keithu

Thank you for this video! I did the throttle body sync today, plus sparkplugs and clutch cable in about three hours. The tips in this video were helpful in making me work more efficiently. One change: I found it wasn't necessary to disconnect the fuel line and electrical connector from the tank. I disconnected the two vent lines, placed some towels and a 2x6 on the tail and simply spun the tank around.

I don't want to criticize the aesthetic decisions of others. If you like it, go for it. But if Yamaha reads this thread, I'd like it to be known that the lack of a beak is one of the things I like about the FJ. When I was bike shopping I considered the FJ and the Versys 1000. I didn't even think twice about the V-Strom because I couldn't get past its hideous beak. YMMV, etc.

I've been using Mobil 1 10w-40 for 9000 of the 11000 miles I have on my FJ, and I still get the black muffler spots.

Suncoaster's solution really is the best, but if you want to try something very quick and easy: I got good results by simply adding a washer to the right side adjuster so it has more purchase on the bracket.

It appears that only about 4000 FJs in the US are affected. The bigger drain on their supply chain will be the FZ09s, of which there are almost 14000 affected.

Shiny.

$450 US.

The shop is in Albany, Oregon. The seat was custom crafted to me and it is indeed comfortable. It feels like two soft hands cradling my cheeks.

I finally went to Mr. Ed's Moto today and got my seat customized. I can't believe it has taken me almost a year to get this done, considering I live less than a mile from Mr. Ed's shop.

Just 5700 miles here since I bought it in May. My job has me traveling ~30-40% of the time, so the bike spends a lot of time in the garage yearning for my return home. I'm still on the original tires, but my rear is getting close to done. No issues so far!

Must be Italian.

No love for titty grips?

I mounted a heat controller for my new heated jacket. I fabricated a bracket from a galvanized steel tie plate I had lying around from a construction project. I bolted it to the windshield mounting bracket.

Another data point: I ordered my heated grips at Power Yamaha in Sublimity, OR in May. I just received them two weeks ago and installed them this weekend.

Thanks for posting this. It reminds me of a Park Tool chain cleaner I have for bicycle chains. It's designed to work with citrus degreaser which I certainly wouldn't use on an o-ring chain.

I got 52mpg on one leg of my road trip last weekend, and 31mpg on another. In normal commuting I get 44-46mpg. As others said, fill the bike on the sidestand. I think 4.3 gallons is the most I've put in during a fill up.

I disagree. My nearest Yamaha dealer - 30 miles away - charges $17 each for their filter. The Purolator Pure One filter is just $6 and sold at 5-6 stores within a mile of my house.

The Purolator Pure One filters are top quality. But they're also bright yellow and I'm a little worried about it sticking out like a sore thumb on this engine. :-)

Oops, you're right. It does recommend 20w50 for higher temps, not 15w50.

In reality, there's probably little reason to not use synthetic from mile 0 in a modern motorcycle. But we don't give up on our superstitions so easily. :-) Regarding oil longevity, there are significant reasons why most motorcycle engines are harder on oil than car engines. They run at far higher RPM, yes, but the more significant differences are that the transmission and wet clutch are bathed in engine oil. Cars have separate transmissions and dry clutches. Wet clutch friction plates probably drop more particulate contamination in the oil than anything else, so motorcycle engine oil and filters will naturally dirty faster than oil in a car. Of course, if you have a BMW or some other motorcycle with a non-unit transmission and dry clutch, you might as well just use oil formulated for cars.

BTW, check your owners manual for viscosity recommendations. 15w-50 is only recommended for very hot temperatures, I believe. 10w-40 is recommended for most common temps.

Full synthetic is probably not a good idea at 600 miles, but after 1500 miles or so it will definitely have better longevity than non-synthetic oil. The fully synthetic Rotella T that vespadaddy recommended is a great choice; full synthetic, safe for wet clutches, and very cheap. I'm about to do my 600 mile oil change with Torco T-4 10w40 dino oil, but when I hit 1500 miles I'm switching to Rotella.

Fram filters have had quality problems for decades. I can't say I'm surprised to read yet another horror story. Thanks for the list! I'm glad to see that Yamaha has stuck with this industry standard size. Interestingly, the longer version of this filter is also used on many cars (Mazdas, Mitsubishis, probably others).

I have an HJC Symax. I bought it ~10 years ago, wore it for three years, then put it in a sealed storage container along with the rest of my gear. It seems fine but I will likely replace it very soon. This was my first modular helmet. The Shuberths were new in the USA at the time, but they just didn't fit my head. Likewise with Shoei's modulars, which was weird because I had always worn Shoeis RFs since the 1980s. I tried on a Skorpion modular helmet at the dealer yesterday and it had the same problem as the Shuberth and Shoei I tried years ago: The chin bar contacts my face, hard. I guess I have a caveman chin or something. Hopefully I can find an HJC dealer soon to try on something new.

I'm wearing Aerostich Combat Touring Boots. Great on the bike, and they don't leak a drop. Kinda crappy to walk around in, though. I wore Rockys for years, they are great boots. Sure, they're not motorcycle specific but they're not exactly patent-leather wingtips, either. Before that I wore Navy flight deck boots, back when they were all-leather. I crashed a couple times in them, including one 80mph low-side. The boots protected my feet and ankles just fine.