brmidd

Update: 
- Shad rear rack and SH-48 top case installed! Love it. Rack seems solid. FWIW Shad rack is available now from Shad, whereas Yamaha rack is on backorder. It sounds to me like the Yamaha rack might actually be made by Shad? But I don't know if the two units are identical. I'll figure this out at some point when I meet up with more of you all. Shad rack is cheaper than Yamaha rack, although some of the difference goes away when you look at shipping costs vs. picking up Yamaha part from the dealer. I trust/hope that the Shad rack is just as strong/high-quality as the Yamaha rack. One note: If you want to install both top case and hard side bags, you'll need longer screws, since they go in the same holes.
 
- SH-48 is great. Seems like good balance between huge and not too heavy. Stock SH-48 would look esp good on a grey FJ-09 as-is, since top panel is gray/"carbon". I may spend the extra $$ and get a red top panel for the SH-48...but this is not a high priority. SH-48 opening mechanism seems slightly overcomplicated compared to the Givi MonoLock I used to have (I haven't used MonoKey). MonoLock is light-duty, so maybe that's why it's easy to open and close. We'll see how I feel about SH-48 after I've lived with it for a while. Oh, SH-48 lock is a bit reluctant. Graphite didn't help. I trust it will smooth out with use.
 
- Handguards removed entirely (they made me nervous when lanesplitting...and they had to be fiddled with for the Madstad screen anyway). Question to folks who have removed handguards: Did you install some kind of bar ends or weights or something in place?
 
- Madstad 20" light tint installed! Looks pretty good IMO. Will post pictures when I get around to it! I am male 5'10" / 177cm or so, typical proportions I think. Madstad has huge range of adjustment. I will be playing with it, but I am pretty sure that I will be able to have zero wind noise if I move the screen all the way up, and good ventilation without unreasonable turbulence if I have it down. I will report back.
 
- An expert friend of mine who has a 2008 Multistrada 1100S (air-cooled) rode an FJ-09 and said that it was "everything [his] Multistrada is but better in every way", and that he "even liked the stock suspension". I think reviewers etc. who compare the FJ to the Versys and V-Strom may be making the wrong comparison. In terms of the sport/touring/quasi-adventure, light-weight, riding position, etc., the FJ is closer to the Multi than anything else I've seen or ridden (granted, my experience is not extensive). For me, at this point in my motorcycle life, the adjustability, value, and (anticipated) easy maintenance of the FJ more than make up for the extra few horses of a new Multistrada. And then there's the BMW S1000XR, which will be interesting to see... Would be curious to hear others' thoughts on this.
 
@cobby7 @wong93719 @ulewz thanks for your replies!
 
Alejandro