piotrek

Congrats... I think. Have fun getting your bike/body/mind ready for this challenge.

FWIW... my CustomLED flaked out with irregular flashes. Replaced with TST Ind. at beginning of the season, and it solved the problem.

Yes, should have clarified...I turned them all over during disassembly to expose the numbers. Installed new (aftermarket) shims with etching against the cup (per OE orientation). I think the OE shims had the sizes ink printed.

I placed the shim into the pocket on top of the valve spring first (with my fingers), then placed the cup on top. I held the cup down with my finger while separating the magnet from the cup (don't want things to lift again). I think I separated the two before bottoming the cup, but don't recall. I used assembly fluid throughout. Stuffed paper towel into openings to prevent the shims from accidentally disappearing into the crankcase.

Thanks for posting the data. Same old... that lash check interval for the CP3 is way optimistic.

Rode through VT, NH and ME just recently... but have not yet been to MA. The "Eye of Sauron" sounds like a nice place to hit on a future outing in that direction. Photos look great. Thanks for sharing.

Yes I did... made it to Team Honda just before my 12:30 time slot. Really wished I had more time to complete the ride and do the lunch thing... another day. Thanks @Husqy for throwing this together!

Great meeting everyone. Most FJs I've seen in one place, ha! Sorry had to jet early. Should do it again some time.

Only have a couple hours, but will see you at 10am.

Thanks again for the tip @jdavis. It worked nicely on the Serket too. A bit of research and it appears to be a fairly common fix. I will monitor things over the next couple of days, but it still seems pretty free-flowing. Something to try @BBB. Cheap and simple.

I used aluminum tape (Nashua) to block off some holes in the baffle, just to see what happens. There wasn't any appreciable additional sound deadening until I blocked half the holes. Muted things a bit. The tape survived a short 10min test trip entirely intact. I am guessing that arbitrarily restricting the exhaust isn't going to go unpunished in some way, so I removed the tape after the test run. Not bothered by the Serket exhaust sound for everyday riding, trips and commuting (rather like it), but on those very early mornings, and especially in sleepy country towns... it does not sound neighbourly. 8,000 kms on the can, and I can't say it's any quieter.

Bucket list type of ride for sure. Thank you for sharing.

Also a commuter... about 50km each way, some highway. Cardo inside RPHA 70 works very well. I wear Pinlock ear plugs and hear music/speech clearly at highway speeds. I second what @texscottyd said... speaker positioning makes a big difference. Also noticed an improvement since upgrading my helmet from the budget priced Bell Vortex. Hope you find a solution.

Knew it was only a matter of time... too funny. Terrible advise for a new rider.

Much more reliable than the flimsy cigarette lighter sockets. Their useful life expired with the death of the cigarette lighter (option still available on some vehicles). I have three of the Powerlet type connections on the bike. I find the two side sockets very useful, and I very rarely use the dash connection. Replaced OE socket with this... Powerlet compatible socket (eBay). Heated jacket connection (it's on a controller output side). Genuine Powerlet. (10A fused) Right side of the bike port for air pump, battery tender etc. Genuine Powerlet w/spacer. (10A fused)

Yes, Nitron NTR R1 with a 650lb spring.

Not a walk-through but just some general information for anyone doing research on the product, now that I can offer an opinion. It is a nice upgrade to the stock front suspension on the one-legged FJ-09. The kit replaces the two OE valves (compression and rebound) in the active leg. Compression damping remains non-adjustable. If one is considering options.... this mod won’t break the bank and it works very well. One could also just have the kit installed by a suspension shop. The process is very close what is shown in this YT video describing installation of a similar kit. I also recommend watching Race Tech videos (here). These are oldies but goodies. THE KIT The kit (FMGV S2050C) is meant for several different bikes. It contains everything you will need for the FJ, and several things that you won’t. Fork springs/spacers (if needed) and oil need to be purchased separately. I already had the springs that I purchased from Stoltec (re-used OE spacers). Instructions (here) aren’t the best… so it's helpful to read up on how the stacks are constructed and how they work. Some light bedtime reading is recommended. The promise of the Gold Valve is a more composed ride due to improved oil flow through the re-designed valves with custom-built shim stacks. OE and Race Tech valve bodies compared below. DIGITAL VALVING SEARCH (DVS) A Digital Valving Search (DVS) code is contained on the instructions sheet that comes in the kit. This code entitles the owner to a one-time custom setup. This involves going to an online DVS portal and completing a questionnaire, but... the portal wasn’t recognizing my DVS code, so I emailed Race Tech and got a Technician assigned to help me out. The Tech asked a few questions (type of bike, rider weight w/o gear, riding style etc.), and then sent me a setup sheet. The setup sheet contains shim stack setup, recommended replacement springs and the suspension oil. Initial preload and rebound damping settings are also noted. INSTALLATION Heat is required to access the compression and rebound valves as the threads are treated with red thread-locker. This is where a solid setup of the cartridge in the vise (aluminum or plastic jaws) becomes important. You do not want to be fighting with the cartridge spinning or moving out of position when doing this. Freed OE valve assemblies shown below. The kit replaces many of the pieces shown skewered on the zip ties below, including shims, valve bodies, the compression valve O-ring and the rebound piston band. There are several packets of shims in the box, but they’re NOT sorted or labeled with anything meaningful… so you basically have to sift through the pile to find the ones listed on the setup sheet. A digital Vernier caliper will make the task easy enough. Shims sorted in required order... The Race Tech setup sheet also required drilling a 1.3mm bleed hole in the compression valve body… which wasn’t very difficult. Some kits will come with the hole per-drilled. The OE rebound stack included a mid-valve, which the new configuration removes, leaving just the check plate in place. The space vacated by the mid-valve shims needed to be taken up with a spacer during re-assembly. The O-ring (compression) and the piston band (rebound) aren’t in the image. They went on just in time for installation into the cartridge. SUSPENSION OIL The DVS sheet specifies oil type and levels for each fork leg. The specified Race Tech oil is super expensive, so I used it only in the re-valved active leg. Filled the dead leg with inexpensive oil as it is only there to create an air spring, and for general lubrication. The setup called for 110mm in one leg, and 130mm in the other, measured from the top of a fully collapsed outer tube. RACE TECH SUPPORT Getting assistance from Race Tech was an exercise in patience. It took a couple of days to receive response to queries… and there were a few. The work was done in the off-season, so thankfully this didn’t cost me riding time. RESULTS UPDATE - JUNE 5, 2019 While performance over smooth pavement was very good (my initial impressions), the setup was too harsh for city streets and other less-than-great pavement conditions. I felt that forks weren’t compressing enough, and there was too much damping in the circuits. 500 kms into the experience, I reduced the oil viscosity to ~12CSt@40C (to lessen damping) and reduced the oil level to 140mm in each leg (to lessen air-spring effect). 2,000 kms of riding on many kinds of roads and at various speed/load conditions, I can now say that I am finally happy with this mod. Word of caution for anyone going this route... be prepared to experiment with oil viscosity and oil level to tune the performance of the forks. Valving still works very well, but the oil viscosity and the oil level specified by Race Tech were inappropriate for the type of riding that I do. I picked Bel-Ray 3W HVI and eventually settled on the damping screw at 4-5 clicks out from closed.

Coming off my trusty old Bell Vortex, the new RPHA 70 is a big improvement. I find it very comfortable and light. RF1200 was in the running, but there were slight pressure points that I knew would become trouble down the road. That center-mounted visor latch on the RPHA isn't the most brilliant idea, but... overall very happy with the helmet.

Took it into the wild... suburban edition. First outing of 2019... had a bunch of things done over the winter, so rode it conservatively. I was anxious about the suspension bits, but happy to report that it, and other mods worked very, very nicely: Suspension (Nitron NTR R1 shock and Race Tech Gold Valve fork piston kit) Front Brakes (320mm 2015 R1 rotors and ECB sintered pads) Screen (Madstad 22") Exhaust (Scorpion Serket slip-on) Levers (People's Republic brand of some kind) There were other mods... but these five will be most impactful on my riding experience. Money very well spent. It is going to be a great riding season. 😀

I take from your post that you already own the FJ-09. Just consider that we have GT owners on here complaining about various things... so it's not as if you're guaranteed a significant improvement in daily riding. You will likely have to add $$$ to that purchase price of the GT... and take a loss on the FJ. Financially it doesn't work... but when did that ever stop us from doing things. Go for it... 😈

Haven't had a chance to go out yet, but the point of reference is pretty low... I should like. You got Nitron's standard response to inquiries over the email. I called them and told them I was ordering online and would follow-up with details for the build. No issues. Canada is on the list of ship-to destinations on their website. Saved ~$250CAD overall going direct. That's good coin. FBI techs were in training on the Nitron product line around the time I was ordering. I was quoted $699US... basically Revzilla price.

I have the Nitron NTR-R1 shock from the U.K. and the Race Tech Gold Valve kit installed in the active fork leg. Purchased the kit at FortNine (have to order by kit part number). I did all the labour, so the cost worked out well for me. Choices will depend on the type of riding you do. Ohlins makes great stuff, but... a premium brand can also sell the mediocre for a premium dollar, so choose wisely. Also be mindful to order your shock with a spring for your weight, and not their 'standard issue'. There was an Ontario fellow on here in the last little bit who had Accelerated Technologies rebuilt his OE shock.. here.

Thanks for this lead. I know they have a great reputation. Price for a rebuilt OE shock isn't too bad. Another couple of weeks and you'll be able to test it... 😛 Street Motorcycle Services - Accelerated Technologies ACCELERATEDTECHNOLOGIES.CA Street Motorcycle Services With our detailed knowledge of suspension systems, we recognize the important role the rest of the chassis plays on...

LOL... I can certainly make a case for each mod, but clearly a stronger case for some than others. Truthfully... the exhaust and the brakes were impulse buys. Addiction?... that sounds too much like a problem to be true. 😀

I opted to modify a long 14mm ball-end hex key. Looked where along the key there was interference with the bar and ground the key to reduce the circumference in just that area. The ball-end needed trimming (flattening) a bit for a good fit inside the shallow hex cavity in the cover. Worked great. Working the crank bolt was no issue using a 19mm socket on a long 3/8" extension.