keithu

I can go from 200 feet to 5000 feet without even leaving my county, so elevation changes are pretty common. Even at 6x cost it's worth it to not worry about clamping a hemostat on the Loobman or riding around with a well lubricated tire.

Yep, the TT600 is still the best handling bike I've ridden in 30 years of motorcycling. The early ones had EFI issues, but they could be corrected with ECU flashes at the dealer. My dealer gave the updates for free, but I know there were some dealers who charged for it. All they had to do was connect their computer to a diagnostic plug and load the update; it took five minutes.

FWIW, I had a great ownership experience with my Triumph. I bought a TT600 in late 2000. It had fueling issues a bit worse than the 2015 FJ-09, but the dealer let me take a test ride and I decided it wasn't as bad as the media had reported. What made the experience better than Yamaha was that over the course of the next year the Triumph dealer gave me two free ECU updates that completely fixed the fueling. Also, Triumph is a lot better at designing fairings. Although the TT600 was a fully faired sportbike, the oil and filter could be changed without removing a single panel. And if the fairings did have to come off, it was simple and only one kind of fastener was used. The FJ-09 fairings are a mind-twisting puzzle with, what, five or six different fasteners? When my TT was about two years old a minor fairing tab broke due to a weak design. It was just out of warranty but they still replaced the fairing with a new, improved design with no hassle at all. Overall the TT600 was rock solid reliable for 34k miles. I'd definitely buy another Triumph.

I rented from Eagle Riders. The location near LAX has some bikes that aren't Harleys.

I rented a Tiger 800xrx a couple of years ago while in SoCal for work. I figured it would be similar to my FJ-09 but I was surprised how different the motors felt. On paper the Yamaha is a little more powerful than the Triumph, but in reality the difference felt huge. I hate to say it because the Tiger was a fine motorcycle, but it felt tame - almost boring - compared to my FJ.

A sad day for us all. I disagree that your continued posts would be of declining worth, however. Take care, and know that we're all glad you were here!

That's a V11 Sport, made in the early 2000s. Just look at it! Like a lonely dog at the pound. You should rescue it.

Not yet, working on that now.

I used 85w-90 gear oil. The issue was that when I rode up into higher elevations (sea level to 5000+ feet) the lower air pressure caused the reservoir to pump too much oil out, so much that it lubed the chain, chain guard, swingarm, and tire. After about the third time it oiled my tire I ripped all the Loobman gear off the bike and threw it straight in the trash. Possibly the worst motorcycle accessory I've ever used.

Obviously I highly recommend them. If a lot of your riding is in temps above 90F, I recommend the R-3 or a Darien. Otherwise I generally recommend the 2-piece Roadcrafter Classic over the one-piece R-3. The 2-piece suit is more waterproof, it goes on faster (yes, really), and is just more convenient in a variety of ways. But the R-3 is unlined, which makes it a little more comfortable in hot temps. I haven't owned a Darien yet, but that will be my next suit purchase. It's unlined like the R-3, but is a true two-piece suit.

Nice! <----- My profile pic was once featured in the Aerostich catalog. It was taken during the BMW K1200RS press intro in South Carolina in 1997. We had it in our magazine (Street Bike from SF) and then Aerostich used it in '98 or '99 I think. I still have the grey/black Roadcrafter in that photo, and in fact I'm going to switch back to it temporarily while I send my current R-3 in for service.

Those T7 pegs do look good. I'll probably just go with some of the cheapo FJR-style pegs that others here have used.

I do plan to upgrade the footpegs. I had a bad experience with Loobman on my last bike, however, so if I do anything for the chain it will probably be a ScottOiler or similar. A hydration solution is also planned. The MotoJug looks good.

This road is right in my backyard; why don't I ride it every weekend? It was resurfaced recently and is probably one of the best roads in Oregon.

I just installed the MCCruise on my bike. My wife was in Coos Bay, Oregon visiting family for the weekend, so I rode down Sunday to meet her for lunch sushi. I rode south on OR-99, then skirted Eugene via OR-36 and Poodle Creek Road to OR-126. At Florence I turned south on US-101 and arrived right on time for lunch. The cruise control helps with cramping I've had in my throttle hand, as expected. I was surprised to discover another, arguably more important advantage: Normally, I spend a lot of time checking the speedometer to ensure I'm not in danger of earning a performance award. But with the cruise control set to a safe speed, bandwidth in my eyes and brain was freed up to focus on more important things like traffic, the road, and scenery. This is a huge safety benefit of cruise control that is almost never mentioned. On the return home I followed US-101 up the coast to Waldport, and then returned inland via OR-34. As I rolled back into the driveway the trip meter showed 298.6 miles, so let's just round that up to 300. Here are a few pics of Oregon's Pacific Coast.

I just completed one of the most critical upgrades for this project: Cruise control. I installed the MCCruise system from Australia. As others have reported, the installation is complex and took me about four hours and ones of beers to complete. Thankfully, the installation instructions from MCCruise are outstanding. Clearly written steps, photos for each step, no errors or guesswork. I work on multi-million dollar industrial printers and we can only dream of having documentation this good. It is a little scary to rewire things on the OEM Yamaha loom, but if you can use basic hand tools and follow instructions carefully it can be done. The computer installs under the pillion seat. I would have liked to put it somewhere else, but every aspect of the install (including cable routing) is designed to minimize RF interference for safety and proper cruise control function. I went with the basic MCCruise controller; I could have gone with Yamaha Super Tenere or FJR1300 switch gear for a factory appearance, but that would have added about $350 to this project and it didn't seem worthwhile to me. The MCCruise control pod works fine. My wife was in Coos Bay for the weekend vising family, so I rode down there Sunday to join them for sushi and test out the cruise control. Simply put, it works flawlessly. I did a 300 mile loop down to Coos Bay via OR-99/36/126/US-101, then returned home up the coast via US-101 and OR-34. I found that the MCCruise control pod slightly blocked access to the menu toggle switch, making it difficult to adjust my heated grips. I later rotated the clutch lever perch aft a little bit, and that fixed toggle access. I've had some issues with cramping in my throttle hand during long rides, and as expected the cruise control addresses this. But I had another, arguably more important revelation while using the cruise: it made me realize how much attention I pay to the speedometer. I'm constantly checking the speedo to make sure I'm not risking a performance award. But with the cruise control set to a safe speed, my eyes and brain were freed to focus on more important things like traffic, the road, and scenery. This is a safety benefit of cruise control that I hadn't considered before.

Florence is a possibility. Mo's is a good meeting spot there, I think. Portlandians: Any preference? I'm sure Ken and Victor would be fine with anything north of the CA border. 🙂

I like the way you think! I got to run a tank of fuel through a Guzzi Sport 1100i about 20 years ago. I still replay that ride in my head. I can't imagine owning both my FJ and the V85TT. I think one would sit and one would get ridden a lot. I have seriously thought about getting a V7 Classic as a second bike though... or a Vitpilen... or a Speed Twin... or an FTR1200...

That reminds me of what they say about cars: Cars in Heaven have French suspension, American engines, and Italian styling. Cars in Hell have American suspension, Italian engines, and French styling.

+1 I love how functional my FJ-09 is, it's like a favorite pair of shoes. But it doesn't exactly stir my soul like I think this Guzzi would. If I had to replace my FJ tomorrow, the Guzzi would be on my short list. I'm sure it would be less practical than the Yamaha, but just look at it! And I have always wanted a Moto Guzzi. The BMW? Maybe. So far I haven't seen anything that makes me favor the BMW over the Tracer GT though.

Not real far, only about an hour. FWIW, it was the Portland-area guys who argued for Newport 🙂

I'll admit my reasons are selfish, as I always enjoy rides to the coast during that time of year. At least Newport is not as far away for you as Oceanside! You could do a nice ride up the valley in the morning via Territorial Hwy to OR-34 or US-20, and then close the loop with a return south on US-101 to OR-42.

If people are concerned about Oregon Coast weather on December 31, consider these photos from previous dates: December 31, 2016: December 31, 2017: And December 31, 2018:

!!EDIT - LOCATION HAS BEEN MOVED TO FLORENCE!! Per ongoing tradition, I am calling for our annual Last Ride of the Year in Oregon. As usual this will be a RTE (ride to eat) on December 31. In 2016-2018 the lunchtime meeting place was Oceanside, near Tillamook. But in a group discussion last year it was decided to move the 2019 venue further south. With so many forum members in the Eugene and Salem areas, it was felt this might improve turnout. If no one objects, I propose we meet at noon on December 31, 2019 at Mo's in Florence (1436 Bay Street, Florence, Oregon 97439). Mo's is a casual eatery overlooking the Siuslaw River. There is ample parking in front of the restaurant. Map Link We'll tell stories, admire farkles, snap a photo or two, and enjoy fresh seafood. I hope to see you there!

Outstanding write-up and photos as always! I had a map open and followed along with your description. Your idea to store a tire repair kit in the nacelles above the tank is brilliant. I've always felt this space could be useful for something, and it bothers me that I don't always have a repair kit with me. This will be my next project.