someguy

@NikenLee has both. Short summary of the MY23/24 model improvements: Engine cleaned up for Euro5+ emissions Better rear end feel (original version's rear end felt loosey goosey compared to the front end) Quickshift for up and down (previous was up only) TFT screen with Garmin Connect satnav Adjustable windscreen, which @NikenLee says is just as rubbish as the one on the original GT Proper hard sidebags Much more expensive

@T9 Jeffrey can you share with us the part number you used on Partzilla, for the benefit of @motochick and others in the USA? It looks like I quoted the Euro/UK/Asia/Oceania part numbers, and these don't work in the USA websites.

Have you checked out the following part numbers? BBW-F840E-01 (34L) BBW-F840E-12 (45L) As far as I know, these boxes supercede the older 39L/50L ones but use the same mounting.

Returning to the original post... just sharing some examples of the 80mph/130kmh limit recommendation as pretty much a universal 'boilerplate' liability statement (Your FJR's recommendation seems like an outlier... or a typo). Honda GL1800 Goldwing manual: Honda ST1300 manual: Yamaha 50L top case manual: SW-Motech SysBags: Givi Trekker: And now for some cognitive dissonance... Dold Industries / Ventura Bag - installation instructions: And Dold Industries / Ventura Bag - website FAQ:

Yamaha parts fiche (Revzilla) Vinyl bag, allen key, and reversible screwdriver. There's not much to it. On my 2018 it doesn't even have a bag, they're just clipped into the pillion seat base.

I've taken my Niken off-road. It doesn't like deeply rutted trails. A single front wheel tracks better. I think the front wheel spacing is too narrow to straddle a rut, and too wide to roll inside a rut. A wide-track LMW may address this. I actually suspect a LMW (either 3 or 4 wheel) could potentially be safer than a regular ATV in regards to rollover risk - although I have no evidence to prove this.

I don't have a T9, I'm one of those weirdos that have a Niken. But if I was in your situation I would be considering either the Ninja 1000 or GSX-S1000. Like @TomTracer I seem to be getting shorter with age. I used to have a Z900 and that has a sweeet engine and very good weight distribution, but unfortunately misses out on some tour-friendly features. Ninja is the next best thing. Shame about insurance premiums for these models. I grew up with VFR800s and Triumph Sprints as tourers, so prefer that to the modern adventure-style tourers these days. Have also done the BMW thing and concur with what @bwringer said - really good bikes, until you have to start wrenching on it or deal with the 'shop. If I was forced to pick a Euro brand I'd choose Triumph, if only for the fact that after-sales seems less of a hassle where I am than the other continentals. (Deep down, a Hinckley Triumph is really a Kawasaki wearing a bowler hat.)

@dpw818 the bikini screen sits just 4cm above the instrument cluster. For me it’s enough to stop that chest pressure ‘parachute effect’ feeling, but doesn’t stop clean airflow around the helmet. So whilst it’s not silent, it’s regular laminar wind noise (like having no screen) and not that awful booming turbulence of the tall screen. P.S. I have no experience with the Powerbronze or other aftermarket screens unfortunately.

@dpw818 sounds like the small bikini screen from the 1st gen Niken (non GT) will suit you, if you prefer no screen. You’ll need: BD5-2831T-00 support stay BD5-28381-00 windscreen 90150-05024 screw, round head (x4) 90179-05003 nut (x4) I have an original Niken with the stock bikini screen, and an optional tall screen (which is the same as the standard GT screen). Experienced the same issue as yourself, and prefer the airflow and lower noise of the bikini.

I have a pair of Five HG-1 Pro heated gloves. Have owned them for over 5 years, and used every winter. They are good for regular commuting on <1 hour trips, but not good for touring. I use them with my scooter for commuting because I can't be bothered fitting heated grips on it. Pros: Get very warm on highest setting - suitable for freezing conditions. Gloves have not failed electrically in 5 years. Waterproofing is the same as their non-electric winter gloves. Batteries can be swapped out easily. Toasty fingertips (nicer than heated grips) Cons: Don't expect them to work for more than 2 hours. More like <1 hour on full blast. Changing the heat settings whilst on the move is next to impossible - involves holding down a button on each glove for >1 second to cycle the settings. Batteries are proprietary design, and need proprietary charger. No USB charging. Replacement batteries are very hard to find in stock - and are very expensive, despite looking crap in quality (generic heatshrink and some cheap sticky labels for regulation compliance) One battery died on me after about 12 months for no reason. Zipper on both gloves burst open after a year or so. Currently sewn back together with fishing line. Recharging the batteries in the evening and reconnecting them in the morning is a total faff. Velcro and fiddly 2.5mm DC connectors galore. TLDR (in my opinion): Heated grips for touring - no question. Heated gloves for commuting, but only if you can get them with a big discount. I would not buy battery heated gloves again - unless they change the battery system to permit USB charging and connection.

I’m not in the US. Auto insurance assessors for certain companies here are well known for declining claims on technicalities.

Just be aware that the OEM top case mounting plate and both large + small cases are rated at a "maximum 5kg load". Insurance companies could potentially choose to make a big deal out of it in a claim if they wanted to be d*cks about it. Somewhat discussed at this thread here There's also a discussion on an FJR forum about Yamaha taking issue with "overloading" for a warranty claim when an owner's top case mount cracked. Edit: Yamaha also say for some (if not all) models that you can either run their panniers or a top box, but not both at the same time. Sometimes in the accessories advisory, sometimes in the manual, and sometimes not at all. I use a top box in the city (filtering easier, and I just chuck my laptop bag in it) and panniers + seat bag for touring (e.g. your Kriega) for better load capacity & distribution.

Yep I would've just changed the oil without bothering with 'flush' (which seems to be made of the purest refined snake oil) No need to change coolant (usually recommended after 2 years on a regularly ridden bike) FYI Niken has an aluminum fuel tank

Crash course in motorcycle damping Velocity-Force curves visualise the damping characteristics of automotive dampers. Low velocity (AKA 'low speed') represents dynamic vehicle roll-yaw-pitch motion, whilst high velocity (AKA 'high speed') represents hitting a large pothole or landing from a jump. Cartridge forks offer digressive damping. Progressive is undesirable because it give you worst of both worlds - wallowing with handling, but harshness with big bumps. This is what old school damper rods offer (e.g. Royal Enfield, SV650, MT07 etc). There are 3 stages to a cartridge damper. 1st stage is low velocity, and this is where the clickers operate (it's just a pointy screw over an orifice). 2nd stage is high velocity, and handled by the shim stack. Stage 3 is basically crash landing, and the oil begins to hydrolock even with the shim stack fully open. Twiddling the compression damping clickers just changes the shape of the Stage 1 curve. Stage 2 can only be tuned by the shim stack. Stage 3 is tuned by the port size that's covered by the shim stack (the 'valve'). Twiddling the clickers will not change the gradient of the Stage 2 line. Only changing oil viscosity will do that. Sources: https://racetech.com/page/title/Emulators-How They Work https://www.peterverdone.com/archive/damping.htm

The lowering kit has reduced the amount of travel in the forks. If they just changed the spring and you're running the factory oil, the harshness may actually be the fork bottoming out and hitting its stops because there's insufficient compression damping. For a square bump, less travel needs more compression damping. The shop might have tried to compensate by dialling up the compression damping clicker, which is a somewhat misguided band-aid solution as the clicker doesn't actually do anything to high speed compression (which is tuned according to the shim stack). So yes one solution is to increase high-speed compression damping. This could be why it feels better cold. The flipside is that whilst square bumps will be handled better, small bump compliance will be worse if you just pour in thicker fork oil. This is the tradeoff for lowering the suspension. You will also change the rebound damping dynamics, given the valves are designed for a set spring rate and oil viscosity flow curve. Clicker fudging might mitigate this, but there is also a shim stack in the rebound circuit that needs attention. Long story short, if you lower the suspension by just using a spring/stopper kit you simply have less travel to play with. Better solutions are either raising the forks up the clamps (not an option on Niken without removing the covers) or a full revalve with an internal fork kit. This is a rabbit hole and you can easily end up chasing your tail. I haven't even started discussing the rear end and what lowering links do to the geometry. A good tuner is required.