steveb

Well some of us do like to tuck our FJs in to sleep at night. :^)

That's going to be a great trip! I love those roads.

Thanks, glad you like it! I'm all for copying good ideas! I found recommendations, for all of the materials I used, on this forum and was happy to copy them. The piece above the FJ09 emblem is a piece of the 1/2" black striping tape. I just cut it to match the angling on that space. [* Hmmm, if you mean the red striping around the actual "FJ 09" lettering on the side, it came stock with the bike *] Don't forget to remove the thin plastic covering on top of the striping tape after installation for maximum reflectivity. Have fun with your own design! I lived in the East Bay before moving to San Diego. I'm finding some really good roads here, but have to admit I loved riding on the NCA roads. I'm going to have to head up there on the FJ sometime and reacquaint myself with them. Here's a list of the materials I used (saves you tracking them down from previous posts). - 3M Scotchcal Reflective Striping Tape, Black, .5-Inch by 50-Foot http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00063XI64?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s00 - 3M Scotchcal Reflective Striping Tape, Red, .25-Inch by 50-Foot http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0010AZSVU?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00 - customTAYLOR33 (All Vehicles) Red High Intensity Grade Reflective Copyrighted Safety Rim Tapes http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00G6188EM?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o08_s00 - FJR side bag decals (You get the pair of Side Decals, not the back ones also pictured) http://www.realtimeindustries.com/fjr-side-bag-decals/

Finished having some fun with reflective tape. Bike is definitely more visible at night now!

I saw a demonstration by a very petite woman a number of years ago. She would lay her BMW 1200 down completely on its side, and then lift it upright again without assistance. Her first step was to turn the handlebars as if turning into the ground (if the bike was laying on its right side you would turn the handlebars as if for a full lock right turn). She would then squat with her back to the motorcycle and grab the lower handlebar grip with one hand, and a convenient place on the upper frame with her other hand. Using her legs she would lift the bike up until it was balanced enough for her to shift her body and stand next to the bike. With the handlebar at full lock towards her, she didn't have to worry about the handlebar shifting around and it also helped the bike tilt upright given the angle of the front tire. Very impressive! If you don't have someone to help you, this method works quite well.

I've had my FJ-09 with OEM hard luggage up to 135 mph several times (ECU Flashed) with absolutely no wobble...period. There is a back road that is WIDE open about 40 miles from home where I can do this safely. This bike is rock solid. Just took my FJ (ECU Flashed) out for a test ride today with both the FJR saddlebags and a Givi 52 liter topbox mounted (bags and topbox were empty). Up thru 105mph (indicated) the bike was totally stable. As I passed 110mph I started to get some pronounced oscillation and dialed the bike back. My feeling is that the topbox was the cause, and I'll try it again sometime later without the topbox on the bike. Before the ECU flash I'd gotten the FJ to the 115mph limit without any issues (no saddlebags or topbox). Sooo for any kind of "normal" riding, I don't see a stability issue even with both saddlebags and topbox mounted (YMMV). If you're going for a high speed run...... ***Update: Took the FJ up to 125mph (indicated) with empty FJR saddlebags and no topbox. Bike was perfectly stable. I had tightened up the suspension (2 lines showing on front preload, and setting 5 on rear - I weigh @205 lbs) and will give it another go later with the topbox on out of curiosity. The bike definitely feels much better with the stiffened suspension (as others have commented).

Happy to help! :^)

Check out Yamaha of Cucamonga (yocracing.com). I ordered the unpainted FJR saddlebags from them and got them (with the mounts and lock set) in @ 30 days. Below are the part#s and prices I got (YMMV). 5PS-W0753-0L-00 SIDE CASE LEFT UNPAINTED = $304.76 5PS-W0753-0R-00 SIDE CASE RIGHT UNPAINTED = $304.76 5P5-28406-01-00 3-Lock Set = $65.59 2PP-F84G0-V0-00 HARD SADDLEBAG MOUNT = $77.07 No guarantee that the above hasn't changed any, but worth a look.

The only concern I would have with the Rotella is that it's a "Diesel" Oil. The FJ-09 owners manual states that you should not use a Diesel oil. I've seen nothing to indicate a lubrication issue (I've read nothing but positive reports regarding this aspect). The "problem" appears to be the possible affect on the catalytic converter. I gather diesel oils contain some ingredients (phosphorus for one) at a higher level than recommended for catalytic converters. Reportedly they can "poison" your catalytic converter and significantly shorten its life. I'll probably stick with my Mobil 1, but I'm curious as to whether anyone has more specific information on this regarding the Rotella (or other specific diesel oils) and catalytic converter life. Naturally you can avoid this issue by changing out the exhaust system and getting rid of the catalytic system. However in some states (California for one) this might be legally problematic. I gather there are "approved" systems available for specific bikes, but I haven't done the research yet to check out what options might be available (legally in California) for the FJ-09.

I'm a big fan of synthetic oil and have used the Mobil 1 15-50w for over 100,000 miles on my ST1100. The engine is doing great and it's also still on the original clutch. Having said that, the question for me is not should I use synthetic oil but rather when should I start using it. I asked my one of the service techs at my dealer what he thought, and his recommendation was to wait until about 4000 miles to make sure everything was completely worn in first. I do believe that waiting until after the bike is completely broken in is a good idea (definitely not before the 1000 mile full break-in period is complete). 4000 miles seems a bit long. I'm thinking maybe @2500 miles. Other thoughts about when to start using synthetic oil?