Dave Clark

Installed the JK3D seat leveling kit on my 2015 FJ. WOW, what a difference this simple little mod made. Best $27 I've spent. A lot less than the $225 I had to spend today on a new battery when my old one crapped put on me 1/2 way through my test ride!

Picked up a used, stock 2015 Fj-09 last year and have steadily been adding my preferred farkles and mods: skid plate, brake flasher, foot pegs, bar risers, heated grips, GPS mount, windshield lip, and a fender extender. One thing I hadn't gotten around to adding was an air horn. I've had the Stebel on a couple bikes and am a big believer in them. Because this bike is so tight on space, I surfed the forums here and searched YouTube for ideas. The biggest issue for me was where to mount the pump. I don't have crash bars on the bike nor am I planning on adding any and there wasn't space under the seat. But while I was pulling the tank to replace the air filter, I stumbled upon a location that mounted the pump upright and tucked it snuggly against the frame and aft of the fairing on the left side of the bike. The following pictures illustrate what I came up with better than a verbal description. I traced the brackets before making my install permanent. If you would like a copy of the pattern, reach out to me and I'll send you a PDF so you can make your own. Material used was scrap pieces of 1/4" (6mm) thick aluminum plate I had on-hand but thinner aluminum or steel could be used. I like 1/4" aluminum for mounting brackets like this because it's light, sturdy, easy to cut/drill/file/tap and will never rust. If you use something this thick however, you'll need slightly longer bolts. The large hole was made with a 1-1/8" (29mm) hole saw. The pump bracket shape and mounting holes are specific to the left side of the bike. It can be modified to fit the right side by relocating the mounting bolt holes to line up with the tank mounting bracket on that side. The odd shape of the horn bracket is because that's the shape of the scrap I was using. The crucial measurement is the distance between the mounting holes. As shown on the template will allow the bars full movement left and right with 1/8" clearance between the horn and bottom of the headlight assembly. As you can see in the pictures, I have a full 6" of travel between the horn and the front fender. That's about a 1/2" more than the forks at full compression.

New graphics. This is the way. 😉

Installed an Atlas throttle lock and some new graphics.

Installed Yamaha OEM heated grips today on my 2015 FJ-09. Easiest heated grip install I've ever done. Ordered the kit from Webike.

Yes, they are indeed pricey (even on sale) but after seeing they are out of stock many places and that I couldn't even find them on the PuigUSA website any longer, I was worried they might be out of production. I bought the last one listed on Revzilla's inventory. I admit there are two reasons I installed them: 1. Function. To see if it helps with airflow. 2. Form. To fill-in and cover up some of the exposed area behind the headlights (they area of the bike always looked unfinished to me). When the weather stops snowing here and warms up enough to ride, I'll report back.

Also installed some Puig fairing extensions and the new Puig windscreen deflector 2.0. Too damn cold today to test them though (37 degrees!).

Pyramid Plastics fender extenders front and back.

Same! I put one on the back too.

Thanks, Lone Wolf. That's what I was suspecting would do the trick.

No windscreen produced almost totally clean airflow (no s**t, Sherlock!). I reinstalled the fly screen but angled a little flatter by doubling the spacers on the bottom. I was hoping to direct the wind flow to my neck/chin but the result was even more noisy turbulence than before. Tomorrow after work I'll switch it around and stand the the screen more upright. If that's not satisfactory, I'll haver to consider one of those Puig deflectors.

Weather just barely improved enough (54 degrees and partly sunny) to take my bike on a good, 150 mile ride of interstate, twisty 2-lane, and country backroads. I added the following upgrades before the ride: Rubber padded foot pegs Bar up/back blocks (1" both ways) KTM hand guards Parabellum Flyscreen Adventure Tech mirror extenders SW Motech skid plate VERDICT: I'm very happy with all the ergonomic changes EXCEPT the Parabellum Flyscreen. While it's a big improvement over stock, it still puts too much rumbling air around my helmet over 55MPH, even in the lowest position. I love the quality of the item and the customer service was unmatched but I think I might like something even lower. Next time I have a chance to ride I'm going to take the windshield off altogether and ride it "naked" and see if that result in cleaner airflow.

And yes, I’m just barely old enough to understand that DC5 reference. 😉 My older sister was a fan and I’ve heard the comparison my whole life. There are certainly worse things! 😁

Thanks, Knyte. You've certainly given me something to consider. I just went out and inspected the oil drain on my 2015 FJ - good Lord that IS a bad design! The thread you linked illustrates that it doesn't take much to crack that pan. I'll put the drain plug mod and a skid plate of some sort on my to-do list. As for brake pads, SS lines, suspension, slipper clutch, ECU flash, etc, I need to ride the bike for a season to see how much I really "need" any of those. Many of the same mods are recommended "must-haves" for the 650 V-strom. I put 30k miles on my stock 2008 Vstrom and enjoyed every unmodified mile. The FJ is already several levels better than the Vstrom right out of the box. However, I'll keep your suggestions in mind this season. I do appreciate them but my priorities at the moment are ergonomics and protection. Thanks again!

Currently in the mail: Parabellum Flyscreen KTM Adventure hand guards Bar riser/bar back AdventureTech Mirror Extenders and Kickstand foot Rubber padded footpegs GPS mount and Zumo XT mounting parts Next decision is protection. Fenda Extenda's front and back and a radiator guard are part of the plan but there are almost too many choices for side protection! Can't decide between Givi crash bars, smaller crash bars, or a combo of sliders and case covers. I won't deny that looks do play a part in the decision. After I installed a big skid plate, SW Motech crash bars, and bark busters to my V-strom, it looked like an ADV bike - and it never left tarmac! It was overkill for the way I road that bike. I'd like my FJ to maintain a cleaner, road-only look but I can't ignore the apparent protection full blown Givi bars provide. Alternative suggestions in this area are appreciated.

I ordered a Ram mount that looks almost exactly like the one in your link: https://www.ebay.com/itm/284441073152 I wasn't planning on a skid plate for this bike. Is cracking the bottom of the case from road debris that common on this bike? And what's the "oil plug mod"?

Thanks for the tip. I'm going to need to ride mine more to get a good feel of what you're describing before I spend $300 on an ECU flash.

Thanks for the warm welcome! Since I bought my bike last month I've ridden it exactly...once! The weather here in Eastern Washington is still cold and snowy. We got another 6 inches just a week ago and in fact, it's snowing as I type this! But I think these are the death throes of winter. In the meantime, I've been learning more about the bike, going over it with a fine-toothed comb, checking fluids, filters, chain, etc. Also started the farkeling process, so far ordering footpegs, bar risers, GPS mount, mirror extensions, kickstand foot, windscreen and new handguards.

Hi. I'm picking up a 2015 FJ-09 in matt grey with less than 8k miles on Tuesday. Noticed several items on my test ride that I'll be dressing ASAP: windscreen, hand guards, footpegs, and GPS mount. All suggestions are welcomed. FWIW, current ride is a KTM 390 Adventure. Previous bikes were a WR250R, V-strom 650, and Kawasaki Super Sherpa. The KTM replaced the WR for adventure trips (such as BDR's). The FJ-09 replaces the old Vstrom for sport touring duties. Thanks!