keithu

There are two tubes. The lower one supports the bottom of the headlight assembly and has aux light mounts. The upper tube supports the top of the headlights, instruments, and windshield, and that's the one that cracked according to the photo @piotrek posted on page 1. I don't think there is much strain on the lower tube unless you mount large aux lights using the Adventuretech bracket as I did. You can't put all thread through the upper tube because it's blocked. Although if it does eventually break, you could insert some all thread to reinforce it and then weld it back together.

Concerned about strain on the subrame due to the added weight of the large aux lights and bracket, I reinforced the lower headlight stay with a 10.5" length of 3/8" all thread and some nuts. The stay is hollow and prone to cracking according to other owners, but the all thread slips through easily and significantly strengthens the mount.

I think it should be noted that the all-thread fix only works for the lower stay which supports aux lights and the bottom of the headlight assembly. I believe the OP had a problem with the upper stay, which is unfortunately blocked by a welded-on bracket.

Thanks for the review @1moreroad . I have an R3 and an older 2-piece RC Classic. Like you I wish they made a 2-piece R3. I'm thinking of switching to a Darien jacket, but have agonized over whether the AD-1 or Darien pants would be better. I'll be interested to hear how they work for you on longer rides.

The main differences are: * The Classic is lined but the R3 is not. This means the R3 wears a little cooler in hot weather. * The R3 is only available as a one piece, which is a bummer IMO.

Just don't use your turn signals, then you don't have to worry about it. 😀 But seriously... part of me wants to say "I don't need any gol-darn self canceling turn signals, grumble grumble..." but I know that if I ever had a bike with self-canceling signals I would probably then wonder how I lived without them. Harley-Davidson has had this technology for almost 30 years I think, so how difficult can it be?

Almost every aspect of motorcycle technology has improved in recent years, but fairing design for serviceability isn't one of them. Part of the appeal of the FJ-09 to me was the lack of full fairings; not only do I like to see the engine, but I figured less tupperware would be better for service access. Nope! I've owned 12 motorcycles, 8 with fairings, and the FJ is the most difficult to work on (followed closely by two Suzuki Katanas and the VF700 Interceptor). That doesn't make the FJ-09 a bad bike. My BMW K100RS was very easy to work on, an attribute I had to take advantage of all too often. I was recently offered the chance to buy my old BMW back, and I couldn't say "No" fast enough. The "Katanas" I had were the GSX600F models. I bought a 1990 model brand new, and also later owned a used '89. I think with the new bike Suzuki is hoping we'll forget about those "Kan-o-Tuna" models and instead hearken back to the original Hans Muth-designed GS1100 Katana of the early '80s. I felt the GSX600F was a decent sport-tourer in its day, but I can understand why nobody is nostalgic about them now. Yes, they were terrible to work on, but at least I could remove the fuel tank without pulling any bodywork!

I've had the tank off at least five times now and the fairings more than that. When does it start getting easier? I'm holding you to this promise. 😁

Huh. With fairing pieces that fit together like a puzzle and at least six different kinds of fasteners, I think this is easily the worst fairing system I've owned in 30 years. I think this is also the only bike I've ever owned where fairings had to come off before removing the tank. The Katana 600 (I had two of those) was almost as bad, but not quite. My FZR750 also had a confusing mix of fasteners, but it was still easier to strip down than the FJ and the tank came off with fairings in place. My K100RS had a fairing similar in coverage to the FJ, but in almost 100k miles the only time I ever removed the fairing was to repaint it.

Really? Every time I remove the panels I invoke increasingly foul curses upon whatever demon dredged this fairing design up from the pits of Hell.

I read that in another thread, and I may try that later. These things are so insanely bright though that I think I'll just control them separately. I may save the Skene controller for less extreme lights.

The PIAA harnesses are pretty long because they are meant to work in cars, too. This is a good opportunity to practice those splicing and soldering skills. 😀

Great idea. I just mounted some large aux lights to that bracket, plus I have a large windshield. I'll add some allthread this week.

Yes, as OEM headlights go the FJ lights are pretty good. But after riding to Gerlach a couple of years ago at 3:00am through a storm of suicidal jackrabbits, I realized that I definitely need more candlepower. I may still mount something smaller and dimmer to my crash bars to serve as DRLs, but these PIAAs are for those special times when I need sunlight in the middle of the night.

My auxiliary lights are mounted. I found these PIAA LP550 5" LED driving lights on Craigslist for $50. Yes, they're huge, but they throw a massive amount of light down the road. I'll try to post some nighttime comparison photos when I get a chance. I bought the Adventuretech light bracket that uses the factory mounting points, but I had to adapt it. The Adventuretech bracket is for lights that hang below the mount, but the LP550s have to be mounted upright. The Craigslist lights came with an aluminum car mount bracket, so I used a hacksaw and grinder to fabricate a mount bar for my FJ-09. At first I mounted it with a single bar, but it flexed a bit and I was concerned that vibration would eventually crack the mounting bar. So I added a second bar to create a bridge that is now quite strong. I had hoped to control the light with a Skene controller, but I was having some difficulty finding voltage from the high beam so they are just controlled separately using the standard PIAA switch. I will probably just use these lights as my high beam since they easily out throw both OEM headlights.

I'm impressed that you could manage to ride 400 miles in a single day on Oahu despite the traffic, low speeds, and suicidal chickens.

Those are interesting but not exactly my cup of tea. The only cruiserish bikes I sort of like are the Indian Springfield and Harley Road King, and I would only consider buying one if I thought my wife wanted to ride with me more often.

I've never had anything even remotely like a tank slapper on my 2015 FJ-09, even with stock suspension. If the bike were susceptible to tank slappers I think I would have had one by now. There's a particular corner when I leave work where I'm frequently at WOT while still leaned over. It's not unusual for the front wheel to loft or skip while doing this, which is exactly the sort of thing that can induce a tank slapper. I've had it happen on a ZX-7R, but I've never felt even a hint of it with the FJ. Irresponsible and silly, I know. But also really fun. I've experienced high speed weave, but it usually seemed to be induced by wind buffeting off large trucks or vehicles on the highway. I rarely ride faster than 80mph for more than a few seconds.

I does work, but I think the concern about adding stress to the bracket is valid. The spacer should helmet prevent stress fractures that might be induced by the tighter grip of the QR skewer.

Spec sheet numbers aren't everything. It's a little down on HP compared to the Tracer, but it also appears to weight a little less despite carrying a little more fuel. My only concern: Is there a "Delete Beak" option? If I were planning to replace my FJ-09 the Tiger would get serious consideration.

Okay, it's been over a week and nobody has objected, so we are officially moved to Mo's in Florence. See you there!

I might. Although I'd have to bring along a Yamaha generator and some gas cans. 😀

This RG400 is currently on Craigslist in Seattle: 1987 Suzuki RG400

Probably rear seat space. And that would be fine with me, I bought a truck to haul stuff, not people. But I know I'm in the minority. Two years ago when I was looking for a half-ton pickup with a 6.5 bed, 4wd, and 9000+ lbs towing I felt like I was searching for a unicorn. The Ford, GM, Nissan, and Ram dealers around here only seem to stock crew cabs or stripped trucks with low towing. But strangely the Toyota dealers had plenty of trucks like I wanted, and so I have a Tundra. The Tesla truck is almost perfect for what I need. The only real issue for me is figuring out how to recharge it after a week at elk camp in the middle of nowhere.

This is a point I often try to make to my friends in the long distance/Iron Butt community. They question how I can handle touring on lighter motorcycles like the FJ-09 or my previous TT600. There is an assumption that a heavier bike (600-750lbs) is obviously more comfortable for long rides because of "stability" or something like that. But if the roads are curvy - you know, the kinds of roads we actually enjoy riding - the weight becomes a detriment and definitely contributes to fatigue after a while. The FJ-09 (or F800GT) can be made comfortable on freeway drones with the simple addition of a windshield, seat, and cruise control. But nothing is going to turn a 700 pound land yacht into a flickable corner carver.