keithu

On 6/14/2021 at 5:14 PM, knyte said:

Does anyone happen to have measurements to drill a hole for the drain plug on an FJ?  I'm happy to post the details when the time comes if not (in about a week).

I don't have measurements but it was easy enough to eyeball the location. You can see how I drilled mine here:

As you can see in the photos on that page I still have the old-style drain plug that faces down, and drilled the hole accordingly. The hole worked fine for draining the oil sump, but I wasn't able to avoid a huge mess when replacing the filter. I will probably just drop the skid plate for the next oil change. 

21 hours ago, 2and3cylinders said:

We now have the Yamaha R7, could an R9 also be on the cards?

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With the news that Yamaha is...

Hmmmm, makes sense.

I've seen this custom before. I like the concept and paint scheme, but I don't like the fairing setup. There's no middle panels on the fairings and yet it has lowers. If I were designing a custom I would go the opposite way, with an upper and middle fairing and no lower. Give it a retro white/red/blue paint scheme like the old FZ750 and I'm in. Something like this:

19 hours ago, tedski said:

I thought they fixed the one piece crotch leak .  I also have a 2-piece RC for this reason. 

Many people claim their R-3 is waterproof, but mine definitely isn't. I don't think it's a quality issue, mine appears to be sewn correctly. It may just be a function of my specific body shape and motorcycle seating position; hard to say really. 

At this point I only wear the R-3 in the summer because it wears cooler. With the exception of hot weather riding I find that my old two piece Roadcrafter is better in every way: it's more waterproof, it's easier to put on and take off, and I prefer the pocket configuration.

Like you said, the zippers sometimes need to be repaired but that's only because the whole suit is so well made that it outlasts the zipper pulls. I like Keen shoes for the same reason: I end up replacing the shoelaces 2-3 times because the rest of the shoe outlasts the laces.

19 hours ago, 2and3cylinders said:

Andy G very recently told me the original RC was never intended to be waterproof, he built it for commuting.

 

Yes, when I got my first Roadcrafter in 1997 they were careful to not claim it was waterproof, but mine effectively is. The only times I've had water intrusion were after going 5-6 years without re-treating it, or when I left a zipper open.

Nice RF-200 BTW. I had three of those, I think. One of them saved my life in a pretty nasty 80mph low side.

In my experience the two piece Roadcrafter is waterproof but the one piece is not. Even with my newer R-3 I still experience the dreaded wet crotch in heavy rain, including last Sunday. This is never an issue with my 24 year old two piece Roadcrafter Classic. It's still waterproof after all these years.

3 hours ago, Kevin R said:

Yes! Lava Tubes is a really interesting place. I recall there are more than a 100 tubes there crisscrossing the area, some running beneath others. I stumbled onto it years ago while on a vacation/college tour with one of my kids. I'd decided to take a lap of Mt Shasta and - there it was. We lived in SoCal at the time and were looking at schools in northern Cali. I love the remoteness of the place.

Yeah it's pretty far from anything. My Dad lives in Reno, so we've visited a number of times over the years while traveling between Reno and Albany. This was my first visit in about 15 years, however. I think they must have rebuilt the visitor's center because it didn't look familiar. 

4 hours ago, JeffersonRider said:

What an awesome time and great write-up! I live in Keno off of Clover Creek Rd. Weird to see my tiny part of the country here.. If you're ever back through this way take Dead Indian or Hwy 66 from Ashland towards Keno. I make a big loop sometimes riding to Ashland on one and back the other. Those are the twisties that will leave a smile on your face, you won't regret it. Looks like a great time, and yes, the Polar Bear does have the best burger in all of Merrill. 😉 😀

I definitely want to explore the area more. I noticed there's another paved road paralleling Clover Creek Road called Keno Access Road. I have ridden OR-66 before, but most of the other roads around there were new to me. 

48 minutes ago, betoney said:

On my way back from California a few weeks ago, OR-227 was one of the 'new roads' I tried for the first time.  I loved the scenery but unfortunately I didn't enjoy it as a storm front moved in, the skies were dark and I rode it in high winds and rain.  I definitely need to try it again on a warm, sunny day.

What a bummer. It's such a perfect road in terms of scenery, curves, surface quality, and traffic.

33 minutes ago, micah2074 said:

Let me start by saying I’m a capitalist 100% and believe a thing is worth what someone is willing to pay. With that being said, this is exactly what I hoped wouldn’t happen.

To be fair, my local Yamaha dealer - a high volume dealer that usually offers big discounts - was advertising T7s at $14999 last week, though this week they're back down to only $12999. This is against a supposed MSRP of $9999. 

Like you said, a thing is worth what people are willing to pay. 

I got up early Saturday and rode down to the Lava Beds National Monument in California, just south of the Oregon border near Klamath Falls. I took the direct route: I-5 to Eugene, OR-58 over the Cascades, US-97 to Klamath Falls. The Willamette Valley was overcast, but the morning sky in the Cascades was lovely. 

I stopped in Merrill for a quick lunch at the Polar Bear drive-in. They claim to have the "Best burger in Merrill," which might be a low bar since it is probably also the only burger in Merrill. The blueberry shake was delicious.

The Lava Beds feature a network of lava tube caves that can be explored; some are relatively easy with nice cleared trails and plenty of head room, while others require crawling and duck walking to get through tight spaces. I even got semi-lost in one cave for a few minutes until I realized the cave was just a gigantic figure-eight. I was glad I brought my hard hat from work; I hit it pretty hard five or six times.

After caving for a few hours I retired to camp for some reading and a simple, hearty dinner. 

I awoke next morning with the sun and questioned whether I might be getting too old to sleep on a Thermarest pad. Maybe. Or maybe I just need to cut down on the gigantic sandwiches for dinner. I broke camp and decided to take a route home on some new roads as well as old favorites. 

I tore across the very top of California on CA-161, then went up through Keno and onto Clover Creek Road, Dead Indian Road, Butte Falls Road, and Crowfoot Road to OR-62. These were new roads to me, and although they were basically pleasant they were also the kind of mostly-straight tree-tunnel roads that seem to be pretty common in the southern Oregon Cascades. Crowfoot Road has some proper twisties, though, in places reminded me of California's Gold Country. 

I ended the interesting part of the trip with a run up OR-227, one of my absolute favorite roads in the whole state. Almost immediately I encountered a Gen 1 Ford GT, probably the first one I've ever seen in the wild. Usually when you encounter someone driving a $300,000 car they putter along at or below the speed limit, and this was no exception. I enjoyed the exhaust note, but when he waved me past I happily obliged. 

Further up OR-227, after it gets interesting, I stopped to take this photo:

As I was stowing the camera I heard a rumble coming up the road behind me, and assumed it was the old Chevy Blazer I'd passed a few miles back. I gassed it hard because I did not want to be stuck behind a 40 year old SUV on OR-227's glorious, perfectly-paved curves. But within a hundred yards I could see that it was actually the Ford GT coming up behind me. I wicked up the pace, but after a mile or two it became obvious that I was slowing him down. He wasn't riding my ass or being a dick about it, but I could tell. I pulled over at the next opportunity and the supercharged Ford V-8 roared past. I did my best to give chase, but the driver was clearly an expert and within two miles he was gone. I continued on at my own pace and enjoyed this heavenly road. In Otis I saw the GT heading back the other way for another attack; he flashed his headlights and we exchanged a wave. It was a genuine pleasure to see someone driving an exotic performance car the way it was truly meant to be driven. 

I hit I-5 at Canyonville and considered taking some other backroads up into the Willamette Valley, but the sky turned ugly and soon it started to pour liquid sadness. I set the cruise and motored up the Interstate to home. 

On 6/11/2021 at 7:49 AM, keithu said:

Follow up: I rode to the office and back yesterday, so just 24 miles round trip. There was the standard "oooo, new tire" feeling but I can't say it seemed any less harsh than the Road 5 GT. So I don't think running the Road 5 GT on this bike is wrong, just a waste of money. 

That said, I'm not the most perceptive person when it comes to tire feel and suspension setup. 

Follow up to the follow up: I checked tire pressures before a trip this weekend and found that the front was inflated to 45psi. This is 100% my own fault for not checking the pressure after getting the tire mounted. I dropped it down to 38psi and now, yes, the Road 5 seems to feel smoother and less harsh than the Road 5 GT. 

+1. Please report your impressions @roadrash83 when you get the bike.

On 6/10/2021 at 7:37 AM, keithu said:

Possibly. I didn't ride the bike yesterday after mounting it, but I will go out today to run some errands. I'll report if I notice any major differences. Although when I first mounted the GT I don't recall thinking, "Gee, this new tire is harsh."

Follow up: I rode to the office and back yesterday, so just 24 miles round trip. There was the standard "oooo, new tire" feeling but I can't say it seemed any less harsh than the Road 5 GT. So I don't think running the Road 5 GT on this bike is wrong, just a waste of money. 

That said, I'm not the most perceptive person when it comes to tire feel and suspension setup. 

1 hour ago, Warchild said:

Warchild-wife gets to have her comfy FJR1300 footpegs back just in time for a major 3000-mile tour. We depart in 6 days - can't wait. Now that the Ohlins has fixed the suspension issues, we are about set!

 

 

What are those footpegs for the rider? They look like something from the secret drawer in the bedroom. 

Echoing everyone else, I'm glad you're safe!

On the sump guard... in addition to providing protection, I found that it also simplifies front tire changes. Previously I was placing some blocks of wood under the headers to support the front end, but it never felt very stable. So I also run a tie-down strap around the handlebar and an overhead beam in my garage. But the SW Motech guard I recently installed provides a nice flat surface to rest on wood blocks, and the bike felt much more stable this way. I still used the strap around the beam and handlebars just for extra safety. 

11 hours ago, betoney said:

Not sure if you noticed any difference in ride quality but I would assume that the stiffer sidewall on the GT could potentially result in a harsher ride?

Possibly. I didn't ride the bike yesterday after mounting it, but I will go out today to run some errands. I'll report if I notice any major differences. Although when I first mounted the GT I don't recall thinking, "Gee, this new tire is harsh."

1 minute ago, PeterL said:

I was under the impression that the GT version was solely made for heavier bikes, the carcass being more heavily reinforced. The tread compound is exactly the same.

The Tracer shouldn't need the extra heft, and I'd imagine the GT version might actually negatively impact the feedback somewhat when pushing the pace.

That is 100% correct. But there was a theory that perhaps the GT would wear a little longer. The carcass shouldn't have much effect, but I thought maybe Michelin also used a slightly different compound with the GT to reduce wear on heavier bikes. My experience suggests they did not. Traction felt the same and wear was effectively identical. 

@TomTracer read this thread:

This explains in detail a serious problem one member had with iridium plugs. 

I just installed a new front tire. The old tire was a Michelin Road 5 GT and after 9500 miles it was almost to the wear bars. This is almost EXACTLY the same mileage I got from the non-GT Road 5 I had previously. I bought the GT to test the theory that it would wear longer. It didn't. 

So for me the Road 5 vs. Road 5 GT debate is settled. On this bike, save your money and get the non-GT version. 

10 minutes ago, TomTracer said:

Arent the Tracer plugs irrodiums!? If not when I can change them they will be!

No they aren't, and you should not use them. Some other people here have installed iridium plugs and they apparently didn't work well. You should stick with the factory recommendation. 

The 8k sparkplug recommendation is silly. Mine still looked brand new at 8k. My last set I ran for about 18k and they were fine. I have about 12k on my current set and will probably check them next winter. 

Last year I did a 4k mile trip from Oregon to Minnesota and back. I replaced my front tire before the trip, but decided to replace the rear when I got to Minnesota and had some down time. That turned out to be a mistake. Even in the Minneapolis/St. Paul metro area I had a hard time finding a shop with my desired tire in stock and/or time in their schedule to mount it. And every shop there was quite a bit more expensive than my favorite local shop here in Oregon. In the future I will always take care of tires using my known-good local shop before embarking on such a trip. 

2 hours ago, koth442 said:

The R3 is a twin, so the "R" designation matches.

This. 

I get the angst over the R7 name. I've owned two Yamaha 750 superbikes - '87 FZR750 and '97 YZF750 - so I'm a fan of the series. But let's be honest: Most riders today don't remember the old R7, and those who do remember it tend to forget it was rare and expensive but not really any better than the contemporary GSXR750. 

If this gets more riders interested in sportbikes again I'm all for it. 

Noooooo!!!!!!!!!

But seriously...

I'm loving my ScottOiler but I'm almost out of the blue oil that came with it. What's the consensus on replacement oil? It looks like I can get a 125ml bottle of the official ScottOiler stuff from my LBS for $7.99, but I think many people just use ATF or something similar. Thoughts?

Excellent photos and report! NorCal never gets old, so much great riding. 

I agree that it shouldn't be the sidestand switch if the engine cuts off while in neutral. I would suspect something in the gear position switch or clutch switch. I only have a wiring diagram for a 2015-2017 model so I don't know if this is accurate for yours, but on mine the clutch switch has B/Y (black with yellow stripe) and B/R (black with red stripe) wires. A light blue wire connects the gear position switch to the relay. I'd focus my troubleshooting on these wires first.