miweber929

I hope they don’t do an “R7” to it and make it uncomfortable as hell and only useable on the track. Would be nice if it was more in the vein of my Supersport with livable ergos but still sporty. I went down to eastern Tennessee and western North Carolina 2 weeks ago and had brought the Tracer and my Supersport. Plus for the first time in years I actually ran the Dragon AND managed to run it on both bikes (we had a new member in the group I go with and we wanted him to experience the Gap and the Skyway). I don’t go much more than a 70-80% pace on the road anymore and was doing more of a 60% pace because the road was absolutely covered in wet leaves plus my 73 year old dad was on his ‘21 XSR900 behind me so I didn’t want him to try to keep pace so I slowed up a bit. Somewhat surprisingly the Tracer GT was really in its element and was easy to make speed on, and I had no troubles keeping up with my buddy on his 600RR. It was easier to keep pace and I had way more overhead to go faster on the Supersport, a big twin and Ohlins suspension setup for your weight and riding style will do that, but for an almost stock sport touring bike, the GT was a blast. Had it been warmer and the road cleaner, the difference might have been smaller yet. All I could think of, however, was if I put that Yamaha motor in that Ducati chassis………

A former coworker has a permanent brain injury from hitting a mattress on the highway that fell off the roof of an SUV because the people literally used grandmas oxygen tubing to “secure” it. He had a fairly minor crash, and almost no physical injuries but his mind is completely messed up and he is now permanently disabled. This stuff used to be almost funny to see to me, how stupid people are with their cargo. But now it makes me livid.

Looks like it’s new bike time for me I’ve been saying since my first ride on an FZ-09 in ‘14 this motor needs to be in a sportbike chassis. Yes!!!!

I’m one of those people who have tried Corbin and never found them comfortable either. They are always (usually, I’ll get into that shortly) hard as a rock and weirdly flat and bucket like. I like Sargent, Bagster and most OEM comfort seats over Corbin. Here’s my however: I was desperate for a new seat for my Triumph Sprint GT and Corbin was one of the few made still. Ordered one, and again it was hard, but my disappointment in it was the passenger seat was smaller, shorter and extremely hard for my picky passenger. I took advantage of their return it for 2 free adjustments and had them install their softer foam on it and it’s completely transformed the rider area. Why they made the passenger seat smaller, I have no idea, but the rider area is great. I tried to send it back a second time to redo the passenger area and they effectively told me to screw off or pay them $400 for the mod I need. I still have the seat and use it if I’m riding solo So even though they’ll tell you to stick with the standard foam, I’d send it back and get the softer put on. Big difference!!!

Bought the same one and fitted it last week. Haven’t had a chance to use it, yet……..

That’s not 100% true because oil analysis studies do show oil actually does have a bit of break in time and will protect better once it’s been used a bit. It’s definitely not enough to super worry about in a normal lifespan of a motor about but it is something.

This is one of those different strokes for different folks things for sure: I love the TFT on my '20 Tracer GT and am good with the screen on my '17 Supersport, thought I do wish it was the TFT the '21 plus has, and find the analog dash on my Sprint GT hard to read. I guess it's all what you get used to. My Jeep and my Silverado both have "analog" dashes and find myself putting the center screen to the digital speedo and read that. I hate having to drive the work F150 because I can't read the analog only dash........

I had an NC700X for a while as well. That motor is like no other, and nothing you are used to beside being on two wheels will translate to the Tracer. Its loafing along at 6,200 rpm, that spot where the limiter on the NC kicks in and kills your fun, will start to really pull around 7,500 and flies to it’s redline where it’s a damn rocket. It’ll do 100mph so easily you’ll be scared once you realize it and you’ll need a pile of new underwear until you get used to it. It’s not a liter sportbike but it’s a quick revving hooligan of a sport tourer. Seriously, let it spin, and you’ll enjoy it.

I’ll reply to myself here and say after posting the link to Heroic I browsed their website a bit and found a pair of “used” gauntlet SP-R’s and a new pair of relaxed fit ST-R’s just like my original set I ordered that arrived last week. Once again, these are unbelievably top notch gloves at an absolute steal of a price for what you get. As I said above I was going to get some custom ones this winter, saw these for a good price, ordered them and am blown away by how nice they are. Highly recommend these to anyone.

I was surprised myself considering I’ve owned a bunch of VFRs (as well as other bikes) over the years. I tried to like it, but just didn’t. Probably didn’t help the bike it replaced was an ‘01 CBR929RR I’d owned for 3 years and like 30,000 miles. Thought I needed to “calm down” a bit and go more practical; my wife hated it even more than I did. Replaced the VFR with an ‘02 CBR954RR and was back happy. Thing is I bought neglected ‘93 VFR750 a couple years later and it handled great and was fun, like the VFR’s I remembered. Weird. Ha!!! I’ve had almost 40 motorcycles over the years, the NC700X actually was quite a fun bike let down by its low revving motor with a very abrupt rev limiter. It’s how it got insane fuel mileage but I’ve got a picture of my dad riding it through Deals Gap and it actually could handle decently with good tires and it was a nice commuter to boot.

Man, unpopular opinion here but that 5th Gen VFR was so blah in my book and the one I kept the shortest time, like maybe 3 months. I LOVED my ‘90 750, LOVED my dads ‘97 750, was fine with my ‘86 700 (if it was a 750 it would have been better) and was fine with the ‘02 800 (and ‘06 I rode for 2 weeks) but the ‘98 I had, even with a Fox 929RR shock and resprung front forks, was the most weird feeling, slow handling, boring bike I’ve owned. And I had an NC700X for 2 seasons, that’s saying something…… Might have been my particular one but I’ve ridden a couple and they felt the same. I rode the hell out of the ‘98 Superhawk I had, and had no handling issues with it unless REALLY pushed hard in bumpy corners when the chassis would flex but it always righted itself. The 5th Gen and I just didn’t get along, I guess. My dad loved it, though, so it might have just been me.

So I’ll add a different take on what everyone else said and say I notice my GT “hiccups” or “jerks” at high rpm but feels very smooth in the 4,000-6,500 rpm range. My Ducati with the factory up/down QS is extremely smooth, and the blip it has on the upshift is nearly imperceptible. My technique is the same on both: throttle on, slightly accelerating (or more) and it’s just way clunky about 7,000 rpm on the Yamaha.

Looks like a great trip!!!

Do you want to do a full “upgrade” or is it just a CC you are after? 20k is nothing on these bikes, for around a grand you can add a fully functional CC to your current mount. I bought a ‘20 GT a bit over 6 weeks ago and have put (unfortunately, work has been brutal and COVID kicked my ass a couple weeks) around 650 miles on it and it’s an incredible bike. Love the cruise control, I’ve got the Yamaha comfort seat, seat slope mod, top box and a National Cycle VStream sport windscreen on it along with some Pilot Road 6’s and it’s an absolute blast to ride. But if I had a solid FJ, I’m not sure it’s worth a lot of money to upgrade.

Read through the thread, lots of good choices. I also used to swear by Alpinestars for gloves but the last 5 or 6 years the quality has dramatically dropped off. I switched over to Held and while expensive do LOVE their gloves and they are incredibly well built. My favorites, though, I found by accident at a motorcycle show here in Minneapolis several years ago, when my wife wanted an armored hoodie so we stopped by the Heroic Racing booth. She bought a hoodie (a great piece of gear, btw, and not at all the cheap hoodie you’re used to) and we got to talking gloves. They measured my hand circumstance and told me why gloves never fit me right: I have a size 13/14 palm and size 11 fingers. So either my gloves fit my fingers great and are way tight in the palm or they fit my hand and I have an inch hanging in the finger area with nothing in it. That was exactly what I experienced but was never able to put 2 and 2 together. They sold me a pair of their ST-R shorties they had as a trial pair for like $75 that were 14’s with very short fingers that are the best gloves I’ve ever owned and I wear them all the time. Normally I don’t like shorties but they are incredible. I’m going to get a new pair of them made this winter as well as a pair of gauntlets so I’ll be set. https://heroicracing.com/collections/gloves

Welcome!!!

Will do I’ve been going down there at least once a year with the guys for over 20 years, and the past 6 or 7 years go 2 or 3 times a year and bring the wife for one of them. We’ll move there in the near future…….

Meh, so many think the Cherohala is the best thing down there. It’s fine but getting as annoying as the Gap is with crap riders/drivers and it’s patrolled every time I’ve been on it. I’ll take 28, the Foothills Parkway, Devils Triangle or even better Wayah road, 215, 276, 64, 281, 107…….ok, I’ll stop now…… Heading down there in almost exactly a month. We’ll hit the Dragon most likely, but will spend the majority of our time elsewhere.

I’m personally not a giant fan of the Bilt fit, finish, overall quality and longevity but I’ve personally long been a proponent of buying a last years graphic, closeout helmet at 40%-50% of what this years is for the same reasons: if it drops, gets stinky, fits weird, I crash, whatever, I’m far more likely to just replace a $200-300 helmet than I am a $600 or $800 helmet. If you watch sales and discount venders, and are not super picky in the graphics, deals are out there.

As long as the math, time and effort work out for you, it’s all a good thing.

As someone who owned a Harbor Freight changer for several years and now owns a NoMar changer, I’m going to caution you a bit on this thinking: If you find a place that installs tires reasonably, like $25 or so per wheel which is not hard to do (locally Cycle Gear does if you buy from them, there are several local racers that do it out of their garage no matter who you buy tires from and a local parts store sells tires at or under online costs and mounts and balances for $10 per wheel) you have to change tires a lot to make up that initial cost. And it takes multiple changes to get good, fast, accurate and not scratch your rims, even with the NoMar setup. Supplies aren’t cheap either. My dad and I are finally getting the hang of it and doing it pretty but between us we have like 9 bikes and he rides enough to make it worth it. He goes through 2 or more sets a season. I do usually 1 of my bikes a season but usually have a shop do it because it’s quicker and easier and takes less of my time to have them do it. If you have 1 bike, and change tires once a season or less it’s not really worth it. You said you did it before so you probably buy know this but if others are following along, really run the costs out.

I used to use Vibes and thought they were one of the best motorcycle ear plugs but a friend mentioned these from Alpine and they are amazing plugs. And for the price, even better: https://www.amazon.com/Alpine-Hearing-Protection-Earplugs-Motosafe/dp/B06Y25SM97/ref=pd_cart_rp_1_2/144-3954748-5056704?_encoding=UTF8&content-id=amzn1.sym.14493b5c-0bfd-42da-bcaf-c71500340880&pd_rd_i=B06Y25SM97&pd_rd_r=039c2fdd-92ad-4a00-a2ae-4c5df561e35a&pd_rd_w=QVtVH&pd_rd_wg=mPZaQ&pf_rd_p=14493b5c-0bfd-42da-bcaf-c71500340880&pf_rd_r=N3WXHEYWZQ00QYB2P4SR&refRID=N3WXHEYWZQ00QYB2P4SR&th=1 I swap between the 2 styles depending on what I am riding, where I am going and how I am feeling. Highly recommended.

I’ve heard a lot of people using them say they work well but I bought a Harbor Freight balancing stand and some wheel weights and just do it myself. It’s not hard at all to do and I then know it’s been done and done right. I have a NoMar tire changer but it lives at my dads place around 4 hours away so if I don’t have time to trek up there to use it I just have tires done at the shop and I always verify the balance. It’s 50/50 whether they are off enough to change.

Miss Blackhawk Farms, such a cool little track, when I lived in Madison I’d go down there all the time. I almost did a track day there but I had a 929RR at the time and the guys who I knew riding there with the bigger bikes were saying you’d be in 2nd and 3rd gear the entire time and it was more of a lightweight/middleweight track so instead I always did Road America. But BF was a great track to hang at.

12 O’Clock Labs signals arrived today so I installed them. Not too bad a job, and as others have suggested I would definitely recommend to remove the rear fender to get to the rear lights. Couple things I’ll add that may have been covered, but I don’t remember reading about this stuff when I researched, so just in case: - My job makes me very cautious and I test everything while I’m working on things. Initially I was VERY disappointed in the lights because I “tested” each side as I was wiring them in, starting with the front. I was expecting a hyper flash, at least on the dash from what I read, because the last thing I was going to do was swap the flasher relay, but instead the lights were dim, didn’t really flash and the running lights never shut off when the turn signals were on. I swapped the relay after doing both fronts only hoping that would help, no dice. I continued on thinking I’d call 12 O’ Clock Monday and bitch about these dim ass lights but low and behold when all four were done they looked and worked great. So if you’re like me, as long as they light, keep going, your wiring is correct. - Because of what I found above, they must not be shipping with built in resisters anymore, and you must replace the all 4 and flasher relay or they won’t function right. Everything I read leading up to this purchase indicated they had built in resisters, that did not seem to be the case anymore. - There was plenty of length in the signal wires, no need to extend any of them. - Order 2 sets of the Yamaha signal light mounts. It says that but isn’t super clear, so know you’ll need them. - I ordered the TS702-RLA front signals supposedly with the built in running lights, instead they sent the DRC-T602 lights with the running light adaptors. I’m not sure there were any cost savings, etc. but I’ll message them asking about this. I had bought the 602’s for the rear so I was sent 2 sets of 602’s, adaptors for the rear lights to Yamaha pins, 2 sets of Yamaha light mounts and the 3 wire to 2 wire adaptors pinned to Yamaha for the front. Total cost was like $190, not cheap but with how much the OEM signals have gone up not crazy. Overall, they look great, I’m happy with the quality, but the front lights have a bunch of cable and adaptors you need to hide in the side panel. Easy to do, but I ordered the more expensive front lights with the hope I wouldn’t have a bundle of cables and adaptors to deal with and I did. Also one of the lights heads is fairly loose and easily spins, I’m going to ask them about that and I’ll update with what they say. Edit: 12 O'Clock got back to me (on a Sunday I might add) and the substitution of the 602 lights was so all 4 signals matched (the 702's are slightly different shaped than the 602's I ordered for the rear), and he gave me instructions for tightening the signal head. He also said they still do have resistors in them, however certain bikes deal with them better and some don't depending on their design and what I experienced was not abnormal. Great customer service!!!! I attached a couple poor pics, sorry!!!