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keithu

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Everything posted by keithu

  1. LOL no. The FB groups are a shitshow, of course. I got called a wanker for stating I enjoy 1000+ mile days. But to be fair, the Tracer FB groups aren't much better. I'm still in search of a useful web forum. I joined one, but it is light on value. If you ask about the best exhaust, tires, or carbon fiber bits you'll get dozens of replies. But ask about where to install a Fuzeblock for electrical farkles and it's crickets. I hope everyone appreciates the uniqueness of this Tracer forum.
  2. Yes, the V4S is fantastic. But for the price it better be! And we'll see if it's anywhere near as reliable as the Yamaha through 46k miles. So far, so good at 3k miles.
  3. It finally happened. Since buying the Multistrada in February the FJ-09 has just been collecting dust in the garage. I posted it for sale on FB marketplace Friday, and about 24 hours later the new owner was loading it up in his trailer. He's a nice younger guy from Olympia, WA and I strongly encouraged him to join this forum. It was truly bittersweet to see the FJ go. This was the best all around bike I've had in 30+ years of riding, and definitely the most reliable. I'm sure it will provide many more years of faithful service to the new owner.
  4. Okay, it took more than a week or two. I finally posted the FJ-09 for sale on FB marketplace and 24 hours later the new owner was loading it up in his trailer. I have to admit I was pretty sad to see it go, as it's been a phenomenal bike. But it's just been gathering dust since I bought the Ducati so it was time to send it on. ๐Ÿ˜ข
  5. Probably not. For above five minutes my wife expressed some interest in riding it, but she has since retracted those statements. So I'll probably put it for sale here in the next week or two.
  6. Really nice work! I would be a little concerned about fatigue causing cracks at the bracket bends, but the bends have a gentle radius which should reduce stress in that area. It would be even stronger if you could weld in a brace at each corner, but given the thickness of the material maybe not necessary. I definitely think you should powder coat or paint the assembly, however. Contrary to popular opinion aluminum does corrode, and corrosion is often a contributing factor to stress cracking in aluminum.
  7. I was just being snarky as I also recently bought a large adventure bike with a ~1200cc V-4.
  8. Sounds very similar to the Multistrada. Despite being heavier and more powerful I find it easier to ride at low speeds than the FJ-09 thanks to the balance and power delivery.
  9. Cool ride! But a 1200cc V-4 in an adventure bike? That's just crazy. ๐Ÿ˜
  10. The long service intervals are a plus. But I'm already sure I won't try to do the valve service myself, and I shudder to think what it will cost. I had the Ducati dealer do the 600 mile service and it cost more than my first motorcycle. ๐Ÿคช
  11. I have about 800 miles on it so far. Some observations in no particular order: * The Multistrada is quite a bit more pleasant at low speeds and in traffic than the FJ-09, mainly due to excellent throttle response and tuning. On-off throttle transitions are butter smooth, like a well tuned carbureted bike. I know this isn't the most exciting thing, but it makes the Ducati a much nicer commuter. * More exciting is the horsepower. Rip off the velvet glove that makes it so smooth around town and it hits hard, rocketing forward in any gear. I shift less for passing, and as the speedo crests 100mph the Multistrada feels like it's just hitting it's stride. I purposely avoided owning a bike like this for years, and I'm going to have to be careful. The V4 sounds wonderful; I'm not a fan of loud aftermarket exhausts, but I'll bet this motor is joyous when uncorked. * Air flow is much smoother, but the stock windscreen was too short for me. I installed a taller screen from CalSci and the cockpit is now a great place to sit even in foul weather. * Most of the electronics are great. I hate adaptive cruise in most cars but it works very well on the Ducati. Performance is consistent, and it quickly accelerates back up to speed when I change lanes. * The heated grips are not as hot as the Yamaha OEM heated grips, and the control button is in a horrible position. It's on the right grip and can't easily be reached while holding the throttle. * I should not have complained so much about the FJ-09 bodywork. Ducati only uses three different fastener types compared to Yamaha's six, but the interlocking panel puzzle is a nightmare. * Fuel economy is bad, mid- to low-30s mpg. It's about the same as my wife's Hyundai i30. Aux fuel will be mandatory for LD riding. Big stroke of luck on this topic: the fuel tank is saddle shaped with a 1/4" ID rubber crossover hose connecting the two low points of the tank. I'll be able to T into this line to gravity feed from an aux tank, so I don't have to go through the stress of drilling the $$$$ OEM tank for a bulkhead fitting. So nice. * I haven't owned a bike with something other than a 17" front wheel since the Clinton administration. The 19" front is taking a little bit to get used to, but it's not bad. The skyhook suspension works great and I have no problem pushing the front.
  12. Yeah, insurance rates vary widely by locale. Prevalence of uninsured drivers, theft, and accident rates all factor into it.
  13. $220 per year for the FJ-09 with 100/300/100, $250 deductible on comp/collision, and towing through State Farm in western Oregon. I just added my Multistrada V4S with the same coverage and it was the same cost. Amazing.
  14. Yeah, if she really decides she wants to ride again she'll go through a formal riding course like she's a new rider. When she first got her license in the early '90s I was an MSF instructor and basically taught her the course 1:1. But it's been a long time and I think formal training is really valuable. She has ridden various dirt bikes, an Interceptor 700, a BMW R65, and the main bike that was hers for a while was a Katana 600. The FJ-09 may not be the perfect re-entry bike after such a long gap, but it's about the same weight as her old Katana and probably a lot easier to ride. I think if she keeps it in B-mode for a while she'll be fine. And yeah, she'll need all new riding gear. Luckily, my favorite local bike gear shop is woman owned and has a huge selection of quality women's riding gear.
  15. Last night my wife said, "I was looking at the FJ in the garage... Do you think I could ride it?" She had her own bike 25 years ago, but quit riding when she got pregnant with our youngest. So... It looks like you vultures who want some of my parts may have to keep circling for a while.๐Ÿ˜Ž
  16. Yeah, I suck at wheelies too so I'm pretty interested in this. Gotta get through this break-in period.
  17. Yeah, they don't give them away. I got a 0.99% interest rate from Ducati though, which takes a bit of the sting off in this climate of high inflation and rising interest rates. Or at least that's what I'm telling myself. ๐Ÿ˜œ
  18. This one followed me home today. I'm taking it a bit easy during break in, but it's obvious this is an incredibly capable motorcycle. The riding position is similar to the FJ-09, a good thing. But wind management and highway stability are way, way better. The adaptive cruise works very well, and the heated seat was much appreciated on the 42F ride home. It'll be an interesting project converting the V4S into a touring and LD rally bike. I ended up not trading in my FJ-09. They wouldn't give me hardly anything for it so I'll sell it private party.
  19. Getting way off topic here... ๐Ÿ™„ I drive 30+ rental cars per year, and I've also driven most of the compact/mid-size SUVs including the CX-5. Not one of them handles as nicely as, say, a Toyota Corolla. And many of them are not terribly space efficient. Driver and cargo space is usually no better in a crossover or SUV, and sometimes worse. They usually have better back seats than a similar-sized car, which is important if you need to haul passengers. And if you have old knees and/or a back, ingress and egress are easier. But if you prioritize driving dynamics and fuel economy, I'd recommend almost any sedan or hatchback. Whatever you do, don't get a Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross. The handling on that thing is hilariously bad. It feels exactly like driving one of these:
  20. I'll let you know. Nothing goes up for sale until I have a new bike in the garage. I just saw recently the MSRP on the Multi S and was shocked that it was more than an RT. Yeah, it's expensive. My cage is a Toyota Tundra with 18k miles and it's paid for. At the current rate of 4k miles per year, I could probably go the rest of my life without a car payment. ๐Ÿค” BTW I had a newer Mazda 3 as a rental last week on a business trip. I've driven virtually all the compact sedans as rentals and the Mazda is the best driver's car right now. Really nice. If we had to replace my wife's Elantra GT for some reason I'd probably urge her to get the Mazda 3 hatchback.
  21. Not worth it IMO. For all I know that shock is even worse than my original one. I bought a used shock once from a respected seller and it was garbage.
  22. I'm leaving a few things on the FJ: MCCruise; OEM heated grips; SW Motech crash bars and skid plate; Hepco-Becker saddlebags; ร–hlins shock. The MCCruise is of course nearly impossible to remove. The ร–hlins shock hurts a little since it's only a year old and would probably have good resale value, but the OEM shock is so worn and shitty I can't in good conscience put it back on the bike. Some farkles I plan to keep and reuse elsewhere. But there are a few items I will probably put up for sale: Mr. Ed's custom saddle Adventuretech aux light bracket Madstad windshield and hardware V-Stream windshields (med and large) and hardware Barkbuster Storm handguards Tentative: Aux fuel system (rack, tank, modified passenger seat)
  23. I dunno. The original plan was to get an R1250RT, and I submitted a custom build order in September. But here we are on February's eve and I haven't even been told a build date yet. Plus, I've been hanging out in an RT group on Bookface for a couple months and it seems like every other post is about warranty repairs and reliability issues. Not real confidence inspiring. I'll visit the Ducati dealer tomorrow or Wednesday to look at a Multistrada V4S. Unless I absolutely hate it for some reason that's what I'll get. The V4S groups only talk about aftermarket exhausts and carbon fiber bits and tires, despite some people already racking up serious miles on them. It appears to be a solid, reliable platform that works well right out of the box.
  24. It's just about trade-in time, so I spent the weekend de-farkling. Undoing almost seven years of mods was quite a chore. Today I gave it a final wash. It's bittersweet, this has been a phenomenal bike and the #1 most reliable vehicle I've owned over the last 40 years. My only issue with the FJ-09 has been that the clock loses about 30 seconds per month.
  25. Crap! Condolences on the damaged bike, and I hope the soreness goes away fast.
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