pod, Muzzy lowering links, Soupy's stand, Nautilus air horn, Admore lightbar, Ronnie's highway pegs, front running lights, all LED, helmet locks, RAM Xgrip, Sena SMH10, Throttle Tamer, MRA X-Creen, BearingUp Shifter, PR4-GT, Scorpion EXO-T1200,etc

Offline Rembrant

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Re: Cruise Control for a 09? What has been tried?
« Reply #11 on: January 24, 2014, 05:11:15 AM »
I installed a Rostra kit on my 2008 C-14, and then later transferred the whole works over to my 2010 C-14. In the bang for buck category, this thing can't be beat...it just works. I think it was $240 bucks from Murphs...can't remember if that included the little aluminum mounting plate for the keypad or not, but whatever...it was $20 bucks.

I've done a lot of hwy running, so I've put a lot of miles on this cruise system, and it has performed very well.

The only 'issue' I had with it was last year, after riding in the rain for several days straight, I believe some water must have gotten inside the keypad and the cruise did kick on unexpectedly one time. It scared the poop out of me, but it was also a lesson learned...I had had the keypad activated in the 'on' position, so it was ready to go, and it shouldn't have been. Once I turned it off, it was fine after that. I spent the next day riding in blistering heat, and the keypad dried out on it's own and has been fine ever since.

On a scale of 1-10, I'd give the Rostra kit a 9/10. Without BDF's install instructions, I'd give it a 5/10.
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Offline Rhino

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Re: Cruise Control for a 09? What has been tried?
« Reply #12 on: January 24, 2014, 09:19:18 AM »
I installed a Rostra kit on my 2008 C-14, and then later transferred the whole works over to my 2010 C-14. In the bang for buck category, this thing can't be beat...it just works. I think it was $240 bucks from Murphs...can't remember if that included the little aluminum mounting plate for the keypad or not, but whatever...it was $20 bucks.

I've done a lot of hwy running, so I've put a lot of miles on this cruise system, and it has performed very well.

The only 'issue' I had with it was last year, after riding in the rain for several days straight, I believe some water must have gotten inside the keypad and the cruise did kick on unexpectedly one time. It scared the poop out of me, but it was also a lesson learned...I had had the keypad activated in the 'on' position, so it was ready to go, and it shouldn't have been. Once I turned it off, it was fine after that. I spent the next day riding in blistering heat, and the keypad dried out on it's own and has been fine ever since.

On a scale of 1-10, I'd give the Rostra kit a 9/10. Without BDF's install instructions, I'd give it a 5/10.

+1 I've had it on the bike for 2 years or more and it has worked flawless.

Offline B.D.F.

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Re: Cruise Control for a 09? What has been tried?
« Reply #13 on: January 24, 2014, 09:38:04 AM »
Better.... I do not think so. In fact I believe the McCruise is probably more steady and even than the Rostra installed on a C-14.

But they really are quite different units with very different installations and cost. I have not looked in a while but a McCruise was around $1,000 or a tad more in the US. The Rostra is around $200 plus control switch for a total of well under $250 total.

The installs are quite different also. While both are pretty involved and will take some time as well as removing a lot of fairings, the McCruise is made to fit the C-14 and very little guessing on customization is needed (maybe a couple of cut and spliced wires but no more). The Rostra is a general CC kit, made to fit about everything in the world and needs to be adapted to the C-14 by the installer; this requires a lot of custom wiring as well as some light fabrication and a fair amount of attention to detail. In short, the installation is very much in the installer's hands with the Rostra and it is by no means a 'kit for the C-14'.

The Rostra is also imperfect in regulating speed at low vehicle speeds and can be a bit jerky, again at low speeds. That said, it does work quite well on the highway where most people want to use it and actually use it.

One final thing: you will get a fair amount of support and help from places like this forum, and I will help if I can regarding the Rostra installation but unless one is pretty able mechanically as well as electrically, it can be a challenge and frustrating to install because it is not for the C-14 but generic and the installer has to figure out a lot of the nuances that go with installing one. The McCruise on the other hand, is made for the C-14 and sold to be used on motorcycles and that means you will get good customer support from McCruise directly. Rostra will not support any non- auto installations anymore.

My suggestion would be to read about various installations of both units and make a careful, informed decision.

Brian

Soooo is the Rostra system better than the McCruise ?
or ...

I got a reply from McCruise they would only do a 5% reduction .
Homo Sapiens Sapiens and just a tad of Neanderthal but it usually does not show....  My Private mail is blocked; it is not you, it is me, just like that dating partner said all those years ago. Please send an e-mail if you want to contact me privately.

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Offline Rembrant

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Re: Cruise Control for a 09? What has been tried?
« Reply #14 on: January 24, 2014, 01:02:24 PM »
Better.... I do not think so. In fact I believe the McCruise is probably more steady and even than the Rostra installed on a C-14.

For what it's worth, my friend Larry and I did an 8500 mile trip, coast to coast Canada and USA in two weeks, on matching 08 Concours-14's, one with Rostra (mine) and one with McCruise (his).

Anybody familiar with the entire middle sections of both countries...lol, knows there is a whole lotta flatness. We did tank after tank after tank with our cruise controls on. On flat ground, once we got them synchronized, the stayed together bang on, for hundreds of miles...neither one gaining on the other.

What I did notice however, was on long uphill grades, that the Rostra would slowly gain on the McCruise. I'm not talking much here...lets say, on a long uphill grade...maybe a mile or two, that the Rostra would gain two bike lengths on the McCruise. On flat, level ground, they would stay neck and neck, all day long.

Just an observation...nothing more. Like I said, for the most part, they would stay neck and neck even, all day long. Pretty neat, considering they're both completely different kits. One would assume that they'd each require periodic adjustments to keep the same speed, but I can say with 100% certainty, that they would stay together all day long, for the most part.
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Offline wingrider

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Re: Cruise Control for a 09? What has been tried?
« Reply #15 on: January 24, 2014, 01:10:28 PM »
The MCCruise requires no wire modification and their customer service can't be beat. Their unit comes as a plug and play cruise control. The directions are very clear and the complete system is very wellthought out. It uses existing mounting holes and bolts and supplies any that are needed if different. For the quality involved I think they are the best one out there even for the money.

Offline Rembrant

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Re: Cruise Control for a 09? What has been tried?
« Reply #16 on: January 24, 2014, 01:23:35 PM »
The MCCruise requires no wire modification and their customer service can't be beat. Their unit comes as a plug and play cruise control. The directions are very clear and the complete system is very wellthought out. It uses existing mounting holes and bolts and supplies any that are needed if different. For the quality involved I think they are the best one out there even for the money.

Yes, sure, for plug-n-play, McCruise is the only way to go. It's not that the McCruise performs any better than the Rostra, but it may very well be easier to install. If you don't mind tackling a little bit of wiring and initial set-up, the Rostra kit is $750-$800 dollars less than the McCruise, so that is worth taking into consideration when comparing the two. Plug-N-play is nice, but for the guys that don't mind a little bit of extra work, the Rostra kit offers huge value for the money.
« Last Edit: January 24, 2014, 03:43:49 PM by Rembrant »
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Offline gPink

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Re: Cruise Control for a 09? What has been tried?
« Reply #17 on: January 24, 2014, 01:49:19 PM »
Do we know any gadet guy around here that would market a plug and play harness for the rostra?

Offline Rembrant

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Re: Cruise Control for a 09? What has been tried?
« Reply #18 on: January 24, 2014, 01:52:37 PM »
Do we know any gadet guy around here that would market a plug and play harness for the rostra?

Talk to BDF, but I expect that if he has not done it by now, that he has no plans to.

The wiring for the Rostra kit is actually pretty simple...other than tapping into the VSS, the clutch signal, and brake light signal, you're using the bike's accessory plugs.
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Offline Rhino

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Re: Cruise Control for a 09? What has been tried?
« Reply #19 on: January 24, 2014, 02:18:08 PM »
Yes, sure, for plug-n-play, McCruise is the only way to go. It's not that the McCruise performs any better than the Rostra, but it may very well be easier to install. If you don't mind tackling a little bit of wiring and initial set-up, the Rostra kit is $750 dollars or more less money, so that is worth taking into consideration when comparing the two. Plug-N-play is nice, but for the guys that don't mind a little bit of extra work, the Rostra kit offers huge value for the money.

I paid $240 from murphskits.com