DavidS

That's why this bike is so popular.........

Agree with duhs, but I would just start by putting in the amount in the service manual, and then check the oil filter level window. Once the oil gets between the two lines, you are good to go. If you are adding a new oil filter at the same time, remember to check again after you start the engine up, as some of the oil will remain in the filter.

I put the Yoshimura Tail Tidy on my 2020 Tracer GT, it does sit back a bit between the side cases, but it is still very visible and works fine. I also removed the silly side turn signals in back and installed a BlasterX tail light. Direct replacement for the stock tail light, and the lights are crazy bright, with options to select different flashing patterns to make your bike extremely visible from the rear when braking. Can't tell you how many times people have commented on how visible I am with this setup.

On longer trips, 2-3 days of riding or more, I will carry a socket to loosen the bolt and adjust the chain. It is big, and weighs a ton, but my dad taught me to take care of my chain when I was a wee lad 40 years ago, so that is what I do. Honestly, I love taking care of my bike. When things get crazy inside the house, I wander out into the garage and find something I "need" to do. In fact, I just walked in from changing my engine oil right before I saw this post. One other tip I will leave you with, is my maintenance log. I use a free software program called Evernote (works on mac or pc and is stored in the cloud), which allows you to create notes for anything. I have one called "Tracer 900 Maintenance and Accessory Log" and I enter one line for everything I do. Starts with the date, than the description, so I can tell you how many times I have changed my oil, and the number of miles between each and every one of those changes. I also put in modifications into the log like my Corbin Seat and BlasterX tail light, etc. This allows me to remember what I have done to the bike, and how long I have had that installed before it broke or caused me an issue.

Careful, make sure you get all the details on costs, including shipping if necessary. I tried buying my Tracer online first, but when I added up all the added costs not shown in the ad, it was cheaper to buy locally.

I got the Sena 20S a few years ago, and generally I like it a lot. When riding alone, it is great for streaming the music from my phone, and it uses voice commands to skip a song and a few other simple, but useful items I can't remember right now. They are NOT perfect though, when connecting with other riders, they can be finicky, and sometimes they just won't connect. On the plus side, if you connect with someone, it will usually automatically reconnect with that person the next time you ride with them again. This is great for folks you ride with frequently, as you don't have to do anything except press the jog button on the Sena and you will be reconnected. Radio doesn't work very well for me, so I don't even try anymore. In general, I have a love / hate relationship with my Sena. It is great for listening to my music library from my iphone while riding, pretty good using it to talk with other riders that I have spent the time connecting to, but sometimes it just decides it doesn't want to work, and you just have to wait until it decides to connect while you are already on your ride. One tip I learned if you are going on a ride with a few folks is to take the units off the helmets, and have one person hold all of them and shake them a few times. This starts the connection process for all the units, and I have better luck connecting this way than manually trying to connect each unit to the group. When the light flashes blue, you know you are connected. If one of the units is still flashing red - no connection.

Has anyone ever had a catastrophic failure with their FJ09/Tracer? I can't remember hearing of anyone having significant maintenance issues with this bike. Not only is this engine a ton of fun, but in my experience, it is rock solid dependable. Anyone have a different experience?

Careful, the oil pan is already pretty low on this bike, you don't want to spill all your oil when you bottom out......

Rotella T6 is not new, I've been using it for many years. It's the only oil I used in my old FJ09, and my new Tracer 900.

I keep seeing posts about what tools people carry on their bikes, and was interested in compiling them here to see what I should be bringing with me, but haven't thought about yet. The idea is to list the things you "Consistently" carry when you go riding, whether for your daily commute, riding for pleasure, or longer trips. As for me, I carry the "tool" kit provided by Yamaha, and an extra clutch cable for my commute. (yeah, I know I should be more prepared), and when I take trips, (more than 1 day of riding) I carry a riding kit I have created with tools I regularly use for maintenance. (Chain Maintenance tools, Allen wrenches and sockets to fit the parts I might need to work on. I don't have a dedicated kit, I just assemble one from my tool box, and put it in a bag to fit in my cases. If any of you have purchased tool kits that you think are good, feel free to mention them here as well.

For accessories like this, I use a FuzeBlock instead of direct to battery. It allows you to plug a bunch of accessories in and select the correct size fuse to match. It keeps most of the wires off the battery and makes it easier to see what/where each wire connects to. They even provide a sticker which attaches to the top of the box to label the accessories.

Where were you when I needed that a few years back......... Now I have the Yamaha cases which are keyed to my bike key

I'm sure some chargers won't be compatible, but if you have one that works on a BMW, it will work fine on the Tracer. Interesting article on the subject here: The Difference Between a Cigarette Lighter and an Accessory Socket All cigarette lighter sockets are 12v accessory plug-ins, but the reverse isn't...

I'm curious if you used a heat gun to remove the decals, I have heard that using a heat gun (or hair dryer) will remove all the sticky stuff with the decal, and leave the nice finished paint behind. Anyone tried this?

Glad to hear you made it through this ordeal, and as I'm sure your wife will constantly remind you, it wasn't always a sure thing. I live in the Pacific Northwest, where deer seem to be constantly join us motor vehicles on the freeways. (I'm not exactly sure why, maybe they are just attracted to the head lights) I have had several encounters with deer while riding into work in the dark early morning. Once I had one just stop in front of me in the middle of a 3 lane interstate and stare at me. Fortunately, I saw him early, and was able to stop. I was super nervous that a car would come up from behind and kill us both, but I was able to slowly ride the bike around the rear of the deer. Once I got past him, I could see from my mirror, that he made a beeline for the woods at the side of the road. I know the smaller highways are where most people run into deer, but at least here, you need to pay attention on the freeways too. Glad you are safe and recovering, and you will always welcome here if you do decide to start riding again....

Thanks Koth442 - My riding is exactly the opposite, 85% street, 15% groomed trails, sounds like I'm better off with my Tracer.....

ok, I'm curious, why should I be tempted to get a T7, given that I have a (now) fully loaded Tracer 900 GT? Just for off road?

I try to wave, but sometimes I don't see someone until it is a little late. I'm sure a few folks thought I was a clod for not waving back, but I do the best I can, and sometimes, I'm preoccupied with riding.........

my 2 cents..... I have always found the stock chains to wear quicker than their replacements. I'm guessing it is due to cost savings measures by the manufacturers. No one complains if the stock chain wears out quicker, and they can save a few $$'s to improve their bottom line. We are more interested in quality and length of life, so we purchase better (more expensive) chains than the dealer puts on at the factory. I always assume that the original chain will be the one I have to replace quicker than any other for my bike.

I lubed my chain with my new Grease Ninja, all I can say is WOW! No lube spraying on the bike or on the floor of the garage, and I used a fraction of the lube I normally need to completely lube the chain. Wish I had bought this years ago.......

Must be a pacific northwest thing, I see them up here in Seattle too. Clearly not as many as I see Harley's, but they are around. When I purchased my GT last December, each dealer seemed to have only one, so maybe they just don't think they will sell. I rarely see them in the showroom floors either. It's like they hide them in the back......

JDavis - Question(s), are those the Givi crash bars? and if not who makes those? .....and do these crash bars protect the plastics if the bike falls over sideways? or do they just protect the engine? .....and can you remove the plastics without having to uninstall the crash bar? thanks,

That is extremely useful information for all............

Hmmmm, my closest riding buddy rides BMW's exclusively and I always marvel how much money he spends on his bike. Not just the initial purchase, but also for basic repairs/maintenance. Nothing about his bike is accessible and easy to fix. That being said, it's the character of the engine that makes the FJ/Tracer so appealing. I'm sure BMW can copy the design, but they can't bring themselves to make an engine that makes your heart rate soar like the FJ09/Tracer!

2.40 - 2.50 here in Seattle