McCruise Cruise Control

[Ken]

LOL.  I’d like to just say ”screw the search”. Don’t get the wrong meaning. Do not have a thing against being advised to use “search” or those who use it. I have never had any success with it. Operator error I am sure. So I don’t use it. After several attempts to get information and getting only “do a search” I no longer ask. But that’s just me I’m sure.

[JimBob]

LOL.  I’d like to just say ”screw the search”. Don’t get the wrong meaning. Do not have a thing against being advised to use “search” or those who use it. I have never had any success with it. Operator error I am sure. So I don’t use it. After several attempts to get information and getting only “do a search” I no longer ask. But that’s just me I’m sure.

Search on most websites is just plain badly implemented. Better to use Google or your favorite search engine (I prefer DuckDuckGo because it doesn’t track you, and aggregates from other search engines).


To search a particular subject but limited to a specific website/domain, use the ”site:<domain>” qualifier.


For example, to find McCruise posts on COG, use this search:


Mccruise site:forum.cog-online.org




It’s much more effective than the site’s own search engine, especially so when doing more complex/specific searches (e.g. “mccrruise install -troubleshoot”, which would search for pages with both mccruise and install, but NOT “troubleshoot”)


Hope that helps someone.

[jmozg1400]

"Hey",, everybody chill.

It appears that both of you got off on the wrong footing.

We've all {including me} made comments that stirred up an argument.
Sometimes what started that arguing, was a simple misunderstanding of what was typed.

How about, we get back to discussing Connie's?

I'll start; I don't have a McCruise, bukuz I'm too cheap/poor.
             Is it really worth installing?

Ride safe, Ted

Ted,

Thanks for your mature reply.  I took a break for several weeks from here to get away from the village idiots.  I wasn't going to come back, but I was encouraged by several members to stick it out, so I'm going to.  I have hope that this site can be an enjoyable forum for me.

To your point I'm liking it a lot.  Behaves just like a car cruise control.  Mine might need a small tweak in adjustment when it engages, for example, entering an upgrade there is an ever so slightly a soft jerk.  It's not bad just a small adjustment.   

[jmozg1400]

Sorry but when an angry unknown adolescent comes storming in with "f*** it" and responds with "Idiot and Must have a reading compression problem" I take umbrage and will respond. He sounds like the typical bully who Demands everyone else bow down and pay homage to his superiority. Not going to happen.

Go back and read what you opened with.  You stepped in the ring and threw the first punch.  I threw back and you cried about it.  Deal with it. Move on if you don't like this thread.

[jmozg1400]

Three whole pages. That's a pretty good cross section of information and should have answered your question.


 "Has anyone installed the electronic McCruise Cruise Control?  How is it working out?"



But then you'd have to be able to comprehend the information for it to have any value. Or, maybe you are just one of those people who's "Entitled".

You've got too much time on your hands.

[jmozg1400]

A guy comes to this site. Wants to ask a question to build some camaraderie. Then the peanut gallery jump all over him. Amazing! I apologize for the blunt upfront nature opf the members. Sometimes I wonder if they just sit around waiting to blast a new guy about the search feature. Sorry I don't have cruise control on mine so I am of little help. But these guys have a lot of knowledge. I am sure you will get some advice.

By the way: Welcome to the site. Where are you located?

Thank you bro.  Ohio.  I'm 57 not an adolescent as another thought lol. 

[jmozg1400]

OP wasn't asking for advice.  He just wanted to know what experience people are having with their McCruise.

Welcome to the COG forum

Thanks COG.  And I like your avatar...

[jmozg1400]

I'm wondering why he's asking for others' experience and then 2 posts later he says he already has it installed and it's great.  Why not just give us a review of the thing?  Might have avoided some of the responses.

Because I don't tip toe on what I say.  If people are sensitive that's their problem.  I'm not going to own it.  Yes I just had it installed and the weather here got cold, so I couldn't ride initially to be able to give a review, and even if I did I  still would have started this thread to get others opinions who might have had it a few years. 

[jmozg1400]

Doesn't matter. He's gone. So is Deepsea. Too bad - I liked his knowledge even though it was way over my head! Maybe he will cool down and come back. As for jmozg1400,
buh-bye!

I'm back.  And I'll take the high road on youu.

[jmozg1400]

On a similar note...

Most here know I've installed many Rostras for others, as well as my own bike, and have my own wiring diagrams I share.

I've never installed or looked at an McCruise system, but I keep hearing it's pretty much plug & play, hence makes it worth the steeper price for some.

While on a trip to Arkansas a couple of months ago, I pulled up in front of my motel room at the Quality Inn, and started unloading. Two guys walked up to me and started looking at my bike, and some of the mods I've done to it and began to comment how much they liked it. As we talked, one said he had a new F6B Honda, and he had someone install an McCruise system. It had stopped working, and he had no clue how to troubleshoot it. He asked what mine was, and I said a Rostra, and told him I had installed several of them.

I assume there may be schematics and info included with an McCruise or that can be downloaded out there.

But, do we have any Guru's here on COG that may have their own install tips, schematics to intergrate one to a C14 or, even better, an F6B? I got the guy's phone number, and would like to help him troubleshoot it.

I'd like to see if it's similar or different than the Rostra, both in installation, and wiring.
Any tips that help are appreciated!

Thanks.
Bob

Posts like this is all I was hoping for.  It's good to know if someone has had problems with their  McCruise.  As far as schematics I was sent quite a bit on it, and full disclosure I had someone install it.  I can do some things, but I didn't trust myself installing a Electro Servo unit where if I do something wrong and kill myself while on the road.  I put it in more capable hands.  For the short time I've been on this site I'm at 101 level compared to members on here who are expert mechanics.  It's been a bit humbling reading the advance knowledge that some have here but interesting reading the technical stuff that is posted.  Way over my head, but I'm learning stuff.

[Daytona_Mike]

On a side note-- I have a nice Rostra cruise I installed on my C14.  I dont know why I did? I guess I thought I would use it.
I don't ..  I feel I have no use for it and will probably   never use it. I should have known better- I dont use cruise control  in cars  or trucks either.
I check to see if it still works and then turn it off..
Oh well.  It was a nice idea.

[jmozg1400]

Thanks for the good replies.  Pricey yes, but I got tired of my right hand going numb after 30 to 50 miles, then evolving into pain. I want to be able to go cross country somewhere, but I don't want to suffer while doing it.  That's no good.  I figured if Kawasaki would have installed one from the factory then the price would have been about 1k more for the bike.  I paid 900ish.  It was money well spent for me so far, and as others posters mentioned their service is really good and responsive.  Totally willing to assist with the installation that my guy needed during the installation, and I was on the phone and email with them.  They went out of their way to help.  Good people.

[jmozg1400]

On a side note-- I have a nice Rostra cruise I installed on my C14.  I dont know why I did? I guess I thought I would use it.
I don't ..  I feel I have no use for it and will probably   never use it. I should have known better- I dont use cruise control  in cars  or trucks either.
I check to see if it still works and then turn it off..
Oh well.  It was a nice idea.

Now that's funny.  My reason was over hand numbness then evolving into pain.  When I go out I like to put up a 100.  50 miles is a teaser for me.  Obviously I don't use it on side roads and twisties, but when the numbness starts I have something to go to until the numbness goes away.

[Bruce_Reafsnider_TN]

f you use the cruise a throttlemeister isalso nice.  Cruise for open road riding, throttle lock for a quick reprieve in between corners...

[C14lvr]

f you use the cruise a throttlemeister isalso nice.  Cruise for open road riding, throttle lock for a quick reprieve in between corners...

This is how I roll.

I started with a Throttlemeister, took a 3500 mile trip from Oklahoma to Springdale, Utah and back.
Like Bruce said, they work fine for certain circumstances. But, on a long trip like this, and riding with a group of other riders who had Rostra's... it sucked. It actually became a lot of work and a huge pita.
First thing I did when I got home was order up a Rostra system.
But having them both works well. Sometimes you need to keep the throttle going but need to free up your right hand for a minute. Setting a CC doesn't work as fast or as well.

Cruise controls... it all depends on how ya ride, and where you ride, and for how long you ride.
As for me... it's an important option because of the long trips I take, the large amount of turnpike miles I ride to get there, and having rheumatoid arthritus. Compare that to guys who mostly ride track, or ride 50 miles or less jaunts, or live in areas like Tenn. or SC, where every 10' is a 90 degree curve...
or lucky guys who don't have to put up with 'ole Uncle Arthur... I can see why they wouldn't need one.

The MC Cruise looks to be an awesome setup that's easier to install on a C14.
It was the price that drove me to the Rostra, at 1/3rd the cost.

Bob

[SilverConnieRider]

I have a McCruise Control unit that I installed.  It was one of the very first things I did to my bike after purchasing it.
I googled it and my post (on this forum) came up very near the top.

Here it is. http://forum.cog-online.org/accessories-c14/how-i-installed-a-mccruise-control-unit/

Now a review of it goes like this - It's awesome!!!!.
I did do some adjustments to tweak it and get it as close to perfect as possible.

When going up a fairly steep hill it will lose 1 mph (or 2 mph if really steep) but while going UPHILL it will return to the set speed.
Traveling on fairly flat terrain (which almost always has some ups and downs) it does not vary in speed and holds it rock steady.
If I want to go 3 mph faster I hit the set button 3 times and it will increase the speed slowly to 3 mph faster as to not over shoot it.
In the same way it will reduce speed with multiple taps of a button.  By the way it will engage at 22mph - good for school zones.
If the cruise is on when the bike shuts off it will be on when the bike starts again. This is how I keep it set.  When I start out the
cruise is on and I don't have to touch anything on the control unit - but it won't work until a brake is touched - so I pull the front
brake lever then the cruise is ready and will engage when I tap the SET button.
Another feature is if you were traveling and lets say you went to a Rest Area and shut the bike off.  When you started out
again you could hit resume (after shifting to 6th gear) and it would resume to the last set speed. Pretty cool in my book.

All in all it works better than the cruise controls in my 4 wheel vehicles.  What more can one ask for, as those work pretty well too.

Now as far as the install goes I have installed a Rostra (on a different bike) and being colorblind it was a nightmare,
not to mention wire cutting and bracket bending etc which is not needed on a McCruise install.
But I had no problems with installing the McCruise.  It's not rocket science, so I wouldn't let anyone else work on my bike
as no one will care for it like I will.

And the last thing is the tech support (for a McCruise) is what all companies should strive for!

[Bigfoot_16]

Welcome back, Jeff! I'm glad you're giving us another try.

[Lemon]

This seems to have been dead for a year or so, but I have an interesting take on the McCruise system. I bought my 09 Concours in April 2017 and it was already installed. Went on a couple trips and even riding around town it worked great. Definitely a plus to have on a bike for long distance rides. However, coming from the sport bike world as I did, it didn't seem worth it to get this big bike out of the garage and down the driveway for a short ride around town or to go run some errands, so it sat in the garage mostly ignored after August/September last year. I went to the garage one day and needed to do some rearranging, and my battery was dead. I was able to put a tender on it and get it started again, but ever since that happened the cruise control system hasn't been working. The indicator light will turn on when I activate it, and the light will change color when I hit the button to set the speed, but if I release the throttle, the bike will slow down without any interference from the cruise control system.

I have not done any troubleshooting yet, as I don't ride it that much, but I have been keeping the battery charged now, and it gets moved around every now and then. I have sent an email to the company asking for their help on troubleshooting before I read through this entire thread and left my reply.

[Jacquelyn]

OP - I gnash my teeth when someone tells a member to "go fish"

That said, I have MC Cruise on my C14, and have owned several bikes with factory cruise control. On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being comparing to a factory cruise control, I'd give the MC Cruise an 8. It's great, but it is not as slick as the factory cruise control systems found on say the FJR or BMW's. I find it has just a bit of lag when setting, whereas the factory units are hit the button and boom! Other than that and better aesthetics of a factory unit  I have no complaints.     

[Mabupa]

This seems to have been dead for a year or so, but I have an interesting take on the McCruise system. I bought my 09 Concours in April 2017 and it was already installed. Went on a couple trips and even riding around town it worked great. Definitely a plus to have on a bike for long distance rides. However, coming from the sport bike world as I did, it didn't seem worth it to get this big bike out of the garage and down the driveway for a short ride around town or to go run some errands, so it sat in the garage mostly ignored after August/September last year. I went to the garage one day and needed to do some rearranging, and my battery was dead. I was able to put a tender on it and get it started again, but ever since that happened the cruise control system hasn't been working. The indicator light will turn on when I activate it, and the light will change color when I hit the button to set the speed, but if I release the throttle, the bike will slow down without any interference from the cruise control system.

I have not done any troubleshooting yet, as I don't ride it that much, but I have been keeping the battery charged now, and it gets moved around every now and then. I have sent an email to the company asking for their help on troubleshooting before I read through this entire thread and left my reply.

Another member that I personally know, reached out to them when his quit working and they asked him to ship it to them and fixed it and returned for free. His was already out of warranty and they still didn’t charge him. They seem to be great to work with.

[Jacquelyn]

This seems to have been dead for a year or so, but I have an interesting take on the McCruise system. I bought my 09 Concours in April 2017 and it was already installed. Went on a couple trips and even riding around town it worked great. Definitely a plus to have on a bike for long distance rides. However, coming from the sport bike world as I did, it didn't seem worth it to get this big bike out of the garage and down the driveway for a short ride around town or to go run some errands, so it sat in the garage mostly ignored after August/September last year. I went to the garage one day and needed to do some rearranging, and my battery was dead. I was able to put a tender on it and get it started again, but ever since that happened the cruise control system hasn't been working. The indicator light will turn on when I activate it, and the light will change color when I hit the button to set the speed, but if I release the throttle, the bike will slow down without any interference from the cruise control system.

I have not done any troubleshooting yet, as I don't ride it that much, but I have been keeping the battery charged now, and it gets moved around every now and then. I have sent an email to the company asking for their help on troubleshooting before I read through this entire thread and left my reply.

Another member that I personally know, reached out to them when his quit working and they asked him to ship it to them and fixed it and returned for free. His was already out of warranty and they still didn’t charge him. They seem to be great to work with.

It's little stories like this that sometimes make me think I would have been better off just buying a bike with factory cruise as opposed to spending $1,500 on aftermarket CC.

[cuda]

No problems here with McCruise, $ 30,000 BMWs NEVER break down, EVER

[Jacquelyn]

Certainly far less than many reflexively suggest...that's a fact. Been riding for over 35 years, several BMW's and no problems.

I get your point however, and it's a good observation. Don't get me wrong, I like the MC Cruise, it's just not as slick functionally as an OEM does it.

[kris]

I mostly agree with the post above that gives the McCruise an 8 out of 10 score. Personally, I'd say its more like a 7 or 7.5 out of 10. I got it primarily for highway use and it works great in that setting, but around town doing anything under ~40mph...well it leaves a little bit to be desired.

My first test drive after the initial installation had me shaking my head the whole way back to the garage Tony at McCruise tried calling me to figure out why it wouldn't hold rock steady at lower speeds, but we never could get a good phone connection. Multiple emails later, I got it tuned as well as its going to get. Horsed around with the settings for a few days to see if the low speed performance could be improved. We never did agree on the settings, so my old time mechanic assistant and I decided that the performance was good enough and gave up on emailing him any further.

Now don't get me wrong, it works pretty well all things considered. Not having to butcher any wiring was almost worth the price alone.  I don't regret buying it and it is within the specs that are stated in the owners manual, but don't expect it to function exactly like a factory cruise control.

[cuda]

Do you have the older design with the vacuum can or newer electronic version?