piotrek

Welcome. You appear to have scored a gen2... or maybe a gen1+ 🙂. There were a few changes for the 2017 MY IIRC... at least as they sold them in Canada: Slipper clutch Improved factory fueling Deleted on-screen diagnostics (get an OBD2 reader) Fork edits i.e. axle screws in from left side, ABS sensor location etc. Enjoy your bike !

...this bike speaks to me. Imagination wanders... 😎

Super convenient indeed. I fitted a Powerlet socket on my FJ (RH side of bike, opposite the seat lock) for same purpose, and the air pump.

I will just add that some systems report quicker than others. The Sykik needs just a few wheel revolutions, which means I can spin the wheels by hand while the bike is in my garage on the centre stand, and know within a few seconds whether to inflate before I depart. I had another system for a very short while (NEWEkey, a re-brand of Cyclops), that required 150+ metres of travel to report 😒. It is also possible to mod these head units and tether them to a power source on the bike, so no re-charging needed.

Sounds good. I thought the pink bike project came out quite okay. Hope she's at least riding it. It'd be a shame. 😐 I think I will brave the job with the Hinson dampers. Plan-B sounds unattractive at current prices, but there is no Plan-C, so who knows.

Wondering if you'd already done this. I remember you wanted to use polyurethane dampers rather than the Hinson set (rubber I think). Would you have a link where you sourced them? Thanks

I am jealous every time I see ride photos from the wet coast. Some people... I won't name names, like @betoney... keep rubbing it in.

PART 5/5 Bee-Line for the Border After Barber my mind was set on getting home. The plan was to overnight in Walton KY, and then decide on the best option home... via Buffalo NY or Detroit MI. I left Leeds at 6am and jumped on I65. The weather was good and the ride fast, for a short while. Things came unglued in Tennessee, where it rained persistently for a good 2h. My GPS quit on me (water), although now that I was on the Interstate it was of limited use. I did manage to take a wrong exit and find myself in the middle of Nashville’s rush-hour traffic. Thankfully I wasn’t stuck for long and managed to find my way back on I65. Props to the front desk attendant at the Motel 6 in Walton. He was super helpful in setting me up with heaters to dry my boots and helmet. The next morning I decided to go through Detroit. My ride was fast and dry. I crossed the Ambassador Bridge, and there it was... Canada . 🙂 I really enjoyed the trip, and even though there were some trying moments, they are all part of the adventure. I am glad I took my time (save for the last couple of days). Gave me a glimpse of the country that you just don't see barreling down the Interstate. Now it’s time to look over the bike, fix what’s broken and give it a bath. No issues overall really... the bike started and ran great. Chain lube daily and gas was all it needed. One auxiliary light failed (again 😒). Notes and Observations Raingear. My Olympia gear failed against heavy sustained downpours. I brought it instead of my usual Rainseal set because it was lighter, easier to pack and breathable. I found the raingear useless in super hot weather anyway. Last thing I needed was another layer, and the cooling effect was very welcome. On early mornings and further north, I needed my raingear to keep me dry and warm. Boots. I took my vented Alpinestars SMX-3 boots. Kept me nice and cool... and wet when the rains came. This meant having to dry my boots at the end of a soggy ride. Not a big deal, but a to-do. Tires. The Dunlop Mutant did well in wet... but it’s really not like I was looking to find the limits. I did one time feel my rear jog sideways a bit in the twisties, but that might have been just an error on my part or road grime. Great grip in the dry and generally better feel/compliance than say, Roadsmart 3. They were much easier to slip onto the rims too. Windscreen. I took the short screen with a deflector. This was a bit of a compromise, biased toward cooling. Not great in the rain and at freeway speeds. Ear plugs. I think I will invest in custom molded plugs. Foam plugs work great but not great in hot weather as they expand quickly and become hard for me to insert. Low speed low/off throttle clutch basket grinding sound has become pronounced on this ride... so something for me to fix in the off-season. ~ END ~

PART 4/5 Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum I made sure to reserve a full day for this visit, and shortly after 10am I was at the gate. No time pressures on this day. @PhotoAl suggested looking into a tour, but unfortunately these take place Fri-Sun. No biggie though… the place is plenty big with lots to see and read. From the antiques to the quirky and everything in between, the collection is really wide ranging. Much to be learned by reading the exhibit notes and stories too. Teaser photos don’t give it justice, but here... I was hoping to find a bike that my Dad used to ride in the 60s, a Junak 350. They do have it but it's in storage in poor condition... so maybe some years down the road. Went for a walk to see some of the track. A pedestrian bridge and an overhang platform allow for some nice vantage points to watch the races. ~ TBC ~

PART 3/5 SOFLA and the Keys I took 27 southbound out of Orlando area toward Florida City. It was surprisingly smooth and quick. The weather was clear, and there weren’t too many lights. I could tell the temperature and humidity creeping up, and that this was starting to feel like a whole new level. I know the dash reading is inaccurate because of the engine heat, but I don't think I have ever seen the ambient reading hit 40C before. The Travelodge in Florida City was pretty nice considering the cost. This was my home base for a couple of days. Chairs and tables outside the rooms meant people would spend time outside in the evening and inevitably you’d strike a conversation, which was nice. Everyone was good and orderly come night time. The bike drew attention of a neighbour (older, retired guy) a couple of rooms down and we chatted a bit. He handed me his contact info and an offered to assist if needed on my way back through his home town of Dothan AL. Weather looked a bit of a mixed bag for my trip to Key West, with rain was forecasted for the afternoon, so I was out the door at 6am to ride cooler/drier. It was to be a busy day and I needed some buffer time in case I needed it. I stopped at the Lobster Shack in Islamorada but it was of course closed. I took a photo with the giant lobster and moved on. It was a 3h ride to Key West, through a collection of islands and connecting bridges. The snapshot below is what I believe to be the seven mile bridge, with the now decommissioned old bridge running alongside. The old bridge is no longer continuous, but some sections look to still be accessible to pedestrian/bicycle traffic. Key West has a pretty laid-back, touristy vibe to it. I made my way to the southernmost CONUS marker and took obligatory photos. Walked around a bit but it was HOT, and I really wasn’t dressed for it. With a 3h ride back and a couple of pit stops ahead of me, I made it a quick visit. On way back the sun/heat came out swinging. It took a while to find a sliver of shade for a rest stop. Lunch stop was to be at Alabama Jack’s, as recommended by @fddriver2 (thanks Jeff). I got there around 2pm and the lunch crowd was starting to fizzle out. An interesting place with a cool vibe. I had fish chowder and fish tacos. Both very good. As I was waiting to pay, the heavens turned dark and it began to thunder. It rained good and steady on my way back toward the motel. Once the rain stopped, I decided instead to head straight for the airboat ride at the Everglades Alligator Farm, where I was likely to get wet anyway. The next day it was time to head north for my last to-do, a visit to the Barber Vintage Motorsport Museum. I made it out of south Florida via the Everglades along 41, and then took 29 northbound. While the Everglades were flat and the roads straight, the weather was great and temps comfortable, with a bunch of greenery around me, making for a pleasant ride. Some areas further north a bit had barbed wire topped fences along each side of the road… apparently frequented by big cats. ~ TBC ~

PART 2/5 Florida Bound The stretch from East Dublin GA was not great. 441 and 27 were pretty straight and flat. I took a rest stop along 441 somewhere and took this photo of the bike against a fixer-upper property. I guess the house spirit did not like. Enter karma… I dropped the bike almost as soon as the kickstand went up. The highway peg was damaged, but thankfully I think it saved my side case as there was just a small scratch on it and nothing got bent. The peg looked wonky but still functional enough for the trip. Finally made it to Florida. No longer than an hour into the state, the sky ripped and it poured almost the rest of the way to Kissimmee. Traffic lights on 27 were terribly timed. When the rain eased, I relented and jumped on the freeway. There was no point continuing through traffic. My people stayed in Kissimmee at one of the many resort hotels along 192. Got me a card at the front desk and made myself at home. The girls were out on an excursion somewhere. My wife and I went to the bar later that evening and chatted up a local couple, staying at the resort. He is an army vet and now a cop, and his wife is an air ambulance paramedic. We talked and drank until close time Kennedy Space Center This place is really well worth a visit. I am old and inquisitive enough to have learned the basics of the Apollo and Shuttle programs over the years, but the benchmark has shifted and those early accomplishments get farther in the rear-view for younger generations. Re-united for a day... my crew and I in front of the NASA globe at the entrance to the park. The size of the entire Apollo rocket/spacecraft made it impossible to capture in a single shot… so just a couple of teaser shots of the Apollo Stage-1 (business end), and of the Shuttle. Everything is so massive in size. Part of the Apollo tour was a bit of a re-enactment of the launch (and landing). The launch bit took place in a space made to resemble a control room. The consoles were the real deal… we were told, and the actual launch audio and video feeds of the final several minutes are played/shown on overhead displays. ~ TBC ~

PART 1/5 Another adventure completed. As forewarned by some of you on here, I rode into a bit of a hot, soupy mess, but it all worked out with some ride-time adjustments, light snacking and hydration. Ontario was experiencing a heat wave at the time, so I’ve had some time to adjust. Posting the report in several segments. Heading South The crossing at the Buffalo NY (Peace Bridge) was a bit busy in the morning (8am), but other than the annoyance of having to wait… I was excited to cross and head south. It started to rain shortly afterward, and continued on and off for a couple of hours. The plan was to make it to Beckley WV relatively quickly without having to ride the Interstate. I know PA is full of nice twisty roads, but I had to keep it southbound as possible. I still found the roads (219, 949, 119 etc.) interesting enough and light on traffic to not be a chore. The Appalachians Once in WV, roads 26, 20, 60 and 41 took me to Beckley. 20 and 60 were very, very good, and honestly hardly anyone on the roads. Road 60 was where I had an uncomfortably close encounter with a Jeep barreling the opposite way. I was just exiting a blind right corner, with a Jeep heading the opposite way and cutting through my lane by a good 2ft. It was very close, and jarring enough that I had to stop and compose myself before moving on. Beckley WV to Maryville TN was expectedly very good. It was early morning on a Sunday… so I had the roads to myself. I left Beckley via Harper Rd. (3) then weaved my way along the plateau. It rained for the first 2h steady, but the twisty roads and lack of traffic made it fun. Of note were 83, 638, 606/23, and 70 (Tail of the Lonesome Pine Rd.) between Jonesville VA and Rogersville TN. This was a long, tiring but entertaining day. I took a photo against some street art in Welch WV, then crossed into VA and found more of it in Appalachia VA. Tail of the Dragon I had a good restful sleep in Maryville and departed for the Dragon at 7am. There was no traffic on way to the start location, and once there, I found the place empty. Took a photo and off I went. Starts off easy and scenic but once it picks up, it’s relentlessly twisty the rest of the way... wow. I encountered maybe 3 vehicles (cars/trucks) heading the opposite way, but nothing in front or behind me. The photo people were just setting up for the day. No regrets though… a chance to ride this road and not have to share it… priceless. I took it easy, not knowing the road and being far from home... but it was still fun. I took 28 from there. Another great road. Things became a lot calmer between Franklin NC and East Dublin GA. From this point onward I was eager to meet-up with my family in Florida. ~ TBC ~

Nice... makes the bike look lighter on its feet. Front fender getting a bit lost on there... Great project bike.

Wow... and ouch.😓

Nothing wrong with these caps. They double as a core remover... but yes 90 degree stems much preferred. Is the manufacture date on the tire 2015?

Mounted a set of Dunlop Mutant tires to try on my trip to Florida next week. Favourable reviews and the price was okay. Will scrub them in a bit over the next few days and it's go time. 😎

https://www.cosmo-accessories.com/products/yamaha/fj-09-2017/gps-bracket-ram-type-tracer-900-detail These same plates are also available on eBay etc. There are some gnarly (looking) pegs on eBay... here. Quality unknown.

Good way to make low clearance even lower 😐... would this work? https://sw-motech.com/en/bike/YAMAHA/900TracGT/2019/RN57/products/protection/engine+guard/

Well... that last bit there might be good cause for pause. 😬 This ^ ... and as travel writer Rick Steves says... the most valuable souvenir you will collect when you travel is perspective. T-shirts, hats and photos are great too. 🙂

Great resource... thanks.

I hear ya... but it's Florida or bust at this point. Our Summer is all planned out. 🙂

Baffle in, of course. I suspect it's not so much the volume as the edgy sound/tone. Started to wear me out... so it's gone.

Thanks @fddriver2 for great info around SOFLA food and roads. I should be arriving in Florida City around noon on June 13 (Thursday). Once checked-in, I was planning to do Alabama Jack's for lunch (you posted about it once). Could meet there if you're available. The plan at the moment is to ride out to Key West the next (early) morning... do lunch, walk around a bit and head back to Florida City before heading north the next morning. I looked into an overnight stay in Key West, and might still re-consider if I can find an inexpensive place to stay and the schedule works out.

Thanks @PhotoAl for the apocalyptic weather imagery 😁. Noted... and I will try to prepare accordingly. I have traveled in miserable weather before, but granted... rarely in much north of 30C (86F). Traffic-wise, there are (almost) no Interstates or big cities along this route. I am looking to see the country a bit, so I am not intending to be very fast. I should be arriving at Barber on the 16th and taking the 17th (Monday) off to see the place. I will ping you in advance to confirm. It would be nice to connect at Barber if you're available.

Look after your health. A roadster like a Miata looks like a great solution to continue motoring around with some wind in your hair. Enjoying the experience with your wife is a huge bonus. I know a small roadster is in my future at some point.